Our Story
We are Jeff and Sheila Caddell and we plan weddings on our private estate that we also call home. We were the first wedding ever here on this family land and that inspired us to help other couples!
We are different and not a commercial venue. Its a new and more personal experience in which comes with lots of wedding planning expertise. It is called a "Private Estate Venue". The "venue" part is actually our front yard with 30 acres that we use for select weddings! For us it's home and its long time family land with a long tradition of hosting people.
We have lots of natural beauty that God has created all around. No fancy big staff here or concrete parking. Its laid back beauty. Our pictures and videos speak volumes at what we can create here.
We have a lake, HUGE oak trees, a chucky big beam pavilion we just completed with real oak farm wood tables, an island with a gazebo. We have three small bridges and one even has fountains. ;-) There are about four different ceremony locations. In all, we have 110 acres to our property.
We have lots coming up this Summer and Fall so stay tuned!
Due to the increased interest and limited time on our calendar for planning appointments, land work, etc. as well as increased "no shows" and security of ourselves and our property, we no longer can schedule appointments only via Facebook or email. We need to talk on the phone first and hear more about your vision for a dream wedding day and then we can talk how we might be a fit. Honestly, if your wedding day is important and you are serious, you should have no problem with this! :-) (We don't bite!)
Our phone consultations are always informative and brides and their family take away great wedding planning knowledge and a better understanding of which way they may go. NOTE: We commonly hear how impersonal the wedding industry has become and the little time that is given on the phone.
We are not a "transactional" venue. In this modern day and time of impersonal and go go go, some want to "order" up a venue and "rent" it and then be left really in the wind to plan the rest of the wedding which can be very stressful! That's not what we do.....
Some want to focus more of an open bar free for all "party" where some end up coming for their own reason instead of being there for the couple. That is not what we do here.
We work closely with brides and or her family to create fabulous weddings.
In the end, the most important thing is that you have "chemistry" with the venue that you get married at because it will be in your heart forever.
Saturday weddings are our bigger weddings in late March, April, May and June...then toward the end of August, September, October and November........these are the weddings with all the frills! Lots of bridesmaids, getting ready here....a photographer all day....hair and makeup....then a sunset wedding then a full sit down meal, with a DJ or band, pallet wood dancefloor, string lights and all the oak tress lit up with lights and chandeliers and FIREWORKS! These generally are your weddings where the couple are NOT paying for the wedding themselves.
It is incredibly stressful for a couple to pay for all the aspects of a Saturday wedding over a long period of time especially if a couple are out with responsibilities already in their life....so we honestly discourage this as we have seen SO much joy robbed in a couple's engagement and wedding planning due to money stress)
BUT, the good news is that you can get married for a whole lot less on a Sunday or weekday which has become popular with the LOW costs associated with putting on a wedding. (You can plan on little to no food costs)
There are lots of choices to customize your wedding towards your needs, desires and budget………..so if you think our place has created a spark of interest, lets talk.
We can talk options and price ranges and ways to cut costs or move your budget around to afford a certain vendor. We talk full wedding costs because there are a lot of details in planning a wedding and most all starting off want help!
ACCESSIBILITY: Our main venue, "Whispering Oaks" has parking immediately adjacent to the venue in a pasture that is kept mowed low. Elderly or physically challenged family / guests can be dropped off and walk less close to a table or bench if needed.
"The Cottage" - A four room small home with a full kitchen. Two bedrooms are set up as a bride / bridesmaids or groom / groomsman dressing rooms. This can be a great place for family to hang out and socialize and relax the day of, especially if you have out of town family and /or elderly that need to be somewhere comfortable. The home has a small intimate living room... but no TV.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES:
Caterer - We have preferred caterers who we work close with who are experienced here. We can allow you to choose outside true wedding caterers but with restrictions and our approval for safety, health rules and regulations.
Wedding Planning Tip: Just because someone says they can "Cater" a wedding does not mean they provide all services you may need such as decorate your food tables, setting up your food tables, keeping your food hot with chafers, serve your guests or clean up after afterwards. We have been astounded at how many brides have been totally mislead about this, when in reality what "catering" means to some is you having to go get the food (which we can no longer allow) or them bringing the food and just dropping it off for you to setup! (which due to total disasters we no longer allow)
In an effort to save money brides have been left very disappointed in so called "catering" of their favorite BBQ restaurant or place to eat or catering friend that in reality were unapproved by the health department. So beware, we have seen many brides disappointed with no hot food, food brought minutes before a wedding, food brought and set up while people waited 45 minutes!, no ice and tables that do not look like a wedding, no plates or cups and cutlery that looks like picnic and not a wedding!
CAKES: We have relationships with several long time experienced bakers.
(unfortunately, we have seen brides very disappointed in picking someone well meaning or someone not really in the business that in the end fails the bride by:
Cakes falling
Cakes leaning over
Cakes melting in mild weather
Cakes being delivered very late
The toppers being forgotten......
FIREWORKS: - Included in our Saturday weddings!
DECOR: (This is a big plus!) We have various table decor options that are included in some packages or can added to others. Items include vases, table runners, candle holders, lanterns, plate chargers, various silk flowers, etc. all basic items that can make the tables simple and fabulous!
PROPS: Included with our venue are ceremony props to use! Such as a door at a tree, shepherd hooks with small lanterns or hanging jars for floral. We have live ferns and palms. We have a few larger lanterns to use at your ceremony site. A stationary set of entry doors can be set up for your aisle! No venue does this for you we know of!
BEVERAGE SERVICE: We offer this service with a choice of two beverages. If requested, we can also provide pint mason jars for your guests use and they are presented in old restored wooden crates.
RAIN/WEATHER PLAN: We looked back at the history here for just 15 years of hosting people here and planned family events along with our neighbor that hosts annual gatherings; there has been only one rain out of 78+ events. The odds are in your favor that all will go as planned. But if the chance of rain is high, the events can be held under the pavilion or additional tents for an additional setup charge. In the case of a complete washout and the above cannot be done, we allow a reschedule for up to 90 days from the cancelled date.
We also allow a 90 day re-schedule due to medical or family emergency for the bride or groom.
MILITARY deployment or delay. In the case of a scheduled wedding and the military's schedule conflicts with your set date, we allow the date to be moved to an available similar date! God Bless those that serve!
A la Carte items –
Tent rental if needed 20x30 -
Additional Chair rental: If needed for large weddings.
We offer Wedding Director / Music service for your ceremony and reception (not DJ). We set up the system which consists of three or four ceremony speakers and reception speakers (these are setup under the huge oak trees) and play your provided playlist music.
Wedding Director - We work with some of the best and can facilitate this which for Saturday weddings are a must! Oh my, how we have seen lots of problems and disorganized schedules, missed photo opportunities, poor ceremony ex*****on and so much more. Why spend all this money and time and not have someone to be the one to carry out all the days coordination.
