Most wedding venues hand you a six hour window and expect you to compress getting ready, ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception into that block. We’ve watched couples rush through portraits, skip meaningful moments, and feel the clock ticking through their entire day. At Wishing Well Barn, your six hour event is just part of the package. You get all day access to the 50 acre farm, which means the morning takes place at a human pace and your photographer has time to work without cutting corners.
Full day venue access changes the wedding day experience by removing time pressure before the ceremony. Couples can get ready on site, take photos in natural light, and allow vendors to set up calmly before the six hour event begins. The day flows at a relaxed pace instead of feeling rushed from start to finish.
All Day Access at Wishing Well Barn’s Plant City Wedding Venue
Your reservation includes unlimited time on the property before your six hour event begins. The bridal cottage is available for getting ready, with room for 16 to 18 guests, two salon chairs, a spacious couch and loveseat, a crafting table, refrigerator, champagne glasses, steamers, and flower girl baskets. The natural light works for hair and makeup application, and your photographer can capture details and candid moments without rushing.
The groom’s tack room includes a pool table, a poker table, a big screen TV, a private bar, and a full shower. Your partner and their crew can fish the lake, shoot at the two gun ranges, or relax indoors. The outdoor activities give people something to do with their hands when nerves run high, and the private space means both sides of the wedding party have territory that feels like theirs.
How Morning Hours Affect Photography
Your photographer can arrive early, scout the property, and plan the day’s shot list with actual light conditions instead of guessing. They’ll test angles in the blueberry fields, check reflections at the fountain fed pond, and mark spots under the mature oaks where dappled light softens portraits.
Getting ready photos happen naturally when you’re not watching the clock. Your photographer captures the quiet moments, detail shots of your dress and flowers, and candid interactions with your wedding party. They can move between the bridal cottage and groom’s tack room throughout the morning, documenting both sides without either group feeling rushed or staged.
First look photos often happen mid afternoon, giving you time together before the ceremony pressure builds. Some couples use this time for portraits in the pastures or near the vintage barn exterior. Others walk the property privately, taking in the space before guests arrive. The flexibility exists because you’re not counting down from the moment you unlock the door.
Vendor Load In and Setup Without Pressure
All day access matters for vendors too. Your caterer, florist, DJ, and coordinator can load in, set up, and troubleshoot without racing against your ceremony start time. We handle the full service setup, but having space and time for your vendors to work carefully means fewer last minute adjustments and better results.
Your florist can place arrangements in the bridal cottage early, so you’re surrounded by your flowers while getting ready. Your DJ tests sound levels in the air conditioned barn when it’s empty and quiet. Your caterer preps in the kitchen without guests arriving mid setup. The coordination happens smoothly because no one’s fighting for space or minutes.
The Ceremony Timeline Expands
Your fully decorated ceremony includes a custom arch, aisle decor, officiant, and ceremony music. We set this up on your chosen site, whether that’s the blueberry fields, open pastures, or near the lake. When you have all day access, you can rehearse in the actual space that morning if you want, walk your officiant through logistics, or simply stand where you’ll say your vows and let it settle in.
After the ceremony, your photographer can take formal family portraits without guests waiting impatiently. Cocktail hour starts when you’re ready, not when the clock demands it. That buffer removes the rushed feeling that often follows a ceremony, where couples feel pulled between photos and their guests.
Cocktail Hour and Reception Flow
Your six hour event window covers ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. The all day access doesn’t extend this, but it changes how you enter it. You’re not arriving harried from a hotel, checking your watch, and hoping everything came together. You’ve been on the property. You’ve seen the barn decorated with custom farm tables, chandeliers, and twinkle lights. You know the space feels right.
The reception happens in the barn with real linen napkins, china, flatware, and glassware. We provide bar service with a bartender, coffee station, lemonade, teas, and ice. You’ve chosen your caterer from our list of 15 approved vendors, your photographer from eight professionals, your cake from four bakeries, and your DJ from five companies. Full floral design is included, with silk florals standard and real florals optional.
Our crew handles service and cleanup throughout, so you’re free to move between the barn and outdoor spaces. Some couples take sunset portraits by the lake during dinner. Others step out for a quiet moment under the oaks. The property is yours, and the timeline bends to your needs.
What Happens After the Six Hour Event
All day access doesn’t mean you’re rushed out the moment your event ends. We offer an optional bonfire and s’mores station, weather permitting, which many couples use as the reception winds down. Guests gather outside, the energy shifts from dance floor to conversation, and the night ends naturally rather than abruptly.
Vendors pack out on their own schedule. You’re not rushing to grab personal items or take down decorations because our crew handles teardown. You leave when you’re ready, often with your photographer capturing a final exit shot or your last guests saying goodbye under the farm’s outdoor lights.
Planning Sessions That Use the Full Day
Your package includes unlimited planning sessions with our dedicated wedding designer. We’ll map out how you want to use the full day, from arrival time to vendor load in to first look timing to ceremony start. We collaborate through Pinterest boards and in person walkthroughs, so you understand how the day flows before it arrives.
Our event coordinator stays with you throughout the six hour event, but they’re available during the morning too if you need timing adjustments or vendor coordination. The planning process accounts for the full day access, not just the event window, which means fewer surprises and more confidence.
Guest Experience With Extended Access
Your package includes a 14 passenger shuttle running between Wishing Well Barn and local hotels within a 20 minute radius. This runs throughout the day, so guests who want to arrive early and explore the 50 acres can. Others arrive closer to ceremony time. The flexibility accommodates different guest needs without complicating logistics.
We also provide a complimentary bridal suite at the Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites in Plant City. You can stay there the night before, use it as a home base during the day, or rest there after your event. The proximity to the venue means you’re not driving far on your wedding morning.
Why Wishing Well Barn Offers This
The farm has been in operation since 1960, originally for cattle ranching and blueberry farming. Blake and Michelle Welch opened the venue after hosting their three sons’ weddings here within one year. They built the business around what actually makes a wedding day better, and all day access came from watching couples struggle with compressed timelines at other venues.
The working farm atmosphere is real. This isn’t a styled set that needs to be reset between events. The property exists as a functional ranch, and giving you all day access doesn’t disrupt operations. It’s how we prefer to work, and it’s what couples tell us made their day feel different.
Location and Practical Details
Wishing Well Barn is located at 4302 Pippin Road in Plant City, about 45 minutes from Orlando and Tampa and an hour from the beaches. The central location means vendors and guests reach the property easily, and the all day access doesn’t require complicated logistics or special permissions.
If you want a unique entrance, you can ride our 16 hand Palomino Quarter Horse across the property. The all day access gives you time to practice this, meet the horse, and coordinate it with your photographer without feeling rushed.
Conclusion
We’d love to show you the property and walk through how all day access changes your timeline. Contact Michelle at (813) 478-6554 or email us at wishingwellbarn@gmail.com to schedule your free one hour tour. We’ll discuss how you want to use the full day, answer questions about logistics and capacity, and help you picture what becomes possible when the clock isn’t running from the moment you arrive.
FAQs
What does all day access actually include?
All day access covers the 50 acre farm, bridal cottage, groom’s tack room, fishing lake, gun ranges, blueberry fields, and pastures from early morning through your six hour event. You can arrive when you want, use the spaces for getting ready and photos, and coordinate vendor load in without time pressure.
Does all day access extend our six hour event window?
No, the six hour window covers your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. All day access gives you the property before that window begins, so you have time for getting ready, vendor setup, photography, and rehearsal without compressing everything into the event hours.
Can our vendors arrive early to set up?
Yes, all day access includes vendor load in and setup time. Your caterer, florist, DJ, and coordinator can arrive early and work at a comfortable pace. We handle the full service setup for ceremony and reception décor.
What if we want to use the property after our event ends?
The optional bonfire and s’mores station, weather permitting, gives you and your guests a reason to stay after the reception. Vendor teardown happens on its own schedule, and you’re not rushed to leave. Our crew handles cleanup, so you leave when you’re ready.