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who we are
About Sugar Barn
Sitting on a 45 acre ranch with a sugar cane field that will soon be used to distill our own rum, we invite you to come discover our what makes Sugar Barn such a sweet option for your wedding day.
Sitting on a 45 acre ranch with a sugar cane field that will soon be used to distill our own rum, we invite you to come discover our what makes Sugar Barn such a sweet option for your wedding day.
Hello! We are Bill and Julia Whidden and we've been married for 30 years and have been residents of Lake Wales, Florida, for almost 7 years, after raising our three children in the Orlando area. We've been a significant contributor in the event industry for over 25 years, and designed and developed event decor used around the world, at major sporting events, award ceremonies, the White House and all over Disney World.
Together, we have an extensive background in weddings and directing all areas of events, thus turning our passion into a premier event venue here on their beautiful property at Flying Osceola Ranch. We look forward to meeting you and hosting your special event here in Central Florida..
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The Sugar Barn is located on a 45-acre Ranch in Lake Wales, in Central Florida’s Polk County. The Whidden’s purchased the ranch in 2005 and have been developing the perfect location for your barn wedding, celebration, or corporate event.
This unique venue is not an old converted barn but a beautiful new Douglas Fir structure with the warmth and character of a rustic setting, but with all the commercial amenities you need for a successful, comfortable, elegant event. The barn has been built with soaring 45-foot ceilings and a stone fireplace, beautiful crystal chandeliers, a catering kitchen, and an oversized 1200 sq ft bridal suite.
Your guests will walk along the 120-foot bridge across the stocked pond to the Wild Orange ceremony location, which also features a restroom facility and a bachelor’s cottage. The orchard next to the barn grows sugar cane, thus lending to the name The Sugar Barn.
The Sugar Barn is located only an hour south of Orlando, 30 minutes from Winter Haven and halfway between Tampa and Melbourne, so its location is an ideal gathering place.You will love celebrating your special day under the moss-covered oaks here at The Sugar Barn.
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I had my wedding at the Sugar Band November 8th, and it was everything my fiance & i could have dreamed of! The guest raved about the amazing food! Everything went so smoothly and Bill was amazing with accommodating anything we needed and made sure everything ran smoothly! Truly the best night ever !!
The Sugar Barn gave me the wedding of my dreams. Bill and his incredible staff were the best and make me feel like a guest at my own wedding. Forever thankful for the sugar barn
We had our wedding here 03/06/25 and everything was PERFECT! Staff is extremely friendly and easy to work with. We did the elopement package and so happy we chose this venue. Photographer that was included in the package exceeded our expectations. The owners Bill and Julia did such a beautiful job with the venue and are truly very sweet people. Would HIGHLY recommend this venue to everyone! A plus was the dinner they prepared was absolutely DELICIOUS. And the guests couldn't stop talking about how beautiful the venue was set up.
We couldn't have asked for a better experience or to feel so well taken care, down to the last detail. The organization, attention to detail, and professionalism was outstanding! The food was amazing and plentiful, the venue was regal, and the staff was so helpful and kind from day one through the wedding! I highly recommend Bill and his team. The Bennetts / Hawkins March 2025.
I held my wedding here in December 2024 and it was the best decision ever! Our guests described our wedding day as a fairytale and we couldn't agree more. The outdoor ceremony was a dream. We were lucky to have perfect and chilly weather that day and having it outside we were surrounded by the beautiful sounds of nature and the sun coming through the trees all made it a perfect ceremony. The Barn was decorated so beautifully and elegantly. The staff made my vision come to life and even better than I had imagined. The food at this venue is incomparable to any other venue I've been to. All our guests were pleasantly surprised and loved the variety of food we had. I was worried at how the food would come out on such a large scale, but I can confidently say that it tasted the same as it had on the day we came for our tasting. It was so delicious!! Bill, Julia, and the Sugar Barn staff are just divine they made the day even more perfect. Everything was done on schedule and in a timely matter. Their attention to detail and professionalism is unmatched. I wish I could relive this day over and over!!
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