Front Porch Farms

My wife and I got engaged on Christmas Eve 2019. No sooner had the new year rolled in than she (certainly the better half!) began researching wedding venues. That is when she came across Front Porch Farms in Tennessee. It was the first AND last venue that we visited!

Now, my wife didn’t tell me until after the fact, but our visit to Charlotte/Ashland City on that mid-January day wasn’t really a reconnaissance mission, as she was already confident that Front Porch Farms was THE one. To her credit, she was right. Admittedly, I am generally a little slower when making “big(ger)” decisions, as I like to see all of my options first, but sometimes in life, you just know right away. Before we even left the property that day, my mind was made up. Like my wife, I just felt it in my gut that this was THE place. Almost seven months later (and nearly a month after our wedding), I write this review, knowing that without a doubt, we made the right decision. Even now, my mind continues to replay the brilliant scenes of our wedding day at Front Porch Farms over and over again - such was its magic.

So, if you are a couple looking for a venue for your upcoming wedding, I would strongly encourage you to consider Front Porch Farms - even if you do not live in Tennessee (my wife and I don’t!). I will summarize our experience as best as I can, in hopes that it proves helpful to you and yours. Here goes! ...

The venue itself at Front Porch Farms (FPF) is so picturesque, it’s almost absurd - and I mean that in the best of ways. Hopefully, if you are reading this, you have seen photos; I can assure you that what you see in them is the real deal. FPF includes a beautiful house seated atop a hill, commanding a remarkable panorama of surrounding hills, lush trees, and grassy fields. The venue also contains a reception pavilion, bridal suite, cottage/guesthouse, and outdoor lounge areas, to name a few other amenities. As far as the ceremony site goes, FPF provides several options. However, in my eyes, you cannot top the great oak tree on the hill. I’m a massive J. R. R. Tolkien fan, so when I first saw the tree, it reminded me of the Party Tree in Hobbiton in The Lord of the Rings. I couldn’t pass that up. Fortunately, my wife humored me! If you decide to go with FPF for your wedding, know that it will surely leave a lasting impression. It’s been almost a month now since we were married there and we still have friends, family, and other guests that attended reminisce about its beauty.

Kathy Best (FPF owner and event planner) was a joy to work with. She was very professional, knowledgeable, and supportive of our hopes and desires for the big day. You can tell that she and her team have been doing this for a while, as they seem to have things down to a science. Yet, I want to point out that this does not mean that we were ever treated as just another couple or that our wedding was just another event. On the contrary, Kathy made us feel like VIPs. From start to finish (that is, from our first visit to the property to the end of our wedding day), Kathy went above and beyond to ensure that it was what WE wanted it to be. Along with Alex Westerhouse (in-house floral and event stylist), Kathy tailored everything to match/reflect our personal tastes and style. In short, the look of our wedding was very much us. My wife and I had envisioned a smaller, more intimate wedding and Kathy and Co. totally honored that throughout the process. It turned out gorgeous.

Looking back, I can honestly say that having Kathy as our planner/coordinator was definitely one of our wisest decisions. My wife and I made the choice early on to put the onus on someone else. What with all of the moving pieces, we knew that we might become overwhelmed trying to do it all ourselves, which would keep us from enjoying the buildup to the event and especially the wedding day itself. By putting the weightier stuff on Kathy’s shoulders, my wife and I were able to be fully present in the moment at our wedding. And, Kathy handled it wonderfully. I was actually pretty stunned when it was all over, because I kept expecting something at least minor to go wrong (such is the case with almost every wedding, or so I’ve heard), but nothing ever did. (And, if it did, we didn’t even notice!) I credit Kathy for this, as she kept things running smoothly, was attentive to people’s needs, and made helpful suggestions by reading the situation (e.g. encouraging guests to stay in their air-conditioned cars until right before the ceremony on account of the heat). I’m not sure if it’s normal to say this, but our wedding was pretty much stress-free (and mind you, it was a stiflingly hot and humid July afternoon in Tennessee during the COVID-19 pandemic! #SweddingDay). I would not change a thing. My wife and I still recognize just how fortunate we are to have been able to have our wedding day given the current circumstances around the globe. The fact that it still managed to be our dream wedding too was an incredible bonus.

I give Front Porch Farms top marks, because it completely exceeded our expectations. Sure, my wife and I were convinced of its quality back in January, but when our actual wedding day arrived, we were blown away by the final product. It was more beautiful than we could have ever imagined (and FUN to boot!). Of course, the actual marriage (i.e. the lifelong journey together) is the most important part, but we’re very grateful to have the special memory of our wedding day to treasure forever. Thank you, Kathy, Alex, Brian, and Co., for helping to create that special memory for us!