David and Emily McMahon, who first met on Farmer Wants A Wife three years ago on a family apple orchard in Stanthorpe, Queensland, have completed a four-year project to transform part of their property into a French-inspired destination wedding venue — and they're already forecasting a healthy first-year profit.

The couple, who married on the farm and have since welcomed their first child, say the new venture is a carefully considered move to future-proof the fourth-generation McMahon family operation without losing sight of its agricultural roots.

A venue born from love — and farming reality

The wedding venue, named Lagnicourt, sits alongside the existing apple orchard and agricultural business on the property about two and a half hours southwest of Brisbane. David McMahon said diversification has always been part of the family's long-term thinking, but the project also carries deep personal meaning.

"The farm is so special to us, so that definitely triggered some ideas," David said. "But the big basis behind it is having a diversification project that will hopefully strengthen our future in farming as well."

The McMahons designed the entire venue themselves, bringing in no external architect or interior designer. The result is a purpose-built destination capable of hosting up to 150 guests, framed by two outdoor ceremony spaces set among the orchard, farmland, pine forests, native gum trees and a 600-metre dam.

David's brother Paul also married his wife Megan on the property — a detail that underscores just how central the farm has become to the family's story beyond agriculture.

Why the McMahons needed a financial buffer

For a farming family navigating the unpredictability of weather and seasonal conditions, the appeal of a secondary income stream is clear. David was candid about the pressures that come with agricultural life.

"We're very much at the mercy of Mother Nature in farming and you see it on the news all the time," he said. "So the wedding venue will hopefully help us ride out the tougher times a little bit."

The family is forecasting an approximate profit of $200,000 to $300,000 in the venue's first year of operation — a meaningful buffer against the income volatility that farming families routinely face. The first wedding is already booked for September, with seven more locked in across the year. It's the kind of entrepreneurial thinking increasingly common among Australian rural families — you can read more about bold business stories from around the country in our ongoing coverage.

The name Lagnicourt and a wartime connection

The venue's name is not incidental. Lagnicourt is a direct tribute to the McMahon family's history: David's great-grandfather, Clyde McMahon, served on the Western Front during the First World War and fought at Lagnicourt in France. The name bridges more than a century of family legacy, connecting the farm's agricultural heritage with a conflict that shaped a generation of Australian families.

What comes next for David, Emily and the McMahon farm

David and Emily are optimistic that Lagnicourt will do more than support the family business — they hope it will bring a new wave of visitors to the Stanthorpe region, increasing demand for local accommodation, suppliers and vendors.

"The venue will bring in a new crowd and it's going to be an exciting future as well to see how that all unfolds," David said. "But it's really a long-term project with farming still at the heart of it."

For viewers who followed the couple's story on Farmer Wants A Wife during the 2023 season, it's a satisfying next chapter — one rooted in the same patch of Queensland soil where their relationship began. Fans of the show curious about other cast members' journeys can read about why fellow contestant Alex left the show early.