Thanks to charming details like vaulted ceilings and natural light, plus their beautifully rustic settings, barns have quickly become a popular place to get married. For the soon-to-be-wed here in the St. Croix Valley, Croix-View Farm in Osceola is an especially picturesque venue. Owned and operated by Jered and Sara Hasse, the farm is a magical place to celebrate the beginning of a marriage, and the Hasses’ hospitality makes the wedding weekend all the more memorable.
Sara and Jered’s history with Croix-View Farm is its own sort of love story. Five years ago, they bought a house on the farm property, and they were, as Sara says, immediately love-struck. “I fell in love with the barn, even with all of the junk and everything in it,” she says. Originally, she envisioned turning it into a craft store, but when a cousin whose daughter was planning a wedding asked if she could hold it there, Sara and Jered simply couldn’t say no.
“It was right when all of these barn weddings were becoming popular, and it just made sense,” Sara says. “It’s such a large space and a beautiful barn, and we thought, you know, let’s just do it.” They got to work renovating the barn, which was a demanding job, as it required cleaning, installing electricity, replacing the floor and a whole host of other things. Sara says the barn was originally chock full of farm equipment and hay. They tossed what they couldn’t use and repurposed what they could to add charming, one-of-a-kind touches to the barn’s décor.
Renovating the 100-year-old barn was a long process—it started in 2015 and wrapped up in spring 2016—but the final results were worth the time and effort. That April, Croix-View Farm hosted its first event—a high school prom. Since then, business has been booming. Croix-View Farm hosted 14 weddings during their first summer, and the Hasses have another busy wedding season coming up.
Though there are many barns-turned-wedding-venues in the area, Croix-View Farms is special. For one, it’s quite a bit larger than most barns—80 by 60 feet—and has room for up to 300 guests. The Hasses have also worked hard to ensure every detail has been thought out so almost every need can be met. There’s on-site parking, a private area for the bridal party, a bar, a fire pit and lawn games. Above all, Sara and Jered do everything they can to ease the stress for couples and families.
“We want to provide an experience that takes the stress out for couples and families,” Sara says. They offer weekend-long rentals as well as day-long rentals, so decorating, rehearsing and cleaning don’t all have to happen the day of the wedding. They also ensure to be present for the big day to help as needed. Sara says she and Jered have loved their venture into the wedding business, especially for the opportunity to share in couples’ special day. “You become invested in these people,” she says. “It’s fun to get to know the family ... Even if it’s a business transaction, so to speak, it still feels like they’re family or friends.”
Croix-View Farm is open for weddings from May to October. It’s recommended to book at least a year in advance to guarantee availability. Though weekend weddings are the most popular, dates during the week are also available.
