Why New Smyrna Beach Couples Are Driving North for a Rustic Ranch Wedding Venue

You grew up with sand in your shoes. Every birthday, every graduation, every family photo had the ocean somewhere in the frame. So when it came time to plan your wedding, you started wondering if the day could look like something new. That’s when a ranch wedding starts to make a lot of sense.

Couples from New Smyrna Beach are heading north to Split Oak Ranch, a 54-acre equestrian property at 5210 CR-305 in Bunnell, Florida. Instead of the shoreline, they get live oaks over 200 years old, horses in the pasture, and a rustic sheep barn. The 5,000 square foot event space has 10 tons of air conditioning, double what the building required, so guests stay comfortable all evening.

What a Rustic Ranch Wedding Venue Gives a Beach Town Couple

We’re Split Oak Ranch, a 54 acre equestrian property in Bunnell, Florida. If you’re from New Smyrna Beach, you probably love the coast, and so do we. But you might want your wedding to feel different from a regular Saturday at the shore. Here’s what a ranch setting brings that the shoreline can’t.

Trading the Shoreline for Live Oaks and Horses

The very first thing most people notice when they drive onto the property is the trees. Our live oaks have been standing here for generations, and some of them are more than 200 years old. Their wide, twisting limbs give your photographer texture, shape, and a real sense of place in every frame.

Then there are the horses. Split Oak Ranch is a working equestrian facility, so horses are part of everyday life here. They aren’t brought in for the afternoon. For couples who spent their childhoods posing in front of the same stretch of sand, a portrait with horses in the pasture behind you feels like a fresh start. Add our rustic sheep barn and the open acreage, and you have photo spots all over the property without loading your wedding party into cars between locations.

A Barn Wedding Venue That Keeps Guests Comfortable

Anyone who has lived in New Smyrna Beach knows what a Florida afternoon feels like. That’s why our indoor space matters so much. The 5,000 square foot event space is fully air conditioned, and we didn’t stop at the minimum. The building called for 5 tons of cooling. We installed 10 tons.

So what does that mean on your wedding day? Your grandmother stays comfortable through the toasts. Suits stay crisp through the first dance. You get the rustic look of a Barn Wedding Venue without asking guests to fan themselves through dinner. Plenty of people don’t expect a barn style venue to feel this cool in the middle of a Florida summer.

Room to Breathe on 54 Acres

A beach ceremony usually means working around the wind, the tide schedule, and whoever else showed up with a cooler that day. Out here, you’re surrounded by 54 acres of ranch land, open pasture, and old oaks instead.

That space changes how a wedding feels. Open land surrounds the event space, so the day never feels boxed in, and the property itself becomes part of the experience. Nobody feels squeezed into a corner. Your wedding gets room to unfold at its own pace, and your guests get the sense that they’ve traveled somewhere worth the trip.

Why the Drive North Feels Worth It

Heading north from New Smyrna Beach takes you away from the coastal crowd and into Flagler County. You’ll find us at 5210 CR-305 in Bunnell. The trip ends somewhere your guests will still be talking about after the reception. A venue like ours is hard to find in this part of Florida. As far as we know, there isn’t another venue of this kind in Flagler County and the Palm Coast area.

That’s what makes Split Oak Ranch a Wedding Venue Near New Smyrna Beach that looks nothing like the waterfront spots you’ve already seen. Your guests won’t be standing in the same place they went for spring break or last year’s family reunion. They’ll be on a ranch, with horses nearby and oaks overhead, at a wedding that feels like it belongs to you.

Owners Who Are Part of Your Planning

Split Oak Ranch is owned by Nicole and Neftali DeJesus. They’re originally from Texas and now call Bunnell home with their two children. When you reach out to plan your wedding, you’re talking with the people who own the land.

Nicole and Neftali are hands on and personable. That kind of direct contact makes a difference when you’re trying to picture where the ceremony goes, how the evening will flow, or where to stop for photos. Your questions go straight to the people who own the ranch and care about how it shows up for your guests.

More Than One Celebration on the Same Land

Some families love the idea of returning to the place where it all started. Along with weddings, we host bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties, reunions, and celebrations of life. If your New Smyrna Beach crew falls for the ranch on your wedding day, there’s room for the next milestone here too.

Conclusion

If you love the ocean but want your wedding somewhere with a working ranch, old trees, and a lot more room, we’d love to hear from you. Picture yourselves under the live oaks, inside the cool event space, with horses grazing in the pasture nearby. Then picture all your people here with you.

When you’re ready, call us at (386) 477-1107, email events@splitoakranchfl.com, or fill out the form on our Book Split Oak Ranch page with your event type and date. We’ll take it from there and show you what a Rustic Ranch Wedding Venue can do for your big day.

FAQs

Is the indoor event space at Split Oak Ranch air conditioned?

Yes. Our 5,000 square foot event space is fully air conditioned. The building needed 5 tons of cooling, so we installed 10 tons to keep guests comfortable even in Florida heat.

Where is Split Oak Ranch located?

We’re at 5210 CR-305, Bunnell, FL 32110, in Flagler County. Couples from New Smyrna Beach head north to reach us.

What makes Split Oak Ranch different from a beach wedding venue?

We’re a 54 acre equestrian property with live oaks, some more than 200 years old, a rustic sheep barn, and horses on the property. It gives your wedding a ranch setting instead of a shoreline one.

How do we start planning a wedding at Split Oak Ranch?

Call (386) 477-1107, email events@splitoakranchfl.com, or use the booking form on our Book Split Oak Ranch page to share your event type and date.