Benham's Grove • Centerville, Ohio
Thoughtfully designed.Built to celebrate.
The new Event Center gets the important things right. The room is easy to use, the acoustics are surprisingly controlled, and the windows and wood ceiling give us plenty to work with once the lighting comes on.
Photo: Brit Jaye Photography
The new Event Center
The room works.That is the point.
They did not overcomplicate this building. It has big windows, a warm wood ceiling and a layout that can change from wedding to wedding. Even with all that glass, the room does not have the echo you might expect.
My normal speaker setup is usually about perfect. Announcements stay clear, music fills the room and I do not have to fight the building to make everything sound right.
More than one ceremony option
The gazebo has character.The Barn feels intimate.
The newer lawn behind the Event Center is convenient and uses the building as its backdrop. I still prefer the gazebo. Walking beneath it gives the ceremony a little more character and makes the setting feel different from the reception.
If rain changes the plan, guests can stay at their tables inside the Event Center or the ceremony can move into the Barn. The Barn is smaller and does not match the modern style of the Event Center, but it works surprisingly well when a couple wants a more intimate indoor ceremony.
One property, several spaces
Moving guests can help.A plan makes it work.
A typical wedding starts at the gazebo, then moves into the Event Center for cocktail hour and the reception. Some couples use the Gerber House or the Barn for cocktails instead.
Getting people out of their seats and into another space can be a good thing. Guests move around, bump into one another and start talking. Moving 150 to 200 people also takes coordination, so I build those transitions into the timeline instead of treating them like an afterthought.
Battery-powered sound at the gazebo or lawn.
Event Center, Gerber House or Barn.
Grand entrance, then directly into the first dance.
Each part of the day is covered
Separate spaces.Separate sound.
I use a battery-powered ceremony system at the gazebo, so the setup stays simple and does not depend on finding power in the right place.
If cocktail hour moves into the Gerber House or the Barn, I add another sound system there. Guests hear music in the space they are actually using, while the reception system inside the Event Center stays ready for introductions.
The room after dark
The sun goes down.The room wakes up.
Uplighting looks different here because so much of the room is glass. Instead of washing a solid wall with color, the light accents the frames around the windows and reaches into the wood ceiling.
It is subtle while daylight is pouring through the room. Once it gets dark, those lines start defining the space and the Event Center becomes a party.
My honest take
“They kept it simple, and that is why it works.”
I have worked weddings across the older tent, the Barn, the Gerber House and now the new Event Center over roughly 12 to 15 years. The new space is the easiest version of Benham's Grove to use, but the historic parts of the property still give couples choices that a single-building venue cannot.
The staff usually stays out of the way and lets us do our jobs. Give me a clear plan for where guests are moving, and I can keep each part of the day connected.
Visit Benham's GroveGetting married at Benham's Grove?
Let's connect the whole property.
Tell me your date, ceremony location and how you plan to use the Event Center, Barn or Gerber House. I will respond personally.