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I Love You Always printed on wall

The Year of Paper

Congrats on making it to the one-year marriage mark! We hope you had a wonderful year full of many great dates and experiences that helped you and your spouse deepen your love for each other. The traditional first year anniversary gift is the “gift of paperâ€. Yes, paper. It may seem lackluster at first, but a paper anniversary gift can be meaningful, unique, and stand the test of time. Here are a few ideas: While there are so many different ways to celebrate that first year with your loved one, we hope these were helpful tips. We are so excited…

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Nichelle and Chris posing together and smiling

The Perfect Venue for Your Dream Wedding

12/12/2022 – An Eventective User The DuGaren team made the vision of my dream wedding a reality. I got married here on 12.10.22 and it was absolutely perfect. We even hosted our engagement party here in May 2022. The venue is drop dead gorgeous and the staff is AMAZING to work with. They’re easy going, friendly, and will do everything in their power to ensure you have a smooth event. Every detail in the venue from the east access parking, covered verandas, chandeliers, sail shades, bridal suite, groom suite, and fireplace make this venue absolutely STUNNING. I loved this place mainly due…

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A close-up shot of women pouring wine into the glass

Family Style Dinners

Speaking of Fall, there’s something so cozy about celebrating and eating a family-style meal with your closest friends and family. If your hosting a wedding where a family style dinner is possible, then we recommend it! Your night will surely be full of chilly fall air, cocktails to keep you warm and a lot of laughter. Many of DuGaren Venues & Vineyards Wedding Packages include tables and chairs. We offer our clients the option of choosing round tables or rectangle tables or a mix of both! Bon’ Appetite’! The DuGaren Team #weddingvenue #venuehunting #fallweddings #familystyledinners Photo Credit: Michelle Lyerly

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A picture of message on a book and pen

Sharing a Meal in Gratitude

A meal is a big part of most wedding receptions.  After the couple has said “I do” and is ready to party, they need some sustenance to keep them going. However, the vendors that are on-site working the wedding all day long also need to be fed. Wedding vendor meals are an important part of any wedding’s catering order, but there are often a lot of questions surrounding those meals and expected etiquette. Wedding vendors who are on-site for the majority of the wedding day should be fed and shouldn’t have to provide their own food. Most vendors will have a…

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DuGaren Venues & Vineyards

Cozy Up!

A winter wedding is like a wedding at any time of year, just cozier. If you enjoy the feeling of snuggling up close to people you love and find yourself dreaming about crackling fireplaces and warm mugs of hot chocolate (or a spiced apple hot toddy!), then a winter wedding may be perfect for you. Furthermore, if you like standing out from the crowd, a winter wedding is an excellent way to distinguish your wedding from the rest. There are some activities and accouterments that are unique to winter weddings. *– Snowy first look: *Every first look is special, but…

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DuGaren Venues & Vineyards

Grateful

The end of the year is always a time of reflection and goal-setting for many.  As a thoughtful and insightful exercise, we don’t want to miss the chance to be encouraged by our “WINS†this past year. As we built the venue, we also built our team, we expanded our social media presence and in turn expanded our reach to couples and companies looking for just the right venue; we completed our first Style Shoot along with our first successful Vendor Event allowing us to update our website to include a gallery of photos; we purchased our own tables and…

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DuGaren Venues & Vineyards

Thanksgiving at DuGaren’s

As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us are already preparing our menus for the holiday. Some of you may be pulling grandma’s recipes passed down from generation to generation, or you may still be undecided about roasting a turkey or frying one. Whatever it is you are cooking, you likely have memorable stories about the food you or your family have prepared and the recipes that have become tradition every Thanksgiving holiday. Doug and Karen Lusk, owners of DuGaren Venues & Vineyards, have a couple of Thanksgiving favorites that include a Sausage/Rice Dish and a Soggy Salad. Below are the recipes…

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DuGaren Venues & Vineyards

Hitched, Happy and More to Do!

A lot of planning goes into your big day. But just because you’ve tied the knot doesn’t mean that you’re done with wedding tasks. There’s still plenty to do after you’ve said, “I do.†Within the first year of your newly minted marriage, you’ll still have a long list of items that need to be addressed. Here are items that you should make sure are completed within the first year. HANDWRITTEN THANK YOU’S Opening wedding presents from your guests is an experience you’ll never forget. The generosity and well wishes from your closest friends and family can be overwhelming. Be…

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DuGaren Venues & Vineyards

Friday Night Special

There are so many reasons why a couple might decide to get married on a Friday night: the pricing is generally more affordable, they have their heart set on a certain venue, every Saturday night was booked, more vendors are available. Believe it or not, Friday night weddings have become more of the norm. If you considering a Friday wedding, here are a few things to remember. Send Save-the-Date Cards Giving family and friends plenty of notice that they may have to take time off from work is a thoughtful gesture. Mail cards a year in advance and be certain…

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DuGaren Venues & Vineyards

Save the Date!

When you are deciding on the timeline for all of your pre-wedding milestones, one of the many to-dos on your wedding planning agenda is deciding whether or not to send Save-the-Dates.  Save-the-Dates essentially alert guests that they are going to be invited to your wedding in the coming months, along with sharing basic date and location information. Yes! Each family and friend that you send a Save-the-Date should also receive an invitation whether you learn they are coming or not. Couples typically send out Save-the-Dates a few months after they’ve gotten engaged and have decided on a wedding date and…

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