The History of Old Glory Ranch
Old Glory Ranch has been owned by Suzanne and Charles McCord since 1984. In 2002, additional acreage was added and the ranch now spreads across more than 2,200 acres, with nearly two miles of Blanco River waterfront slicing through the property. This beautiful river, combined with stately oaks and breathtaking views, depicts the essence that is known as the Texas Hill Country.
Suzanne & her lifelong friend, Laura Weems, an interior designer from Louisiana, designed Chapel Hall to have the feeling of the Victorian Texas period with the repurposed wood & all the antique appointments to enhance the ambiance.
Meet the staff
Suzanne McCord, Owner
Suzanne McCord completed her education with a degree in psychology from LSU in 1966. She married Charles McCord immediately after graduation, and he began his tour of duty in the Army, which landed the couple in Washington, D.C. Her first experience in the business/political world was a position as caseworker for Congressman Bill Brock of Tennessee on Capitol Hill. She moved from there into the 1968 Nixon campaign which led to a position on the Nixon White House staff working for Harry Fleming. When the tour of duty in the Army ended and upon settling in Houston to raise their two children, Suzanne started her own child photography business that kept her busy for the next 25 years.
Suzanne and Charles began buying property & vacationing in Wimberley in the 1970s. Always an avid party giver, Suzanne moved to the Hill Country in the early ‘90s to create something “entertaining” on the large piece of property they had acquired in 1984. By chance, a close family friend wanted to get married at Old Glory Ranch in 1997, and with that wedding, a new career was launched for Suzanne. Totally comfortable in this role as a party giver and utilizing her degree in psychology daily, the business plan began. Suzanne, along with her lifelong friend and business partner, Laura Weems, an interior designer from Louisiana, created the design concept for Chapel Hall. Construction of this innovative and flexible special-event facility began in 1999, with completion in 2000.
With the completion of this breathtaking Texas Victorian structure, the rest is history. And now with 25 years of experience under her belt, Suzanne witnessed her 500th bride say, “I Do” in April 2021. The pleasures of hearing the wedding march are only exceeded today by the sound of her grandchildren’s laughter, but weddings at Old Glory Ranch remain a well-deserved institution of glory!
Kimberli Andrews – Site Manager
Kimberli joined the Old Glory Ranch team in 2022 as event staff and was promoted to Site Manager in 2022. She has been in the event planning industry for many years but her true passion is the wedding industry. She looks forward to working with new clients and assisting in making all their wedding day dreams come true. Kimberli has also been employed by Hays County for over 15 years and is currently the Accounts Payable Manager.
Emily Verhaalen – Site Manager
Ivy Events – Owner
Emily joined the Old Glory Ranch team in 2022. She owns her own wedding and event planning business, Ivy Events, but her home base is Old Glory Ranch. She got into the wedding business in search of something to bring more joy and excitement into her work life, and it has done exactly that! She loves the organization and planning leading up to each wedding and the satisfaction of seeing it all come together on the wedding day. There is something so special about being a part of each couples’ wedding from start to finish. Aside from her work in the wedding industry, Emily is an accountant for the Wimberley ISD and is a mom to 5 kids and a grandmother to 1. In her spare time, she loves to read, travel and spend time outdoors.
Carey Millington – Day of Coordinator
BASH Events Owner
Carey has been planning weddings and events in Texas, across the US, and abroad since 2003. While Carey plans events nationwide, her “roots” began at Old Glory Ranch. She has been the preferred wedding coordinator at Old Glory Ranch for over 25 years.
When she was planning her own wedding, which was not only featured in The KNOT wedding magazine but also took place at Old Glory Ranch, Carey saw the need for an events company that truly listened, welcomed different trends and ideas, and understood that each bride’s style is refreshingly unique. As a result, BASH Events was launched.
Outside of planning weddings for Old Glory Ranch, the highlights of her career include: Planning destination weddings in Cabo San Lucas, Key West and New York City; coordinating multi-day corporate retreats in Miami, South Beach; designing, coordinating and marketing a restaurant grand opening in NYC; designing the annual The Knot wedding magazine party in San Antonio; planning and coordinating the VIP party of the AquaPalooza event at The Reserve on Lake Travis in Austin. This signature event hosted 600 “who’s who of Austin” guests. The event was followed by the largest on-the-water concert in the US, featuring Brad Paisley.
Julia Osborn – Office Manager
Julia joined the Old Glory Ranch team in April 2013 as event staff and started working as our Office Manager in August 2022. She is usually a potential client’s first point of contact, conducting tours and answering questions & emails, all the while working behind the scenes to support our staff & current clients as well as managing our website.
Julia says, “I genuinely enjoy the work that I do. We are here to help people have a unforgettable, stress-free day. This is a great team to be a part of”.
In her spare time, Julia enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids—including reading, cruising, and happy hour get togethers with her neighbors.
Liz Danna – Account Manager
Handling the bookkeeping and accounting is just a tiny portion of what Liz has brought to Old Glory Ranch. She has been instrumental in many facets of the development of what has become the Texas Hill Country’s premier event venue. Her vast knowledge of the business and ranch operations has been proven to be invaluable on many occasions.