Established 2018
Cedar Deer Lodge is our family owned and operated venue. We have been married for 40 years, have two children, and six grandchildren. We have deep local roots. Country Living has been our way of life.
Our vision is to provide you with a rustic and elegant facility that exudes natural beauty to enhance your special event, while creating memories that will last a lifetime. As our guests, you will take in fresh air, and the chance to taste country living on our 160 acres of cedar trees, trails, caves, and waterfalls. The property is full of deer and other wildlife, so you’re sure to have a unique experience every visit.
About Our Barn
In early 2017 we hired an Arkansas contractor with the goal to create an old-style barn that was made from post and beam, featuring an old-fashioned widow’s peak in front. After looking at several barns in Arkansas, we settled on what we knew would be the perfect barn for our dream venue. We called our builder on New Year’s Day 2017 and told them, “Our plans and finances are in order.” We broke ground on February 22, 2017! Most of the workers were from Arkansas and needed a place to stay. We had an old farm house on-property that was still livable and it seemed only right to invite them to stay. So, we gathered up four beds, a couch, a TV, and attempted making it as livable as possible for a 1910 farmhouse.
The Journey to Our Venture Began
During the construction process there were quite a few setbacks while working on Cedar Deer Lodge. First, Dale’s mother became ill and passed away a few months before construction was completed. She saw the project in its infancy and mentioned she couldn’t wait to see the barn finished. However, she did get to hear the good news on Dale’s birthday that all of our inspections where clear and we received the green light to finish the barn. The barn was finally completed and we received our certificate of occupancy 4 months later and we opened for business on May 18, 2018. This was so ironic because we were shut down exactly one-year prior on May 18, 2017. This was music to our ears! And everyone danced for joy.
Details and History of the Barn
The inside of the barn is 6552 sq ft. We have 2 full length covered porches on the north and east side. The north side was installed to allow caterers to pull around back, get right in the kitchen door and go unnoticed by our guests. The east side is perfect for sitting outside during our beautiful Oklahoma sunsets while staying cool. It is perfect to have an outdoor wedding there.
The tin used inside the barn came to us from my husband’s family barn, Jim and Judy Martin. Our grandson retrieved the tin, and we were sure to display plaque on the wall thanking the Martins for sharing their tin with us. All of the wagon wheel chandeliers were made by Dale. He is extremely talented with his hands. The wagon wheels came from what we call “the Boyd” station that we purchased years ago. It had fence rows made out of wagon wheels and my husband had taken them down because they caused problems for smaller calves in our fields. We received some local backlash for that because it was local icon and known as “Wagon Wheel Corner”. We were so happy to put them to use years later where they belong. We found a double tree in a flea market in Toni town Arkansas. That is what he made the main chandelier from. We found a way to fit it in our Corvette. The salesman thought we were crazy, as it turned out he is right. You’ll know your here when you see our unique barn through the grounds.
Since this barn name was “Cedar Deer Lodge”, we better have some things made from Cedar. Can you guess who made these features? My husband, Dale. He made 12 round cedar tables and high glossed them. He didn’t stop there. The bar top, kitchen bar, bridal suite countertop, the hearth and mantle. All hand-made from cedar!
One of our goals in this project was to repurpose some features of the venue. Our friends bought the late Lionel Harris house down the street and they had it remodeled. They allowed us to use some leftover chandeliers. The lights in women’s bathroom, the wagon wheel light in men’s bathroom, the playroom, the bar and the lounge all came from Lionel Harris house. Thank you Patti and Darrell Scott.
On top of all this, Jenny Haken from Varnish and Velvet made all of the bridal furniture or re-upholstered them and she put the stones on the deer horns.
Cedar Deer Lodge has enough space to handle up to 378 guests, with 50 ft. ceilings, while maintaining a quiet and intimate setting. Whether you have a need for a wedding, reception, corporate event, or any other type of party, we are dedicated to providing you the ideal venue and accommodations.
Our future plans include building a pond east of the barn, remodeling the old farmhouse, and building 6 cabins and put RV park in. My husband Dale has his work cut out for him!
Come out and check on us from time to time and see the progress we’ve made. We love reminiscing with all of our neighbors or anybody who just wants to stop and take a gander, you are always welcome at Cedar Deer Lodge.
We look forward to you joining us.