A North Carolina couple renovated a crumbling 118-year-old manor with an attached chapel in 11 weeks. Finishing touches were being made on the day of their wedding — see how they did it.

Amanda GohJun 1, 2023, 11:53 IST

The entrance to the chapel.Lighthouse Visuals

Joe and Becky Davis spent 11 weeks turning a crumbling manor and chapel into their dream wedding venue.
The North Carolina property used to be Joe's childhood home but had been left vacant when his parents moved to Florida.

What happens when your dream wedding venue is a crumbling chapel next to your childhood home? Joe and Becky Davis did the unthinkable and renovated it in 11 weeks — in time for their wedding.

Becky and Joe Davis on their wedding day, standing outside the entrance to the chapel.Maddy Harwell Photography

What happens when your dream wedding venue is a crumbling chapel next to your childhood home? Joe and Becky Davis did the unthinkable and renovated it in 11 weeks — in time for their wedding.

While Joe worked on and off on the property, it wasn't until he proposed to Becky in January 2022 that he started ramping up the restoration efforts.

The manor and the adjoining chapel.Lighthouse Visuals

Joe says that they managed to complete at least a year's worth of renovation in under 11 weeks.

A before photo of the crumbling manor.Becky and Joe Davis/Mizpah Manor and Chapel

The couple had between 12 to 15 workmen on site every day, trying to get everything ready for the big day.

A before image of the crumbling manor.Becky and Joe Davis/Mizpah Manor and Chapel

The hardest part of the entire project was finding workers and keeping everyone motivated enough to finish the project on time, Joe said.

The interiors of the manor during the renovation.Becky and Joe Davis/Mizpah Manor and Chapel

Despite the cost, Joe was determined to breathe new life into his childhood home because it held sentimental value for him and his family.

The exterior of the renovated manor.Lighthouse Visuals

The renovated property, which the couple named Mizpah Manor and Chapel, dates back to the early 1900s, Becky said.

The exterior of the chapel.Lighthouse Visuals

The couple ended up finishing the renovations on the morning of their wedding.

Becky and Joe Davis on their wedding day, standing outside the entrance to the chapel.Maddy Harwell Photography

The day of their wedding was also the first time in years that Joe's entire family had gathered together in the same place.

The empty chapel.Lighthouse Visuals

Although the major renovations are completed, the manor still needs some additional work and furnishing.

One of the common rooms in the manor. It is empty save for a fireplace and a grand piano.Lighthouse Visuals

The two of them are planning to lease the space out as a wedding venue starting in 2024.

The unfinished kitchen.Lighthouse Visuals

This will be the couple's first time running a wedding venue, but they're hopeful that other couples will enjoy the space as much as they did.

The manor comes with five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, and three half-baths.Lighthouse Visuals

The 10 best cities to become a homeowner, where houses are affordable relative to incomes and property values tend to go up

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

A North Carolina couple renovated a crumbling 118-year-old manor with an attached chapel in 11 weeks. Finishing touches were being made on the day of their wedding &mdash; see how they did it.

What happens when your dream wedding venue is a crumbling chapel next to your childhood home? Joe and Becky Davis did the unthinkable and renovated it in 11 weeks — in time for their wedding.

While Joe worked on and off on the property, it wasn't until he proposed to Becky in January 2022 that he started ramping up the restoration efforts.

Joe says that they managed to complete at least a year's worth of renovation in under 11 weeks.

The couple had between 12 to 15 workmen on site every day, trying to get everything ready for the big day.

The hardest part of the entire project was finding workers and keeping everyone motivated enough to finish the project on time, Joe said.

Despite the cost, Joe was determined to breathe new life into his childhood home because it held sentimental value for him and his family.

The renovated property, which the couple named Mizpah Manor and Chapel, dates back to the early 1900s, Becky said.

The couple ended up finishing the renovations on the morning of their wedding.

The day of their wedding was also the first time in years that Joe's entire family had gathered together in the same place.

Although the major renovations are completed, the manor still needs some additional work and furnishing.

The two of them are planning to lease the space out as a wedding venue starting in 2024.

This will be the couple's first time running a wedding venue, but they're hopeful that other couples will enjoy the space as much as they did.

A North Carolina couple renovated a crumbling 118-year-old manor with an attached chapel in 11 weeks. Finishing touches were being made on the day of their wedding — see how they did it.