When Shelli and Temple Aday first saw their 30-acre rural Round Rock–area homesite more than 20 years ago, they knew it would be the perfect place to raise a family. Now, with four grown children, the property is not only the family's compound but, with its new 8,000-square-foot facility, has evolved into a popular local wedding and events center.
"We have great family memories here," Shelli said of the Lone Oak Barn tract. "The McNutt Creek runs through it, and our kids enjoyed finding iron pyrite, which they thought was gold, and arrowheads."
Beginning with its June 15 opening, Lone Oak Barn—named for the tract's prominent oak tree—has hosted five weddings, with 15 more on the books through 2015, Shelli said. Temple, who is in the construction business, converted the former hay pasture into a 4,000-square-foot barn including a 2,500-square-foot grand hall and smaller south hall, she said. Both rooms can be rented separately or together by opening the sliding barn doors dividing the spaces, she said.
"My husband always wanted a barn," Shelli said. "We're city slickers, but we got to the country as fast as we could."
She said the couple realized the area did not have a lot of choices for venues that could host 250 guests or more.
"Pinterest helped sell our barn because everyone loves a barn wedding," Shelli said of the venue's use of the content-sharing social networking website.
Lone Oak Barn hosted the local Young Life organization banquet in 2013 and is slated to host Round Rock Christian Academy's 2014 prom, she said.
Plans are in the works to add cottages for lodging—a bed and breakfast for wedding or corporate guests desiring to stay on-site, Shelli said.
1810 CR 122, Round, Rock 512-748-0261, www.loneoakbarn.com