CHARM SOPHISTICATION

CHARM &

Sophistication Cedar Fox Weddings & Events, which opened last summer, is already wowing couples

By Louise Treeny | Photos by Hannah Persson Photo

A A fter several years of owning and running a venue used for special events — including bridal showers — it seemed only natural for Karen Ramella to expand along the lines of a wedding venue. She and her husband, Lance, purchased the former home of Johnson’s Statuary on the west side of the Fox River. The two restored the original home, added new construction for the venue space itself and hosted their first wedding late last summer. “We started feeling like downtown St. Charles could use a wedding space,” she says. Cedar Fox Weddings & Events, which is located just a block from Main Street, has a “blend of historic charm and urban sophistication,” says Ramella. Inside the venue, you’ll find vaulted ceilings, abundant natural light, clean lines and trendy rectangular tables. Outside and attached to the venue is the ceremony space, a veranda that can be enclosed and heated to accommodate couples at any time of the year. Once the reception starts, the veranda area remains a popular space for guests to relax and chat. “Couples enjoy that they don’t need to do a lot as far as decor goes,” Ramella says, noting minimal greenery works just as well as lavish floral arrangements in the modern, comfortable space. Cedar Fox Weddings allows couples to bring in their preferred caterer, granting even greater customization to their special day. The space also includes a bridal suite and free public parking. “It was everything we wanted,” says Cara Oxnevad. She and her husband, Matt, were the first couple to book at Cedar Fox Weddings. “I couldn’t be happier.” The two married on the veranda in October, then hosted their reception inside. Oxnevad says the long, rectangular tables added to the fun, family atmosphere of the night. “It just felt modern and crisp,” she says. “We got to add everything we wanted.” Because the venue opened after the pandemic began, the Ramellas have not had to work around rescheduled dates from 2020 cancellations. The venue still has some 2022 dates available for booking, a process that includes a private tour with the owner herself. “It’s very important for us that we have a connection with our couples,” she says. The location provides a rare opportunity for visiting family and friends to stay in downtown St. Charles for the entire weekend — rehearsal dinner at a local restaurant, lodging at one of the nearby hotels, then ceremony and reception at Cedar Fox. “We really feel that makes it unique,” says Ramella. The venue is set up to welcome countless happy couples to marriage, this year and beyond. “We are really happy with the end result," she said. "We had a vision, and it's everything that we had envisioned."

 CEDAR FOX WEDDINGS & EVENTS 316 Cedar St., St. Charles 630-320-0016 www.cedarfoxweddings.com