Like many people, Terry McCracken spent weeks and months of downtime during the pandemic working on home improvement projects around her property.

She painted the house, she put in new flower gardens and even a courtyard. Eventually, she also put a new sign out front: Seven Oaks Farm.

That’s because all those pandemic projects laid the foundation for a new small business. McCracken’s 17-acre property at 1684 Crabtree Road is opening later this month as a venue for small weddings and other small events.

McCracken said she was working in the yard one day, and walking up a stone staircase under an oak tree where her daughter was married, when the idea for the business came to her.

“I walked up there, looked around, and the views were so beautiful. I thought this was just a beautiful and magical place to get married,” she said.

McCracken, who has lived in the home since 1982 and retired from Haywood County Schools, envisions Seven Oaks Farm hosting small weddings with 50 people or fewer, as well as other small events, such as bridesmaid luncheons or showers.

There’s electricity for music, the new courtyard for dancing or room for a dance floor, and plenty of space for a tent in case of rainy weather.

There’s also the property’s seven namesake oaks, an abundance of flower gardens and 360-degree Haywood County views — making it a good location for photography shoots as well, McCracken said.

“We’re just hoping to meet a need and feel like there’s a niche for this kind of business, for people interested in having a smaller wedding. We want to be part of their happy times,” she said.