As Knoxville natives and lovers of the outdoors, we have been visiting Ijams Nature Center for years to hike and bike the trails or paddle in the quarry. Once we decided to get married, we knew right away that Ijams was the perfect venue.

From the beginning, the staff was incredibly helpful and responsive. We were blown away by how easy the process was and how much was included, from the tables, chairs, and tent to the bartenders and table settings added for a minimal fee.

The homestead site was gorgeous, with plenty of space for the ceremony, the cocktail hour, and the reception. It was absolutely beautiful for an April wedding. Everything was lush and verdant.

We couldn't have asked for a better day or a better place to gather our friends and family and celebrate our wedding!

When someone suggested Ijams nature center to me for my wedding ceremony, I was shocked that I hadn't thought about it sooner. I grew up in Knoxville and went to Ijams all the time as a kid. It is truly one of Knoxville's hidden treasures. The event staff were a breeze to work with from the beginning. I planned my wedding from out of town and the event coordinator worked with me to help me get a vision of what my day would look like. It turned out so beautiful. The meadow was perfect for the ceremony. I loved every minute of it and not just for obvious reasons. It provided the perfect backdrop for my summer wedding and I can't wait to get some more photos back from the photographer, I know they will be beautiful. The event staff had people there directing my guests where to park and closed off the section where the wedding was taking place. If you're looking for a great, centrally located to down town knox, outdoor wedding venue, you should consider Ijams!

We worked with Nathan, Sarah, and Katie during our planning experience. We love nature and fell in love with the rustic beauty of the nature center. We were originally planning on a destination wedding but due to covid that was out. Throughout the course of planning Ijams added more options to their packages and seemed to really get competitive with what they were offering compared to other venues. We were able to add on a tent package and a few other things that made planning much easier. We were so grateful that the money we did spend on the location itself went to the children's programs they run. The venue itself is on the homesite - there is a place for the ceremony overlooking a flower garden with a nice arbor, a covered wood structure (we did happy hour here), a leveled terrace (we had outdoor games here for our guests), and a tent pad area. There is space for you to store your décor prior to your wedding. Katie was great to work with in setting up all of the logistics. They do have their own staff to help with the day of as well as a bar tender (this saved us so much money by using this option). All of our guests were impressed with the set up and had a great time. Every Ijams staff member was so sweet and helpful. It also made it special because we can actually visit our wedding venue in the future for anniversaries (compared to a banquet hall).