Candlelight Ridge's covered, open-air event space will provide a unique setting for couples tying the knot starting in spring 2019. Other amenities available for guests in nearby Candlelight Forest include two luxury treehouses and America's first "Idea House" as seen on PBS's "This Old House." (Contributed photos from Bamber Photography and Christina Marie Photography)Brides looking for an impressive wedding venue in the Northwest Georgia area have a new option. This week, event planners got a sneak peek of Chickamauga's newest event venue, Candlelight Ridge, which will provide a fairy tale-esque setting for partygoers starting this spring.
Situated on a ridge adjacent to private getaway and residential community Cloudland Station, the destination offers two event spaces: a stone cottage called RidgeRose that serves as a bridal suite and can hold up to 30 guests; and a cedar-framed tent called Hickory Hall that seats up to 150 people. Connected to a permanent wooden structure, the tent creates a cathedral-like open-air space that staffers praise as the venue's most unique feature.
"I haven't seen anything like it," said Ramey Arnold, director of sales and marketing for sister property Cloudland Station.
But best of all, Arnold added, is Candlelight Ridge's courtyard, which boasts a captivating view of High Point, the tallest point of Lookout Mountain.
"There's really nothing like it," agreed Nancy Tao, a public relations consultant working with Cloudland Station. "Brides all want to be married where no one else has been married."
Wedding parties aren't the only ones who will get to enjoy the venue, Tao added. Organizers hope to eventually reach out to the corporate world, opening the space for employee conferences.
"Most of these corporate meetings happen in hotels indoors, and there's nothing wrong with that, but this is kind of a new and different approach," Tao said. "It's about getting your group or sales team to the great outdoors to inspire innovation, inspire team-building, inspire that next best thing."
With adventure amenities such as trails, paddleboarding and canoeing available on the surrounding 450-acre premises, Arnold said there is also a desire to eventually open the space up for outdoor recreation.
Wedding parties will be able to take advantage of the new Candlelight Ridge venue starting this spring. The owners hope to eventually open the venue up to corporate events as well."We'd love to become a place where families can retreat and get away just for the day with a day membership or adventure pass, if you will," she said.
With that goal in mind, the team is working with Walker County officials as part of the recently launched Walker Rocks initiative to promote the area's outdoor recreational opportunities.
"We're all just trying to combine forces and bring more awareness to this area," said Arnold. "It's such a scenic area and there's so much to do out here despite it not feeling like you're super far away."
Visit candlelightvenue.com for more information or details on pricing.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com