Weddingbee Blog

So here we are: the post where I reveal our wonderful venue and the place that Mr. Jam and I will tie the knot, get sore cheeks from grinning, and spend the night cutting a rug as a Mr. & Mrs. for the first time ever. Just kinda gives you the warm fuzzies when you think about it, huh?

After trekking across the great state of Illinois for the better part of two months, considering our guests’ travels, number crunching, budget abiding, and trying to find the most unique (and budget-friendly) venue, we booked…

…a country club at a golf course.

Not really what we had in mind, right? But let me explain by use of a single photo:

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Our venue is Hunter’s Ridge, a.k.a. a big old estate!

It’s got huge Old World porches, a wide-open two-story party space, chandeliers, and a super cool fireplace, to boot. It’s small enough to be intimate, unique enough to be one of a kind, near enough to make it special and accessible, and cheap enough to not break the bank. Five hundred dollars for full-weekend access? I.LOVE.YOU.

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Our evening ceremony will be outside among the big old trees, just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the huge party that will start immediately following “I do.” Are you imagining a parade behind the bride and groom—tossing confetti, tooting horns, and banging on pots? I am, and I like it. We’ll see where that idea takes us.

The funny thing is that immediately after our engagement, this venue was mentioned to me by a bevy of people: My mom. My mom’s best friend. One of my best friends (the same one who forced me into a wedding dress). A random lady at a wedding show. The daughter of a family friend. And every time this venue was mentioned to me, I would promise that I would call and set up an appointment.

And conveniently, I would “forget” every time. A country club? Meh.

But the first time Mr. Jam and I drove down the long drive of Hunter’s Ridge and the estate finally appeared in the distance out of the surrounding foliage, we literally gasped in shock. We’re getting married there, and we really couldn’t be happier! Shame on me for not hooking us up with the winning venue sooner.

Thanks, family and friends, for knowing us better than we know ourselves…again. Who knows where we would be getting hitched without you.

Do you have any cool venue stories? Was a venue forced upon you? Do your family and friends know you better than you know yourselves? Are you irritated because when you finally found the perfect venue, it was all booked? Comment and let’s chat it up.