Jodie Starling says she didn’t set out to own a wedding venue — and prefers that couples who choose her lifestyle property for their special day think of her more as a host.

“Think of me as the Aunty who happens to have a beautiful property where you can hold the country rustic wedding of your dreams.”

When Jodie and husband Jae bought their 14-acre block in Broomfield, North Canterbury, four years ago, they knew the property had to earn its keep.

“I used to have vision boards, and I’d be on Pinterest looking at how to make money from the land.”

She considered everything from growing olives and truffles to sunflowers.

“We have the amount of land that people call a life sentence block. It’s not big enough to make money off farming, but still requires a lot of work to maintain, and it’s expensive to maintain.”

At the time, Jodie was working in residential housing and Jae was working in his current job as a crane operator.

Looking for a new chapter together, the couple discovered the property while travelling through Amberley.

“It was sort of an impulse buy which sounds very luxurious, but Jae and I had only been dating six months. We bought a lifestyle property and did a complete lifestyle change.”

They didn’t move onto the property for a year, and by then, they had even more exciting news.

“We thought right – we are moving onto a farm: we are going to be hobby farmers.”

They named the place Starling Homestead, and it wasn’t long before it became more than just a home.

Three years ago, Jodie and Jae were married there—giving rise to a whole new business idea.

“I was pregnant, we literally arrived, got married a month later and just eloped on the lawn under the olive trees.

“We had this big wedding planned and we realised that was going to cost too much money, and the cost of actually living on the farm was so much more than we anticipated.”

After baby Remy was born and life on the farm settled into rhythm, Jodie found herself once again thinking about ways to make the property work—this time around the demands of motherhood with a baby and then ten-year-old.

“I thought, we could do weddings here, so we spent a bit of time tidying up the property – because it’s a beautiful property. It had been a bit neglected, so it took us awhile.”

Today, Starling Homestead offers intimate weddings and elopements using the barn-style homestead, a rustic farm shed, and picturesque rural backdrops.

With a BYO model for food and drink, couples can keep costs down and style up.

“I don’t like leading with the fact that we are cost effective, but we absolutely are.”

The relaxed rural setting is especially popular with farming couples, and grooms who don’t feel at home in traditional venues.

“Anyone can get married here, we cater to everyone.

“But when you get the typical male-female dynamic come here, it’s amazing how men light up.

“My husband wouldn’t feel comfortable in a fancy venue either, but a lot of blokes are used to this sort of setting and feel at ease here, which is lovely.”

It’s now been a year since Starling Homestead hosted its first wedding, and while the business - including rustic onsite accommodation - has grown quickly, juggling life and work hasn’t always been easy.

“We have to be careful because the house still needs to be our home, which can be a challenge when your property is your business.

“I also struggle with switching off work hours, and a lot of that comes with social media.”

Social media has played a big role in the venue’s success.

While the business is on Instagram and Facebook, it’s TikTok that has delivered the biggest return.

“I find Tik Tok quite easy in terms of creating content because you just show up.

“I’ve done Tick Toks in my dressing gown with no make up on, and I make it more about me than the business.”

But showing up online comes with its own challenges.

“It gets addictive. The more you use it, the more it rewards you by pushing your content out so you end up in this vicious trap of trying to show up all the time.

“But on the positive, Tik Tok has absolutely made our business, it’s incredibly effective advertising.”

By Claire Inkson