We had our wedding here in October 2022, and the Ijams staff did an amazing job. We did the outdoor ceremony and then a small reception in the visitor center and had a great time. All of the staff was extremely helpful and made the experience less stressful. My only complaint was we couldn't get ready on site but we got it sorted out.

As Knoxville natives and lovers of the outdoors, we have been visiting Ijams Nature Center for years to hike and bike the trails or paddle in the quarry. Once we decided to get married, we knew right away that Ijams was the perfect venue.

From the beginning, the staff was incredibly helpful and responsive. We were blown away by how easy the process was and how much was included, from the tables, chairs, and tent to the bartenders and table settings added for a minimal fee.

The homestead site was gorgeous, with plenty of space for the ceremony, the cocktail hour, and the reception. It was absolutely beautiful for an April wedding. Everything was lush and verdant.

We couldn't have asked for a better day or a better place to gather our friends and family and celebrate our wedding!

When someone suggested Ijams nature center to me for my wedding ceremony, I was shocked that I hadn't thought about it sooner. I grew up in Knoxville and went to Ijams all the time as a kid. It is truly one of Knoxville's hidden treasures. The event staff were a breeze to work with from the beginning. I planned my wedding from out of town and the event coordinator worked with me to help me get a vision of what my day would look like. It turned out so beautiful. The meadow was perfect for the ceremony. I loved every minute of it and not just for obvious reasons. It provided the perfect backdrop for my summer wedding and I can't wait to get some more photos back from the photographer, I know they will be beautiful. The event staff had people there directing my guests where to park and closed off the section where the wedding was taking place. If you're looking for a great, centrally located to down town knox, outdoor wedding venue, you should consider Ijams!

We worked with Nathan, Sarah, and Katie during our planning experience. We love nature and fell in love with the rustic beauty of the nature center. We were originally planning on a destination wedding but due to covid that was out. Throughout the course of planning Ijams added more options to their packages and seemed to really get competitive with what they were offering compared to other venues. We were able to add on a tent package and a few other things that made planning much easier. We were so grateful that the money we did spend on the location itself went to the children's programs they run. The venue itself is on the homesite - there is a place for the ceremony overlooking a flower garden with a nice arbor, a covered wood structure (we did happy hour here), a leveled terrace (we had outdoor games here for our guests), and a tent pad area. There is space for you to store your décor prior to your wedding. Katie was great to work with in setting up all of the logistics. They do have their own staff to help with the day of as well as a bar tender (this saved us so much money by using this option). All of our guests were impressed with the set up and had a great time. Every Ijams staff member was so sweet and helpful. It also made it special because we can actually visit our wedding venue in the future for anniversaries (compared to a banquet hall).

Working with Nathan was such a fun experience. He was always there to answer any of my questions and to bounce ideas around with. He clearly loves his job and has such a contagious energy! His coordination is worth having your wedding at Ijams alone. The venue is a little rough around the edges which worked great for my dream wedding but may not be everyone's favorite. Be prepared to dish out extra for a tent and tables/chairs, too. The venue packages are very affordable though and go towards a great cause.

This venue allows you to have the nature/forest feel for a reasonable price while also being able to have any range of guest size. We were able to make our day/weekend exactly how we pictured, maybe even better with this venue!

We were so happy to have our wedding at Ijams Nature Center. We planned our wedding from out of state and the coordinator was so accommodating to work with over the phone and in person when we made the trip to Knoxville. The venue is beautiful and it was great to have access to the Miller building. I enjoyed having the ceremony, reception, wedding party photos, and family photos all on one site. We had the flexibility to be able to transform the site into our vision for the day. Everything looked beautiful!

This venue provided a beautiful outdoor setting for our wedding. Although it rained throughout our wedding weekend, Ijams was accommodating in allowing us to install a massive tent in the gravel lot in order to make sure that everyone stayed dry during our wedding. There was ample parking for our 200+ guests, and the grounds were well manicured in preparation for us. I am so thankful that we chose to have an outdoor wedding at Ijams because of its natural beauty.

Ijams nature center is absolutely beautiful! My wedding turned out to be exactly what I wanted it to be. The only complaint I would have is that it sometimes took a while to get in contact with the staff. Other than that the experience was wonderful.