The Miners Foundry Cultural Center was recently featured on Martha Stewart Weddings for the beautiful, rustic wedding reception of a hometown bride and groom.

Tara and Nick wed exactly five years and five days after they began dating.  Their November 20, 2011, wedding, was big on DIY details, sustainable elements – and lots of heart.

Tara and Nick chose Squirrel Creek Ranch, located in Grass Valley, California, for its proximity to the summer camp where they first met as 9-year-olds.  The wedding reception was held at the nearby historic Miners Foundry Cultural Center, in Nevada City, California. The newlyweds welcomed their guests by lighting a warm fire in the majestic fireplace in the Stone Hall.  The 115 guests sat at long tables in the hall set with burlap runners, centerpieces made by the bride’s mother and a friend, and arrangements of eucalyptus leaves, carnations, lavender, and cotton blooms were housed in various glass vessels.

“The Miners Foundry averages 35 weddings a year”, explains Kat Kress, Event Coordinator for the Miners Foundry.  “Clients use the venue for ceremonies, receptions, engagement parties, and rehearsal dinners.”

Kress says the top reasons couples choose the Foundry as a location for their wedding is that they are looking for a venue that is rustic, elegant, classic, and historic.  “Getting married is an historic joining of two families, and it’s fitting for the setting to be historic as well,” says Kress.  “Also, the Miners Foundry is a blank slate with character, so couples are able to create a setting and flow for their day that really reflects them as a couple.”

Every January, the Miners Foundry hosts the annual wedding fair “An Affair for All Seasons”.  The event showcases local vendors (caterers, photographers, florists, etc), along with Nevada County’s four distinct seasons.  It is a fantastic opportunity to generate ideas on how to transform a space rich with history into your own just like Tara and Nick.

Interested in renting the Foundry?  Contact Kat Kress at (530) 265-5040 or [email protected]

About the Miners Foundry: The Miners Foundry Cultural Center is a living historic treasure serving Nevada County as a cultural arts and community events center. It is a symbol of California’s rich historical heritage, providing an educational and social bridge from our past to the present and future.  Fore more information go to www.minersfoundry.org or join the Miners Foundry on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Photos by Ryan Ray