The Cedar Barn of Southern Bridle Farms Reviews

We had our whole wedding weekend here and it was amazing. The staff was so helpful and kind. Our pictures are amazing because of the beautiful grounds!

I love the fact that it’s like a one stop shop for weddings. Literally take care of everything except cake, photographer and DJ. We met with Mike and picked out colors and they took care of the rest! It was beautiful and so easy, we planned our wedding in 3 months but you would have thought it took us a year. Decor was phenomenal, food was amazing, set up and clean were take care of, I didn’t lift a finger.

I don’t even know where to begin... from the minute we set foot on the property on day one, we were absolutely blown away at what all this venue had to offer. Jim Marshall and Mike Whiddon were huge blessings throughout the entire process and as a bride, they made my experience one that was unforgettable. They took every vision my husband and I had of our wedding day and made it a reality. Both individuals were professional, extremely kind and passionate about what they do, easy to communicate with, very accommodating (especially with the circumstances and challenges due to COVID), super experienced and knowledgeable, and were just all around phenomenal people that made wedding planning a breeze. After every meeting we had with either Mike or Jim leading up to the wedding, we walked away just feeling at peace that our wedding day was going to be perfect. My family and I instantly noticed that they truly cared and valued our opinions, making every effort to ensure that all of our dreams come true. All the way down to the tiniest of details and things that we didn’t even think about, they took care of it all.

The day of the wedding, Mike pulled me aside and had me walk through the reception area by myself. He wanted me to see everything all set up for the first time before it was filled with people, he wanted my approval to make sure that it was all that I had envisioned, and he emphasized the importance of me taking a moment to myself to just take it all in. As a bride, I appreciated this SO MUCH. And it was above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined!!!! I mean, it truly was absolutely PERFECT!!! I can’t even begin to describe how I felt walking through the reception area, I was just blown away at what all this venue did.

If you’re on the fence about this venue, do yourself the biggest favor and pull the trigger because I can assure you that they will exceed your expectations. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone. One of my favorite compliments throughout the night was hearing our guests just rave over how incredible the venue was. Hearing “this was the best wedding we’ve ever been to” over and over was just the cherry on top of it all. I can’t thank Mike and Jim enough for everything they did for my husband and I.

I have included some pictures taken by our wedding photographers, Amber and Tyler Malone (Joy and Everette Photo - highly recommend!!!!). This is just a small glimpse of our day and everything the venue did. The flowers, bouquets, and center pieces on that tables that were put together by hand by Mike were GORGEOUS!!!! Everything was absolutely beautiful!!!!

I recently got married at The Retreat of SBF. I cannot recommend this venue enough! Mike and Jim are the best! Our wedding was a dream, and not a single detail was missed. The florals were beautiful, food was amazing, and the grounds were perfect kept. It truly exceeded our expectations. We stayed the entire weekend, booking up most of the property, with our family and wedding party, and everyone had an awesome time.

Because of Covid-19, we had to reschedule our April wedding until August. They were super helpful and flexible in finding a new date for us. They were always available for a meeting at our convenience or a quick phone call. Mike and Jim were very easy to work with, and the entire staff at The Retreat of Southern Bridle Farms were very friendly and helpful. 10/10 would recommend! It was the perfect wedding weekend!

This venue is incredible, The Grounds and Staff were above exceptional. They Made our Wedding Stress free and went overboard on everything. The Venue, Food and Decor was top notch. The Staff was incredible and adhered to our every request.
Would Highly Recommend this Facility. You Should Tour this facility if your looking for a beautiful Venue. The only reason, I gave it 5 stars is because, It wouldn't allow me to give 10

The Retreat is the best place in Middle GA to have your wedding. Mike and Jim took care of all my needs making my special day memorable. With having Lodging accommodations for half of my wedding invitees to Mike making the most beautiful bouquets and centerpieces. My plantation wedding was complimented by all who attended. I had my rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception and Lodging all in one place. A+++ to The Retreat of Southern Bridle Farms.

Mike and the crew were amazing to work with! Mike Whiddon helped me from the very start plan my perfect day! We used the venue teams florist, caterer, etc and am so glad we did! Everything was beyond perfect!

This venue is everything and more! Mike and Jim will make sure your day goes so smoothly and you don't have to worry about a thing. They handle the catering, the florals, the linens, the tables/chairs, set up/break down, the decorating, and everything in between. Mike is a true artist, and I was able to give him a basic idea of what I had imagined my day to be and he created it and made it so much more than I could have ever imagined! Mike coordinates with all the vendors (cake, band, ceremony music, etc.) to ensure everyone is on time and knows the plan for the day. The food was AMAZING and perfect for our day! They also have beautiful rustic cabins and antebellum homes for guests/bridal party to stay in. My stress level was so low on my wedding day, because I knew Mike, Jim, and the other staff would handle it and make sure my day was perfect! It was the best day of my life and most of that was due to choosing this perfect venue! I would choose this venue again and again! Thank you The Retreat of Southern Bridle for an amazing wedding!!!

We communicated with Mrs. Lynn for the most part. She was always available and very responsive in any questions we had. If there was ever something we wanted to be changed she was very understanding and willing to help us make it happen. The venue is immaculate. It is absolutely breath taking! The ceremony site is beautiful as well as the reception area! I do suggest an upgrade to the grooms and groomsmen room as the HVAC system is an eyesore and not very suitable for pictures. But, it does give the guys AC to keep them cool or warm so there’s that for a plus! The bridal cottage was very cozy! Plenty of space for a bridal party of 4. We really enjoyed there being a fridge and bathroom in there as well! We absolutely enjoyed every single thing about our wedding! Absolutely would recommend!

Southern Bridle was beautiful and the staff was amazing. They were so helpful with anything that I needed.

They were very helpful. They also allowed us to go to the venue on a number of occasions to work on various aspects of the reception planning ahead of time. The only suggestion we would make would be for them to provide their own portable cooling units for summer weddings. Outside vendors that they referred us to are hard to deal with and do not always perform as expected.

My wedding photographer said this was the most beautiful venue he's ever seen.
When I heard that we were going to get married in a barn I was quite skeptical because we are both very much city people. But when I saw it in person I was blown away! Our wedding couldn't have looked any more perfect.
My best man actually said it looked like something from a fairy tale Disney movie.
The barn comes with a chapel, and a detached fireplace that looked beautiful in and of itself.
The sheer size of this place is crazy! It's MASSIVE! I was told we were going to have 300 people at our wedding and when I saw how many showed up I was a little disappointed. I asked about it afterward and they told me that we had everyone come!! That's ridiculous!!
You won't be disappointed if you decide on this place!

Southern Bridle and their staff made our wedding so special! We researched a lot of barn venues and this one was the most gorgeous! The grounds were very clean and their staff went out of their way to help in any way they could! We would recommend them to everyone!

WOW. My husband and I were the second couple to book this venue. We booked it 1 1/2 years before our wedding and IT. WAS. PERFECT. We had friends and family come in from all over the country, many of which had never visited the south. This barn was the epitome of southern elegance and beauty. My friends and family were in awe all night long, it was like a dream. The owner Jim is a super nice guy. He goes above and beyond to accommodate the bride and groom's needs. Any time I had a question he was quick to respond. Our day was truly perfect. Love this venue, I would highly recommend it!

Southern Bridle is absolutely gorgeous place to get married. It was the first place that I looked at and I just knew I had to have it. Jim Marshall really shows that he cares about making your day as perfect as it can be. March 15, 2014 was an amazing day that happened at Southern Bridle Farms.

Southern Bridle Farms was a dream come true venue. They were very responsive in all of the planning and even allowed a day for my mom and I and vendors to meet to plan out the entire set up for the ceremony and reception. It was the perfect place to have a back-up plan in case it decided to rain and things needed to be moved inside. The bridal cottage was such an awesome set-up. I think the guys would've enjoyed a TV in the grooms room, but they still had a great day! The ceremony and reception site being right next to each other as well as a place for cocktail hour made for a perfect set up. I am so glad I picked this venue to get married! It was absolutely gorgeous!The only downfall was that the wedding had to be done at 11pm; I wanted to stay all night!!

This was the most beautiful venue. From the moment I drove up the drive to the big barn doors, I was sold. Walking around the venue with Lynn only made the decision easier. Every part of this venue was perfect for every aspect of our wedding, from getting ready to taking pictures, to accommodations for guests and staff of companies alike it was a dream come true. I highly recommend this venue!!

Very nice venue, but really hot in the summertime. Despite the fans, it was still hot.

When my daughter and I were shown the layout of the wedding venue and their options we fell in love with how they could accommodate her " dreamed wedding day". We had a set back with COVID and The Retreat was more than gracious in rescheduling and reassigning another date. Well, the day finally came.Mr. Mike has done fabulous decorations to give us what she had dreamed of as far as the imagery of flowers. We had a good morning with bridesmaids getting ready with awesome vendors selected by my daughter. Well, less than one hour before the wedding Mr. JIM MARSHALL( owner) ruined what we could call as one of the happiest days of her life! While my daughter was getting her pictures made with her groom, he drives by and telling her that her entire bridal party must vacate the house and cabins where we have been all day and about to commence the ceremony !!!. Thrown out like we were stray dogs we had nowhere to finish to get ready we sat on the porch with our belongings. My daughter had no place to touch up her hair or makeup ( the sun and humidity were a lot of being just outside for a couple of minutes). He had come by earlier on his golf cart saying something to a negative fashion. We proceeded with the ceremony despite MR Marshall's unprofessional behavior dictated by his need to get housekeeping in the home which was less than primitive and the cabins were less than such for the groom and his groomsmen. To say also hardly anything worked and dirty upon entering this home. The condition of the homes was less than expected with broken tiles dirty bathtubs and we even had someone leave their shoe in the bride's bathroom for viewing that we resided awaiting the ceremony. This gave questions and reservations was this house even clean before our entrance. Mr. Mike came by and attempted to salvage our day stating what Mr. Jim Marshall stated was less than acceptable and will be dealt with. We proceeded to the ceremony with less than perfect hearts of the what we thought to be a wonderful place. My daughter was so upset all she wanted to do is go home. We were even told when we paid for the venue that the newlyweds could have stayed at the bridal suite after the ceremony as we had paid for several guests to stay overnight was told they couldn’t without reasoning. Yes! by faith and the love of my daughter and new son in law, they got married despite the negative events.
The reception area was beautiful!!!! THANK MR.Mike! The food was okay. we had chicken and pork loin with a what a conventional change of scoop of loaded potatoes ( which was supposed to be a potato bar) and green beans. The servers were nothing less than fabulous tending to the needs of our bridal party and guest. We thought we had fully recovered from the earlier event from MR.JIM Marshall, but to our misfortunate several of the owners picked and intensified an argument with the groom over something the groom thought he had purchased!! PEOPLE! We paid this vendor and public business to create beautiful memories, not nightmares!!!! This is how our night ended in a complete dismissal of respect. The bride had asked them to stop but they proceeded to antagonize the situation. We left in a confusion of what truly happened at this bridal venue and how can a business ( we hired for more than a new car would cost) destroy dreams of our only daughter's wedding. Despite the efforts of MR. Mike and his staff, we can nothing but share how awful of a night it turned out to be. I CAN NOT andWILL NOT recommend this venue to any new bride or groomsmen nor anyone wanting to stay at the rented homes/cabins. I can not even anticipate anyone attempting to rationalize with the owners of the place of business as they purposely can not fulfill what they promised once they receive your money. I’m sorry they left a negative image for our guest as our guest was made up of professional (Pharmacist, prominent business owners, clergy, doctors, and nurses)