Protea Weddings and Events

Joe was born and raised on his family's farm in Chillicothe, Ohio, where they breed and raise a small number of Thoroughbred racehorses. Chillicothe is located in the state of Ohio. Joe was very involved in the 4-H club when he was younger and enjoyed participating in barrel racing. In 2007, he uprooted his life and moved to Ocala, Florida, in order to take advantage of a job opportunity at a small Thoroughbred breeding farm. In addition to his new responsibilities at the farm, he was simultaneously pursuing his education at the College of Central Florida, where he was a student in the Equine Business Management program. Homestead, Florida, is located about 25 miles south of Miami, and that is where Courtney was born and raised. She got her first horse when she was three years old and hasn't stopped riding one since then. She competed in the Hunter Jumper horse show circuit all through elementary and middle school. She changed her focus and ended up falling in love with the sport of barrel racing right around the time that she started attending high school. When Courtney finished high school in 2008, she packed up both she and her horses and moved to Ocala, Florida, so that she could enroll in the Equine Business Management program at the College of Central Florida. It was there that Courtney first laid eyes on Joe. They were both struck by an instant connection, and ever since then, they have been together. Courtney and Joe continued to break, train, and sell racehorses in the two-year-olds in training sales after they both graduated from college and established their own business, which they named Pick View, after Joe's family farm, which had been in the same family for generations. After only a few brief years of running Pick View, they decided to purchase 45 acres in Ocala, which is now their permanent residence and the location of their business. Joe popped the question in 2014, after which the search for an appropriate location began. After attending a stunning wedding in a barn in South Africa, Courtney and Joe were both convinced that they wanted to get married in a venue that was reminiscent of a barn. They quickly found out, however, that they were having trouble locating the ideal spot for their business. When they reached that point, they both came to the conclusion that they wanted to launch Protea Weddings & Events, a premier and one-of-a-kind barn venue. The name "old Cashel Stud Farm" has been given to the property that spans 45 acres. It was one of the very first Thoroughbred race horse farms in Ocala when it was first purchased in 1960 and consisted of a total of three hundred acres. Many champion racehorses were born and raised on this gorgeous property, which is surrounded by granddaddy oak trees that are more than 200 years old. This land is known for its natural beauty. Courtney and Joe were confident that the property, which has a rich heritage, would serve as an excellent setting for the launch of their new business venture. Not only does the historic barn itself have a wealth of tales to tell, but so does the land on which it was built. Courtney and Joe are thrilled at the prospect of continuing to create history on this stunning farm by opening it up to the general public and celebrating with each and every visitor who comes through the front door.