A local venue is featured on a new Netflix series where couples tie the knot in surprise weddings.
When the producers of “Say, I Do,” which premiered Wednesday, went hunting to find a setting for a Broad Ripple pair to exchange vows in October, they saw an online ad for Stone Creek Lodge. In the show, eight couples receive dream weddings created by interior design, fashion and food experts in less than a week.
With autumn leaves still on the trees, the crew scouted out Stone Creek’s wooded surroundings for a winter wonderland-themed ceremony, a nod to one of the groom’s love for Christmas.
“We really just opened the doors them and they came in and made themselves at home, which is fine,” said Stone Creek owner Julie Slavens, who along with everyone else involved with the episode had to sign non-disclosure agreements barring her from talking publicly about the show until it debuted.
“At first, you wanted to tell everybody, you know, but we could only tell the people that were involved with the event,” Slavens added. “So it was really tricky because there’d be certain times where you were like, ‘Oh, I want to show you this from this wedding, but I can’t show you that.’”
The couple, Jason and Jonathan VanHorn, who met online, got engaged in 2015 — not long before Jason was diagnosed with stage-four cancer. Jason, who was in remission when the episode was shot and helped plan the surprise wedding, told his fiancé they were being filmed for a one-year cancer-free party.
Stone Creek, which is the setting for episode six of the series, was transformed into a winter landscape of lighted trees, faux woodland animals and fake snow.
“They really just kind of went to town, and we just sat back and watched. It was crazy,” Slavens said after watching the show, marveling at the amount of footage shot for the 50-minute episode. “I thought it turned out really well, it’s a beautiful story.”
The crew gave the venue’s bartender recipes for the eggnog colada, whiskey smash and spiced winter mojito on the drink menu. Stone Creek’s regular security guard was on duty for the wedding.
Stone Creek’s name isn’t mentioned in the episode, except for the credits, but Slavens said she hoped word-of-mouth from the couple and their guests puts the venue on other event-planner’s radar.
“Both of the grooms absolutely loved it and seemed to have a really good time here,” she said.
View Say, I Do trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGeBs4VEkwg
