When Kyle Henson and Ashley (Slack) Henson of Dwight were married on June 7, 2025, they decided to have their wedding and reception held back-to-back. That decision turned out to be enormously popular with their guests, and it’s one piece of advice Ashley recommends to other couples for their future weddings.

“Have the ceremony and reception back-to-back so guests aren’t wasting time or trying to find something to do in between. We have received many compliments regarding having our ceremony and reception at the same location,” Ashley said. “Take all of your pictures beforehand so you can enjoy being with all your guests, family, and bridal party.”

The venue the Hensons selected – Centennial Farm on the Ridge in Streator – was ideal for a back-to-back event.

“We had an outdoor ceremony, but the reception was held indoors in the venue’s brand-new Morton building. It was the third wedding held at this venue. After inquiring about many different wedding venues with a barn aspect, we decided to choose Centennial Farm on the Ridge due to the location being a central point for both of our families and friends,” Ashley said.

Ashley is originally from Ottawa, while her husband grew up in Dwight.

The Hensons’ wedding day was made easier by working with several local businesses.

“Our caterer, Hy-Vee, was a wonderful choice and so easy to work with. They helped bring our dream of having breakfast as our wedding dinner alive,” Ashley said. “The Ottawa Bakery catered our breakfast hors d’oeuvres and couple’s cake. They helped make our cocktail hour a hit and were very easy to work with.”

The couple was also happy with the donuts supplied by Steve’s Bakery that were featured on their donut wall. They enjoyed working with Without a Hitch Event Décor Co.

“They were so helpful, and it was so easy working with them to bring all our visions to life,” she said.

One tip Ashley offers to couples who are in the planning stages of their upcoming wedding is this: “Renting all of the decor versus buying or DIYing it all was one of the best decisions we made for the day,” she said.

Ashley said she and her husband were surprised at how quickly their wedding passed by.

“For both of us, after the day was over, we were asked numerous times if we were glad it was all over, and our answer still to this day is no. It went by too fast, especially on the day of,” she said.