story by GLENDA WINDERS
Can you think of a better place to have your wedding than an inn at one of Indiana’s state parks? The historic and scenic lodges are rustic yet elegant, and the natural surroundings provide places for your guests to hike, enjoy a wide variety of activities or just relax. It’s the perfect place to start a new life together.
At Abe Martin Lodge in Brown County State Park, for example, Melodeon Hall has room for 250 wedding guests as well as a bridal suite with vanities and mirrors where the bride and her attendants can get ready in comfort. For a bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, or smaller wedding the décor in the cozier Allison Peabody Room — rustic stonework, open-beamed ceiling, and two fireplaces — is perfect.
You can’t beat the view of the Ohio River and surrounding Clifty Falls State Park from the Overlook Room at Clifty Inn. This venue offers 4,500 square feet of space for you and your guests and comes with a spectacular pre-event area that has a fireplace. Clifty Inn offers additional rooms as well if your guest list is smaller, and the Riverfront Patio is ideal for an intimate outdoor ceremony.
At Fort Harrison State Park Inn and Garrison Conference Center you’ll have plenty of choices. The Blue Heron Ballroom, the largest event space here, holds up to 250 guests with chandeliers and arched-glass doors that open onto a patio above the practice green with a view of the golf course beyond. If you plan your nuptials for early evening, this west-facing room can provide a sunset backdrop. The warm Roosevelt Room can hold up to 100 people, and the Theodore Room has quick access to the firepit and lounge area outside.
At McCormick’s Creek State Park, the first in the state, a wedding at the Canyon Inn might take place in the Oak Room, which holds up to 130 people and features cathedral ceilings and wood-crafted details. The Birdhouse Back Porch is a bright, windowed area that would be the ideal setting for a bridal luncheon or rehearsal dinner. Thinking of an outdoor wedding? The park’s amphitheater has all kinds of potential.
An outdoor wedding would also be beautiful at Pokagon State Park and Potawatomi Inn and Conference Center located right on the beach and offering a sun deck that seat up to 250 people. The Courtyard is a beautiful option for a smaller group of up to 60. Their Lake James Ballroom is a popular choice for a wedding reception as it will seat up to 320 comfortable with room for a dance floor. The ballroom also opens to a patio and firepits. The Snow Lake Room has the capacity for 100 people– plenty big for a rehearsal dinner or other wedding-related activities.
The Lusk Room at Turkey Run Inn is the most stylish, with exposed brick, wood- crafted ceiling, and view of surrounding Turkey Run State Park. Additional rooms at the Inn are available for rehearsal dinners and bridal showers. Outdoor locations around the inn and throughout the park are popular choices, with Sunset Point.
The State Park Inns all offer unique personalities and opportunities, perfect for your special day. Wedding guests will enjoy being surrounded by scenic beauty and comfortable overnight lodging. Service State Park Style and Memories Made Naturally is their promise. Out here in nature, the sky’s the limit.
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