An unassuming stretch of Highway 301 on Sand Mountain seems like an unlikely spot for a wedding venue that caters to high-end clients, but that is exactly where Blackberry Ridge made its home.
The 260-acre venue features multiple wedding sites and accommodation options, and while photos capture the beauty, they can’t capture the scope and ambiance of Blackberry Ridge. You have to step foot on the property to understand the feel of the venue. Even with Highway 301 not far away, the wedding sites are quiet and peaceful. The venue is the kind of place where you wish you could sit for a day or two with absolutely nothing to do but breathe deep and dwell.
Once home to the Big Sandy Golf Course, the property gave Steven and Jackie Shaffer the opportunity to pursue their dream of running a wedding venue. The couple purchased the property in 2021 and hosted the first Blackberry Ridge wedding the following year. Steven is a contractor, and the couple had worked together on residential renovations, so they were confident in their ability to handle the construction work needed to start the venue.
Jackie’s parents joined the team to help run the venue, and in October 2023, the family hired Erika Allen as the venue director. Allen said, “When I came in, it had grown so much that it wasn’t a family job anymore. They needed help.” A year later, Emma Rolley joined as the venue assistant…