A Chic Farm Wedding Reception at What Used to be Miles’ Grandmother’s Working Dairy Farm

Postcard from Jiles

Harrisonburg, Va • Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley • Hotel Madison

30 April 2023

Bonjour friends,

We’re about to hit the rode. But I just wanted to write a quick postcard and tell you a tiny bit about last night. . . .

We had a super time celebrating Bonnie & Andy at their chic farm wedding venue! The farm used to be Mile’s grandmother’s working dairy farm. Bonnie purchased the property in the early 2000’s and has been making it current and fab — seriously the spot is like you’d see in a movie with beautiful white farm fences and a bunch of bee hives saving the planet.

Among the property’s buildings is a beautifully renovated barn — the picture perfect spot for the swanky cocktail reception. It used to be filled with hay and cows that Grandmother Shuler milked at sunrise. And the cousins spent hours playing in there as children. So there’s lots of happy memories. Now it’s elegantly and intentionally decorated for amazing celebrations.

The farm is at Naked Creek. Miles said no one outside the family will know where Naked Creek is, but he said y’all might know Elkton. Anyhow, we stayed a little further away then that — about 30 minuted from the venue at the Hotel Madison, in Harrisonburg. Which is lovely!

Hotel Madison is dog friendly! And actually run by co-ed’s in the Hospitality Management program at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg. Also, here’s a fun family tidbit for ya, JMU is where Miles’ mom studied Home Economics AND the university his grandmother and all of her sisters attended. It’s a co-ed university now, but at that time it was a teachers college.

Ok. Back to the wedding . . .

The attire was festive, fun, glamorous, farm. I didn’t know what that meant but after a call to the bride earlier in the week, I found out there was no right or wrong. She was going to be glamorous (and boy was she in her knee length white sequenced long sleeve gown with a low back!) and her husband was going to be festive. The attire was going to be eclectic. And that made it really fun! I loved seeing how people interpreted the attire. Everyone was so different.