Highland Stables was built with love. The Bowling Green, KY, space was constructed in 2000 by Charles Mosley as a gift to his wife, Betty. Set on a 168-acre family farm, it originally served as an equine boarding and training facility, but today, it’s a full-time event venue — and it was recently the site of their son’s wedding, decked out in elegant white florals and greenery.
“The venue was a no-brainer for us,” says Meredith (Hester) Mosley, who married Josh Mosley on the farm property on February 11, 2023. As Meredith explains, Highland Stables is literally surrounded by family. The venue backs up to their family’s cattle field, and their house backs up to the field. Josh’s aunt and parents live across the street, and his grandparents reside just up the road toward the front of the farm. One look at Josh and Meredith’s wedding photos, and you’ll understand why their family loves this space so much!
Meredith shared that before she ever dreamed of taking her wedding vows at Highland Stables, Josh proposed there. “We got engaged on July 5th of 2021,” Meredith recalls. “At the time, I was pregnant, extremely sick, and had very little motivation to do anything at all.”
The couple met in 2020 through social media and had their first date at El Mazatlan in Bowling Green. Over the next year or so, the Mexican eatery became the site of many more dates. After several meals of chicken barley bowls with broccoli, they got to know each other very well — and their relationship soon led up to an important question that Meredith didn’t see coming.
When Josh announced he had a surprise for her, she never imagined it would be an engagement ring — but as it turned out, Josh and his mom had been secretly shopping for the special piece of jewelry. And when they found the perfect oval-shaped, two-carat diamond, Josh stored it away for a special day. When that day finally came, Josh blindfolded Meredith and drove her to a ‘secret’ location for the surprise.
“I asked about a million questions on the way to Highland Stables, where he had the cutest little spot set up to propose to me,” Meredith says. “He took the blindfold off and got down on one knee, and asked me both the most important and memorable question of my life: ‘Meredith, will you marry me?’” Shocked and crying, it took Meredith a minute to reply with an enthusiastic “yes” — and it wasn’t long before she was in full wedding-planning mode.
“I’m a very simple, classic person,” she says, “so just having a classic, simple, black and white color scheme was perfect.” Her seven bridesmaids wore sleek, black gowns in varying styles while she shined in a white sparkly number from The Wedding Studio in Louisville. The shop was the first and only store that Meredith visited — and ironically, the dress she chose was nothing like what she thought she’d wear.
“It was actually exactly the opposite of what I wanted, which is crazy,” she says. “It’s very sparkly, and I’m not a sparkle person.” After trying on the dress that would become her wedding gown, she gave a different dress a whirl, thinking she’d like it better. But once she put the glittery gown on for the second time, tears started rolling down her face — and she knew she’d found the one.
With the help of wedding planner Angela Miller of Ivory Grace Events, Josh and Meredith celebrated their special day with 215 people at Highland Stables, which was decked out in black, white, and ivory decor and flowers to enhance the classic theme. They exchanged traditional vows, danced to “Dressed in White” by CAL, and cut a white, five-tier cake crafted by a baker in Franklin, KY.
“We wanted a timeless ceremony and reception, and we got just that,” Meredith gushes. She adds that visually, her favorite part of their wedding was the decor. The smooth, black velvet linens paired with the chandeliers in the venue, she says, “were just jaw-dropping.”
But the most memorable part of it all had nothing to do with the material things that helped make the event beautiful; it was about the people who showed up to celebrate them on their special day.
“The most memorable part of my day was that we had so many friends and family travel in from all over the United States,” she says, adding that many of them spent several hours traveling, which made their presence feel extra special. “I don’t think we’ll ever have all those people in one place again. It was so memorable seeing everyone come together from all chapters of our lives … just celebrating, having so much fun, and getting to know each other. It was amazing.”
Though the same group of 200-plus people may never share a time at Highland Stables again, the property will surely see more of Josh, Meredith, and their daughter, Sage. “Highland Stables remains extremely special to us,” Meredith says. “It’s where we took our first family photos with Sage, [and] it’s where I see us making many more memorable life moments as a family.”
Thanks, Meredith and Josh, for sharing your day with us. And thanks to The Hardcastle’s Photography for the photos.
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RESOURCES
Venue: Highland Stables, Bowling Green, KY
Photographer + Videographer: Luke Metzger Visuals and The Hardcastle’s Photography
Bride’s gown: The Wedding Studio, Louisville, KY
Hair & Makeup: Maggie Bellamy & Emina Husic for makeup and Kenzie Hayes & Sheridan Garner for hair
Groom’s & groomsmen’s formalwear: FHG Clothiers
Invitations: Minted
Flowers: Terry Donnelly
Catering: Kathy Poston
Entertainment: DJ Scott Roach
Cake: Kathy Poston
Transportation: Holiday Inn University Plaza
Other: Alpha Lit Western KY for large “The Mosley” light letters
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