FROM dredging equipment to floral arches has been quite a reach for engineer Gavin Mackie, who along with his wife Sarah is celebrating the 10th anniversary of their beef-to-bridal switcheroo at Larchfield Estate.
And the business couple, who have turned around the former £150,000 loss-making farm outside Lisburn into a premier wedding destination, say they are are on track for turnover to exceed £900,000 this year.
After investing more than £1.3 million into the 600-acre country estate – which employees 18 people on site – further development includes a launch into the 'glamping' business with the restoration of a 1952 Swiss army truck (to include Persian rugs, tow-along shower, wood burning stove, leather chaise lounge and authentic gramophone for relaxing evenings by one of the property's nine lakes).
The pair are also on course to increase the stationary more conventional overnight accommodation – plans are submitted for a further seven rooms to meet demand from wedding guests, private parties and the corporate 'team building' sector.
In addition, the ambitious owners – who were among the first couples to tie the knot at their own exclusive venue – are linking up with well known chef Kelan McMichael (The Bull and Ram restaurant in Ballynahinch), to offer food foraging cookery courses, making use of the natural foods and herbs found in the grounds of the house originally built for the Mussenden family in 1750.
The property was purchased by Gavin's father, Leslie Mackie – of the former James Mackie and Sons engineering firm – in 1968 and operated solely as a beef enterprise before Gavin and his Dorset-born wife, Sarah, took up the challenge for change in 2010.
At the time, Sarah, now a mum-of-three, was enjoying a high-flying career in the digital media world in London, having helped found Carleton Digital, which boasted GlaxoSmithCline among its high-ranking clients. She also made Media Week's 30 under 30 hot list for her efforts.
Gavin, meanwhile, who was selling dredging equipment for the engineering industry, was initially wary about what the future held at the family pile 'back home'.
"It was a huge leap of faith to take Larchfield on, as the whole place needed rewiring and redecorating," he says.
"We basically lived on – and in – a building site for two years."
The proverbial light bulb moment came after Sarah had been a guest at a number of weddings where the bride and groom opted for a quirky venue "in an old stone barn somewhere" or in a glamorised shed.
"I thought, 'there's something in this..." she recalls, "and then, one of the first things we did was have our own wedding at Larchfied – 10 years ago on June 2 this year.
"People worried the place would be a millstone around our necks and thought we were mad to aim at the wedding market, but in the first year we hosted 36 weddings which rose to 64 the year after.
"Today, while we open the house to just 10 high-end events each year, around 16,000 people pass through the gates annually and we have around 100 weddings, with the nearby cottages usually fully booked by guests.
"It's a 24-7 job here and hard work with three small children but we see ourselves as custodians just passing through and preserving the heritage of Larchfied for future generations."
The £1.3 million investment to date has included rebuilding the stables which were burned out in 1980s, re-instating the cottages – now with a five-star rating – constructing a £200,000 Orangery entrance to Larchfield Barn, re-cobbling courtyards, designing a car park and re-wiring and decorating the main house.
"I think diversifying was the only option for us and we have proved there is a strong wedding market away from the usual hotel setting," Sarah adds. "We now have three wedding planners and the event side of things is helping us keep the house private – although we are always up for a party.
"Whether it is Emeli Sandé singing at her friend's wedding, which happened here, or a couple forgetting to book the registrar, which also happened – but thankfully, we picked up on it in time – there is never a dull moment."
