When you step onto our property, you’ll notice how the lake draws your eye past the pastures and through the oak canopy. We’ve welcomed many couples here, and we often see people pause by the water during their first tour, and we understand why. The lake offers something rare for a working farm venue: a still, open space where the noise of planning falls away and your guests can breathe.
The lakefront creates a quiet escape during a Plant City wedding by offering a calm, open space where guests can step away from the reception without leaving the event. Set among blueberry fields and oak trees, the water provides a peaceful spot for reflection, casual walks, sunset photos, and relaxed moments throughout the celebration.
The Lake as a Natural Retreat During Your Event
When your guests need a moment away from the reception, the lake offers a quiet alternative without leaving the celebration. The fountain fed pond sits past the blueberry fields, bordered by oaks and wildflowers. People naturally drift there during cocktail hour or after dinner. It’s close enough to stay connected but separate enough to breathe.
Where the Lake Sits on the Property
Our venue sits on 50 acres in Plant City. You’ll find it past the blueberry fields, bordered by mature oaks and native wildflowers. The fountain feeds the pond year round, so even in Florida’s drier months, the surface stays full and reflective. Guests walking from the ceremony site to the barn pass within view of the water, and many stop to watch the light shift across it.
The groom’s tack has access to a fishing lake. Your partner and their crew can fish or walk the shoreline before the ceremony, which gives them a low key way to spend the morning.
How Guests Use the Lakefront During Your Six Hour Event
At the wishing well barn, your reservation includes six hours for the main event, and we’ve learned that guests naturally drift toward the lake during cocktail hour or after dinner. The open sight lines mean people can wander without feeling like they’ve left the party. Parents bring kids down to spot turtles. Your photographer will likely suggest sunset portraits there, because the light comes in low and golden across the water.
Planning Around Water Access
You have all day access to the farm before your six hour event window opens. That means your photographer can scout the lake in the morning, your partner can fish with the groomsmen, and your planner can walk the grounds to finalize photo locations. We’ve had couples take their first look by the water, others use it as a backdrop for bridal party portraits, and some simply let it sit as a view their guests discover on their own.
If you want to incorporate the lake into your ceremony, we’ll talk through logistics during your unlimited planning sessions with our wedding designer. The ceremony setup is fully decorated and includes a custom arch, aisle decor, and officiant services. We’ve positioned ceremonies with the lake in the background before, though most couples prefer the open pasture or blueberry field sites for seating and sight lines. Either way, the water remains close enough to feel part of the landscape.
What We Handle So You Don’t Have To
Our wedding crew sets up, serves, and cleans up everything. That includes managing guest flow between the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. We keep an eye on the outdoor spaces, including the lake area, so your guests can enjoy the outdoor areas while our crew handles cleanup and keeps the day moving. The pathways are wheelchair accessible, and we position seating where it’s useful without cluttering the view.
The all day access also covers the bridal cottage, which seats 16 to 18 guests and offers natural light for getting ready. Your florist, photographer, and stylist can work there while the lake and grounds stay available for other uses. We coordinate timing so the spaces don’t feel crowded.
Catering and Bar Services Near the Water
We work with 15 approved catering vendors, and your package includes full bar service with a bartender, glassware, coffee station, lemonade, teas, and ice. Cocktail hour typically happens on the lawn between the ceremony site and the barn. If you’d like appetizers served near the lake, your caterer can arrange that. We provide the real linen napkins, china, flatware, and glassware for the reception, which takes place in the barn under chandeliers and twinkle lights.
The s’mores station and optional bonfire happen outside, weather permitting. We’ve set up bonfires within sight of the lake before, and it adds another layer of warmth as the evening cools.
Shuttle Service and Guest Logistics
Your package includes a 14 passenger shuttle that runs between the venue and local hotels within a 20 minute radius. This matters because guests can relax, enjoy the bar, and explore the property without worrying about driving. The lake becomes more appealing when your guests know they don’t have to rush back to their cars.
Event Types Beyond Weddings
We host quinceañeras, corporate events, birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, and celebrations of life. The lake works for all of them. Corporate groups use it for breaks during daylong retreats. Quinceañera courts take formal photos there. Families gathering for a celebration of life often walk the water’s edge together. The setting doesn’t change, but the way people use it does.
Our barn holds up to 299 seated guests indoors or outdoors, so the scale of your event won’t limit lake access. Smaller gatherings feel intimate. Larger ones spread out naturally across the farm, and the water becomes one stop among many.
Practical Details You’ll Want to Know
We’re located at 4302 Pippin Road in Plant City, about 45 minutes from Orlando and Tampa and an hour from the beaches. 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. The working farm atmosphere is real, not styled.
Your package includes unlimited planning sessions, a dedicated event coordinator, and full service setup and teardown. You’ll work directly with our wedding designer to customize the look through Pinterest boards and in person walkthroughs. We handle the décor, which includes table linens, runners, glassware, and china. You choose your caterer from our approved list, your photographer from eight professionals we’ve vetted, your cake from four bakery vendors, and your DJ from five trusted companies. Officiant services and full floral design are included. Silk florals come standard, and real florals are optional.
Conclusion
If you want a unique entrance, you can ride our 16 hand Palomino Quarter Horse up to the barn. Guests will notice. We also offer a gun range and fishing lake access if your group wants alternative activities during downtime.
We’d love to show you the property and walk you down to the lake so you can see how it might fit into your day. Contact Michelle at (813) 478-6554 or email us at wishingwellbarn@gmail.com to schedule your free one hour tour. We’ll talk through your vision, answer your questions, and help you picture how the space works for your guest count and style.
FAQs
Can we use the lake for our ceremony?
Yes, we can position your ceremony with the lake as a backdrop. We’ll discuss sight lines, seating, and accessibility during your planning sessions. Most couples choose the pasture or blueberry field sites for ceremony seating, but the lake remains visible from many locations on the property.
Is the lakefront accessible for guests with mobility concerns?
The venue is wheelchair friendly, and the outdoor pathways to the lake are accessible. We maintain clear routes and can arrange seating near the water for guests who need it.
What’s included with our six hour event?
Your package includes full day access to the farm, bridal cottage, groom’s tack room, gun ranges, and fishing lake before your six hour event window. The event itself includes fully decorated ceremony and reception, tables, chairs, linens, china, flatware, glassware, real linen napkins, DJ, photographer, officiant, catering from approved vendors, cake, bar service with bartender, coffee station, lemonade, teas, ice, floral design, event coordination, setup, service, and cleanup. S’mores station and bonfire are optional and weather dependent.
How do we book a tour?
Call Michelle at (813) 478-6554 to reserve your date and schedule a free one hour tour. You can also email wishingwellbarn@gmail.com. We’ll walk the property with you and answer any questions about capacity, logistics, or customization.