The Gruene Estate wedding venue in New Braunfels joins couples in matrimony from near and far. “What’s really neat about having a wedding venue in New Braunfels is that more than half are destination brides,” said Nolan Bluntzer, who manages the business with his wife. As a state-designated historic landmark, Bluntzer said many couples choose to get married at Gruene Estate because of its authentic countryside charm. Bluntzer’s family has owned the property for about 15 years, but the house was originally built and purchased by the Gruene family in 1856. When Bluntzer’s family purchased the property, they used it for vacation rentals. After a few years, they had multiple guests request to have weddings there. Because of the growing demand, Bluntzer’s stepfather, Daniel Tamez, purchased some stained-glass windows from a church in England at an auction. Those windows became a part of the venue’s open-air chapel. “Even though the chapel hasn’t always been there, everything is built out of reclaimed materials, so it still has that authentic rustic elegance,” Bluntzer said. Gruene Estate also offers brides options for in-house decor, and the owners recently started a photo booth company from a 1966 Shasta travel trailer called Shastagram. “We want to offer a unique experience for our couples,” Bluntzer said. In October the venue hosted the wedding of Cody Cannon, the lead singer of Whiskey Myers, and the venue’s maximum capacity of 250 guests was reached. Bluntzer gives credit to New Braunfels for much of the venue’s success. “It’s a great place to have a weekend destination wedding since there is so much stuff for you and your guests to do,” he said. Gruene Estate 1030 River Road, New Braunfels 830-609-8664 www.grueneestate.com Open by appointment.