The Venue: Sweetwater Farm in Glen Mills, PA

The back porch. This picture was taken from where the tent will be.

As soon as Melissa saw the tractor and the hay wagon at Sweetwater Farm, it was pretty much a done deal.

Sweetwater Farm is absolutely beautiful, and we think it will be the perfect venue for the rehearsal, the wedding, and the reception. It is situated on 50 acres off a quiet country road in the Brandywine Valley. You’d never know you were just 20 miles from our place in Philadelphia.

The stone mansion was built in 1734 and has been restored to its Quaker Farmhouse tradition, as well as the more formal 1815 Georgian wing, The Manor House. It was a Civil War infirmary and part of the Underground Railroad. A series of guest cottages also surround the estate, along with a vineyard, a pool (which will be closed in October – damn!), a barn, and various fire pits, porches, patios, and even a billiard parlor. I would like to hang out in a parlor. Sounds civilized.

The Schedule of Events

Thursday, October 8th

If you feel like coming into Philly on the 8th, Melissa and I will be in town and would be thrilled to join anyone for a casual dinner and/or drinks in the city. If you wish to do that, drop us an email and we’ll figure out a plan, Stan. We wouldn’t be able to have people stay overnight at our place that night (it’ll be a mess), so if you plan on coming in, you might want to book yourself a hotel room in the city.

Friday, October 9th

This is check-in day for those of you who will be staying with us at Sweetwater Farm. Check-in is at 3 PM. Melissa has a bunch of preparation tasks and a team of people to assist her throughout the afternoon. I will likely stay out of the way.

For those of you who will be joining us for the rehearsal and dinner, we request that you be at Sweetwater by 5 PM. Dinner will be served on the patio and porch from 6-8PM, and we’ve planned a southern-style barbecue complete with ribs, brisket, cornbread, beans – the whole deal. We’ll eat, drink and then hang out, likely accompanied by more beverages and tomfoolery.

Saturday, October 10th

For those of you staying at Sweetwater, the day will begin with breakfast. Then, it will be spa and primp city for the ladies, inane chatter and readying for the guys, and relaxation for everyone else.

For the ceremony and reception, we ask that everyone arrive at Sweetwater Farm by 3 PM sharp. There will be a valet service, so pull in the driveway, and handsome gentlemen will park your car for you. You’ll immediately be greeted with a beverage, because that’s what you want at a wedding.

If you’re coming from the hotel (see details below), there will be a shuttle service. Shuttles will leave the hotel at 2:15, 2:30 and 2:45, and will return people back from Sweetwater throughout the evening.

The ceremony will occur between 3 and 4 PM, on the back lawn.

After the ceremony, we’ll have an hour and a half cocktail reception on the patio, lawn and porch. We’ll be serenaded by the sounds of Marc Silver & The Stonethrowers, who blend a passion for traditional song, Appalachian fiddle tunes and jazz. They are sweet. The cocktail reception will also have amazing food (we know, we tasted it) and a few signature drinks.

Following the cocktail reception, we’ll have the dinner reception under the big top. The dinner reception will be from roughly 5-10 PM. We’re having a DJ and lots of fun surprises for the dinner reception.

Sunday, October 11th

For those of you staying at Sweetwater, the day will once again begin with breakfast. Then, around noon, Melissa and I will be headed off on our honeymoon, our Airstream trailer in tow. Feel free to stop by Sweetwater to see us off. We also encourage you to follow our progress as we go.

The view from the front driveway

Where you should stay

If you’re invited to stay with us at Sweetwater (family and close friends), your invitation will say so. The rooms have already been booked for you, but you will be responsible for the cost of the room for the weekend. The room rates range from $190 to $240 a night depending on the size of the room. Melissa and I have pre-assigned rooms for you based upon the size of your group, etc. If you’d rather not spend that much a night, please let us know.

For those of you not staying with us at the Sweetwater, we have reserved a block of rooms at the nearby Wimington-Brandywine Valley Staybridge Suites, which is just a few miles from Sweetwater.

Simply call them at 610-358-2560 and ask for the Hoy/Kistler wedding rate, which is as follows:

• Basic room: single/double rate
• Studio Suite: $109.00/night
• One bedroom suite: $139.00/night

Check-in at Staybridge Suites is at 3PM, and check-out is at 12:00 noon.

As mentioned above, there will be a shuttle service to and from the hotel. Shuttles will leave the hotel at 2:15, 2:30 and 2:45, and will make several trips back to Staybridge from Sweetwater throughout the evening.

Maps and directions to both venues are below.

Map & Directions to Sweetwater Farm & Staybridge Suites

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Just click on the red marker in the map to get driving directions.

If you have any questions or comments, just leave them below!