Iconic wedding and special events venue
By EMILY CANNING-DEAN
Special To MedinaCountyLIVE.com
MEDINA – Since its opening in 1988, Williams on the Lake has become a premier venue in Medina for weddings, parties and special events. But even before this beloved institution opened its doors, the Williams family have been serving the community with their entrepreneurial spirit for decades.
Roughly 20 years before its opening, the Williams on the Lake family founded Williams Oil Co.
“Williams Oil Co. was a team effort founded by my father and grandfather,” said Mark Williams who currently owns and operates Williams on the Lake with his wife, Aly. “They would deliver home heating oil to people’s houses. My dad wanted to be an entrepreneur and my grandfather was a World War II Navy veteran who had worked in a number of factories after returning from the war. They started the business after my dad graduated which I believe was 1968.”
Williams said that his grandfather, Virgil, and his father, Virgil Jr., operated Williams Oil Co. at 755 Lafayette Road which is adjacent to where Williams on the Lake is located.
The Lakeside South facility holds 100-315 guests, accommodates two 85-inch video screens, and a center stage area used often for family celebrations, as well as corporate and civic events.
Williams custom catering, homemade pies start in 1985
After selling Williams Oil Co., the Williams family owned and operated a gas station on the Lafayette Road property.
“That was in a building on the front of the property where the Head Start is located now,” Williams said. “My mom, Nancy, had worked as an ER nurse and she and my grandmother, Virginia Musch, started Uniquely You Custom Catering in 1985 and that was out of the small shop in the inside of the gas station. My cousin, Amy Cleveland, was also a critical part of the business.”
Williams said Uniquely You Custom Catering offered lunch baskets which could be picked up at the gas station or delivered to other locations. Baskets included a signature paper blue gingham cover resembling a picnic tablecloth.
“I remember their house made pies were one of their most popular items.”
“This was something my mom always wanted to do,” he said. “I remember their house made pies were one of their most popular items. Our oatmeal pies are still one of our signature dishes. They would do party trays and even cater whole events. The business became popular and developed a good name for itself and by the beginning of 1987, the family decided they wanted their own facility where they could cater events.”
Large Lakeside South venue opens in 1988
The larger building that is still part of Williams on the Lake, known as Lakeside South, opened May 1, 1988.
“I remember we had a grand opening party for all of the people who were part of the construction project,” Williams said. “Then we had our first wedding at the location in mid-May of that year.”
By the early 1990s, the building toward the front of the property that had housed the gas station was renovated into a smaller venue for Williams on the Lake. By 2004, the newest building known as Lakeside East was added which replaced the smaller facility on the front of the property.
Williams said there are no plans to add new buildings to the facility but added that improvements have continued to take place on the property over time.
“We have done a ton of work on the property including expanding our outdoor courtyard and increased our parking,” he said.
The 11-acre lake offers families and guests many opportunities for outdoor experiences. This pergola patio sits adjacent to the Lake South facility and overlooks the water with park-like views of the property.
Lake expands, now 40 years a focus for patrons
While the beautifully designed buildings and outdoor spaces have always been a draw for clients, the 11-acre lake has always been central to the venue’s serene setting.
Williams’ grandfather, who lived on the property even before starting Williams Oil Co., dug the first portion of the lake with an old farm tractor in the 1950s.
“The lake was roughly six acres at the time and then people from the HWI building on Independence Drive needed a clay base for their building,” Williams said. “They reached out to my parents and offered to make the lake bigger by pulling out the topsoil they needed. That doubled the size of the lake. That was in 1986.”
The Mark and Aly Williams story
While he worked as a dishwasher on weekends for the catering company as a teen, Williams said he originally didn’t have an interest to be part of the family business and began attending The Ohio State University after graduating from high school.
“But then I ended up cooking in various restaurants while I was in college,” he said. “I started as a server and really enjoyed it. In the end, it was a mutual benefit to come back and be part of the family business.”
While in Columbus, Williams met Aly who returned to Medina with him. The couple married at Williams on the Lake in 1994 and began working for the business. They bought the business from Williams’ parents in 2014.
“I was actually a paralegal by trade, but didn’t find a job in that industry,” Aly said. “Mark and I wanted kids, and it ended up running the business and being able to bring the kids to work was a wonderful way to raise them.”
“Our kids aren’t tremendously interested in the business, and we encourage them to have independent paths, but we have some amazing staff who have worked with us,” he said. “We have six full-time staff and a part-time number that changes depending on the season. But we love being here and being part of the community. We are both in here every day cooking, serving and tending bar.”
Recognized and highly-awarded as a reception and banquet facility, Williams On The Lake offers excellent opportunities as a ceremony location for couples seeking alternatives or options for that special day.
Current trends for weddings and special events
As time moves on, the Williams say they make sure to stay current on trends for weddings and special parties so they can continue to accommodate their clients.
“Every year things change a little bit,” Aly said. “We pay attention to what is new and exciting and then we find that things will come back and trends repeat themselves.”
“It is our job to understand what each iteration of events looks like and evolves into,” Williams said. “For example, back in 1988 a company Christmas party was everybody cutting loose and maybe people dancing on the table. That’s not what a company party in 2026 is going to look like. It’s all about adapting to the changes so we can meet the clients’ needs.”
The Williams’ continue to make improvements on the property including a new driveway that was put in last year and maintenance of well-manicured outdoor spaces. But Williams said there are no plans to add a new building or expand the size of the venue.
“We have found that one of our biggest strengths is this family business culture that we have,” he said. “I think if we got much bigger, that is not something we would be able to maintain and we don’t want to lose that.”
Williams On The Lake
History Timeline
- 1950s – Williams grandfathers digs early portion of lake with farm tractor.
- 1968 – Entrepreneurs Virgil Sr., Virgil Jr. deliver home heating oil.
- 1985 – Grandmother, mother enter new service industry – “Uniquely You Custom Catering.”
- 1986 – Lake size is doubled to current 11-acre footprint.
- 1987 – Williams family initiates plans to construct facility.
- 1988 – Williams On The Lake opens as modern wedding, special events venue.
- 2004 – Lakeside East room is added with adjacent “Moon Gate Patio.”
- 2014 – Mark & Aly Williams purchase business, start new era of family service.
LIVE Talk: Mark Talks Williams On The Lake family, weddings, more
AUDIO FEATURE:
Mark Williams / Emily Canning-Dean
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