WILLMAR — Stonewall Farms can feel quite removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, even though it is only a few miles away from Willmar. The 80-acre site has rolling hills, grassy fields, groves of trees and even shares a shoreline with Solomon Lake, giving the area an almost fairy tale quality to it. Owned by Bryce and Kim Holmgren for 30 years, the setting of the property just seems to make it the perfect place to hold a magical wedding.
"It is the nature of the property," said Bryce Holmgren. The Holmgrens have called Stonewall Farms home since 1994, but they aren't the first to live on the property. The original homesteaders were Fred and Hilda Ammerman, who farmed the property.
The second owner, Steve Ritema, sold the property to the Holmgrens and became a missionary. When the Holmgrens purchased the property, the only structure on the acreage was an old farmhouse that didn't meet the needs of the growing family. "We built the house to raise kids.
Which we did — we have 11 kids," Bryce said. "We built the barn to raise horses." The Holmgrens bred Friesian horses in what is now called the White Oak Barn.
They even had one of their first foals recognized internationally. After about five years, as the market slowed, the family decided to get out of the horse business, only keeping a few animals for the family's enjoyment. The decision was then made to go from horse breeding to event hosting.
The Holmgrens had hosted a few events here and there over the years, especially as their children got older and wanted to hold their weddings on the farm and in the barn. "We'd kick the horses out," each time a wedding was held, Kim said. Eventually, the decision was made to build a new barn for the horses and transform the White Oak Barn from a home for horses to a home for weddings.
An addition was constructed on both sides of the barn to add space for restrooms, socializing and ramps to make the structure handicap-accessible. Today, the barn is a centerpiece of the property. What was once the hayloft is now used for dancing and as a backup ceremony site, in case of bad weather.
The ground floor of the barn still has the original horse stalls, which have been used during weddings as areas to socialize or even dressing rooms for the groom and his entourage. For most of the weddings held at Stonewall, the actual ceremony takes place in a grove of pine trees, originally planted by the farm's second owner. The Holmgrens created a ceremony site with chairs, benches and lights hung from the tree branches.
"You get married in the trees," Bryce said. "It is like a cathedral." A large tent nearby is used as the reception venue.
It can fit about 250 people and Stonewall Farms provides the tables and chairs. "It is not a normal tent. It is a tent that can survive 70-mph winds," Kim said.
"We call it the Pine Pavilion." Stonewall Farms hosts on average about 20 weddings a year between mid-May and mid-October. All sorts of different weddings, from informal to formal, have taken place at the farm.
Themes have ranged from Disney to Duck Dynasty and everywhere in between. "A little bit of everything," Bryce said. The wedding package at Stonewall includes renting out the estate from 9 a.
m. to 11 p.m.
the day of the wedding. In addition to the barn, pavilion and outdoor ceremony site, there is a groom's suite in the barn and a bridal suite in the main home available for use the entire day, and the venue also has golf carts available. Guests can also enjoy the grounds of the estate.
Kim said she once saw a grandpa and one of his grandkids fishing off the dock, and it's not unheard of to come across a group of young guests running around. "If you see kids out here, they are exploring everywhere," Kim said. The farm also provides a day-of coordinator for the wedding to make sure everything runs smoothly.
A full staff is also available to help set up and take down, park cars, clean up and a sound technician runs the sound during the ceremony and for reception speeches. Bryce and Kim are usually around all day as well. "We're going to work behind the scenes to make this seamless, hassle-free," Bryce said.
"We are going to take care of you. So you can enjoy the specialness of what you are doing here." The couples will need to hire vendors for things such as flowers, music, photography and the food.
They can also bring in their own decor, though Stonewall does have its own couples can use as part of the cost of renting the venue. "One thing Willmar has, we have amazing vendors," Kim said. The Holmgrens will do all they can to make a couple's wedding dreams and plans come true, although there is one Stonewall Farms practice that the couple firmly believes in — little or no alcohol is served at the weddings.
They feel not allowing alcohol creates not only a safer wedding but a more enjoyable one. "It is peace of mind," Kim said, adding it allows the venue to be a good neighbor for the community, provide a family-friendly atmosphere and keep the focus on the bride and groom instead of the drinks. "It'll be all about you, your day," Bryce said.
Couples interested in Stonewalls Farm can visit www.mnstonewallfarms.com to schedule a tour.
Kim said the couples don't have to decide right away either but can take their time to make sure Stonewall is right for them. "We get the best people, the best brides and their families," Kim said. The Holmgrens feel both the history of the property and the natural setting are part of what makes Stonewall Farms so special and why people seem to love having their weddings among the trees.
There is just something about being outdoors during a beautiful Minnesota summer and Stonewall Farms takes full advantage of that. "People feel like the place is theirs for the day," Kim said. "A lot of people say they feel at peace out here.
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