A couple’s wedding day should be magical, not stressful, which is why choosing the right venue is about so much more than the food and the flowers. Old Stone Chapel, a renovated historical chapel and ballroom opened last spring in St. Charles, offers both a magical setting and stress-free service, promises owner Sheri Steffens.
Part of Heart of St. Charles Ballrooms, a venue that hosts more than 300 weddings each year, the chapel already has proven a huge success, reports Steffens. It is located along the cobblestone streets of historic St. Charles, which adds to the picturesque setting. “The chapel is historic, and we built a new ballroom, which is made to look old so it matches the ambience of the chapel,” Steffens says. “It has a beautiful courtyard with a fireplace and waterfall. Couples can get married outside, or they can go upstairs and have their reception at the same venue as their ceremony.”
Whether couples are planning a classic, elegant affair or a wild and wacky themed night, the chapel is ready to accommodate. “We’re not about cookie-cutter receptions, and we work hard to make sure everyone has their special day,” Steffens says. “Just last week, for example, we had a speakeasy-themed wedding with New Orleans flair.”
From the decorations to the menu, from setting a date to setting out decorations the day of, the chapel team does it all, Steffens says. “We help couples design their wedding, and we’re there from the beginning of the planning stages all the way through the end of the night,” she says. “Couples often find they don’t need to hire wedding planners, because we do most of that ourselves. They tell us what they want, and we try to deliver.”
That level of service even applies to the food. The chapel has various buffet menus, as well as sit-down dinner options, but if couples want something off-menu, the chapel can accommodate, Steffens says. “Our chef is awesome, and we get tons of raves about the food,” she says. “If a couple wants something like barbecue, we’ll do our best to provide it.”
The success of Old Stone Chapel has prompted Heart of St. Charles Ballrooms to start construction on another venue across the street, Le Belle Coeur, planned to open in spring 2016. “It should hold about 200 people, and will be all stone and very similar to the Old Stone Chapel, with wood flooring, exposed trusses and beams in the main ballroom,” Steffens says. “It will have that old, elegant look so many brides love, and will also include a balcony overlooking the ballroom.”
The Old Stone Chapel also is proud of a different kind of accolade it earned this year: being named 2015 Employer of the Year in the service category from the City of St. Charles. “We won the award because of all we’ve done for the area,” Steffens says. “Before the chapel opened, the ground had been vacant for more than 25 years, so it was kind of a blighted area. The car and foot traffic has increased immensely since Old Stone Chapel opened, and it’s helped move other development forward.”
Pictured: Sheri Steffens
Photo: Bill Barrett
[Old Stone Chapel is a renovated historical wedding chapel and ballroom located in historic St. Charles at 1106 S. Main St. For more information, call 636.947.8270 or visit oldstonechapel.com.]