New & Unique Venues for Your Next Event
Written by Lia Hobel
With the new year brings the newly engaged and those on the hunt for the ideal wedding venue. This may be the most important aspect of wedding planning. After all, this is where friends and family will gather and celebrate the joyous occasion.
Hunt Country has no shortage of special places to exchange vows and host memorable receptions. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up new and noteworthy venues for couples to consider.
Glenstone Gardens
Luxurious weddings at a private estate.
Exclusive, elegant, and immaculate perfectly describe the experience that awaits a soon-to-be married couple at Glenstone Gardens. The hidden gem (so private that an address is not given out until you book a private tour) is fitting for any pair who envision formal gardens and restored farmhouses as their ideal wedding backdrop to say their vows and dance the night away. “We’re really a national wedding destination,” says Glenstone Gardens and Red Fox Inn & Tavern proprietor Matilda Reuter Engle. She explains that many couples hail from D.C. and travel from all parts of the country for the one-of-a-kind venue. “We offer an amazing luxury setting that is meticulously manicured for couples to use as the unique backdrop to bring their grand wedding weekend to life.”
A groom’s cottage is available for the groom and his groomsmen to relax and entertain. And, the bride has the ultimate bridal suite with space for hair and makeup and everything in between that’s needed to make the day go off without a hitch.
Couples have two experience choices, both boasting chic and timeless elegance. The Grand Garden experience is perfect for longer guest lists with space for up to 300, whereas the Petite Farmhouse experience is a special setting for more intimate affairs with under 100 guests. Ceremony and picture opportunities are plentiful in the lush, centuries-old gardens. Ancient trees with lovely canopies, such as the 450-year-old Tulip Poplar tree, are popular photo spots, according to Engle. Unique structures, open vistas, Bull Run Mountain views, a reflective pond, and a secluded, boxwood-hedged garden hidden from plain sight also await the bride and groom.
A seasoned events team is devoted to work with the engaged couple to tailor the country estate and everything the property entails to create the wedding of the couple’s dream.
The Barrel Room
7134 Farm Station Road, Vint Hill, Virginia 20187
The Barrel Room is an industrial-chic venue in a 1950s warehouse building at Old Bust Head Brewery in Vint Hill. The ceiling’s iron beams and exposed pipes complement the concrete floor for a minimalistic starting point that is easily customizable. Owner Julie Broaddus says the place can host 150 guests with the bride and groom typically playing off the rustic charm or transforming it into their personal fairytale. “Our space is really a clean slate that can be whatever type of space our customers really want it to be,” she says.
A large wooden barn door separates the bar room from the main dining area. Natural light filters into the beautiful space and earth tones throughout create the perfect ambiance. Burning candles are welcome as well as provided lanterns to romanticize the mood. The venue also features a selection of outdoor spaces, including a beer garden. The brewery and new wedding venue are part of a unique farm called “Vint Hill” that for 50 years operated as a top-secret military listening post, making it the perfect spot for the betrothed with an interest in local history.
Couples can tap into the Barrel Room team’s endless knowledge of local caterers, florists, musicians, and more to build the ideal vendor list unique to each couple. The event space is conveniently attached to Serendipity Catering, which many couples choose to cater their big day. And the Barrel Room will soon offer in-house grazing boards.
Ovoka Farm
750 Gap Run Road, Paris, Virginia 20130
Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ovoka Farm has views of the Shenandoah Valley and western Piedmont region. The working farm is prestigiously known for its mostly F-1 Wagyu and full-blood Wagyu beef, a valued commodity for top chefs in the area. Ovoka dates to a 1731 land grant and served as a strategic location during the Civil War with both sides occupying the farm at one point in time.
With its rich history and sprawling rural acreage, the farm owners firmly believe in sustainable practices, even beyond the cattle raised. Ovoka owner Karen Way says the 700-acre estate provides the perfect foundation for couples to join their lives with a celebration unparalleled to any other. “We have a very unique wedding program,” Way says. “In fact, we call it the Sustainable Life Farm Tour. This name suits Ovoka’s sustainable values as it incorporates a menu from beef produced here on the farm,” although vegetarian options are also available, “and provides insight to a true working farm. It’s an opportunity for a farm tour with your wedding celebration. It’s as elegant as they’d like or as casual,” Way explains.
With the farm tour portion, guests are shuttled to the top of the mountain “where there’s this beautiful landing area and the most incredible view,” she explains. “Their ceremony would be up top and then we come back down and that’s where the tent is set up and the reception would be held afterwards.”
Way and her business partner, Jessica Morton, directly work with the couple or the wedding planner to make the wedding day exactly the way that they envision. “We can literally make it start to finish easy for the couple in terms of getting the tent organized. We have all the recommendations.”
A renovated historic cabin is also available to the newlyweds and their wedding party, such that the wedded couple has the option to stay overnight after their celebration. ML
Published in the February 2023 issue of Middleburg Life.