Seminars and company events
The Jefferson hosts conferences, galas, holiday parties, business dinners and community gatherings for up to 2,000 standing guests, alongside the weddings that fill most of its calendar. The event center opened in 2016 on the edge of Oxford, Mississippi, about five miles from the town's historic Square, and has since hosted more than 500 weddings and events.
Rooms can be combined to match the guest count. Non-wedding events are booked on a separate contract and run as eight-hour rentals: three hours of setup, four hours of event and one hour of breakdown. The Great Room of the on-site guest house, for up to 49 guests, suits luncheons and board meetings, and the building has a conference room with a 58-inch screen. Business dinners are set up by the venue in a standard layout. Security staff are required for events of 50 guests or more.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings come with a 15-hour rental and access from 9:00 a.m. Ceremonies can take place on the waterfront walkway and lawn above the eight-acre lake on the south side of the building, with the Lakeside Room or the Faulkner Room as indoor options. A bride's room and a groom's room are part of the building. Local readers have voted The Jefferson the best wedding venue in Oxford in nine of the last ten years.
Rooms and capacities
The whole building covers 18,000 sq ft, with kitchens, storage and a stage, and holds 2,000 standing. The Grand Hall, 7,200 sq ft and column-free, takes 1,110 standing, 620 for a reception with dancing, 400 at tables with a buffet and 700 to 800 in theater rows. It has a 35-foot bar, a permanent stage of 20 by 16 feet and views of the lake. The Lakeside Room, 2,600 sq ft with a fireplace and a wall of windows, takes 350 in rows or 125 at tables. The Faulkner Room, 2,400 sq ft, takes 220 in rows or 100 at tables. A covered porch of 1,875 sq ft holds 200 standing, and a 90 by 30 foot concrete patio on the east side can be tented.
Accommodation
The guest house stands on the grounds, across the lake from the venue. It has four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, seven beds and space for up to ten guests. Hotels, inns and rentals lie four to five miles away.
Catering
The Jefferson works with six preferred caterers, including Vicari Catering, which uses the venue's East kitchen. Other licensed, insured, full-service caterers can be approved by the venue manager. Under Mississippi rules, all alcohol must be supplied by the venue, which runs the bars. Tables, chairs and a basic sound system are included, and extra furniture, lighting and linens come from Details Specialty Rentals.
Getting there
The address is 365 MS-6 East, Oxford, MS 38655. The main lot takes more than 400 cars with attendants, and an overflow lot about 500 more with notice. Coaches can turn in the driveway, the building is on a single level and seven accessible spaces sit near the entrance. Memphis International Airport is the nearest major airport.
