Meet Sarah Schmidt of Ivory & Rust and Riverleigh Room

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Schmidt. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Ivory & Rust, LLC is how I started. We grew and opening our venue the Riverleigh Room. 

Humble Beginnings 

Sarah grew up in a big country house right across the way from the Hune Covered Bridge, surrounded by the Wayne National Forest. Her home was one of 13 homes in Washington County, Ohio, in the National Register of Historic Homes. During her childhood years, Sarah spent many hours each day in the woods outside her house. She loved to explore and could be found doing just about anything there is to do outside, including camping, building forts and treehouses, and dancing across the hay bales to the barn. Many days you could find her floating down the Little Muskingum River. 

The country house days were days of self-discovery and adventure, and Sarah often refers to it as “the house that built her.” In 2019, she and her husband took their wedding reception photos at the bridge just before it was officially closed to all driving traffic, signaling the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. 

Fast forward to now, Sarah still seeks comfort in her roots and lives in a family heirloom country house on the Ohio River with her family where they enjoy their riverfront view. Together, they enjoy relaxing on the deck, swimming off the dock, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, and fishing from their bass boat. Their home is the perfect place for making memories and doubles as a great location for intimate, outdoor events with endless possibilities, such as a boat ride on the Sistersville Ferry or a Sip-and-Snip party on the deck. 

With her Communications degree and Wedding and Event Planning certification from The University of Akron, Sarah can add the perfect touches to any special occasion, and she’s been doing just that over the last decade as a freelancer. 

With her eye for detail and heart for adventure, in 2021, Ivory & Rust, LLC was born. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Modern Multi-Use Community Space Opens Its Doors in Saint Marys, WV 

Saint Marys, W.Va. (July 24, 2023) – The former Smith Candy building in downtown St. Marys has recently undergone a makeover and will soon be reopened as the Riverleigh Room, a community event space for collaboration, creation, and celebration. 

Founded by Sarah Schmidt, local business owner of sister company Ivory & Rust Events, the Riverleigh Room provides a unique, versatile space for intimate gatherings, meetings, parties, and more. 

“With a focus on community engagement and a passion for creating memorable experiences, the Riverleigh Room is a haven for all of life’s celebrations,” said Schmidt. 

Conveniently located at 212 2nd St. in downtown Saint Marys, this versatile space is close to the picturesque Ohio River, downtown restaurants, coffee shops, and shopping, and other local attractions, making it accessible and convenient for event planners and guests alike. 

The Riverleigh Room offers 4,000 square feet of beautifully renovated indoor space. It was thoughtfully designed to accommodate a variety of event layouts to safely maximize guest capacity. Featuring exposed block walls, 9-foot ceilings, and ample natural lighting, the space boasts a modern, industrial ambiance that can be customized for any occasion. The Riverleigh Room is fully handicap accessible, ensuring inclusivity for all guests. 

Event organizers and photographers will have access to an extensive inventory of styled sets, vintage lounge furniture, pop-up backdrops, decor and prop library, client closet, and more. 

The Riverleigh Room offers three-hour event packages for $200 or flexible hourly rentals for as low as $75 per hour. All bookings require a minimum of two hours. 

The Riverleigh Room will open to the public August 1. To guarantee personalized attention and ensure the best experience for guests, the space is available by appointment only. 

“I can’t wait to share the Riverleigh Room with the Mid-Ohio Valley,” said Schmidt. “With the duo of Ivory & Rust events and now the beautiful event space, my hope is to provide exceptional service and unique, memorable experiences to our community.” 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Officially starting our business during a national pandemic has proved to make things difficult. 

The economy is in shambles, causing financial burdens on most, which has made running a small business extremely hard. 

Community and connection are so important, and they’ve been hard to find with COVID. 

We’ve been impressed with Ivory & Rust, LLC DBA Riverleigh Room, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Ivory & Rust is a client-focused event and wedding planning business in the Mid-Ohio Valley with unique design and rental features and a mission to create the most memorable experiences suited to your taste and preferred guest experience. 

Founder Sarah Schmidt established Ivory & Rust in 2021, using her knowledge and background to assist clients through their planning process and give them their dream event. With a knack for hospitality and expertise in creating time-saving and organizational techniques, Sarah will help you design your picture-perfect event with your personality and passions in mind. 

When it comes to planning the event of your dreams, your venue is one of the most important elements. The “where” sets the tone for planning and stylistic direction. Thankfully, with Sarah’s experience planning both indoor and outdoor events — big and small — she’s no stranger to “making it work.” Her established relationships with vendors are an added bonus for clients and have played a major role in her event planning success. So, clients needing a little extra guidance can lean on Sarah’s go-to vendor options. 

Planning an event can be stressful, especially when it comes to financials. But you can find comfort in knowing that no matter what your budget is — six figures or 600 dollars — Sarah will maximize your money to give you the event you and your guests will be talking about for years to come. 

Modern Multi-Use Community Space Opens Its Doors in Saint Marys, WV 

Saint Marys, W.Va. (July 24, 2023) – The former Smith Candy building in downtown St. Marys has recently undergone a makeover and will soon be reopened as the Riverleigh Room, a community event space for collaboration, creation, and celebration. 

Founded by Sarah Schmidt, local business owner of sister company Ivory & Rust Events, the Riverleigh Room provides a unique, versatile space for intimate gatherings, meetings, parties, and more. 

“With a focus on community engagement and a passion for creating memorable experiences, the Riverleigh Room is a haven for all of life’s celebrations,” said Schmidt. 

Conveniently located at 212 2nd St. in downtown Saint Marys, this versatile space is close to the picturesque Ohio River, downtown restaurants, coffee shops, and shopping, and other local attractions, making it accessible and convenient for event planners and guests alike. 

The Riverleigh Room offers 4,000 square feet of beautifully renovated indoor space. It was thoughtfully designed to accommodate a variety of event layouts to safely maximize guest capacity. Featuring exposed block walls, 9-foot ceilings, and ample natural lighting, the space boasts a modern, industrial ambiance that can be customized for any occasion. The Riverleigh Room is fully handicap accessible, ensuring inclusivity for all guests. 

Event organizers and photographers will have access to an extensive inventory of styled sets, vintage lounge furniture, pop-up backdrops, decor and prop library, client closet, and more. 

The Riverleigh Room offers three-hour event packages for $200 or flexible hourly rentals for as low as $75 per hour. All bookings require a minimum of two hours. 

The Riverleigh Room will open to the public August 1. To guarantee personalized attention and ensure the best experience for guests, the space is available by appointment only. 

“I can’t wait to share the Riverleigh Room with the Mid-Ohio Valley,” said Schmidt. “With the duo of Ivory & Rust events and now the beautiful event space, my hope is to provide exceptional service and unique, memorable experiences to our community. 

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We hope to continue to grow. We can only remain sustainable with our doors open if we continue to receive community support. We hope to build our own wedding and event venue on the Ohio River. We want to build our very own unique, safe, clean, affordable community space for people to celebrate all life’s celebrations. We want people to look forward to the special events we host! 

Pricing:

• $600-$3,500 ivory & rust coordination
• $100/hr ivory & rust bartending $600,$800, $1000 ivory & rust mobile bar
• $125/hr Riverleigh room Friday Saturday Sunday
• $75/hr Riverleigh room weekday rate
• $50/hr for non-profit weekday $50/hr Photographers

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ivoryandrust.com
• Instagram: @ivoryandrust @riverleighroom
• Facebook: @ivoryandrust @riverleighroom

Image Credits
Michelle Duley Photography
Kathy Merckle Photography
Foxxie Photography, LLC