A Gathering Spot

A decade after purchasing Sycamore Bend Estate, an 18-acre horse farm, JEAN STRAHAN has transformed the historic property into an idyllic venue for weddings and gatherings.

“I feel like Sycamore Bend is a treasure for Wilmington,” Strahan says. “It’s why I really thought weddings were right, because the property brings families together, and they create their own perfect wedding or event here.”

Strahan grew up in Carson, North Dakota, a quiet community. After spending her early years in Carson, she relocated to Minneapolis and Chicago before moving to New York City, where she managed a boutique on Madison Avenue. While she enjoyed her life in the city, she always treasured her simple upbringing. Shortly after the birth of her twin daughters, Isabella and Sophia, and following a long and public divorce from Michael Strahan, a former NFL player and TV host, she purchased Sycamore Bend to start fresh.

Her journey with Sycamore Bend as an event venue began when she realized that the parties she hosted for her twin daughters showcased the farm’s potential as a perfect location for events. From masquerade parties, carnivals, and murder mystery dinners, Jean loved hosting events for her friends and family.

(photo by Erin L. Taylor Photography, courtesy of Sycamore Bend)

“We once had a hot air balloon party,” she says. “We had a hot air balloon in the pasture, and the kids could get in and see the ocean.”

During her second year in business, Jean’s daughter, ISABELLA, was diagnosed with brain cancer. Jean paused her business to focus on Isabella’s needs. Isabella has now fully recovered and is currently attending the University of Southern California, where she is pursuing a degree in journalism and communications. Meanwhile, Jean’s daughter, SOPHIA, is studying economics with a concentration in finance at Duke University.

Both assist Jean in running the business.

BELLA TSEH, a friend of Jean’s daughters, assists with event planning and communications. JOSE VILLAGREA is the property caretaker and an outdoor landscaping and lighting designer who enhances the property for events.

Originally, after her two daughters left for college, she had considered selling the historical property. However, after receiving offers from property developers who wanted to build apartments, she decided instead to renovate and restore the property to preserve its historic significance. The property features hydrangeas and magnolia trees and includes a farmhouse, a loft, and a cozy cottage for overnight stays. It was originally constructed in the early 1800s by Reuben Everett.

“I come from this amazing lineage of strong women,” Strahan says. “My grandmother was a pioneer who came from Norway and was a homesteader in North Dakota, literally throwing bales of hay on a ranch until she was ninety. My mother, who is almost ninety, is still out working on the big farm, driving tractors. I’m proud to carry on their legacy, working hard to make Sycamore Bend the best it can be.”

In 2023, Jean opened the property to events and has since hosted several weddings, bridal parties, and other special occasions. More than forty-five weddings are expected to be held there next year.

“We have a garden party area, where we do a lot of ceremonies,” she says. “We do ceremonies under the big historic magnolia tree, or down the big alleyway, and of course, in front of the house. And our stables are a popular choice for many people who love to use them as a backdrop.”

Jean has designed the farmhouse at Sycamore Bend to cater to wedding preparations, from a bridal suite that overlooks the property, allowing the bride to see her day unfold, to the groom’s lounge, complete with a poker table and a basketball area. Currently, the property can accommodate twenty-six overnight guests. However, Jean is planning to convert a pool house and cabana area across the street, which would eventually increase the property’s capacity to forty overnight guests.

“What I’m really trying to create is a space where the ladies would be here in the farmhouse, and the guys could be over in the pool cabana in the cottage,” she said.

The venue can accommodate between fifty and over 400 guests. Additionally, the property features a convertible horse arena that can be transformed into a parking area.

“We had four tents up for this one wedding,” Jean says. “They put a beautiful tent over the tennis court. Then they had a clear top tent in front of the stables for the ceremony. Then they had two tents in the great lawn for the reception and one for catering.”

To view more of photographer Daria Amato’s work, go to dariaphoto.com

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