10 hours Ago
Brooklyn Cox Yarborough and her husband Jordan pose for pictures in front of the covered bridge that her father built. What started as a mission to save a dilapidated church has blossomed into one of the most charming wedding venues in the area. Wildwood Plantation is perfectly Southern, romantic, and rustic all rolled into one, making it a stunning backdrop for events.
For Neil Cox, it was a labor of love and a tribute to his family. As a child, Cox frequently attended Bethesda United Methodist Church, located just outside of Cades, with his grandparents. As the years passed, members dwindled, and the old church had to close its doors.
It had been offered to several people, but the cost and effort to move and restore it deterred most potential takers. Someone finally committed to move it but never followed through. “One day I rode by and noticed the vines growing over it and the ceilings sagging,” Cox recalled.
“The next day I called and told them I would take it. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I hated to see the church rot down.” Initially, he didn’t envision it as a business venture.
Cox was going to move the church about three miles to his farm and use it for family gatherings. He and his wife Wendy have built a busy life. They are parents to nine children, own multiple businesses and had no intensions of adding another one to their plate.
“We always had Christmas at my grandmother’s house,” Cox said. “When she died, we just rotated from house to house, so I decided I would move the old church and use it for our family gatherings.” A wedding on the steps of the restored church at Wildwood Plantation.
It wasn’t until Kim Boyd, a longtime friend and employee, suggested turning the church into a wedding venue that Wildwood Plantation began to take shape. Boyd had dreamed of opening a wedding venue of her own after retirement. When Cox moved the church, she saw the opportunity.
Inspired by one of her favorite songs, “Church in the Wildwood,” she named the property. Boyd said she and Elaine Floyd also chose many of the plants and trees that can be seen throughout the venue. “We picked mostly Southern favorites like hydrangea, crepe myrtle, azaleas and gardenia,” Boyd said.
The vision started to come together when Cox and Boyd chose two majestic oaks on the property that the church doors would face. However, Cox's daughter, Brooklyn, shared her own vision of what she wanted her future wedding to look like. She envisioned walking up a long path through the crowd and to the front of the church.
The church was reoriented to accommodate this new vision, and a few years later Brooklyn’s wedding became the venue’s first official celebration. "Daddy told me it probably wouldn't be ready before my wedding, but it was," Brooklyn said. "He oversaw every detail, and it was perfect.
It was special to me that he did that because it was my great-grandparents' church." The church, with its original fellowship hall featuring warm, wood paneling and beautiful hardwood floors, was restored with love and care. The original pews were missing so Cox enlisted the help of his friend, Larry Floyd, to build 16 rustic pews for the inside of the church.
Outside, the transformation continued. A huge reception hall, complete with chandeliers and a staircase for couples to make a grand entrance, was built. The walls inside the reception hall were covered with wood cut from trees that once stood on the property.
Today, guests are treated to scenic walking trails and even a wagon fitted with church pews to shuttle wedding attendees from the parking area to the ceremony. Another of the most prominent features is the picture-worthy covered bridge built from salvaged wood. “In the beginning, I never intended to use the church as a wedding venue,” Cox said.
“I just hated to see the old church torn down. I’m just glad to see people using it for something.” Now, thanks to a vision and a lot of hard work, new life has been given to a place that once was abandoned and forgotten.
Today this church is part of a venue that combines rustic elegance with natural beauty, making it an ideal location for couples seeking something unique for their special day. For more information or to book a tour of Wildwood Plantation, contact Kim Boyd at 843-389-3229..
