Jodi and Michael Willeke are the owners of Crimson Lane, a 9,070 square-foot wedding and events venue on their family farm in Ada, Ohio. The idea for the building came out of a need they saw in the area.
“Several years ago, we had family and friends that were looking for locations to have weddings for their children and we just don’t have that many locations in our area,” said Jodi. “So, we had the land, we had the woods, we had the lake, and we just thought what a great opportunity to build something to provide to our community and surrounding counties.”
The building features a grand entrance for guests to enter through. They have a bride’s room that is fully equipped for hair and makeup and with a private restroom. A groom’s room is the perfect place for the groomsmen to relax in the day of. A grand foyer is the perfect location for the guest book and other information for the brides and families. There is an overflow room, a main hall, and a buffet area for the food for guests to go through in a buffet-style line. The building also includes a caterer’s kitchen so they can have any licensed caterer in the area come and prepare food.
“When we first decided to build the building, we looked at a few options, a few builders, but we decided that Morton was probably our best way to go,” said Jodi. “Morton has a great name and they have a local building here in Kenton, Ohio, so we just said we’d like to use local as much as we can and that’s why we went with Morton.”
“When we spoke with Morton, it was very easy. We spoke with the sales person and told him what our idea was. He didn’t seem concerned at all, he really helped us and said this is definitely something we can work together and collaborate on,” said Jodi.
“When the crew showed up, they did a wonderful job. They were very helpful in explaining the process to us so we didn’t have any issues at all,” said Jodi. “The weather was probably the biggest issue at that time. Once it was complete, it was kind of that ‘wow’ moment. We’d put it on paper, I had a vision in my mind, and I was very impressed that what I had in my mind is what Morton delivered.”
“When we work with the bride and groom, it’s usually about a year and a half before their special day and it’s a rewarding process with them,” said Jodi. “It’s fun to see the different ideas, but I think the most rewarding thing is when they walk in the door and they say ‘wow, we had no idea there was anything like this in our area’.”
The ‘wow’ factor was extended to the outdoor spaces as well.
“In addition to the Morton Buildings structure, we’ve added patios with paved walkways. We have covered porches. We also have an area in the back of our building where we have an outdoor fire pit. The porches are wonderful for all of our guests to be able to come outside and enjoy the weather, even on a hot day. The lighting is something we’re very proud of and it all makes for a very wonderful day here at Crimson Lane,” said Jodi.
Watch the construction time lapse video and additional interviews with Jodi and Michael here!
