BIRTHDAY PARTIES

So much to celebrate

 

My musings…

Does the beginning of November denote that we are officially in the holiday season? It’s hard to believe we’re already at this stage in 2021. Starting this business venture amplifies the phrase time flies and this year has raced by.

Since the beginning of September, I have been working closely with Sofia from MicroMiami and Meagan and Teddy from Magnolia Sunsets to curate a massive, styled photo shoot that took place Sunday, October 24. From the onset, Sofia brought on vendors at a record pace, and before we knew it, we had nearly 20 vendors volunteering their services to turn this dream bohemian styled shoot into a reality.

To say I was feeling overwhelmed leading up to this shoot is an understatement. We had so much to do and what felt like so little time to get the venue to a spot where we could create multiple photo opportunities. And make them beautiful.

To top it off, right after we booked the styled shoot, several of our contractors became available to begin the next phase of building out the venue. Within the matter of a week, we had trenches running throughout the entire space, baby plants barely peeping their heads above the disrupted soil (thanks to the trenching), and a lot of unappealing dead space surrounding the turf we had just laid.

To add the cherry to the top, Mike and I both had a lot going on behind the scenes, Mike with an unexpected death in the family and me with a big (but good) change in my financial planning practice that caused me to spend a few weeks in NYC.

We felt a bit like two chickens running around with our heads cut off.

 

 

Photo Credit: Rob & Ale Captures.

However, because we have such amazing contractors and because Mike is so handy (he single-handedly rigged an entire bistro lighting setup over the paved terrace while I was in NYC), we pulled off enough to have several beautiful areas where we could shoot multiple scenes: a proposal, a wedding ceremony, and a reception party.

Additionally, the vendors executing the styled shoot were actual super humans. Sofia seamlessly coordinated with all the service providers to create what would become our masterpiece, “Caught in a Boho Dream.” When everyone showed up on the 24th, they came to slay.

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the beauty—the artwork!—these creatives would implement in our space. There were moments leading up to that Sunday where I had nauseous pits churning in my stomach, stressing over every imperfection. As it normally goes, my worrying was in vain as the day turned out splendidly.

I gained more than just fabulous photos from our first styled shoot—and the photos are truly gorgeous. This exercise was a great reminder that building a business, or anything successful for that matter, takes a village.

With the multitude of to-dos on our plates and our demands requiring us to be in different locations, we even had some family members and friends offer to help – even if it meant they had to jump on a plane, fly down to Miami, and somehow fill in our gaps without having learned the ropes.

Gone are the days of having the mentality that I can do it all on my own and I don’t need to ask for help. This venture would not have been possible without so many wonderful people coming together, contributing their passions and helping hands to create a day of beauty and fun.

In short, the day and everything leading up to it were magical. We have an amazing community – both near and far – and we are energized to officially open our space and share some of that magic with others in the new year.

Updates for TheGoWM…

October. Was. Busy. But we did it and feel more excited than ever for what’s to come!

Last month we:

  • Surrounded the 2,000 sq ft of turf with mulch and planted some adorning plants.

  • Power washed the stables, which surprisingly made a big difference for this quaint backdrop.

  • Planted nearly 800 plants throughout the venue to create a majestic garden feel.

  • Hung 480 ft of bistro lighting over the paved terrace.

  • Furnished one side of the couple’s production suite.

  • Hosted our first styled shoot with 20 vendors (friendors as we’ve come to learn the very appropriate term!). See below for links to each vendor’s Instagram.

  • Started our #WednesdayConnect campaign on Instagram where we share stories of people connecting with others (the virtual embodiment of our event space serving to connect people with their loved ones) – check out our stories on Instagram!

This month, we plan to:

  • Finish the in-ground sprinkler system so our baby plants won’t be without water.

  • Finish running the electrical lines (and hopefully have power hooked up to our electric pole!).

  • Complete the renovations on the studio side of the suite.

  • Continue landscaping in all areas of the venue spaces.

  • Bring in gravel as connecting pathways between different areas of the venue.

  • Add in a concrete pad central to all hosting areas specifically for our catering partners.

Our Asks…

This wouldn’t be a community space without the help from, well, our community! If you can assist us with any of the following, we’d greatly appreciate it.

  • Please subscribe to this monthly newsletter if you haven’t!

  • Please follow us on our social media pages: Instagram (@thegardenswm), Facebook, and Pinterest.

  • Share your connection story with us – whether it’s a recount of a romantic, professional, friend, or familial relationship – for our #WednesdayConnect campaign. Please reach out to us at info@thegardenswm.com if you would like to participate.

  • Book a tour if you’re in the area and would like to see our space!

 Thanks for tuning in this month!

 -Emily, Co-Founder, The Gardens of Weber Manor

 

Blog News: We love to connect with our clients and friends, and we publish a special newsletter every 1st Thursday of the month. We also provide a lot of wedding tips from our preferred vendors.

“You will find that most times you have a vision of what it is that you want to accomplish and that’s most important. It allows you to work backwards and make cuts and changes that will still reflect the overall outcome you wish to achieve. What good is splurging on one particular item if it doesn’t result in the overall outcome you were trying to create?

-Emily, Co-Founder, The Gardens of Weber Manor

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THE GARDENS OF WEBER MANOR LOCATION 

“ When I say that pictures and videos do not do this space justice, that is an understatement!! The Gardens of Weber Manor, in all of its whimsy and magic, is truly a perfect little nook in the heart of the Redlands. No matter what the vision or mood board, this venue and its versatility will allow you to transform it to match your wildest dreams. Add to that the fact that Mike & Emily are the absolute sweetest owners & venue managers, and there should be NOTHING holding you back from booking a tour and picking your wedding date that same day. It is clear that they have put their heart and souls into building up The Gardens from the ground up. So whether you’re planning a wedding, anniversary, birthday or corporate event, you need not look further.  ”

– Alianne Valladares-Prieto

“ The Gardens of Weber Manor is a hidden gem. This venue is magical. I can’t express how amazing it was working with Emily and Mike. They answered every question I had and made me feel that they had everything under control at all times. The staff was awesome!!! The rooms looked beautiful!!! I want to give a special thanks to Emily it was an absolute pleasure working with you. Everything went smoothly, easily and successfully thanks to Emily and Mike and the rest of the team. We felt like family from the time we started to plan the wedding and especially on our wedding day. Thanks to the Gardens of Weber Manor for the wedding of our dreams! ”

– Fernanda Rodriguez

“ We cannot say enough good things about this venue and the owners, Emily & Mike! It is truly a hidden gem. The garden is absolutely gorgeous – you really don’t even need to decorate because the scenery has so much beauty all itself. There are so many spots throughout the venue that could be used for different parts of an event, and no matter where you turned it was a perfect photo backdrop. Our friends and family kept telling us how beautiful the venue was and wondering how we found it. ”

– Kyla Hill