Interview From Megan at Vaughan House

“We are the folklore hidden in the woods. Lovers can choose the greenhouse or stone cottage for their intimate ceremonies. We walk barefoot on the forest floor, mindful of the mushrooms. We befriend the woodland creatures and have made sacred pacts with the fairies. Welcome to our realm.”

Over the years, our stove has made itself at home in a variety of small spaces and enchanting locations. Yet, there’s one extraordinary place that stands out in our memory: Vaughan House in Virginia, a real-life fairytale micro-wedding venue. Couples from around the globe come here to say ‘I do’ in a whimsical greenhouse, dine amidst the trees and flowers in a magical forest, and stay in an enchanted cottage, kept warm and cozy by our two stoves. Every aspect of this venue is meticulously designed, so we chatted with Megan, the Fairy Godmother, to learn more about the enchanting story behind Vaughan House.

Can you tell us a little bit about you and your family who are beautifully intertwined with your business, and the story behind Vaughan house?

“We’re the Vaughan’s! Megan, Mitch, our son, Maximilian and our rainbow baby girl, Marigold. We’re a happy little family living in view of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. We moved from Texas in 2011, roots quickly grew and we’re happy to call this state our home. After miscarrying my second child, in June 2017, I woke up with an idea. Greenhouse. I want to build a greenhouse. So we did. We designed it ourselves. It’s not a kit you buy. We were outside for 7 months, just the two of us, placing each individual piece with our own hands. It’s so much more than just a greenhouse. We found out we were pregnant with Marigold, our second child, the day it was completed. While it was never built for weddings, it’s grown to be a micro-wedding venue. Couples say ‘I do’ here and for us, that’s incredibly special.

Mitch and I were a full-time photo/video wedding team for almost 10 years. We traveled all over the world, documenting 40 weddings a year. When Covid hit, we suddenly had 40 couples whose weddings had come to a complete halt. We felt so bad for them and said hey! We have a backyard greenhouse and we think it’s really pretty. Keep your wedding date, lower your guest count, get married on your original date, we’ll document it and then your reception at a later date. Many took us up on that offer, as well as couples that weren’t originally ours. Before we knew it, we realised we accidentally created a wedding venue in our backyard and are now honoured to host 80 weddings a year.”

Your enchanted cottage and greenhouse look absolutely magical and whimsical. What inspired the concept and interiors?

“Our cottage is truly one of a kind. The design was done 100% by me, and is essentially the inside of my brain. I pulled inspiration was multiple places – favourite books, movies, fairytales and folklore. I knew exactly what I wanted and worked hard to make sure every inch fit the vision I was going for. You won’t find another structure like it in the whole world!”

You specialise in micro-weddings, but for those who don’t know what is a micro wedding and what makes it different/extra special?

“A micro-wedding is an intimate and scaled-down celebration that prioritises a small guest list, typically consisting of close family and friends. In contrast to traditional large-scale weddings, micro-weddings focus on creating a more personal and meaningful experience for the couple and their guests. The emphasis is on quality over quantity, allowing for deeper connections and shared moments among attendees. Micro-weddings often take place in smaller, more unique venues, providing an intimate atmosphere that fosters a sense of togetherness. With fewer guests to accommodate, couples can allocate their budget more selectively, investing in personalised details and other elements that hold special significance.”

Why did you choose our stove to go into your enchanted cottage and why was it important to you to have a stove in there?

“We actually have two of your stoves! We worked on a double flue system with Grace for months! Aesthetics and functionality are extremely important to me and I couldn’t find the look I was going for. I wanted something like looked old and vintage, not sleek and modern. Something like that it belonged in the cottage. I found the Salamander stove on Pinterest! I frantically emailed to see if you shipped to the US and after that, we spent months and months going back and forth for the dimensions, the material we needed, etc.”