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The Estate at River Run’s poolside area is a picturesque setting for intimate weddings and cocktail hours. (Photo by Marshall Arts Photography)
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Grayson Sommers selected The Estate at River Run for her March 29, 2025, nuptials. (Photo by Marshall Arts Photography)
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The Bluestone Terrace is a popular site for ceremonies, offering dazzling views of the James River. (Photo by Nikki Santerre)
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The Primary Suite is a luxurious space for the bridal party to get ready. It features two full bathrooms. (Photo by Nikki Santerre)
A grand marble foyer, Corinthian columns and a two-story ballroom — it sounds like the setting of a period drama. While these architectural features certainly are indicative of the 18th century, you don’t have to go back in time to enjoy them; they can be viewed at The Estate at River Run in Goochland County. It’s a wedding venue that feels like it’s located off the beaten path but is a 40-minute drive from downtown Richmond.
Spanning 16,000 square feet and sitting on 62 acres along the James River, the Georgian Revival mansion is naturally suited as an events venue — but it hasn’t always been one. Under construction from 1981 through 1987 and formerly known as River Run Manor, it was once the private residence of coal baron William Blair Massey. And while Massey didn’t design the home to host weddings, his intentions were similar.
“The Masseys wanted a very formal Georgian home designed for entertaining and large numbers of people,” says Andy Cobb, who served as an assistant interior designer for the mansion. “[River Run Manor] was meant to impress and engage people in parties, meetings and activities. They loved to entertain on a grand scale.”
After decades of hosting private gatherings and good times at his jewel of a home, Massey died in 2014, and the property was listed for sale. Five years later, in October 2019, it was purchased by two families with the intention of giving it a new life as a wedding venue.
History in the Making
Kim Moody, proprietor of The Estate at River Run (Photo by Renee Jean)
Kim Moody, proprietor and director of events at The Estate at River Run, has been a wedding planner for 21 years. Throughout that time, she orchestrated events at different venues across the commonwealth, but in 2018, she began looking for a venue of her own.
Moody, along with her husband, Andrew, originally intended to buy land and build a structure or buy an existing venue and add a ballroom to host weddings. Once they toured River Run Manor, though, that plan changed. “When we walked in the house, we just knew it was 100% right, and we had to do everything in our power to make it happen,” Moody says. “Everything else faded away, and there was no comparison to any other property after that, and we worked on a way to obtain River Run.”
Facing a listing price of nearly $5 million, significantly more than the Moodys’ budget, they knew they’d need business partners to secure the property. After months of searching for the right people, they purchased River Run Manor with Tamra and Doug Adams, who founded Adams International School, a Montessori school the Adamses also rent out for events.
From there, the partners began the lengthy process of converting the mansion and surrounding land into a wedding venue. But first, they had to secure county approval for a Conditional Use Permit to turn the estate into an event venue, which was not an easy process.
“There was a lot of nervousness from the neighbors,” Moody says. “They were very concerned about the level of noise, what having a wedding venue that close to them may look like, … how that was going to affect their property values, how that was going to affect their life.”
For months, the Moodys met with county members and neighbors through community meetings and visits at the property to answer questions, discuss their plans for the venue and assuage concerns. They also attended several board of supervisors meetings, where county members consistently spoke out against the property becoming an event venue — one meeting even lasted until 1:30 a.m. “Our future was in the [hands] of the board of supervisors. It was a really unsettling time,” Moody says.
After much back and forth, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors met under a special session and passed a vote to grant a Conditional Use Permit. With that in place, the Moodys were able to close on the property.
They had to make upgrades to the location to meet safety requirements. These improvements included adding a concrete staircase to the exterior, installing panic hardware for quick emergency door use, positioning exit signs, replacing windows with fire-rated glass and creating a parking lot for guests.
“It had been vacant for five years and needed a lot of love and TLC, but underneath the massive amounts of money it was going to take [to renovate], it was a jewel,” Moody says. “What we thought was going to be a $200,000 to $300,000 investment ended up being in excess of $1 million.”
But the updates haven’t stopped there. They recently broke ground on a 66-by-126-foot pavilion with a solar panel roof that will provide electricity for the entire property. With this addition, which is scheduled to be completed by June 2025, The Estate at River Run will be able to accommodate up to 500 guests for a ceremony or about 800 guests for a seated dinner. Moody says this additional outdoor space will be a big improvement, especially for large, multiday weddings, which have become a popular offering.
River Run hosts about 65 weddings per year, with many couples traveling from out of state to get married at the site. These clients typically opt for a full weekend experience at the property, renting it from Friday through Sunday to host their welcome dinner, ceremony, reception and lodging in one place. For those wanting something smaller, the venue offers intimate wedding packages for 50 to 80 guests, any day of the week except Saturday.
The Estate at River Run’s venue fees range from $2,300 for a three-hour “Ceremony Only” weekday package to $34,000 for a peak season (May-October) Saturday wedding, which includes full-day exclusive use of the property, a selection of tables and chairs, security, and a facility coordinator, as well as complimentary use of the property for photos.
An Elevated Venue
Grayson and Samuel Sommers dance as newlyweds in the Wedgewood Ballroom. (Photo by Marshall Arts Photography)
The Estate at River Run has become known for its stunning architecture, which Moody says provides a beautiful setting for all of the weddings held there, regardless of the clients’ individual style or aesthetic. “The architecture is so unique here compared to anywhere else,” she says.
Inside the mansion, there are three locations to host festivities. The two-story, double-height Wedgewood Ballroom is a popular ceremony and reception location. Its floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the James River and flood the room with light, and the handcarved spiral staircase serves as the ultimate grand entrance. The Cameo Ballroom, featuring an elaborate handmolded plaster ceiling, is another option for ceremonies or receptions. The Tuscan Ballroom, located on the ground floor, can accommodate the most people, making it the mansion’s ideal space for a large ceremony, seated dinner or wedding event.
The grounds of The Estate at River Run offer a variety of outdoor options. The Bluestone Terrace provides a view of the James River and the rolling hills surrounding the property and has served as the location for many ceremonies, cocktail hours and dinners. Similarly, the upper brick promenade can be used for cocktail hours or more intimate wedding ceremonies. The front lawn, with its picturesque backdrop of the mansion, is a favored spot for photographs as well as nuptials. Couples interested in getting married surrounded by nature can opt for the shade of the Oak Grove, which features the property’s original intricately filigreed iron gate topper as an arbor. The poolside area and pool house are often used as a getting-ready space, but the site has also hosted intimate weddings and cocktail hours. The Summer Court, formerly the tennis court, overlooks the lawn and can easily be covered with a large tent for ceremonies or receptions.
Despite the iconic architecture and scenery, Moody notes, no two weddings at the venue have ever looked the same. “The one thing our couples love is if they go to River Run as a wedding guest and they come back a second time, it’s aesthetically a different experience. There are so many options, so it’s not a rinse and repeat,” she says.
We always give 100%. We keep it up every weekend. No matter who it is, we want every person who gets married here and their family to feel like a celebrity.
—Kim Moody, proprietor, The Estate at River Run
Grayson Sommers, who chose the site for her March 29, 2025, wedding for just that reason, says, “We were looking for something different and unique, and The Estate at River Run embodies all of that,” she says. “There are so many different ceremony options and entertaining areas, both outdoor and indoor. Every time my husband and I went there for meetings or walkthroughs, it got more beautiful, somehow.”
But The Estate at River Run has been a beautiful setting for more than just weddings. In 2021, the venue also served as a filming location for the Hulu series “Dopesick,” which was shot primarily in Richmond and Clifton Forge. The mansion and its grounds are prominently featured throughout the series as the home of Purdue Pharma CEO Richard Sackler.
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A relaxing respite on the big day, the Woodhaven Billiard Lounge offers a billiards table for some fun and leisure. (Photo by Marshall Arts Photography)
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The Primary Suite’s spacious bathroom features large windows, which serve as excellent vantage points to view the river. (Photo by Marshall Arts Photography)
The Celebrity Treatment
According to Helen Elyse Row, owner and principal wedding planner at Sonder Event Co., its team and the experience they provide their couples set The Estate at River Run apart from other event sites. “When I think of River Run, I think of a venue where I know my clients will have a good experience, where I know the staff is helpful and professional,” Row says. “I know upon arrival on the day of the wedding, we know what we are going to get.”
Moody and the staff work hard to maintain this level of service and to care for the property as a whole. “We always give 100%,” Moody says. “We keep it up every weekend. No matter who it is, we want every person who gets married here and their family to feel like a celebrity.”
And that includes real celebrities, too. Moody notes that “quite a few” high-profile clients, including political figures and athletes, have selected River Run for their nuptials — the most recent was Los Angeles Rams player Kobie Turner and his high school sweetheart, Alissa Villanueva, whose March 2025 wedding was featured in People magazine. “We were honored to be the location they chose,” Moody says. “They were working with a wedding planner in D.C., and as soon as they saw River Run, they knew it was the right location for them.”
Even with its serene setting, magnificent architecture and varied accommodations, at the end of the day, for the staff, River Run is about executing the clients’ vision. “Whatever they want to do, we try to make it happen if we can,” Moody says, noting that events can range from evening gowns and fine dining to smart casualwear and an oyster roast under the pavilion. “The property is so versatile, so we’re open to doing whatever people need.” She notes that with the aesthetic, service and natural beauty coming together at one location, “It’s hard to ask for more than this.”
