Weddings at the Inn, a Lifetime Experience. Showers Weddings Receptions Rehearsal Dinners Repeat Your Vows Whatever you can imagine... We Make it come True. Click to browse our Wedding Gallery. Weddings at The Inn at Aberdeen are a warm, loving experience with family and friends that you can relive for years to come, every time you return to the Inn for a simple evening alone or your anniversary or other special events. We have guests who got engaged at The Inn, were married here, return for anniversaries and special evenings together and claim to have even conceived here. Your wedding can be the beginning of many wonderful experiences throughout your life. We certainly hope that The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd, becomes a part of that life together. What type of wedding do you want ? Do you want a very small group of close friends and family or a festive gala for many ? Should it be indoors or outside in the gazebo ? A simple hors d'euvres and cake reception, an elegant dinner or a celebration with music, dancing food and beverages into the night ? These questions are an issue of style and reflect how you as a new couple want to spend one of happiest times in your life. It also reflects how you want to remember this day for years to come. It is one of your first major decisions as a new couple and should be made by you alone. The Inn will help make whatever you want come true, just for you. You have your choice of getting married in the Library facing the bay window to the south with a roaring fire in the fireplace and your guests gathered around. Others prefer the Conference Room bay window with the gardens in the background. Another popular site is the Solarium where the counter is transformed into an alter and the sun shines through the windows of the turret. And everyone can't resist coming down the grand staircase and the many pictures that follow with friends and relatives gathered together on the steps. After the wedding, a reception can follow with a full dinner for up to sixty (60) prepared by our own chefs just the way you like it. Prefer a simple reception with hors d'euvres and cake, up to 120 guests can mingle together. Refer to our catering brochure for a sample menu and pricing information. If you don't find the food that you like, simply ask and we will price your very own.menu so that you can enjoy that special meal, your first meal, as newlyweds. The Inn will be decorated for you if you provide your colors to us. We create elegant silk arrangements to meet almost any wish and this is included in your Inn rental cost. Want to add some fresh flowers? It will be an additional cost, but will be no problem for our staff. By booking the entire Inn, you have the opportunity to have family and close friends enjoying a large country home together - an experience they too will remember for years to come and yet you can enjoy your own privacy in the Aberdeen Suite or any other suite that you would select. A rehearsal dinner the night before and a chance to relax with your special guests on into the evening prepares you for that big day. Breakfast together the following morning gets you all started. The breakfast is included in the room rental and you can select the menu. Following the wedding and reception, you can retire for the evening while your guests relive the moment as a group or enjoy a quiet evening alone in one of our eleven suites. Indoor weddings at The Inn at Aberdeen are obviously a very wonderful way to begin your life together and create a memory that you, your family and guests will never forget. Outdoor weddings bring the fresh smell of the gardens, the warmth of the sunlight and the chirping of the birds to your special day. Our gazebo provides a wonderful place to tie the knot and memorable pictures for years to come. The gazebo will be decorated for you with silk arrangements to coordinate with your colors. If you would like to add fresh flowers, it can be done for an additional cost. And, of course, since you've rented the Inn, you can always get a few more pictures on the grand staircase. After the wedding, you can have hors d'euvres and cake in the Inn for up to 120, an elegant dinner for sixty or host your reception under canopies in the gardens for up to 300 with a buffet or plated and served dinner of your choice. Don't want a fancy reception ? How about a barbecue or hog roast and a little line dancing ? We will be happy to work with you to make your dreams come true. Need a little music ? Musicians in the gazebo to accompany your vows, strike up a tune under the canopy or play the latest CDs with your own DJ to keep the party rocking into the night. As the party starts to wind down, you and your special friends and family can relax in the Inn together, share stories and then retire to your rooms for a quiet, relaxing evening Awaken in the morning to a gourmet breakfast that you have chosen for your guests. A wedding at The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd., whether you are inside or out in the gardens is a splendid way to start your life together. Professional Photographic Service. Need a photographer who is experienced with the many photographic aspects of the inn? Consider the services provided by Mark and Dianna Kime (SpectraGraphics). Click Here to see their web site, prices, and many examples. Gift certificates or custom gift baskets. A cake you won't forget. Music - live piano, string quartet, angelic harp, or DJ. A carriage ride in June or a sleigh ride in winter. Photography services by SpectraGraphics. We can even provide the minister. The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd. makes dreams come true. Check out the pictures in our photo album. Ask a lot of questions. Then take time to dream your best dream - what type of wedding do you want and how do you want to remember your special day. Now, tell us what we can do to make it all come true, just for you! Pricing: All prices are subject to change without notice. Inn and facility charges are fixed at the time a 50% deposit is received. Rental prices are fixed at the time a 50% deposit is received for rental costs. Any damage charges may be assessed by the vendor separately. Food and beverage charges are fixed at the time the final number of meals is fixed per agreement and a 50% deposit is received. Other services booked are fixed at the time a 50% deposit is received. For More Information or If You Want Something That is Not Listed... The Inn is an Experience Let Us Help Create Yours. Bill Simon, Innkeeper and Executive Chef. [weddings/include/textnav.htm]

See the Inn featured on ABC-WLS TV Chicagos 190 North show click banner here to view. Whether it is a special day or a time to get away, an important meeting, party or remembrance - the Inn at Aberdeen is there to do its best to meet your needs. Mandy, Lyn John Johnson; Bill Simon; Chris Val Urello, and Audrey Slingsby. 11 spacious suites with private bath and Jacuzzi for 2. Fireplace and lazy ceiling fan for relaxation. King or two-queen bed suites. Balcony, cable TV/VCR/DVD, clock radio. Desk, easy chair, wireless internet, free local calls. Flavia coffee and tea bar, snacks, beverages, and dont forget to save room for evening dessert. Awaken to fresh roasted and ground coffee with your full gourmet breakfast. Recognized by Indiana Business Magazine as the best retreat center for meetings with corporate rates and amenities designed for our many business travelers. FEMA certified lodging (IN822) for federal/state per diem. Alloway Suite offers a kitchenette and living room for meetings and extended stays, or spacious relaxation. Aberdeen Suite offers a living room and the option to add the Dunnotar Suite as a 2nd adjoining bedroom. Conference Room for meetings with audio-visual support included (LCD, overhead, slide projectors; 35 monitor; A-V system; dry erase; flip charts easels, note pads, pens). Conference Room for breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, showers, anniversaries, birthdaysto make it special with our own chefs. Create your own menu or select one of ours. Seating for up to 64 for a plated meal or 120 for a reception. Gazebo in the gardens, Solarium or Library for that intimate wedding with reception and lodging for special guests. Bills Supper Clubs scheduled throughout the year offer themed wine tasting dinners and groups can plan their own mystery dinners or luncheons with our own actress. 2.7 miles South of US Hwy 30 on IN Route 2. Easy access from I-80/90/94, I-65 and US Hwy 30. Recognized Nationally Internationally

History of the Inn at Aberdeen. A Little History of The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd. The Kankakee River Basin of which The Inn and surrounding lands are a part has been a region respected for its bountiful harvests and rich trapping and hunting preserves for centuries. Flecks of flint stone found during the environmental assessment of the entire Village of Aberdeen point to the prior presence of Indians and trappers on these grounds. The most prevalent Indians in this region were the Potawatomi. The Indians and traders of yesteryear undoubtedly traversed the land and streams that we are on today enroute from the Kankakee River to our south towards the trading posts along the shores of Lake Michigan, Baillytown settled by Joseph Baille (Bailly) near present day Chesterton and, of course, Fort Dearborn established in 1803 and later to become the City of Chicago. Valparaiso was established as a town in 1835 followed in 1836 by the establishment of Center Township in which The Inn resides. The exact dating of the buttressed walls of fieldstone, brick and concrete which form the foundation and support the living area in the historic portion of The Inn is not known. County records confirm the existence of the home at least as early as 1856. An original photograph of the home known recently as Timberlake Farm hangs in the Inns old entry and depicts the seven members of the John Ritter family, owners of the property in the early 1900s. John came to Porter County in 1845 at the age of seven with his twenty-five year old father, Christian. He and his mother, Barbara Dowdeli Ritter, planted 150 apple trees in the area with seeds that they had transported from Erie County in New York. John later left Porter County to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic after which he had a brief fascination with the Gold Rush out west. He returned to the area with his wife, Sarah J. Hesser Ritter, and their five children. Two children and Sarah later passed away and John remarried to Lottie M. Bradley in 1886 and they had five children, Jay, Ruth, Lyman, Harry and Maurice. Descendants of Ruth Ann Rifler Wilson live in the Valparaiso area today.The original house as depicted in the photograph had a full porch with the main entry into what is now the Library. The north end of the home was a single story. The original back door was found as we went to cut a door for the storage room in the southwest corner of the St. Andrews Retreat Center. A hidden ladder beneath the old entry closet floor has led some to believe that the house served as a way station for the Underground Railroad during the Civil War linking a known site in Hebron with other sites to the north. The rustic stone wall in front of the home along Indiana Route 2 still stands today with a wrought iron railing now fixed atop. Subsequent early remodeling in the 30s and 40s added a second story on the north end (todays Dunnotar Suite), indoor plumbing (powder room and the Aberdeen Suites bath), and the addition to the west which currently houses the Grampian Room (kitchen), office and the Innkeepers apartment on the top floor. Most recently, the property was known as Timberlake Farm recalling the heavily wooded land, variety of lakes and streams, and the rich hunting area. The stable behind The Inn housed horses and offered a party room after a long day of hunting or frolicking in the woods J.M. Foster Construction Company, responsible for much of the early industrial development in northwest Indiana, owned the land during most of the 1900s until it was deeded to his daughter and her husband, Irene and Johnnie Lawson, in 1971. The property was purchased by Benchmark, Ltd., in 1994 and subsequently by John and Linda Johnson, the Inns proprietors, in 1995. The Building of The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd. Demolition work began in February of 1995. The goal was to maintain the overall integrity of the historic home and yet provide a safe, comfortable and functional facility for our guests. The ventilating, electrical and plumbing systems were replaced along with the windows. The creation of the Conference Center required the 18 thick bearing walls between the kitchen and dining room and the front porch to be removed and beams interposed to support the house above. The three dining room windows to the north became the double entrance way from the new entry into the Conference Room. Upstairs, two rooms wore adjoined with the creation of a French door to create the Aberdeen Suite. All other structures were preserved to include the masonry fireplaces which remain functional. As the weather improved, site work began to the north and the north face of the home was never to be seen again as it was integrated into the new construction. The brick was cleaned back to its original red where tell tale signs of different vintages belayed the history of changed windows and doors in the 150 year old structure. A return to white was definitely planned.The Bristol Solarium became a labor of love, although tedious, it took over a month to create. The entry stairs were built in Sandwich, IL disassembled and then reassembled in only three days to fit the walls created onsite to exacting specifications. The Timberlake Suites literally rose out of the ground in the new addition north of the historic home. Each takes on a name from Scottish history which is highlighted in each rooms guest manual.On December 7th, 1995, a Chamber of Commerce Evening -After Hours was hosted at The Inn with almost 300 visitors in attendance. The entry and two guest rooms were completed. Although the remainder of The Inn did not fully look like Pearl Harbor 50+years ago, it was a far cry from how its looks today and the spirit of adventure caused many to wade through the construction debris for a look at things to come. Guests stayed at The Inn over Christmas 1995 in the few rooms that were open and 31 enjoyed a New years Eve party in the St Andrews Center. All of The Inn opened finally in late January 1996 Finishing touches and the creation of the English gardens followed in the spring. Decorating actually began with the demolition work. A color palate was carefully chosen and runs continuously throughout The Inn. See if you can determine the four predominate colors? (Hint: check out the custom patterned carpet in the Conference Center.) Queen Anne traditional furniture with a dark burgundy stain was chosen. The discriminating eye will find some exceptions to this rule if you look carefully. Harden and Lexington companies provided the majority of the furniture at The Inn. Fabrics were chosen separately and sent to the furniture factories and also crafted into the many linens and window treatments that uniquely adorn each guest room. Created from 150+ years of antiquity and dedicated to the future comfort of our guests, we have tried to preserve much of the past and yet create an enjoyable retreat, a memorable and fulfilling experience be it only an evening or an extended stay with friends and associates. In the Spring of 1997 an eighteen hole, championship golf course designed by Michael Hurdzan. Thanks to the comments made by our many guests, both lodging, and banquet, in 2000, the Conference Room was expanded to double its size to accommodate a larger number of guests for luncheons, dinners, Supper Club, mysteries and business meetings. The Inn at Aberdeen is dedicated to making your respite with us, be it for pleasure or business, both a memorable and fulfilling experience. Our staff is here to meet your every need.

 Luggage storage
 Conference and meeting room
 Credit cards accepted
 Dinner may be served in the room
 Jacuzzi tub
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Parking lot
 Private park, garden, courtyard
 Quiet surroundings
 Restaurant
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Tea and coffee making facilities
 Phone at reception
 Patio, summer terrace
 Common room with a TV set