New Harmony Inn

504 North Street, New Harmony, IN 47631
(812) 682-4431 (Sherrie McLain-Titzer, wedding planner)

New Harmony is a very small, very beautiful town about an hour's drive from Evansville. The town itself was built by a group of Harmonists hoping to establish a utopian community. There is even a small village of authentic pioneer-style buildings where actors demonstrate how they would have lived in the 1800s. The town is lovely to walk around, with lakes, gardens, a labyrinth made out of shrubs, and the non-denominational Roofless Church, which is popular for ceremonies.

The New Harmony Inn is a gorgeous complex, and if you get married in New Harmony, they will probably be involved in some way, whether it's for the ceremony, reception, catering, housing your guests, or simply renting a horse-drawn carriage or a golf cart.

The Bauerhaus

13065 Darmstadt Road, Evansville, IN 47725 (812) 759-9000

The Bauerhaus is a popular location for ceremonies and receptions for it's classic old-world German charm. It is located on the far North side of Evansville, past the airport off of Boonville-New Harmony Road, where the 4-H Center is located.

New Harmony Granary

(812) 682-3050

"This stunning and peaceful facility was acquired by David Dale Owen in 1843 and dates to the Harmonist period. Beautifully restored, the large sandstone, brick, and wood building has hosted many uses since the early 19th century, including being a corn and flour mill, a warehouse, a scientific laboratory, and a museum.

Now the facility is used for rehearsal dinners, weddings, receptions, business and professional meetings, conferences and luncheons. Each year the Granary also hosts New Harmony’s popular “Under the Beams” concert season."-from the Historic New Harmony website.

Bethlehem United Church of Christ

6400 Oak Hill Road, Evansville, IN 47725 (812) 867-2497
Service Times: Saturday 5:30 pm (blended), Sunday 10:15 (traditional)

Bethlehem UCC is located on the North side of Evansville, about 10 minutes south of the airport and 10-15 minutes north of metropolitan Evansville.

The Sanctuary, built in 1924, is described as Gothic in detail with natural light oak cushioned pews, seats 350 people comfortably. The sanctuary has an altar centered rather than pulpit centered design. The altar is centered and elevated to signify the importance of the rituals of the church. The most elevated area in the sanctuary is the preaching pulpit to the right of the altar where the minister delivers the sermon or message. The preaching pulpit is prominently placed to signify the importance of the spoken word of God. The sanctuary has a main center aisle, 75 feet long, and two side aisles.

Bethlehem is a church much favored for weddings. Its excellent pipe organ, center aisle, and attractive, light-filled sanctuary make it the perfect setting. Go to the Church Facilities Tour page to get a look at their buildings and campus. Non-members are welcome to be married at Bethlehem. The policies and fees for non-members are below. Church members are asked to call the church office and speak to the pastors for special fee and wedding service scheduling guidelines. Non-members who do not have an active member as an immediate relative will be assigned a pastor to officiate at their ceremony. Active church members or their immediate family can request to have their wedding officiated by either of the two pastors depending on the pastors' schedules. The church secretary can give you a tour of the sanctuary and dressing rooms during normal office hours 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday. One of the best ways to get a feeling of what a wedding would be like is to come to any of their worship services. At the 10:15 am Sunday worship service the magnificent organ is played.

• They require a two-hour pre-marriage counselling session with the minister as soon as possible, and lunch with a married couple from the church to get their perspective on a healthy marriage.
• Guest ministers may be invited by Bethlehem's minister if you request.
• No secular music is allowed, but you may request an organist of your choosing if you wish.
• No flash photography is allowed.
• Only bubbles and handbells can be used as you leave the building (no rice or birdseed).
• No alcohol allowed on the premises.
• Fees are listed at the bottom of their "Weddings" page (linked above).
• Quotes for use of their Fellowship Hall for receptions are available upon request.
  

St. Lucas United Church of Christ

33 West Virginia Street, Evansville, IN 47710 (812) 422-5528
Service Times: 9:00 am

St. Lucas is in a fairly central location, on West Virginia Street just west of Main Street, down the street from the Main Street Turoni's. They are also accepting of non-members. They do expect that St. Lucas's minister will officiate, but if the couple has another officiant in mind, it can generally be arranged to have that person as a guest minister. It is also expected that the church organist will play, though you can also request another.

• A $75 deposit is required to reserve the date, which will be applied to the cost of the ceremony.
• The church prefers to provide their own candles, and require decorations to be done at least one hour before the service.
• No flash photography is allowed in the sanctuary.
• There is a multi-purpose room available for receptions, but Saturday functions must be over by 10:00 pm.
• No rice or bird seed may be thrown. Flower petals and bubbles are allowed.
• No alcoholic beverages are allowed.
• Prices are listed in the PDF at the bottom of their "Weddings" page.

Kirby's Private Dining

1119 Parrett Street Evansville, IN 47713 (812) 422-2230

Kirby's Private Dining is a place I'd driven by before many times, but had never noticed before until I knew to look for it. Getting there from downtown is very easy. Get on Second Street heading south (toward Washington Ave.), and keep going until you come to a Y. Kirby's in on the far right corner of that Y, right across from Haynie's Corner.

It appears to be essentially a big Victorian house that got remodeled into a reception hall. There are three rooms, the largest of which can hold up to 120 people. The biggest room is $250 to rent and includes all tables, linens, chairs, dishes, clean-up, etc. They allow outside catering, but they charge an extra fee for it. They also provide catering at other locations.

West Baden Springs and French Lick Springs Resorts

8538 West Baden Avenue, West Baden Springs, Indiana 47469 (866) 706-4354

I have lived in Evansville for 24 years, but I have never been to French Lick, and I have never heard of these two hotels. I have to admit, from the pictures at least, I feel like I've been missing out.

French Lick is about two hours north of Evansville, and I knew they had a casino, and apparently they also have an indoor water park and are about 15 minutes from Paoli Peaks, our local ski resort. It's also only an hour from Louisville, which has a major airport for any guests flying in.

But to me, as a fan of European architecture and pretty much anything that looks grand and old, the really exciting thing is the hotels themselves, especially West Baden (which will be the one I talk about here, mostly 'cause I like it).

They seem to have many options for either the wedding itself or the reception, and if your party's big enough, you can even have it in that impressive main atrium. They can accommodate parties from 70 to 4,000, and offer catering.

It's also connected to the casino, and has a beautiful indoor pool, a spa, mineral baths, and several on-site restaurants.

Here's a blog that has pictures from a West Baden wedding.