Whispers of the Past: A Thank You and Sneak Peek into the Future

Blog By Sasha Conrade
Photos by Logan Hildebrand
Nov. 20, 2024

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Dear Topeka,

A huge thank you to the community for making our Whispers of the Past event such a resounding success! We had an unforgettable time sharing the rich history of The Beacon and uncovering the mysteries of the spirits who may still roam its halls. We are happy to continue sharing The Beacon as a place of joy and philanthropy, just as it served the Topeka Woman’s Club a century ago.

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the Whispers of the Past event will be growing next spooky season! While we can't reveal too much just yet. Let's just say there are some spine-tingling additions in store that will take the event to new heights. Stay tuned for more details—you won’t want to miss it!

As the holidays approach with Santa’s sleigh-speed, we are getting ready for a month of holiday celebrations. We’ll end the holiday season with a jazz-age New Year’s Eve party! We hope you’ll join us for Brass and Bubbly, a night of dancing, music and good old-fashioned fun.

With love,

The Beacon

Photos by Logan Hildebrand

Modernizing Our Historic Venue

By Courtney Stemler
June 13, 2024

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The Beacon - a former Woman’s Club clubhouse and building on the National Register of Historic Places - is 99 years old! Just like anything that is historic, there have had to be changes made over time to keep the building functional and operating as well as possible as time goes on. We try our best to honor the building while also making it functional in the modern world. We’ve made a few updates in the last year that help us serve our community and clients better.

Upgraded Bars

We added built-in bars in the Dining Room and Ballroom in spring and early summer of 2023. These black tile faced bars with white tops increased our bar storage by two to three times, and we also have more space for our bartenders! We’ve been able to divide service, one side for beer and wine and another for mixed drinks and sometimes frozen drinks, making service even faster. They both look great and serve our guests better!

Exterior Signage

The Beacon installed a sign on the corner of 9th Street and Topeka Boulevard, with the help of Senne Construction and Ace Electric, designed by our very own Shelby Irick. The sign helps our guests know where they are and that they’ve arrived at the right place for the celebration they’re attending.

Photo by Stacey Beilman

Directional Screens

Just before January, screens were installed throughout the building in the Lobby, at the East entrance, on the second floor landing and in the third floor hallway. They list the events of the day, give directions for how to get to the various rooms and provide information about what events we have coming up as well as the venue coordinator’s contact information. Since we have several rooms, sometimes with multiple events happening at once, it helps our guests get where they need to go.

Photo by Abigale Sleezer

Built-in AV

We also recently completed installation of speakers in each room. These can be used for speaking and background music during events. This saves bringing in sound systems, needing multiple mobile speakers, setup and teardown. Guests are able to connect to the systems and use the microphones during their events. We even have the ability to use the Dining Room and Library speakers together for large events that use both rooms, or they can be used separately if the rooms are being used individually!

All of these new features have made hosting and attending events easier, and we hope to keep improving our service and the building as time goes on. We’re always adding new upgrades to our list, but we’ll keep crossing them off over time. What’s the phrase…”great things take time”? If you haven’t been by in a while, schedule a tour to see these and other updates.

Say “I do” to The Beacon

Photo by Moriah Ruth Photography

By Courtney Stemler
May 20, 2024

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Welcome to wedding season! As we finish with graduations, Mother’s Day Tea and some fundraisers, wedding season is in full tilt. We love how busy the building is in May, and we love working with clients - some new and some we get to work with more than once! As we have entered our third wedding season, we have noticed some things about The Beacon that make it a great place to celebrate a wedding.

1. Direct, consistent and timely communication with our clients

Courtney and Shelby, two of the owners, work directly with clients throughout the process of planning their wedding, from initial communication to tour to booking to all the questions, floor plan mapping, decisions about bar service and everything else in between. We are the point of contact, with answers or the ability to get them for you. We do our best to make sure we respond quickly to anything you need throughout the process of planning your wedding.

2. Room and flow choices

The Beacon has five different rooms that consistently get used for weddings, with two more prep rooms for wedding parties to get ready in. Couples have their choice of which room(s) they use, how and when during their wedding day. Some couples use the Founders Room for cocktail hour, a slow goodbye at the end of the night or not at all. Some couples use one room, while others use all five.

3. Vendor choices

Couples are able to choose their vendors. You do not have to stick to a list of vendors or use our in-house services, except for serving alcohol. We do offer services like catering in partnership with a local caterer or decorating in-house, but you are free to choose who does those services for you if you want to hire any vendor of your choice.

4. Come, party, celebrate, remember

We’re a bit different because we have plenty of wide-open space. Clients often tell us the rooms look larger in-person than online. We don’t lack for space. What that means is that your event runs smoothly with no interruptions for “flips”, “room changes” or other venue-related needs. Couples often start their dance between 6 and 7:30 P.M., because they don’t have to wait for space to be freed up to get the party started.

5. Beacon staff

Our staff is simply amazing, and we make sure there are plenty of them at every event to make sure it runs smoothly. Our most frequent positive feedback is about our staff. They’re attentive, helpful and welcoming. We rarely have lines for drinks at the bar because there are plenty of bartenders, and we have an owner at most events.

Choosing a venue for your wedding is an incredibly important part of your day. It affects every aspect of how your day looks, feels, works and how much you get to enjoy all of the hard work you put into planning it. We’re here to help your day be one that you love, cherish and look back on as a great experience that you thoroughly enjoyed. We are honored to help throughout that process, and we love working with couples as they celebrate one of the largest milestones in their lives.

Spotlighting Our Smaller Spaces

Our Founders Room is one of our two great small spaces.

By Courtney Stemler
Feb. 7, 2024

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We hope you’ve had a great 2024 so far and that you stayed warm in January. We are off to a great start with events, including weddings, quite a few legislative events and a bridal show! The first part of the year reminds us of how versatile our smaller rooms are. Our Founders Room and Library get used quite a bit throughout the year but are especially busy right now. They’re probably our most-used rooms in the building! Each one has their own unique feel, and our clients and guests love how beautiful they are. We think they deserve their own spotlight.  

The Founders Room

The Founders Room is on the first floor, and it looks and feels like a cocktail lounge. There is an eye-catching circle bar encased in turquoise tile, with bar stools, soft seating throughout the room and a large fireplace. A 75-inch TV, speakers and other modern conveniences exist subtly in the room for modern needs. The eight twelve-foot-tall windows can be covered by heavy curtains or opened up to let in natural light during the day. If you have been to any of our Wine Tour events you’ll know it is Chris’ favorite room. The Founders Room works well for cocktail receptions, cocktail hours, tastings, holiday parties, engagement parties, graduation parties and more.

The Library

The Library - on our second floor just up the grand staircase - has an open, airy feel. It is a great size for 20-70 people. The furniture can be arranged for any need, and we bring in a mobile bar if there is alcohol being served. It has a large built-in bookshelf on one side and eight large ten-foot-tall  windows on two walls. All of these features are original from 1925, when the building was built. We have added some modern amenities like speakers and microphones, and we can always bring in televisions if necessary. The natural light in the Library is amazing and is a favorite of photographers. Just check out the ‘gram. We often do meetings, small dinners, cocktail receptions, small weddings, trainings, holiday parties, birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers and graduation parties in the Library. 

The Beacon just recently added the ability for clients to book their parties online in the Founder’s Room and the Library!

These online bookings are for four hours of access to either space, and clients are able to select times online. We will reach out after booking to work out details such as floor plans, schedules and specific event details. You still get the service and help you deserve with any event at The Beacon. This just lets you hop on and get bookings done on your time! If four hours is not the right time or you need something unique, we are happy to help you reserve the space you want instead of booking it online.  

Bookings for the Library can be made here.

Bookings for the Founders Room can be made here.

As always, we are happy to help you celebrate, and we hope to see you soon!

A New Year and a Look Back at the Numbers

Our Dining Room set up for New Year’s Eve in the Tropics

By Courtney Stemler
Jan. 2, 2024

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We capped off 2023 with our New Year’s Eve in the Tropics party, dining with Bobby’s Food Co., dancing the night away with Top City Entertainment and sipping on drinks from our amazing bartenders at The Beacon. Happy New Year! As 2024 begins, we wanted to take a look back at 2023, reflecting on our highlights of the year, represented with some significant numbers.

• 180: The number of events we helped host this year. This included weddings, birthday parties, quinceañeras, recitals, fundraisers, graduation parties and holiday parties.

• 15,115: The number of guests we had at the various events that were held at The Beacon this year.

• 1: Saree. We were honored to help host a Saree for an amazing young lady this year. It was the first at The Beacon, and we hope it won’t be the last.

• 50+: The number of times our staff and their amazing service were mentioned to us through email, phone call or in-person related to how clients and their guests were treated at The Beacon. Our staff make us proud of the level of service we’re able to provide as a team at The Beacon.

• More than $28,500: The amount of money we saved non-profits this year, through discounts, donations and services. We were able to help reduce their overhead and help them raise more money. This allows them to go out and do even more good in the community for those they serve.

We hope you had a wonderful 2023, and we wish you the best beginning to 2024. Here’s to more celebrating in the new year!

The Family Behind The Beacon

The Owners of The Beacon (All Photos by Love in Kansas)

By Courtney Stemler
Dec. 21, 2023

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As a locally owned and operated business, we usually get asked who is responsible for The Beacon. The short answer is the Stemler and Irick families. More specifically, Shelby and Courtney (who are sisters) are the majority owners of The Beacon, along with their husbands Nic and Chris.

Shelby Irick

Shelby Irick is the younger of the sisters and attended Silver Lake High School and then went on to the University of Missouri-Columbia, majoring in Journalism with an emphasis in Strategic Communications. Shelby did some freelance work before beginning with jhP in Topeka. She later moved to Greater Topeka Partnership and then McElroy’s before becoming a mostly full-time parent, except when she’s working at The Beacon. Shelby really enjoys DIY projects of all kinds, hunting and dancing West coast swing. She is incredibly creative and always wows us with the ideas she brings to fruition at home and at The Beacon.

Courtney Stemler

Courtney Stemler is the older of the sisters and also attended Silver Lake High School and later finished her Elementary Education degree at Emporia State University. She later earned a Master’s Degree, also from Emporia State, while teaching at Scott Dual Language Magnet in Topeka. She became a full-time parent when her son was born. After about eighteen months, The Beacon was purchased, and her role shifted to include working at The Beacon. She loves traveling, good food, baking and planning fun outings and activities with her kids.

Nic Irick

Nic Irick is married to Shelby. He is from Tonganoxie and currently works for The Retirement Advantage, Inc. He is the facilities manager at The Beacon and knows the ins and outs of all the nooks and crannies that you didn’t know existed. Nic enjoys hunting, cooking and being a fun uncle.

Chris Stemler

Chris Stemler is married to Courtney and is from Canada originally. He went to Washburn Rural, later completing a Business degree at Fort Hays State University and then a Master’s in Business Degree at Baker University. Chris works for Cuna Mutual and is the finance and alcohol guy at The Beacon. He enjoys painting, cooking and board games.

You might have heard already, but we started The Beacon project with an eighteen month old, Beckett Stemler. He is our Chief Morale Officer. He is your best encourager, rule-follower and positive thinker. We added two girls along the way, Kevan Irick and Sutton Stemler. Kevan is our Chief Safety Officer. She knows all the ways things should not be done and makes sure to tell us “no” when it’s not a good idea, and even when it is sometimes. Sutton is six months younger than Kevan and is our Chief Experience Officer. She loves a good party, dances at any opportunity and almost always has a smile on her face.

More Than Just A Wedding Venue

Traditional Indian Saree in the Dining Room

By Courtney Stemler
Nov. 9, 2023

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Often, when people think about an event space, the assumption is that we mainly do weddings. While we do help host many weddings, and they tend to be our most detailed events that we help host, they are certainly not the only type of event that we help facilitate. In total, The Beacon has helped host about 350 events, over 50 of which were weddings. That leaves us with about 300 other events that we’ve helped facilitate in just over two years.

2022 Block Grant Awards

The other 300 or so events are usually smaller, shorter events with less planning time than weddings. Luckily, we have several rooms of varying sizes to help accommodate everyone’s needs. Throughout the year, we regularly have baby showers, wedding showers, birthday parties and meetings. Legislative session keeps us busy in the first quarter of the year with receptions, some conferences and a few meetings. We get to help host groups from all over the state who come to the Capital City to meet and work with our state government. This leads into weddings, proms and graduation parties in late April and May. In the fall, wedding season picks back up again, along with fundraisers and holiday parties in late November and December. We finish every year with our New Year's Eve celebration.

We have gotten to experience some more unique events along the way, like a Saree and Quinceañeras. Each event has its own flair, and we love to see what our clients come up with. We’ve seen a holiday party with casino games, a birthday party with a funnel cake truck, a private party where everyone dressed up according to the theme and a fundraiser with dueling pianos. The creative juices are flowing, and it’s so fun to experience it all!

What Makes Our Venue Historic

Topeka Woman’s Club Team Captains at Laying of the Cornerstone on April 26 of 1924.

By Courtney Stemler
August 24, 2023

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If you have ever wondered what The Beacon was in its former lives, we are happy to share! We’ve had guests ask if it was a church, a school, a gym and several other things. The truth is it has a much more interesting story than that! 

The Beacon was originally built as The Topeka Woman’s Club clubhouse, breaking ground in October of 1923. The building was completed in the Spring of 1925 at a cost of $200,000. All of the stained glass in the building was privately donated after construction by or on behalf of members of the Woman’s Club. It was the largest Woman’s Club clubhouse built West of the Mississippi River at the time. The Woman’s Club used the building for meetings, meals, continuing education, social events, fundraising and community events.  

In 1981, the building was sold by the Topeka Woman’s Club to Manhattan Buildings Inc. for the purpose of converting it to office space with an $800,000 bond. After dropped ceilings, air conditioning, additional electrical, additional walls, a false floor in the Theater, carpet and phone wires were added, as well as the Ballroom’s spring dance floor stabilized to keep it from flexing, the Kansas Insurance Department moved in. During it’s time in the building, the State of Kansas purchased the building. The Insurance Department was housed here until late 2019.  

The Theater during the conversion from offices to event space. (January of 2021)

In 2020, the building was put up for auction by the State of Kansas. It was purchased by the current owners, Shelby and Nic Irick and Courtney and Chris Stemler. We renamed it The Beacon and renovated. We said goodbye to the dropped ceilings, walled off balconies, carpet and extra walls! We started hosting events in August of 2021, fully opening in February 0f 2022.  

A few fun facts about our building:

1. There was once a rooftop garden that The Woman’s Club maintained and Topeka Civic Theater performed on.

2. There was originally a small apartment in the basement for the caretakers of The Woman’s Club clubhouse.  

3. The back of the stage originally had a half story with a dressing room, bathroom and access for lights.  

4. The original, hand drawn floor plans for the building were found during the conversion to office space in a secret cabinet in the building.

5. The original iron springs are still in the Ballroom floor. They’re just stabilized with bolts and blocks of wood.

Why Choose The Beacon? Here’s Five Reasons

By Courtney Stemler
July 3, 2023

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When planning an event, there are so many things to consider: the guest list, the theme, color choices, decorations and the list goes on. A major consideration for every event is location. Hosts have so many great choices in Topeka and the surrounding area, so, the question is, why is The Beacon a great choice for an event, large or small, formal or informal, wedding, quinceañera, or any other event? We have five great reasons choosing The Beacon is a must for your next event.

1. Family Owned and Operated

The Irick Family (left) and Stemler Family (right). (Photo by Love in Kansas)

The Beacon is family owned and operated. Courtney and Chris Stemler and Shelby and Nic Irick own The Beacon, and Courtney and Shelby run the day-to-day operations. Courtney is the main point of contact for clients, and many events are worked by at least one owner. If you have questions, need help finding a vendor, or are checking into options at The Beacon, you don’t have to wait very long for responses or decisions. Usually clients get responses within twenty-four hours, usually faster, and there is no chain that decisions have to be made from. The owners are constantly communicating with each other, so, if you need something special, we can get back to you about it quickly.

2. Amazing Staff

Our staff is phenomenal! The Beacon staff is here to help. Our staff are constantly getting complimented by clients on their responsiveness, helpfulness and attitude. They love working at The Beacon, and it shows in how our clients and guests are treated. From handing a bride a drink on her way by the bar in the conga line to pitching in to help a caterer on a very short timeframe, our staff makes every effort to make sure your event is seamless, enjoyable and memorable.

3. The Power of Choice

You have so many choices and options at The Beacon. Not only are there several spaces of varying sizes and aesthetics, but you also are able to choose your vendors. Do you have a favorite caterer, florist, DJ or planner? You can use them at The Beacon. Do you want a space just the right size for your event? We probably have one! With the eight rooms we have, we are able to find the best-fitting room for your event.

4. One-of-a-Kind

It’s different and unique. The Eclectic-style architecture in our 1920s building is unlike any other. Our building is historic, with plenty of modern touches, like new bathrooms, new bars and a modern catering kitchen. Even if you’ve been to an event at The Beacon, you haven’t seen it all. There’s plenty of rooms to choose from to keep your guests seeing fresh space and new ways to make it your own.

5. We Support Our Community

We support and are committed to our community. We’ve worked with several non-profits (such as YWCA Northeast Kansas, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Valeo and United Way of Kaw Valley) and other community organizations to help them fundraise and succeed. We have worked with several organizations, helping with their bottom line, to help them raise more money for their cause. We try our best to make each event a success. Our community coming together to support and work with one another is something we love and look forward to each time we help host a fundraiser or community event.

Next time you are planning an event or someone you know needs a venue suggestion, The Beacon is a great place to celebrate and make those memories.  We would love to help make memories and take some of the stress of planning and hosting an event off the shoulders of the host. 

Five Must-Take Wedding Photos at The Beacon

By Shelby Irick
June 20, 2023

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As we get into our second wedding season, we’ve been looking back at photos from the first. And we’ve begun to notice a few things. Our building is nothing if not unique, built in the 1920s in the eclectic style as the Topeka Woman’s Club clubhouse. It has so many amazing backdrops for your wedding day photos, but we’ve found that there are a few favorites. Here are five spots in our venue that you must add to your shot list if you’re planning on having your wedding at The Beacon.

1. The Grand Staircase

Walk into the lobby and turn to the right, and you just might lose your breath as you notice our grand staircase. Elaborate woodwork gives way to a giant, intricate stained glass window. The window was dedicated for Alice Mitchell Foster in 1928, the president of the Topeka Woman’s Club at the time of our building’s construction. It depicts the image of the “ideal woman,” who is holding a pen and book to represent her quest for knowledge.

Photo by Camryn Nicole Photography

Photo by Ken Doll Photography

2. The Blue Sofa

Our Sunflower Room is located on the third floor of The Beacon and serves as a prep room for weddings. Surrounded by tall windows, lots of mirrors and soft furniture, sits a blue velvet couch. This is a favorite spot for a bridal photo, with natural light streaming in through the background.

Photo by Nick Krug Weddings

3. The Stage

If you’re having your ceremony in our Theater, make sure your photographer captures a full photo of the stage. Our stage is elevated 40 in. above the front row, so this offers a great opportunity to capture the entire wedding party. You’ll be able to remember the exact moment you said “I do.”

Photo by Moriah Ruth Photography

4. The Rooftop

Our rooftop is not used as event space (at the moment), but we’re happy to let the wedding party or newlyweds out for a quick shot. On the East side, you’ll be able to capture an image of the Kansas Statehouse in the background. On the West side, you can catch the setting sun over Topeka High School.

Photo by Complete Weddings + Events

Photo by Moriah Ruth Photography

5. Down the Street

The Beacon is located in Downtown Topeka, right down the street from the Kansas Statehouse. This provides a gorgeous backdrop for photos during any season of the year. It’s a great spot to capture timeless portraits of the bride and groom or the entire wedding party.

Photo by Hallie Sigwing

Photo by Heather & Holly Photography

Welcome To Our Adventure

Photo by Love in Kansas

By Courtney Stemler
May 28, 2023

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Hi there!  We’re The Beacon, and we love to help people celebrate!

We are an owner team of four. Courtney Stemler and Shelby Irick are sisters, and their husbands, Chris Stemler and Nic Irick, are along for the ride. We each work together to organize, facilitate, and improve with each event that we help host. Each of us has strengths that we enhance and areas that the others help improve upon. It takes a lot of communication, encouragement, commitment and understanding to work together as a team.  

We purchased The Beacon, formerly The Kansas Insurance Department, and even more formerly Topeka Woman’s Club, in November 2020. We partially opened in August 2021, and we were fully open in February 2022. We have fully renovated the building, with regular improvements and updates. As if we weren’t already busy, we’ve also added two little girls - one to the Irick family, and one to the Stemler family - during renovation and opening. The Stemlers’ son got to learn all kinds of new skills during renovation!

Throughout the renovation and opening process, we learned more about ourselves and each other, and we’ve also learned a lot about running a business and helping facilitate events. For instance, Courtney doesn’t always leave detailed enough instructions, and Shelby breaks a lot of dishes while cleaning them. Nic often needs safety refreshers, and Chris can enable him too much. Ultimately, our hope is that our kids fix all of those things!

We each have responsibilities outside of the Beacon as well. Shelby used to work full-time in graphic design and marketing. Courtney taught fourth grade until becoming a full-time-mom. Chris is a financial wholesaler, and Nic is also in finance, with a background in sales and construction. Each of these backgrounds gives us a different perspective and skillset, helping us work together to be a well-rounded team. We also all juggle our kids full-time, so prioritizing and scheduling is key!

We really enjoy owning and running The Beacon, and we hope everyone that comes through our doors has a great experience. Every client has a story, just like the building, and we hope we get to participate in as many stories as our community will enable us to.