As most of you know, I was teaching at Columbus State and OSU as adjunct faculty and one of my students suggested that I should open a wedding chapel because there was "no place nice to get married if you don't have a lot of money.."

After 2 yrs of them nagging me, I transformed the living/dining room in my townhouse into a tiny chapel and did weddings by appointment while I was teaching...I realized that it was going to take a huge house and at least half an acre of land so that I could do walk-ins as well as larger weddings. I searched for over a year. I needed a split level that had a really large basement that was not off the kitchen, and that in and of itself was a struggle. This house was listed in April of 2005 and I made an offer the first day it was listed.

We closed on May 28th and opened for business on June 3, 2005. The house was built in 1972 and needed everything replaced...(roof, windows, doors, driveway...baths...you name it). The first photos are of the house when I purchased it and the Living room-Dining room that became the formal chapel. The couple that I have been using on all of my postcards and yellow page ads were married here the first week I was open...Sam and Aliah, who just happen to still be very happily married...(click on their thumb to see the rest of their photos). And you can see the formal chapel as it began...

Next is the transition of the backyard from "whole lotta dirt" to the garden chapel...begun in September 05 with the concrete slab and walk, landscaped in March of 06 and as you can see, there was very little "landscaping" in the way of actual plants when Davey Tree finished...I spent the entire spring and summer of '06 buying plants every Sunday and then digging holes all day...and it took me over a year to find a 6-sided gazebo...(after I had the concrete guys do a 6-sided pad) so the first yr and a half we had the arch and columns as our backdrop for weddings.

It is hard to remember what I started with and how barren it was out there for the first year, I have to go back and look at the old photos of our first weddings out there to see how far we have come. click here to see one of the first weddings performed in the garden in April 2006. There was no gazebo and very few trees, the landscapers had installed just 2 serviceberrys, 6 roses, and 4 small grasses...by May I had the 2 quaking aspens behind the columns and had added 2 magnolias (click here to see May 2006).

And last, but certainly not least, is the elopement chapel...that was the most intensive remake of all...it started off small and dark with paneling and a red brick fireplace, no lighting...no windows...I finally finished it spring 2009...had the brick covered, installed sconces for soft lighting, added marble and a mantle and had pergo put in...so I hope you enjoy this...it was a labor of love.

click on any thumb for larger image
The house at closing before new drive and landscaping	photos that I shot during first walk through with realtor		the formal chapel '08
Aliah and Sam Hren 6/10/05	The yard that became the garden pavillion May 2005
Sept 2005	April 2006	May 2006	May 2007
The finished Garden Pavilion June 2008			Front garden bench
shot during walk through first viewing April 05	first updates, painted white, added real windows, new carpet	final, oak floors, sconces for lighting, marble fireplace, mantle and gas logs