Historic Shady Lane

we met in Pennsylvania. We wanted to go back to the state where it all started. We knew that the decision making and planning was going to be long distance… and I never expected how stressful that would be. The question soon became, “but where?”. The ask’s were simple, or so I thought. We wanted an outdoor venue, surrounded by ivy covered trees, a sprawling property with historical buildings placed throughout. If there was a greenhouse, that was an added bonus. This soon became an impossible search. Where to begin? I turned to Instagram and scoured through PA based photographers' instagrams to find inspiration. Just when I thought this method wasn’t working and that we’d have to resort to a wedding directory site… Historic Shady Lane appeared. Not only was it EXACTLY what we were looking for… it was more. They took care of everything - the tent, the tables, the chairs, the set up and breakdown. They had golf carts to help guests get to different parts of the grounds. They had spaces to get ready. The grounds are immaculate. The only thing you needed to do was make it your own - you chose the vendors, you made it “yours”. Just as every love is different, so is the look and feel of your wedding. I, personally, LOVED that. It would truly be OUR day. I knew instantly that this was the place where we would be getting married and it didn’t take much to convince my soon-to-be husband that this is where we’d be exchanging our vows. And with that, we made the decision. This next part will make anyone planning their wedding anxious. We put a deposit down… without having visited the grounds in person. Looking back, I would do it a thousand times over if given the chance to. It was one of the best decisions we made. The first time we visited HSL in person was 4 months before our wedding. How I wish I could relive that moment! It was everything we had dreamed it would be and more. We toured the property with Caitlyn and Mandy (our DOC). They stepped us through our day, and ran through so many of the details we (I) had been obsessing over the previous few months. There was no doubt in my mind that we had made the right decision. We planned everything from afar. To begin to tell you just how scary that is would not even begin to chip away at that kind of iceberg. It was terrifying! Enter HSL - the property director Caitlyn answered every question, soothed every doubt and stepped in to help at the last minute to help when some unexpected decisions needed to be made. Come the day of the wedding, the HSL staff guided and helped get our party and our guests get everywhere they needed to go. There was never a moment where someone was not available to help. Our day went on without a hitch. The act of getting married is nerve-racking enough… and to have a team of people behind you who do everything in their power to make it the best day ever for the two of you MEANS THE WORLD in your most anxious-nervous-excited moments. I can not thank the entire team at HSL for making our day the most perfect day. If you are thinking about having your wedding at Historic Shady Lane, stop thinking. It was one of the best decisions we made and we’d make the same decision if given the chance to do it all over again.

cocktail hour locations (we were particularly fond of the Greenhouse Terrace with all of the hydrangeas). We were going for a garden party theme and HSL delivered on that vision perfectly. In addition to all of the beautiful outdoor locations, there was also a beautiful bridal suite for the Bride's party to get ready and a cool and relaxing den for the Groom's party to hang out and get ready. The bridal suite was incredibly open with a ton of natural light which was perfect for taking some of the best photos imaginable. The cottage where the bridal suite was in featured a ton of spots for photo opportunities all around the house. In terms of logistics this venue also delivers from the minute you book it to the end of your event. Throughout the entire process Caitlyn, the Venue Director, helped us every step of the way. She was responsive to questions and helped make all the planning and little details that much easier. The venue staff were incredibly helpful and made the day go smoothly (they even had golf carts so we could get around the property quickly and easily). Booking HSL was the best decision my wife and I made for our wedding and it truly helped the entire vision come to life. If you are reading this and are on the fence, I would say book it! There is truly something for everyone here. There are so many choices for ceremony location and different packages for to fit different budgets that I think any couple would be overjoyed to get married here. Thanks so much to Caitlyn and all of the staff at HSL for making our day truly unforgettable.

and garden feel. In June, the trees and flowers were in full bloom and we were blown away at how pretty it was. From the time we booked up until to the wedding day, Caitlin was so helpful and communicated with us the whole time. We loved how flexible they allowed us to be, bringing in all of our favorite vendors and being able to choose who we wanted to work with! We would highly recommend this venue to any couple!

immediately after our tour with their Venue Director, Caitlyn, because it was the most gorgeous place and had everything we wanted for our special day. (Note: We also toured the venue in December, their off-season, which says a lot considering nothing was even in bloom yet and the foliage was limited! It was still that stunning.) The grounds are extremely well kept and it’s clear that a ton of work and love go into making it perfect for each couple’s day. We chose to get married in front of the greenhouse (although there were so many gorgeous ceremony locations to choose from), had our cocktail hour in and around the greenhouse, and had our reception in the tent. The proximity of everything made it very convenient for us and our guests. When it came to the planning and logistics, HSL had so much included and Caitlyn was a dream to work with! One of our favorite parts of the venue was the fact that there were getting-ready suites for each of us and our wedding parties. It made it so our entire day was spent at HSL and there was no back and forth to other locations. The ladies brought breakfast to the cottage and spent the morning getting ready—there was so much space (all beautifully decorated!) for everyone to get ready, jam to music, and spend some time together. The men also had a great time in the den playing foosball and hanging out before the ceremony. HSL had plenty of large golf carts on-site to help both us and guests navigate the grounds and get where we needed to quickly and comfortably. The day of was so much less stressful than we expected because everything was in place and planned to perfection by both our wedding planner (Events by Gillian & Co.) and the HSL team. All of the moving pieces were handled and we felt extremely taken care of. During and after the wedding, our guests were raving about how beautiful the venue was and said that the wedding felt like it was out of a fairytale. We could not have asked for a more perfect day and would do it all over again at HSL if we could!

early questions, wonderings, and worries were always answered promptly (even though I'm sure they were busy with various bookings). They provided a list of AMAZING vendors that worked seamlessly with the venue the day of our event. Caitlyn herself was always kind and beyond helpful. Wedding planning is so stressful, but her calm demeanor and her clear expertise made everything go smoothly. I had expected to be anxious, worried, and running around the day of my wedding, but Historic Shady Lane (and Sapphire Road day of coordination) truly made all of those worries disappear. The week of the wedding, I kept feeling like there should be more for me to do, but HSL totally had everything handled behind the scenes, so I could truly enjoy my wedding day AND the week leading up to it. If I did the whole wedding process over again, I would choose HSL again in a heartbeat. :) (and it goes without saying, it's the most beautiful venue, my guests are still talking to me months later about the woods, the gardens, the greenhouse, etc)

that your vision comes to life. This venue is magical and made my wedding day look like everything I had ever hoped for. I am so thankful I picked them for my wedding day!

coordinator, Caitlyn was very attentive and answered all our questions in a timely manner! This venue is truly a dream with enchanted photo spots and a beautiful layout! Even the the getting ready spots were very spacious and accommodating! 10/10 recommend this venue!

that everyone who works on site genuinely loves their job and is dedicated to giving you the most wonderful wedding experience. We would recommend Historic Shady Lane to anyone who is looking for a wedding venue.

any questions I had. We live on the west coast so she did a great job of making sure that I was able to visit the venue and do walk throughs when I was back east. If you are looking for a venue with a mixture of indoor and outdoor spaces I can not recommend HSL enough. Thank you Caitlyn and the rest of the team for making our wedding day a dream come true!

sponsive, kind, helpful, and patient with my indecisiveness. On the day of they absolutely knocked it out of the park. We had ~150 guests, and everything from start to finish was well coordinated, organized, and allowed all our guests to relax and have fun. Everything on the logistics side went completely smoothly. The grounds and landscaping were absolutely stunning and we're still getting compliments from all of our guests. On top of that, it was raining the entire morning of our wedding. The Historic Shady Lane staff was fantastic in helping us get a Plan B together for rain showers, and being totally flexible with us as we were watching the radar the whole day. I know there was so much more work done behind the scenes than I'm even aware of. Historic Shady Lane truly made our fairytale wedding dreams come true.

t beautiful standing alone.

the best parts of the venue from communication, ideas and golf cart service day of she's a total rockstar and we were so thankful to her for everything because it wouldn't have gone smoothly without her support. Book here for an incredible day even with a rain plan!

any question we would be booking HSL. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous, but still natural. Everything looks like it's out of a story book. Even though we had been to HSL for another wedding, there are so many options that we had no problem making the day our own. The spaces designated for getting ready made the morning so fun and convenient. There was more than enough room for everyone to get ready comfortably, jam to some music, and enjoy mimosas. The house for the bridal party especially made it easy to coordinate family members. Everyone on site was so nice and helpful. Communication was quick when we had questions and they provided us with some wonderful insight regarding vendors. I honestly don't think there is a more beautiful venue with more accommodating and helpful staff out there!

grounds here and everything else within it. To be able to get ready on site is also great. The bridal suite is very spacious. We love it there and all of our guest could not believe we found a spot like HSL. Thank you for making our day great.

reception it really can fit anyones style and give a timeless look throughout all the seasons. The bridal cottage and men's den amenities make for such an easy getting process as well. We love Historic Shady Lane :)

Throughout the course of wedding planning, the venue’s coordinators were more than willing to help us make sure that the venue lived up to our expectations for our day. The spaces provided for getting ready were fantastic, the ceremony space worked extremely well during our August wedding, and the greenhouse/patio and tent were excellent for our cocktail hour and reception, respectively. Historic Shady Lane was able to accommodate all of our guests and provided a fantastic outdoor setting (which was also great for COVID safety) that made our wedding day memorable and special, and we’d recommend this venue for others.

etting ready areas were incredible and able to accommodate our every need. They also provide golf carts which were amazing for us and our guests since it was so warm on our day. Caitlyn was a pleasure to work with, her and the staff at HSL were always very pleasant and helpful. We really loved the fact that there were so many ceremony and reception locations to choose from to completely customize your day to fit your aesthetic. With the help of the staff, the amazing locations, and the variety of packages we were able to experience a magical celebration that us and our guests will never forget! For that, we will forever be grateful.

t very inviting. The golf cart drivers were not pleasant or friendly. They appeared as if my wedding party and bride/groom asking for rides back to the cottage/ to the reception was a serious chore that they didn’t want to do. All of our vendors were amazing however the venue doesn’t provide any- you must find/hire them on your own FYI.

tions at the venue.

ys made me feel so supported, made sure I was never stressed, and took such great care of us the entire day. This venue is absolutely stunning and our "rain plan" was equally, if not more, dreamy than the original plan. That greenhouse is pure magic. I cannot recommend booking HSL enough! It was a day from our wildest dreams.

again it was perfect!

n so smooth and made me feel so calm as a bride. Caitlyn was amazing to work with and made the whole planning process so easy! There are so many different locations on the property to take photos and every single one is stunning! The tent was perfect for our reception and since it is such a blank slate we could make it unique for our day. All of guests commented how beautiful the venue was and loved the property. The golf cart staff was amazing on the wedding day, especially since it was so hot that it was nice not to have walk everywhere. Could not recommend Historic Shady Lane enough, I wish we could do it all over again!!

tent is basically a blank canvas ready for you to put your unique twist on. We had a fusion Indian/American wedding which meant a lot of moving parts, 2 ceremonies and more. Caitlyn and her team at HSL were up to the task, so easy to work with and thorough in prepping for our wedding. We got so lucky with the weather, but the team was totally prepped for a rain plan just in case. Everyone we interacted with on the day of was so nice! We were thrilled to have had our wedding at Historic Shady Lane!