The Story Behind The Barns at Maple Valley Farm

5 days ago

3 min read

For 30 years, Maple Valley Farm has been our family's home and a working Thoroughbred farm. Long before there was a Wedding Venue here, our days revolved around horses.

We bred and foaled Thoroughbreds for outside clients, bringing 20 to 40 foals into this world each year. Horses have been a part of our family's life for much longer than 30 years and have been at the heart of Maple Valley Farm since we made it our home

Wide angle view of an equestrian wedding venue surrounded by green fields — Mojo's Promise with our daughter Jacqueline

The Wedding That Changed Everything

Then, in 2016, something happened that changed the way we looked at the property.

Our youngest daughter, Jacqueline, got married here on the farm.

Watching her Wedding take place on the property made us see the farm differently. We began thinking about what it might look like to combine the Thoroughbred operation we had spent decades building with a Wedding Venue.

We loved the idea of creating a place where people could celebrate here while experiencing the horses, the land, and the history that had always been part of our lives.

That Became - The Barns at Maple Valley Farm

Eye-level view of a decorated barn interior with string lights and wooden tables — The Courtyard Ceremony Location - Barns and Gazebo with copper spires and copper horse running on the horse barn

From the beginning, we never wanted the Wedding Venue to feel separate from the farm's history. We wanted the things that mattered to us before the venue existed to remain part of it.

You can see the details throughout the property.

The Triple Crown Races - The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and The Belmont- are woven into the barns because Thoroughbred horses have been such a big part of our lives. In the bar, you will find bourbon bottles we've collected over the years we visited Kentucky, while the bridal rooms are thoughtfully adorned with its own equestrian prints. There is even a nod to Bink's history of raising Belgian horses.

The architecture carries pieces of the farm's history, too. Each barn and gazebo has its own cupola topped with a copper spire. Atop the main horse barn, one of the cupolas features a running horse crafted from copper. Every barn has a fieldstone foundation, the breezeway from the bride's room connects directly to the horse barn.

I designed the three gardens with timeless, established character in mind. Boxwoods, crepe myrtles, lilacs, roses and ornamental grasses add old - fashioned charm, while the seasonal flowers and new planting bring something new each year.

None of these details were chosen because they looked good in a wedding venue. They came from our lives before The Barns ever existed.

High angle view of a wedding ceremony setup outdoors with white chairs and floral arrangements — Mojo's Pristina with the image of her sire Mikimoto's Mojo in the background - Both direct descendants of Secretariat

Although The Property Evolved The Horses Remain an Important Part

We foaled our last Thoroughbred in 2019, today we own 13 horses, 10 of them surrounding the venue. Seven of those horses are direct descendants of Secretariat, a Triple Crown Winner. He is one of the most celebrated Thoroughbreds in racing history. The history is something we are incredibly proud to preserve.

The farm has changed over the years, but the heart of it has remained the same.

What was once a place centered around thoroughbred breeding and foaling is now a place where couples come to celebrate their own beginning. The horses still graze in the fields, the barns still reflect the equestrian history of the property and the land still holds the memories of the generations who have called it home.

Today, the history lives along something new - the opportunity to share the special place with couples and families as they create memories of their own.