Mortimer Farms offers personalized wedding experiences in a genuine-yet-upscale farm setting
By Hilary Dartt
There’s just something magical about being on a farm. Fresh air, open fields, grazing cows, picturesque barns, and giant old shade trees create a backdrop that is at once rustic and elegant. What better place to have a wedding?
Mortimer Farms in Dewey, a working farm located near the Prescott area, the Verde Valley, Phoenix, and Flagstaff, offers a country setting with genuine farm-to-table meals and special touches like campfires with s’mores, hayrides, and outdoor games.
Marcy Pierce, Mortimer Farms’ Special Events Manager, said she loves hearing from couples following their wedding thanking the Mortimer team for making their wedding day so special. The ability to customize each wedding to a couple’s preferences means she hears that often.
“When the bride and groom come up and say, ‘Thank you. You’ve made our day so special,’ it’s really nice,” Marcy said. “It’s just nice to see it come to fruition … It’s an exciting time for people, and it’s nice having a job where you’re bringing joy to people. The result is the reward.”
And, the proof that Mortimer Farms weddings are a success is in the fact that guests of this past season’s weddings are now booking their own events for the coming season.
The Venues
One big draw, Marcy said, “is the panoramic views. You have the views of the Bradshaws, the fields with crops growing, and cattle grazing. The views provided, as guests are surrounded by a real working farm, are one of a kind. This last season a lot of our brides wanted cows and tractors in the fields, a dream we were excited to fulfill.”
Couples can choose to have their ceremony at The Grove, a peaceful, grassy grove of old trees, The Barn, a three-sided, rustic pole barn with a generous dance floor surrounded by ample outdoor space for games and socializing, or The Campfire Area, a tree-covered grassy area meant for intimate weddings.
At The Grove, a paved walkway leads to a pergola, which guests face during the ceremony. Behind it, lush fields (complete with cows, if a wedding couple likes) and the Bradshaw mountains provide a stunning backdrop.
“The Grove area is just beautiful for pictures,” Marcy said, “especially at sunset. We have that western sun coming in over those cottonwood trees and it’s just beautiful.”
While couples and their guests can walk from The Grove to The Barn for the reception, many couples choose to take hayrides.
Featuring the biggest dance floor around, The Barn’s unique Edison drop lighting over the dance floor brings a romantic charm. Outside the three-sided barn, guests are surrounded by lush grass and 100-year-old trees. It’s the perfect place for kids (or adults) to play cornhole and other outdoor games.
A set of old-charm barn doors on one side gives the newly married bride and groom a fun way to make their grand entrance, Marcy said.
At The Campfire Area, old cottonwood trees provide shade over a grassy area. This smaller space is best for intimate weddings with less than 20 guests, Marcy said.
Giving Each Wedding a Personal Touch
When Marcy talks about weddings at Mortimer Farms, a single theme runs through: “If that’s what they want, we give it to them.”
“We want the day to be everything [the couple] wants it to be,” she said.
When a couple comes to the farm for a tour, Marcy said, they often bring their family members, “so they all get to dream and plan it.”
Marcy, who retired from a job in Human Resources management before stepping into her role at the farm, has always enjoyed creating parties where people can have a good time. She also loves the outdoors, so helping plan weddings and turning dreams into reality appealed to her.
And, because Mortimer Farms has the space, she said, almost no dream is out of reach.
“Each of our distinctive venue locations give guests plenty of room to spread out and be comfortable.” she said, “Our personalized service enables us to cater to our brides’ and grooms’ desires and vision.”
If brides and grooms want sawdust on the floor of The Barn, hay bales set around the reception, chandeliers above the head table, a dessert bar, porcelain table settings, ribeye steaks, crudite platters, champagne toast, PA and speaker system, or even wood tables and seating, they get it.
If couples want something, all they have to do is ask. For example, Marcy said, one bride planned to spend most of the day at the farm, and asked Marcy if she could provide the bridal party with lunch while they were getting ready, cattle in their first look photos, and a hayride for the wedding party.
The farm property provides a wonderful ambience on its own, so simple decorations work just as well as elaborate, Marcy said. Part of the fun for her is seeing how the brides decorate.
No matter what, though, she said, she always has people come up to her and tell her, “We love this place. We love the venue.”
The Details
The Mortimer Farms wedding venues can accommodate intimate weddings with 50 or fewer guests, as well as larger groups with as many as 325 guests.
A carefully selected group of chefs prepare genuine farm-to-table wedding meals. Each wedding package includes a selection of entrees, sides, salad, and beverages from a hand selected list of farm-to-table favorites. Couples are also welcome to make special requests to make their event truly personal (for example, Marcy said, one bride and groom loved mac and cheese, so a mac and cheese bar was added to the menu).
The Barn venue consists of many perks to make each wedding special. There are separate spaces for the bride and bridesmaids and the groom and groomsmen to get ready and hang out before the ceremony. There is a private entrance, parking area, and restrooms, which gives each wedding privacy, quiet, and solitude.
Mortimer Farms keeps a list of trusted local vendors including DJs, florists, photographers, and more.
Whether you are searching for your wedding venue, elopement venue, bridal shower venue, or rehearsal dinner venue (schedule permitting), Mortimer Farms is the destination for your perfect day! Marcy said it best: “We are looking forward to helping make your dream wedding come true!”
All contracts are non-refundable, but are re-bookable due to unforeseen circumstances, based on availability.
Contact Information
For more information and to schedule a tour of the Mortimer Farms wedding venues, contact Marcy by email at [email protected] or by phone at 928.910.9201.
