The Angsten couple spent 12 years compiling folders and notebooks full to the brim with magazine clippings, images, hand-drawn sketches, and pages and pages of wildly scrawled notes– details of their clear-as-day vision for an outdoor wedding venue and cottage.
“We knew Oakleaf was the place the moment we came up the drive,” they reflected. “But it looked nothing like anything in our folders. It was better than that.” The Angstens wasted no time rolling up their sleeves, and got right to work transforming the cottage and surrounding spaces bit by bit. After renovating the cottage, they set to work updating the barn, and they’ve hardly stopped to breathe since. This hardworking couple has done most of the work on Oakleaf with their own hands– innumerable shovelfuls of dirt and rock, late nights and countless details, and sweet moments together actively making their dreams a reality one project at a time. They often joke about the Oakleaf Fitness Program, as this undertaking has been physically demanding, to say the least.
“Our mountainous terrain offers unspeakable beauty, and also challenges,” Cris said. “It’s hard work, but we like hard work. We’ve had to learn how to best work with this mountain site, while keeping that small private feeling– a venue that feels like a haven, with fabulous spaces for any kind of party.” Cris and Dave share a passion for building and designing spaces together, and the progression of the Oakleaf property has truly been a labor of love. Whether their hands are in the dirt or wielding power tools, their heads are always buzzing with dreams of creating– and Oakleaf Cottage is a remarkable creation they want to share.
Everyone is welcome at Oakleaf, and she waits on her rocky, wooded mountainside to greet you when you arrive.