We are so excited today because we are going to begin featuring vendors for our followers! We believe in making it easier to find the best people to work with at your wedding or event!! 🙂 Choosing the perfect venue is definitely one of the most worthwhile things that you need to do!

Today, we would like to feature The Side Porch, a beautiful wedding and event venue located in Gray, TN. We had the chance to visit this venue when we attended our Tuesdays Together meeting (a group for small business owners and entrepreneurs) in January. We absolutely fell in love as soon as we pulled up to it! When we saw the white barn and bridal suite we knew we were in photography heaven! It’s like walking into a shabby chic dream come true!  The beautiful land that surrounds the farmhouse and barn is breathtaking!! The  owners have put their heart into making sure that every detail is amazing and go out of their way to create a smooth and seamless day! In addition, Luci and Camille are warm, inviting, and sincere! They really do treat you like family!

To kick things off, let’s begin with a look at the farmhouse and barn, giving you a little taste of what this venue has to offer!

We had the opportunity to chat with the owners of The Side Porch about their venue, it’s unique style, and the story behind it! Thank you so much again to Luci and Camille for sharing with us! We look forward to visiting with you again! Lots of love!

 

Tell us a little bit about your business!  

We are Luci Jernigan and Camille McDonald, mother/daughter duo! Our family would like to welcome your next gathering at our home -The Side Porch. This picturesque 17 acres takes you to a more laid back time and place. Feel like you are in your own backyard and stroll near the stream and fresh spring while enjoying the hay fields and wooded areas. A photographers dream. The spacious white washed barn is perfect for your life’s big moments. We welcome your reunion, shower, birthday or other special occasions and hope to make you feel like we have been family all along. The barn has a full kitchen and bathrooms, loft and spacious side porch. Our favorite special moments are weddings!!! We LOVE them!! We hope the Bride and her maids feel right at home in the farmhouse’s Bridal Suite. There is also a place for the Groom and his men in the old carriage-garage made Grooms Room.

 

How did you get started? 

Perry and Luci Jernigan moved from a traditional neighborhood in Johnson City to this 17 acre plot of land in Gray in 2016. This move was to downsize, get some land, and some “quiet” which is nearly impossible with 6 kids! The farm house on this property was built in 1889, and had been something that caught their eye about 7 years before they decided to buy. 2016 – 2017 was full of renovating the old and building on a new kitchen/family room and master bedroom to the back. Ms. Luci has always done weddings (about 10 years) and had a knack for decorating. After just a few short months here we all started thinking hey… this place is actually very pretty. Maybe ONE DAY we can have weddings here. Well one day turned into maybe a couple years and a couple years turned into well possibly next year and in May of 2017 it went from maybe next year to “ oh we are having a wedding here in 5 months!” So you know what we did? We got on our hands and knees and worked! Day and night, CONSTANTLY. Ms. Luci’s family came together to make her biggest “one day” dream become a reality. We started work on the barn in May of 2017 and our first wedding was October 2017. John Ellis from Roan Mountain literally took a drawing we sketched on a napkin to reality with no blue prints, just his smarts! And while he was building we were painting! Every piece of wood that makes up that barn has been painted by The Side Porch fam – even with a one year old! But it was worth it and now we are SO thankful and we are gonna crush it!

    

 

What do you love most about what you do?

Luci loves welcoming people into her home and seeing them enjoy a space of comfort. Second, she loves detailed decorating! Camille loves creating and feeling the happy nerves with each bride!

How many people does your venue accommodate?

This is a great question! We have 15 farm tables that hold 10 people each, thats 150 people comfortably sitting in the bottom area of the barn. On warmer months, we encourage brides to open all the doors and have tables spill out onto the side porch, and side lawn! There is not a set number when going this route. If you would like the ceremony to be held in the barn, about 175 chairs will comfortably fit!

What makes your venue unqiue?

 We like to think of our space as more of a gathering place rather than a venue, our vision is family! Final answer!

 

What is your planning advice for couples?

We are not wedding planners BUT if we had to say – please realize that while the wedding day is so special that no matter how the day unfolds, the most important thing is becoming one with the person whom you deeply love. If you are married at the end of the day, it was perfect.

What is your favorite spot at your venue?

  The creek.

 

What are some of your goals and dreams for 2018?  

  Our goal for 2018 was 6 weddings and now we have 21!!! So now the goal is to stay calm, be thankful, and focus on the bigger picture. Oh and landscaping.

 

Your venue is gorgeous!! How did you come up with the name and style of your venue?

 Thank you! Vintage shabby chic is and will always be Ms. Luci’s jam. We were throwing a lot of names out there for our home, we decided on “The Side Porch” for several reasons. In our home in Johnson City we had a porch that was pretty much used as the main entrance to friends and family. We called it the side porch, we also have two side porches on the farmhouse, and one side porch on the barn. So tying it all together just made sense!

     

 

What should couples know before booking your venue? 

  We would like to make sure couples know that this is a farm! We try our best to make it pretty but at the end of the day it is what it is!

 

What is your ideal couple?

 We enjoy seeing when love is evident <3

 

Best way to contact you for more information?

Instagram:  @the_side_porch

Facebook:  @ The Side Porch

Email:  thesideporchtn@gmail.com   We are working on a website!

Be sure to check out The Side porch! If you would like to talk with them about possibly having your wedding or event there, check out their Facebook, Instagram or feel free to send them an email! Just don’t wait too long because their calendar is booking up fast!! 🙂