Each time Debbie Battle and her husband drove past the farm just down the road from their house, they commented on how ideal it would be as a wedding venue. Turns out they were right: In February 2017, they signed on the dotted line and became the proud owners of Red August Farm, Waynesboro’s newest wedding spot.
The Battles wanted to own a place they could rent out for weddings but never dreamed this would be the one. “It was so stunning and I just assumed it was out of my reach, so I didn’t really give it much thought,” Battle says. A part-time nurse at Augusta Hospital, she’d been pricing other plots of land, and looking at what it would cost to build a barn, install a bridal suite and other adjustments that would need to be made for a first-rate spot to host happy couples.
“My husband’s a contractor. He said, ‘Looking at these costs, you’re getting up there in price. You might as well check out that farm. It might be within reach.’ So I did.”
Turns out, it wasn’t much more expensive than trying to start from scratch. The Battles bought the farm (so to speak), and their new business was born.
“There is no such thing as a bad picture from this place!” Battle says. “It’s on 15 acres and set in the middle of a hay pasture, but we also have mountain views and some amazing landscaping.”
Located just four miles off I-81 near Barren Ridge Vineyards, the farm includes a 4,700-square-foot barn with three stories that can easily accommodate 300 people. The owners installed new flooring and exquisite chandeliers, as well as some LED lighting along the beams to brighten up the cavernous space.
A separate bridal suite boasts two styling chairs and an oversized makeup mirror with Hollywood lighting. The makeup counter was constructed out of some of the old barn flooring, giving it a rustic-glam feel for brides who can’t get enough of the trend.
The farm rents for $6,000 for a full weekend, from Friday through Sunday. Battle hopes allowing brides access for three days to set up and tear down will set them apart from other venues that host multiple events back-to-back.
Red August Farm has its first wedding set for this September, and already has nearly 20 bookings through 2018. If you’re interested in learning more, visit redaugustfarm.com.