Our Story
From our historic home to the beginning of your forever.
The Paddock has been history in the making for quite some time. In fact, our roots run all the way back to 1885! And the bridal suite just happens to be in the same spot as the original summer kitchen! Super cool!
It’s incredibly easy to fall in love with The Paddock’s charm & historic beauty. The serene landscape of the country backdrop provides endless opportunities for breathtaking photos that you will cherish for years to come.
We couldn’t be more excited to welcome you to The Paddock and are thrilled to help make your dream come true. May God bless you through this journey, now and always!
Making dreams come true.
About the Paddock.
The Paddock’s rich history dates back to 1885 when the original house was built by Eli and Amanda Watson. The Watson Family had lived on the property well before the homestead was developed and were active in education, public service, agriculture, and livestock in both Whitley and Allen counties.
These pictures capture the historic home and showcase the original summer kitchen on the far right. If you look closely, you can even make out the bell tower! This is the current location of the gorgeous bridal suite that you (and your photographer) will love!
Since its origin, The Paddock has been home to farmland, swine raising, a nursery, and even miniature horses. We love the opportunity to maintain the historic beauty while growing the rich narrative of the property. And YOU will be part of it!
About us.
While we much prefer to be in the background, we also know it is important for you to get to know us and feel confident your wedding day is in good hands. Rest assured that we are here for YOU, to remove some of the stress of planning, and to help make your day special. Here is a sneak peek of our story…
We are Jeff & Jill Shelton, proud parents of four amazing children, two bonus sons, one bonus daughter, and three of the most amazing grandbabies (so far!). Our family is our most prized possession, and our personal relationships with Jesus fuel all we do.
We started our farm building journey in Markle, Indiana in 1995. We quickly began expanding not only in acreage but by mouths to feed too! We always wanted our kids to grow up learning the work ethic of living on a farm. In 2012, we purchased the farm next door to our house. It included two very large barns that were originally built in the early 1900s. These statement pieces had been unused, deteriorating, and lonely for 20 years. The two of us, our four kids, and many friends restored the pair of old barns into their remarkable and impressive stature. We began using the barns for hobby farming—storing equipment, stacking hay, and keeping animals like goats, yaks, chickens, cows, sheep, and even camels! It is an unusual hobby farm, to say the least, but a place where we forged unforgettable memories.
In October 2019, our oldest daughter, Quinn, was engaged and began dreaming of holding her wedding on the farm. We spent seven (long!) months deep cleaning and prepping both barns from top to bottom. The hard work was well worth the beauty and detail! And made for the magical setting Quinn dreamed of, and most certainly achieved.
After the wedding, we began discussing how we could continue to use our property in a positive, Christ-centered way. What could be more perfect than expanding further into events? Early in 2022, there were rumors of The Paddock becoming available. We LOVED the idea of expanding into Southwest Fort Wayne and offering a truly special location to honor the Holy unity of man and wife becoming one.
Since moving into The Paddock we have converted the Homestead into a one-of-a-kind, beautiful place for brides to get ready (and even spend the night!) and have renovated the barns to host scalable events that are intimate and breathtaking. Our newest addition is the breathtaking, all white Chapel—home to our indoor ceremonies. Brides (and photographers!) love love LOVE the clean backdrop with tons of natural light! Our plans for the future are grand, and we can’t wait to share everything that is to come!
