history
A remarkable place to celebrate special occasions or hold meetings! Unique natural elements combined with the raw beauty of Pensacola's quaint Beulah community make Live Oak an extraordinary location to host events. Guests delight in visiting North West Florida’s beautiful countryside and this hidden hamlet only 20-minutes from downtown Pensacola and five minutes from national hotels.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION . . .
about us
WEDDINGS AND EVENTS
Photo by Lucy Steiner Photography
A place of history and beauty. become a part of it.
Beu•lah (ˈbyu lə)
noun
Origin: Hebrew bəʾūlāh literally, married woman possibly as denoting their future prosperity
DEFINITION:
1. married
2. used in Isaiah 62:4 metaphorically applied to the land of Israel: "Thy land shall be married," i.e., favored and blessed of the Lord. "Beulah Land"
plan·ta·tion/planˈtāSH(ə)n/
noun
synonyms: farm, estate
Definition:
1. an ESTATE or FARM on which crops such as coffee, sugar, tobacco and fruit or nut trees are cultivated.
In 2015, Donna and Joe Meeks planned and executed the concept for a premier wedding and corporate event venue on their pecan farm and named it Live Oak.
- Their goal... to help make the planning and execution of unforgettable weddings and events in a private, unmatched setting both streamlined and stress-free while educating the public on the agricultural history of the property and demonstrating its agricultural activities.
- Their mission... to provide exemplary service and a one-of-a-kind extraordinary experience.
- Demonstrations and exhibition of pecan harvesting and crop production occur in the Spring and Fall by appointment when production is scheduled.
Both Joe and Donna are members of numerous Pecan Growers Associations; the Florida Rental Association; USM Foundation; Farm-to-City Needy Feeding Program Volunteers; Friends of the Saenger; Pensacola Propeller Club; Friends of Satori Foundation; and Pensacola Yacht Club. Both are lifetime members of the American Rental Association and University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association since 1979.
Joe graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi (B.A, ’79) with degrees in Real Estate and Finance. In conjunction with pecan farming at Live Oak Plantation, Meeks is President of Coastal Machinery Company; President and Owner of Coastal Rentals Company; President, Owner, and CEO of Go Go Billboards, L.L.C. Involvement includes Kubota National Advisory Board; Vice President Pensacola Propeller Club; Association of General Contractors, 1983 - present; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; Experimental Aircraft Association; Kappa Sigma Fraternity Alumni Association, 1979 - present; Co-Founder and Board of Directors Kubota South; University of Florida Agricultural Research Center Advisory Board; and Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, Member.
Donna is a retired educator with advanced degrees from The University of Southern Mississippi (B.A. '81), William Carey University (M.Ed '98), and National Board Certification in Early Childhood Education (’03). She is owner and CEO of Meeks Industries; owner and proprietor-The French Townhouse, LLC. Donna is a contributing author for the “Official International Kubota Dealer Guidelines” publication and served as an adviser to Kubota North America. In 2014, Donna's Kubota Showroom Design Concept was selected by the International Kubota Tractor Corporation as the North American standard for all Kubota dealerships. Also instrumental in Kubota's advertising campaign, Kubota's North American Marketing Department chose her designs as both the official "Kubota Vehicle Wrap" and the national "Chain Barrel Display". Donna was formerly 'WEEN DREAM Florida's Project Leader, a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit providing Halloween costumes to children in need. Memberships include Impact100 Pensacola Bay Area, Powerful Women of the Gulf Coast, Pensacola Propeller Club, Delta Gamma Fraternity Alumni, 1981- present; Gulf Coast Education Foundation; and Les Masquees Mardi Gras Association, 1984 - present.
Donna and Joe are the parents of Whitney Meeks, Kelsey Meeks, Laura Munro, and Chase Munro.
- Whitney is an NYU Law School graduate, an attorney at Columbia University Medical Center, served in the Peace Corp in Ecuador, and currently serves in the U.S. Army Reserves - Psychological Warfare.
- Laura is owner of Petal & Twig, Live Oak Director of Operations, Marketing Director and Wedding Coordinator, Pensacola Impact100, Leadership Gulf Coast Class of 2020, Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, Krewe of Hip Huggers, Inc., Pensacola Propeller Club, Pensacola Yacht Club, Co-Chair PYC Entertainment Committee, The Junior League of Pensacola, Friends of the Saenger, Sanders Beach Neighborhood Assoc. Committee, Pensacola Museum of Art Guild, Pensacola Historical Trust, Satori Foundation Member, and Pensacola Young Professionals.
- Chase is a Disaster Program Manager with the American Red Cross serving as the Manager of Mass Care and Logistics for Mississippi and Alabama, a Rotarian, Friends of the Saenger, Member of the Pensacola Yacht Club, Satori Foundation Volunteer, PYC Race Committee Chair, and is a Member of the Krewe of Paws.
- Kelsey is an attorney specializing in oil and gas with Pipes, Miles, Beckman, LLC. Law Firm in New Orleans. She is Founder and CEO of ‘WEEN DREAM, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit providing Halloween costumes to 3,000+ children in the US each year who are faced with unique challenges including physical & mental disabilities, homeless children, foster system children, children with serious medical issues and those who have experienced trauma or natural disasters. www.weendream.org. Kelsey's recent honors include: NOLA's City Magazine 2019 Leadership in Law Class; 2020 Louisiana State Bar Association Leadership Class; and 2020-2022 Louisiana Super Lawyer Rising Star.
A place of legendary romance, extraordinary elegance and unparalleled natural beauty, the land of current-day Live Oak was once part of a tract comprised of thousands of acres of virgin woodlands. This history of the property is still being researched. One of the early owners, Floridian lumber baron, Mr. Lee, harvested the abundant timber found on his sprawling property located in the idyllic community of Beulah, Florida.
As was the practice in the day, huge virgin yellow pines were felled, milled into lumber, and sent down the Perdido River to distant ports until extinction. By 1815, as Florida was becoming a territory of the Untied States and Napoleon was being defeated at Waterloo, today's 185-340-year-old Live Oaks were emerging. By their maturity, most logging had ceased, and for over two centuries hidden in the dense forest, they silently grew hidden into the giants they are today.
Over time, previous primitive homes on the property that were filled with long-since forgotten memories have been reclaimed by the forces of nature. By the early 20th century, parcels from the original Lee tract had been repeatedly sub-divided, and the current 22-acre property became the size it is today. By 1930, logging had ceased, and then owner, Payne Bryant, planted a large pecan orchard in the front field. He hired people from the community to camp that summer on what is now the grand lawn to hand-carry water from Lake Blue Heron in canvas buckets to water the pecan saplings and keep them alive. Between 2003-2009, a succession of relentless hurricanes wreaked havoc across Florida, and over 200 of the original pecan trees were lost. Today, a graceful stand of 50 trees remain with others being planted annually.
How did Live Oak get its name? 'Plantation is a synonym for farm and is defined by Webster as 'a farm or estate on which crops such as coffee, fruit or nut trees are cultivated'. In 2015, the property became a wedding venue, and although the property has always been a registered farm and was never a 'plantation', it was named Live Oak 'Plantation' based on the farm's long history of cultivating pecan nut trees and harvesting the nuts and as an homage to the beautiful Live Oak trees.
Live Oak sits on the last remaining 22-acres of the old farm that was purchased in 1990, by the current owner, Joe David Meeks. Joe and his wife Donna consider themselves caretakers of the beautiful land that nature so generously blessed with timeless beauty and natural resource. The Meeks now present Live Oak so that others may celebrate what nature and the work of those who came before created and to preserve the pecan harvesting and farming legacy of the farm.
The Meeks now also use the farm to cultivate and grow sunflowers to supply local florists flowers and to sell sunflower seeds to farmers. Through annual public demonstrations and exhibitions, the Meeks teach the process of harvesting pecans and other local crops in collaboration with eight local schools and FAA chapters. Through hands-on learning opportunities, students are educated on proven crop production practices to encourage agricultural pursuits.
Live Oak operates in the State of Florida as a model for the Florida Agritourism Program to help keep farms and farm history alive. Each Spring, Live Oak plants a vegetable garden in conjunction with the Waterfront Rescue Mission to help provide their patrons with fresh vegetables harvested throughout the summer. At harvest time, the general public may schedule tours for educational, demonstration, cultural, ceremonial, exhibition, and historically educational purposes.
Live Oak is private land, a working farm with inherent dangers and a private home. As such, the property is open to the public by pre-scheduled appointment only. The property is surveilled by a private security company. motion detectors, and cameras 24/7.