A modern luxury wedding experience in the woods

Rachel Sankey

Past Staff

July 22, 2024

PEPIN – Angela Kissell said being a part of the wedding business is something she’s more than accustomed to – from her time as a wedding photographer to owning The Hidden Meadow and Barn wedding venue for the last nine years with her husband, Adam.

Her current venture – Woods & Co. Weddings + Events – she said, is the cherry on top.

How it started

When the couple purchased a portion of land in 2021, Angela said they planned on turning it into a luxury campground.

“When we originally purchased it, we thought we would do some sort of glamping (experience), but it never seemed like we were eager to start it,” she said. “We dragged our feet on it – it didn’t seem like it was right.”

When the conversation shifted to the idea of turning it into another wedding venue instead, Angela said, “it clicked right away.”

“We love what we do as far as owning a venue and working with couples who are planning their big day,” she said. “We love celebrating with them and making their day special. So, we thought, ‘hey, let’s start another venue.’”

The Kissells said they decided to partner with Jeff and Cheryl Bergmann – who Angela said are good friends of theirs – and got to work in planning for the new wedding venue: Woods & Co. Weddings + Events.

“Jeff, he has his own marketing company – Providence Marketing…,” she said. “He was a fabulous asset to partner with in the new venture, (because he has) a ton of experience in the marketing background. (The Bergmanns) have been amazing to work with.”

The venue, located at N1153 County Road N broke ground at the beginning of the month and plans to open in May 2025, Angela said. 

The right background

With their experience in the wedding scene, Angela said they can incorporate certain aspects into the new venue they may not have known or understood had it not been for their background.

“I think my experience as a wedding photographer was fabulous because I got to go to a bunch of different weddings at different locations and figured out what worked best and what didn’t,” she said. 

Angela said this definitely came in handy when it came to making sure every aspect of the venue was picture-perfect.

“We wanted to have things pretty from every angle,” she said. “We found this bluff area where the cliff face is exposed. We thought that would be a beautiful backdrop for a ceremony and something more unique.”

The Kissells said they also gained knowledge in regard to build-outs from their experiences with Hidden Meadow – where they built two buildings previously.

“We have a little bit of background, but (this) is more on a massive scale,” Angela said. 

A thoughtful venue

Though the goal is for couples to get married outside with the bluff backdrop, Angela said Woods + Co. will have a backup space should the weather go awry. 

“We’ll have a dedicated backup ceremony area – that space will be ready to go at the drop of a hat,” she said. “If the weather takes a turn for the worst, people can move indoors and still have a beautiful space to get married.”

The indoor ceremony space, Angela said, can also be used as a rehearsal dinner room.

She said her favorite part of Woods & Co. is the glass house reception room – which “focuses on nature and the trees but still has all the comfort and amenities of an indoor space.”

“Bringing nature inside was our goal,” she said. “That room has windows on three sides, and then on the wall that borders the outdoor social area, that will have two huge sliders. When the weather is great, we can open the sliders and expose that whole side of the room.”

Another unique aspect of the reception room, Anglea said, is that it is all black. 

“It’s a little more modern,” she said. “It has some ginormous, beautiful chandeliers in there to bring in a lot of the elegance of what you would expect from a wedding. We have so much natural light in there that we thought we could go bold with the space.”

Angela said the venue also has rooms for the wedding party to get ready and relax – with the Primrose Suite for the bride and bridesmaids, and the Cedar Lounge for the groom and groomsmen.

The overarching vibe of the property, she said, is “modern luxury tucked in the woods.”

Can’t forget the cabins

In addition to the indoor ceremony and reception area, Angela said there will be cabins built on the property, which can be used for several different purposes.

She said they plan to offer the cabins during the non-peak season (November-April) for non-wedding guests.

“Pepin is a beautiful little touristy area, but one thing Pepin is lacking is lodging…,” she said. “Our cabins will be more luxurious, modern little getaways tucked in the woods. Even if folks aren’t going to have a wedding, they can come in the winter and stay in the middle of the week or whatnot.”

The cabins also provide a place for the bride and groom, their wedding party and immediate family to stay on the grounds if they wish to.

“Having a place where the wedding party or immediate family can stay on site seemed like a no-brainer,” she said. “It’s close and convenient.”

There will be six cabins available to rent once the venue opens in 2025 – one mirror cabin, two A-frame cabins, two one-bedroom cabins and one two-bedroom cabin.

“We found the mirror cabin when we were exploring the glamping options,” she said.

The mirror cabin, Angela said, reflects the surrounding woods by – you guessed it – the outside panels being mirrors.

Already booked and busy

Though Woods & Co. doesn’t open for about another 10 months, Angela said they are already taking reservations – and lots of them.

“We (recently) booked our 43rd wedding,” she said. “Our calendar is booking up quite a bit for 2025.”

Angela said the fact that the venue is booking up so quickly, “is fantastic.”

“It’s always scary when you start a new business,” she said. “You have high hopes that people love it as much as you do, but you never know for sure.”

As they continue construction, move closer to its opening and look forward to running the two venues, Angela said she, Adam, Jeff and Cheryl plan to “be at the forefront of all the new things” in the wedding industry.

“Weddings were nothing like they are now,” she said. “It’s a whole new ballgame from back then. Every year, there’s also a new trend – or something that makes weddings even grander.”

To learn more about Woods & Co. Weddings + Events, visit woodsandcowi.com.