Irvine Estate at House Mountain

Irvine Estate is one of the most beautiful wedding venues in the Shenandoah Valley. It’s located in Lexington, a small town about an hour north of Roanoke and an hour south of Charlottesville. 

Most people choose Irvine Estate for their wedding because of the incredible views of the Allegheny Mountains from the wedding terrace. But as a full-service wedding venue, it’s also a great place for anyone planning a destination mountain wedding who wants everything on site. 

The property actually has two separate venues – House Mountain Inn and Irvine Estate. If you’re looking for epic views then you’re going to want to choose Irvine Estate for your venue.

Looking for other area wedding venues? Check out this round up of Best Roanoke Wedding Venues.

The inn and estate together also offer 15 rooms + a cabin. So if you want your entire bridal party (or guestlist) to all stay in the same place, you can do that! 

Brief Overview of Irvine Estate

• The property is located in Lexington, Virginia, a small town in the Shenandoah Valley. It’s easy driving distance from Washington DC, Roanoke or Charlottesville
• An Irvine Estate wedding can accommodate up to 250 guests 
• The vibe is what I would call upscale mountain rustic 
• The reception spaces are either in a pavilion or lodge
• The ceremony space is on a covered terrace so you don’t have to worry about rain or inclement weather! 
• Event planning is included in your venue fee
• Catering is done in-house by their chef (but the food is amazing!)
• Although Lexington is small, there are lots of vendors within a 90 minute drive. Most people come from Roanoke, Lexington, Charlottesville or Lynchburg
• There are several hotel options for your guests in Lexington ranging from upscale to chain. Lexington also has a wealth of Airbnbs or VRBOs for any of your guests who want to make a vacation out of your wedding! 
• The two closest regional airports are in Roanoke or Charlottesville. The closest international airport is Dulles outside of DC. 

Irvine Estate Wedding Photography Notes

The main terrace has a large pavilion built overtop of it. This is great in the event of rain because you can still have your wedding outside! But on bright sunny days, it can be a little challenging photographically. That’s because the whole terrace will be shaded by the pavilion while the mountains will be in bright sun. The best way to deal with that much contrast is to add a flash. But we don’t like to do that for ceremonies because it’s pretty distracting. So, if possible, plan your wedding ceremony within an hour or two of sunset so the light is a little softer outside of the pavilion. Or book the whole property so the garden ceremony spot is your “good weather” plan and the terrace is your rain plan. 

If I could wave a wand and change one thing about this venue it would be a large open area with the mountains in the background for couples and group photos. There is a small garden with mountain views we use for group photos and a patio area with an outdoor fireplace, but they are both pretty small. Workable, but small. I’d love some more space!