The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farm

Get to know the story behind this amazing Knoxville Wedding Venue

The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farm is an incredible wedding venue for couples wanting a large wedding that can comfortably fit all their loved ones.

Some fast facts about The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farm

• The Pavilion can accommodate up to 300 family and friends
• They give you inclusive access to a ton of beautiful decorations to make your wedding unique to you
• They are pet friendly!

An interview with The Pavilion

Q: Tells us a bit about the owner of The Pavilion.

A: Nancy Barger is the owner & operator of The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farm. She started The Pavilion with her mom in 2008 where they ran it as a mother-daughter team until her mother unexpectedly lost her life in 2016. After her mother’s death, Nancy took sole ownership of the property. Nancy has 4 kids, a loving husband, and 2 fur babies (Brisket the Bulldog & Wrigley the Golden Retriever). She loves to spend time with her family, church family, and friends & she enjoys hosting guests at her home! Nancy also owns Swank Floral & Tallulah’s. Swank is a full-service floral design shop & Tallulah’s is a clothing boutique. She knows how to keep herself busy! 

Q: Why did you become a wedding venue?

A: The property has been in our family for over 40 years. When the recession hit in 2008, Nancy & her dad were both corporate pilots and Nancy & her mother owned a competitive horseshow barn. After they all lost their jobs and business slowed down, they had to become innovators. As a family of party-throwers, they decided to build an event venue & throw parties for a living! Almost thirteen years later, The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farm has evolved into the business we are today. 

Q: Where did the name “The Pavilion” come from?

A: Originally, we were an open-air pavilion! When so many people asked to host winter events, we decided to enclose our space with glass, add heating & air conditioning, and the rest is history!  

Q: What are your favorite features about The Pavilion? 

A: Our newly renovated bridal suite is one of our favorite features! We also love our many seating areas throughout the property. From the back patio overlooking Bluegrass Lake, to the cozy seating area near our front entrance garden, there are many serene spots to pick from!  

Q: How would past couples describe their wedding day experience?

A: We would hope they would describe their wedding day experience as stress-free & as the best day ever! We are an all-inclusive venue & provide several services to our brides! We provide our brides all set up & clean up, tables, chairs, linens, florals, catering through a list of preferred caterers, on-site coordination, and event design! By doing this, we hope & pray that they leave their wedding and have nothing but happy thoughts!  

Q: What is the #1 thing you want couples to know about The Pavilion?

A: That once they book with us, they become instant family! We take great pride in each of our events and treat each event as if it was our own sister, daughter or best friend getting married.  

Q: What are some challenges you’ve overcome with The Pavilion?

A: Where do we begin with this one? lol! Like we stated previously, Nancy’s mother past away unexpectedly in 2016. That was a huge challenge to overcome without going into specifics. In February of 2019, we experienced a terrible flood that caused over half a million dollars worth of damage to our property. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we were able to update our building to the modern/sleek look that it is today! We miraculously were back on our feet by April of 2019. And of course, we can’t NOT say anything about COVID-19. Nothing prepared us for the lasting effects that Covid has had and will continue to have on our business and our industry as a whole. We are slowly, but surely (and cautiously) opening back up and having events again. Now we are just left to wonder what 2021 will bring!!  

Q: How far out in the planning process do you suggest couples book?

A: This is totally dependent on the couple! We always joke that we can plan a wedding in 10 days…we obviously don’t recommend 10 days, but we can pull it off! I would say anywhere from 6 months to a year is pretty standard! 

Q: What is your favorite season at The Pavilion?

A: ALL! Each season brings something different. Winter-we have an outdoor fire pit & fireplace that’s perfect for s’ mores & a hot chocolate station. We also have an indoor fireplace with a cozy seating area. Spring- things are starting to bloom and become green again from the Winter months…the weather is warming up and the property starts to transform from the new plants we bring in every year. Summer- while it can be a little toasty, everything is in FULL bloom in summer and is so lush and gorgeous. Our Pavilion is fully air-conditioned and is the perfect reprieve from the heat outside. Fall- EVERYONE loves fall, right? Cool mornings & evenings, the leaves are changing…it’s just perfect. Our outdoor bar and patio is a huge hit during this season.  

Q: What is one fun/silly/quirky fact about you or The Pavilion that most people don’t know?

A: A fun fact about Nancy is that she is on an all women’s skeet shooting team! She loves to shoot for fun & also has just taken up wood-working! She’s recently built The Pavilion two gorgeous wooden catering tables and has a few other projects up her sleeves! She also does custom work for her friends such as tables, headboards, porch swings…you name it! She’s truly a woman of many talents! 

Looking for other amazing outdoor wedding venues near Knoxville, TN? Check these out!

DARA’S GARDEN – KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE

Dara’s Garden is a beautiful wedding venue located in South Knoxville that can accommodate up to 200 guests. One thing I love about this venue is you have the option to have the venue for 12 full hours (hair and makeup in the bridal suite!) and you are able to set up the decorations the day before!

THE KINCAID HOUSE – CLINTON, TENNESSEE

The Kincaid House is truly a unique venue located about 30 minutes outside Knoxville. Their garden setting is absolutely breathtaking and would be beautiful for a spring wedding!

THE MAGNOLIA – PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE

The Magnolia is an all-time favorite venue located about an hour from Knoxville. One awesome benefit of getting married in Pigeon Forge is there are tons and tons of restaurants and lodging for you and your guests. This outdoor Knoxville wedding venue can accommodate 100 guests.

THE TRILLIUM VENUE- SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE

The Trillium Wedding Venue is located in Sevierville, approximately 40 minutes from Knoxville. This stunning venue gives you full access (and views to match!) of those beautiful Smokies we all know and love. This is a bonus listing because it isn’t open yet! But, contact them to book because they are taking bookings for Fall 2021!

For a complete guide to your Knoxville Wedding Venues, check out this amazing article. You’ll have your venue nailed down today!

Thinking about getting married at Hunter Valley Farm?

Hiring a professional wedding photographer you absolutely love and click with is such an important step to make sure that you can capture all the amazing moments you will have at your wedding. These photographs will act as a ticket for traveling back in time and having a look at all the beautiful memories you created with your loved ones.

I have been working as a professional photographer for over 8 years. Throughout that time I realized that the intimate moments in between the poses were the ones most cherished. My wedding work has been seen in places like The Knot, Wedding Wire, The Carolinas Magazine, Embrace Beauty Magazine, and many other leading industry publications. I’m sincerely grateful for every single one of them, and for the others yet to come. But none of that matters without the experience, the fun, and the results that everyone feels when they look back through their photographs. If you think we’d make an amazing fit contact me today and let’s chat about your wedding!