Surrounded by Pear and Maple trees and a pond cradling the land, Maple Roe is curating a space to make the memories last.
Right off Tallasee’s Macedonia Road, Maple Roe Wedding and Event Venue has 17 acres of land including an acre-sized pond with a fountain, a rustic three-story home and a barn with a large brick fireplace. After growing up on a farm, Janice Roe was ready to return to a farm life. However, her husband Scott wasn’t sure if that would be the best fit for them.
But the couple came across a piece of property, and Janice knew it was going to be part of their home.
“(The barn) needed so much work; it really did, but I could just see the vision,” Janice said. “And I just fell in love with it. I almost cried the first time I saw it.”
After some discussion, the Roes decided rather than living on the property it could be a place to share with others as a venue space with a farm feel and an emphasis on highlighting the nature around them.
The venue is open for all kinds of events, but it is especially accommodating for weddings.
For the Roes, they have already had two daughters get married, so they have an idea of what is helpful to have at a wedding venue.
One of the main things they wanted to do with the space is provide lodging for the wedding party as well as venues for a rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception. In the house, the main floor has a front room for small functions, such as a rehearsal dinner, and it holds up to 60 people. There also is a large kitchen and three bedrooms. The top floor is a balcony overlooking the front room and Janice added it is a great place for pictures too.
The bottom floor is the groom's quarters with full and queen-sized bunk beds for the groomsmen, a queen bedroom for the groom and a lounge area with a pool table, TV and bar. Both the bottom level and main level have decks overlooking the pond.
Then there is the barn. The barn is still under construction, but it holds the bridal suite with six makeup stations, a large dressing room and a bar area. Outside of the suite is also the main wedding and reception space. With the barn being 7,500 square feet, it holds up to 360 people.
There are men’s and women’s restrooms with five stalls as well as a caterers’ kitchen with an ice machine. Like the house, the barn will also have a deck overlooking the pond.
The main package for weddings is a three-day booking with guests coming in on day one with the rehearsal dinner that evening, the second day being the wedding and the third day for any packing or cleaning.
Janice said this is so everyone can enjoy the whole wedding day and not have to worry about packing immediately after. There also is a large area for guest parking too.
“In my opinion, there’s just so many good things that this one will have that we have not seen in other venues,” she said. “We have tried to think of all the things that would have been really helpful for us.”
The Roes first got the property in January and are aiming for an October opening day. But Maple Roe already has a wedding booked for November.
Janice said hosting people is something both of them have done for a while with rental properties around Lake Martin and Opelika. By trade, Janice is a massage therapist and cosmetologist. For five years she owned Oasis Spa and Salon in Dadeville. Meanwhile Scott is a contractor, and he also owns a roofing company.
“That's actually what brought us to Tallassee; he was over here after the hailstorm damage a couple years ago,” Janice said. “He was looking and found a house where a tree had fallen through, and it was just sitting there — wasting away. He got in touch with the owner, and after some ordeal, we bought it several months later. And so that took us right here. We thought we would flip it and sell it, and then just fell in love with Tallassee.”
Now, the Roes live just a little way from Maple Roe. While there’s some work to be done at the venue, Janice said they are both excited to open in the fall.
“We just have so many things, it's just my little haven,” Janice said. “And I'm so excited to be able to share it with others and to be able to enjoy it ourselves.”
Corrections: Previous versions of this article stated the front room holds up to 20 people when it holds up to 60 people. The article has been changed to reflect this. TPI regrets this mistake.