The Jackson County Plan Commission has given a favorable recommendation on an application for a Seymour wedding barn.
Now, the request goes to the county’s board of zoning appeals for a vote at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Jackson County Courthouse in Brownstown.
During the plan commission’s meeting Tuesday night at the courthouse, Christina McMurray discussed her application seeking a special exception to build a wedding venue in a forest and recreational zoning district.
If the application is approved by the BZA, construction of the wedding barn at 2668 W. State Road 58, Seymour, can start.
McMurray said the name of the venue will be Heartland, inspired by the Canadian television show of the same name. She said the show is about a family that runs a dude ranch, and she’s interested in doing something similar.
“There are two moments, I believe, in a woman’s life that are the most treasured: The day that she is married and the day that she has her babies,” she said.
Occupancy will not be more than 300 people, and McMurray is entertaining the idea of having other events, such as concerts, at the venue.
McMurray said she has plans to add modern conveniences, such as temperature control, to the wedding barn and plans on couples being able to have weddings in the rain or winter when built. Couples also have the choice to have their wedding ceremony outside with their reception inside or both parts of the wedding either inside or outside.
The wedding barn also will feature three cabins for the wedding party to stay the night before to prepare for the wedding. They would have the option to stay the night of the wedding if needed, and the cabins also can be used as a bed and breakfast.
McMurray’s family owns and raises horses and is offering them for weddings to be used for photos or horse-drawn carriages, including a mini horse that pulls a cart.
McMurray is originally from Whiteland and lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for 30 years, but said that she believes God brought her home here to Indiana and chose Seymour for a reason.
“I want to be a blessing and generous on every occasion,” she said.