Dade City horse farm turned popular wedding venue is up for auction

DADE CITY, Fla. - A Dade City farm is getting ready for its third act. 

For years, Dori Fulwood ran a farm of a different kind near Dade City. Her 80 acres became the backdrop for countless photos of joyous occasions. The main crop at this farm was love. 

"We did weddings, we did proms, we did Christmas parties. Anything you can think of, we did," Fulwood stated.

It was called Stonebridge. Before that, it was known as Lange Farm. Thousands of couples held barn weddings at the farm. 

Pictures from past weddings at the Stonebridge Farm 

But five years of weddings every weekend, sometimes two at once, left Fulwood longing for weekends with her grandchildren. So, when a developer made a good offer to buy the farm, Fulwood and her family said yes. 

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Before weddings, the land was a horse farm. This part of Pasco County was mainly cattle and citrus a generation ago. Like many rural places at the edge of the Tampa metropolitan region, this area is changing quickly, too quickly for some. 

In many cases, what’s left behind on farms goes to auction. This farm is unique because most of the old implements and metal signs were collected to use as backdrops for barn weddings. 

An old cigar sign found at the farm. 

"There are antiques here. There’s history here," says John Harris, the auctioneer who will sell it all on Saturday. "A wagon wheel with a hub. That’s very old," he said, pointing toward a corner of the barn. In another building, he’s sorted dozens of metal signs, both reproductions and originals. 

Many collectors come looking for them.

"It takes them back to a time in their life, maybe their father or grandfather’s life with farming or automotive or something like that," explains Harris. 

The farm owners are auctioning off its antiques. 

One of his favorite pieces is a shining cabriolet with plush seats that horses once pulled. More recently, groomsmen pulled it with a bride in the seat waving for a photo.   

Fulwood says it must be sold. She won’t take it with her. 

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"It’s beautiful," she says. "But, I have nowhere to put it. I definitely think somebody is going to have a good home for it," Fulwood shared.

The farm was a popular wedding venue for years. 

It may not fit in the neighborhood that will replace this farm, but it has a place in Saturday’s auction. 

"It’s a one-of-a-kind place," stated Harris. "It’s close, so there’s no next week. If you want it, come get it."

When it’s gone, the old farm that grew horses, then weddings, will yield the new cash crop around here, houses. 

An old carriage sits outside the farm. 

The auction is Saturday, April 15, starting at 10 a.m. The doors open at 9 a.m. 

There’s a preview Friday, April 14, at Stonebridge Wedding and Events, 33520 Lange Farm Road, Dade City, FL.