First things first, what is the date of your wedding? 

We are getting married on Saturday, September 6, 2025. And in anticipation of your second question: no it is not Labor Day weekend, it is the weekend after Labor Day. We wanted a late summer wedding with a whisper of back-to-school in the air.

Wonderful, I can smell the sharpened pencils and ripened tomatoes now. And where is the wedding venue?

The ceremony and reception will be held at Blue Heron Lake on State Route 193, Dorset, OH 44032. We will do our best to put out signage for direction. However, as a heads up, please do not be concerned when you pull into the property and see a house and think you’re in the wrong place. The owner of the venue lives on the property and as such her house can be seen coming down the driveway. Proceed to the parking area and follow proper signage to the ceremony area. 

Are the ceremony and reception both at Blue Heron Lake?

Yes, all wedding activities will take place at Blue Heron Lake, though at different areas on the property. 

Could you expand on that?

Sure, weather permitting the ceremony will take place outside in a lovely little grove of trees (also known as the woods) and the reception will be in what we are dubbing The Pavilion, even though it isn’t really a pavilion, more like an old rustic shed structure? Mitchell, how would you describe it. It’s a building made of old railroad ties, it has a roof and is enclosed on three sides with one end of the building open.

I see, and what about cocktail hour? Are you doing a cocktail hour?

Yes, we are. Our guests will need something to do while we galavant around the property taking couples photos. Cocktail hour will take place inside an old a-frame cabin on the property with freedom to wander the grounds at your pleasure. 

Are all these areas walkable and accessible? 

Yes, the distances between the parking lot, ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception are walkable distances, however be prepared to walk through the grass between locations and the forest floor for the ceremony. 

What about guests with impaired mobility needs?  How will they get around the property?

We’ve got them covered. We have a golf cart for our guests that will need help getting around.  

Earlier you said “weather permitting” – what is your plan if it rains?

Yes – thank you for asking this is important. If it is lightly sprinkling, we will continue with plans to have the ceremony performed outside in the woods. If it is raining heavily or storming we will move the ceremony indoors into the Pavilion. Other acts of God such as tornadoes, earthquakes, monsoons, plagues, the sky raining fire, or the world ending can not practically be accommodated for and we will likely have to move the wedding to another day. Regardless of the weather circumstances on our wedding day, we will do our best to communicate our plans with our guests in advance so they may arrive properly prepared.

Speaking of being properly prepared – let’s dig into the dress code. Most guests (though not always all) generally look for guidance on what to wear to your wedding. Could you provide your guests with some guidelines? Cocktail attire? Black tie? White tie? Will it be themed? Is there a color-scheme? 

The short of it is, there is no dress code. This is a celebration with close family and friends and we don’t require anything so specific. We know that isn’t helpful so let us try to be helpful:

  • Our wedding is trending towards fun and relaxed. We want you all to be comfortable and to be yourselves but that doesn’t necessarily mean showing up in your nicest jorts and muscle-tees. Just… please look nice and be yourself. 
  • Here’s a link to the wedding venues website. You can peruse the gallery to get a feel for the place. It’s certainly rustic and, honestly, approaching a little primitive (I promise there is indoor plumbing). You will be walking through the grass and on concrete floors. Ladies – I’d strongly recommend against stilettos or any high heels. 

Let’s talk transportation. How can your guests get to and from the venue? 

Another fun and slightly challenging subject! Let’s dig in. There are several options for getting to and from the wedding venue. Of course, guests are welcome to drive themselves. There is parking available at the venue weather permitting. 

…. There’s that “weather permitting” clause again….

*Sigh* we know…you’re probbably thinking “omg why did they choose this venue?” and we are internally grimacing. So here’s the deal. The parking lot is a grassy field on the property. If it’s super rainy and soggy, we can’t risk cars getting stuck in the muddy field. So instead, guests will park down the street in the Methodist Church parking lot where they will be shuttled to and from the venue. Again, we will make sure plans are communicated in advance to all of our guests.

If guests drive themselves, can they leave their cars overnight at the venue?

Yep that isn’t a problem. Guest are fine to leave their cars overnight and pick them up the next day.

If guests don’t want to drive because they’re concerned with drinking and driving can they call an Uber or Lyft?

Okay, locals are already aware of this so we need our out-of-town guests to understand that there is NO UBER OR LYFT OR RIDE SHARE IN ASHTABULA. PLEASE DO NOT PLAN ON CALLING AN UBER AT THE END OF THE NIGHT TO BRING YOU BACK TO YOUR LODGING.

Yikes, why are you having your wedding— …… okay so, no Uber or Lyft, what options do your guests have then?

Well, there are several local taxi and transportation companies that guests can contact in advance to arrange for transport to or from the venue. We’ve listed these options on our Out-of-Town guest page, so please see there for more details. 

Will you be providing any transportation for guests?

Our intent is to provide a shuttle for our Out-of-Town guests staying at the Hotel. This shuttle will transport guests to the wedding venue and return them to the Hotel at the end of the night. Details concerning these arranagements will be communicated closer to the date.  

What time should guests arrive?

Guests should aim to arrive at least 20 to 30 minutes before the ceremony begins. There is a 5 to 10-minute walk from the parking lot to the ceremony location so arriving 20-30 minutes prior to the ceremony will ensure everyone has time to park, walk from the parking lot to the ceremony space, find a seat, and get settled in. 

What about your out-of-town guests–

Let us stop you right there. We have an entire page on the website with information for our out-of-town guests. It’s filled with recommendations for lodging, travel, transportation, and things to do. We’d encourage them to check that out and let us know if they have any lingering questions. 

Are you registered anywhere for gifts? 

Yes, if you are wanting to get us a lil sumpin sumpin (or a big sumpin sumpin *wink*) we have put together a wedding registry that can be accessed here. Please be sure to read the introduction as it has some important information for accessing and using the registry. We love making things difficult. 

I’ve been to some weddings where I see signs posted about “Unplugged” ceremonies. What is this and are you having one?

Yes, we are having what’s been dubbed an “Unplugged” ceremony. Essentially, this means that we expect our guests to refrain from using their phones or other digital devices during our wedding ceremony. This includes the bride’s processional, the ceremony itself, and the couple’s exit. The whole shebang. 

This request extends to taking photos and videos during the ceremony. Our photographer has been very adamant about this with us and has asked us to stress this request to our guests. 

We know your intentions are good and you want to capture this special moment, but we ask that you please respect our wishes here. 

Are you having a wedding party? Bridesmaids? Groomsmen?

This was tough for us but we’ve decided to forgo a traditional wedding party. Both of us have been very fortunate to gather many friends during our lifetimes and making decisions about wedding parties was becoming difficult and stressful. We are grateful for the love and support of our friends and families and while you may not be filling a formal “wedding party” role we would love for you to be a part of our celebration and to be involved as much or as little as you’d like to be throughout the process. 

Jennie, will you be taking Mitchell’s last name?

No, I will be keeping my last name. 

Mitchell, will you be taking Jennie’s last name?

No, I will be keeping my last name. 

We will be regularly updating this page so please check back here for new information as we near our wedding date.

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