weddings are a
family business

If you come to Madison at the Mill, you’ll probably meet me, Shalese! I run the Mill with my husband, Robert. You might notice in our scrolling photos here that yes, we did get married at the Mill ourselves in October 2019! As newlyweds, we understand everything you’re going through, and we’re here to make the wedding planning process easy, fun, and memorable.

Event planning should be simple.

Robert and I like to keep things simple. We believe that planning an event, especially a wedding, should be easy, fun, and more importantly, affordable. That’s why we include all the basics: a full day event space rental, handmade reclaimed wood tables, natural wood Chiavari chairs with cushions, built-in bars, and even a convenient prep kitchen with commercial ice machine. No add-ons, no service fees, and no surprises on your invoice.

Since 2015, Robert & I have been working together to make Madison at the Mill the premier destination for large weddings and events in central Virginia. We love getting to be a part of so many special days for our clients. It’s your next big step toward forever, and we’re here to make sure it’s everything you’ve been imagining.

meet
shalese

Hi, I’m Shalese! I’ve been working in weddings & events since I was a senior in college, and that was longer ago than I’d like to admit! (Fine, I’ll tell you — I graduated from JMU in 2012.) I’ve done a little bit of everything in the event world: I photographed weddings for 8 years, I worked for some very snazzy wedding planners in Washington D.C., I was the assistant editor of Richmond Weddings magazine, and I’ve even done catering and bartending through our restaurant, Spoon & Spindle! Of course, I’ve also been the day-of coordinator some amazing couples at Madison at the Mill.

  • “Madison at the Mill is THE spot. Working with Shalese was fantastic! She is clearly so passionate about this location and every event that happens here."

    Carrie & Ricky

  • Our guests can’t stop talking about how beautiful our wedding was & it’s definitely because of the amazing venue and who’s running it! Robert & Shalese were nothing but good to us! They are passionate about making weddings happen!"

    Jasmine & Eddie

  • “Madison at the Mill is simply amazing. It was the perfect venue for our reception. Our guests are still raving about this unique hidden gem in Orange. Shalese was a dream to work with from beginning to end."

    Sally & Chris

01. family first

I don’t feel old enough to have an almost three year old and an eight month old, but I do! Watching Eloise become her own little person is such a joy, and sweet Henry is just getting his first teeth. He’s also been saying MAMA very clearly since he was only 5 months old. ;)

A stone tower on a grassy hill overlooking the ocean with foggy skies in the background.

02. TRAVEL MORE

Planning trips is my #1 hobby. Robert and I have visited London, Scotland, Italy, Paris, Normandy, and Ireland, to name a few. We got engaged on the cliffs of Cinque Terre in Italy!

best chicken and waffles in Virginia

03. restaurant life

Robert had the bright idea to start a restaurant back in the summer of 2021, and the rest is history! We are the proud owners of Spoon & Spindle, which is conveniently located just down the hall from the venue. We’ve done a lot of catering, but I still think I love coordinating weddings the most!

make memories with

Madison at the Mill

old Hollywood wedding venue in central Virginia
start here

We would be so honored to help with your next special event! All you have to do is send us any questions you have, tell us a little bit about you, and we’ll start the next steps to an impeccable event.