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March 18, 2024
STOCKHOLM – For many soon-to-be brides and grooms, it’s important to find a wedding venue that meets their needs for their wedding itself, but is also representative of who they are.
Filing that down to one destination can be difficult.
But, at Maidenwood Weddings + Events (N 447 244th St. in Stockholm), Owner Steve Macke said the soon-to-be-married couples have options on where their ceremony is held.
Located in the Lake Pepin area, sitting on a 40-acre nature reserve with wooded bluffs overlooking the lake – as well as a pine forest – Macke said the venue meets the needs of a variety of couples, both in Wisconsin and beyond.
“We’re unique because there’s not a lot of wedding venues that have the pine tree forest,” he said. “Where there are venues where you would be taken next to pines, our ceremony site is essentially under the pines.”
From Pine Creek Lodge to Maidenwood
Before the location became a wedding venue, Macke said the property was originally a bed and breakfast, known in 1992 as the Pine Creek Lodge.
Then, in the early 2000s, he said it was bought out by a new owner and transformed into something different.
“(The owner) was an author that would hold writing clinics,” he said. “(She) built out a big space – a modern barn – to hold the writing conferences she was doing, as well as hold weddings.”
He said this is when Pine Creek Lodge became Maidenwood.
Macke said around 2009, the owner decided to also host weddings at the property as well.
“There was one other owner between her and us in between 2015 and when we purchased the property in 2020,” he said. “They were mostly again still doing the bed and breakfast but then hosting a handful of events per year.”
Before taking over in 2020, Macke said he ran a DJ business for 20 years in the Twin Cities, where he was living with his family.
“I was fortunate enough to DJ a wedding in 2018 on the (Maidenwood) property,” he said. “In June/July 2020, (the previous owners) listed the property for sale, and my wife and family decided this was the right move for us to take this on and try to build it up as a wedding venue.”
Despite a change in careers, Macke said he still gets to put his DJ skills and expertise to use, as he DJs “probably 90% of the weddings” at Maidenwood.
Macke said he and his family now live in what was used as the bed and breakfast portion of the property.
A property that has it all
Because the property was used as a wedding venue previously, Macke said there weren’t many major changes that needed to be done once he and his family took over and renamed the venue Maidenwood Weddings + Events.
“There were a lot of minor updates we did along the way to make it ours and modernize it,” he said. “Our style is more of a modern farmhouse, but also minimalist.”
Inside the property’s white barn, where most receptions are held, Macke said there used to be 10 chandeliers hanging randomly throughout.
“We took all those down, and installed one beautiful chandelier,” he said. “We took all the things off the walls and created a clean slate for the couples.”
When couples book with Maidenwood, Macke said they can choose to have their wedding ceremony either in The Pines or The Prairie.
Though the previous owners had hosted weddings on the restored 15-acre wildflower prairie, Macke said The Pines venue did not exist until his family took over.
“When I came out the first winter we were here, I (noticed) we have a beautiful, tall, prime white pine forest,” he said. “We created a ceremony site inside those white pines. That’s been our most popular ceremony option.”
The Prairie venue, Macke said, has a path that leads to a mode circle, which has a view down to Lake Pepin and the Mississippi River.
“We have a lot of couples who will get married in the pines, and then come golden hour, they’ll head to the wildflower prairie and take golden hour photos,” he said. “The two locations are within this 40 acres, and they look completely different, like it’s a completely different place.”
Lake Pepin, Macke said, is a huge draw for the area – especially for couples coming from the Twin Cities and other parts of Minnesota.
“The fact that we have the wooded bluffs, we have views of Lake Pepin and the Mississippi River – everywhere you go in the Lake Pepin area has some beautiful valleys and bluffs,” he said. “The views are amazing. The setting we’re in, the area we’re in, to me, is one of the most beautiful spots in Wisconsin.”
Macke said couples come to Maidenwood from all over the country, including cities closer to home – such as Milwaukee and Chicago – to ones further away – such as Colorado, New York, Seattle and San Diego.
“It’s a great spot to come and have a private party for your wedding,” he said. “(To come) and get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and jobs and have a full day to relax and let your hair down.”
On average, Macke said Maidenwood hosts anywhere from 20-35 weddings a year from May through October.
“I’ve had a lot of people ask about winter weddings – because it would be amazing – but as of right now (that isn’t available)…” he said. “There are so many more logistics that go with having people get to a ceremony site when there’s snow, making sure everybody stays safe, walking and all that.”
Spring and fall open house
Twice a year, Macke said Maidenwood hosts an open house that brings in wedding-related vendors, both local and beyond, for an open house.
“I’m a part of the local community of businesses called the West Coast of Wisconsin,” he said. “We have a group of businesses where we work together, and we plan things. One of the plans is to have a Trillium festival on May 11-12 that coincides with an area wedding fair. We’re planning to do our spring open house with that, which will be on May 11.”
Macke said the open house events also allow the couples to get out on the property and see the space.
“A lot of times, they’ll bring their parents with them, or maybe some bridesmaids will come to see the property,” he said.
Keep moving forward
As his family nears another wedding season at Maidenwood, Macke said they’ve “got a rhythm down here” and don’t plan to make any big changes anytime soon.
“(We’re) constantly making little improvements here and there, more conveniences for our couples and our guests as well,” he said. “(But) as of right now, there are no big additions planned.”
To learn more about the venue, visit maidenwoodevents.com.
