AUGUST 2021
Introducing The Gardens of Weber Manor
I am thrilled to be sharing with you my very first newsletter as the proud co-owner of The Gardens of Weber Manor.
In this first post, I’m sharing how Mike and I arrived at creating The Gardens of Weber Manor, our brand-new outdoor event venue, and a call to action to join us on this journey.
To start from the beginning, I – like many people – have experienced unexpected changes over the past 16 months. As most of you know, I found myself in Key West in March of 2020, prepared to visit for a week but stayed for four months, courtesy of pandemic travel limitations. I certainly can’t complain about getting “stranded” in a tropical paradise, though.
For two of those four months, I had the great privilege of living on a 27’ mini yacht named Roxie docked at Stock Island Marina Village. It was a scenario in my life that may never be replicated, the right concoction of remote work capabilities and an economy that came to a screeching halt. I experienced multiple “pinch me” moments every single day while living on the boat, but perhaps the most rewarding outcome of that experience was meeting Mike.
Photo Credit: Gardens of Weber Manor.
Fast-forward through several inter-state visits (Mike lived in Miami while I had gone back up to my apartment in Brooklyn) and some big decisions, and I found myself packing my belongings and moving to Miami. At the same time I was making my way to the Sunshine state, Mike was purchasing a five-acre property in the Redlands, the agricultural district within Miami about thirty-five minutes south of the airport.
The property came with a primary residence (a semi-fixer upper built in the 1950s), a guest house (a complete fixer upper built in the 80s), a two-acre plant nursery, and horse stables with a fenced-in pasture. It felt – still feels like – we found a diamond in the rough, a true oasis right outside the hustle and bustle of the vibrant downtown Miami.
As a financial planner, creating multiple streams of income is important to me. Thankfully, this property has given Mike and me the opportunity to do just that. When we decided that boarding and caring for horses didn’t align with our lifestyle, we landed on the idea of converting the old horse pasture into an outdoor garden venue for events, such as weddings and parties. We would be able to share the peace, happiness, and serenity that this space brings to us with other people on some of their most special days.
And thus, The Gardens of Weber Manor was born. Had we settled on a giant pink house we may have considered naming it The Gardens of Barbe Manor ;).
We’re very excited for everything to come with our space – projects we have in mind and opportunities that have yet to present themselves. We’re mindful of the impact we have on our community and want this to be a space for people both near and far.
This newsletter marks the launch of our website, a labor of love into which I have poured many late-night and weekend hours. We’re also looking to open the venue this fall for some events, with an official launch in the new year.
We would love to have you join us on this journey and could use a little help if you’re called to it:
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Please subscribe to our monthly newsletter via our website so that you can stay up to date on the progress of our venue.
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Please like and follow us on our social media pages: @thegardenswm on Instagram or The Gardens of Weber Manor on Facebook.
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If you have planned a wedding or another special gathering, please consider filling out this quick survey to help us better understand what people look for when planning an event.
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As we’ve just started to dip our toes into the Miami events scene, we’d love to be connected to any event planners, photographers, or other wedding vendors you know and trust working in South Florida.
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We also want to open our space up to folks in the wellness universe, such as yoga or Pilates instructors or dance teachers. If you know someone who teaches one of these disciplines in the Miami area, we’d also appreciate an introduction.
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Spread the word about our space!
Thank you for reading through our first newsletter. This wouldn’t be possible without so many incredible partners and the support of our family and friends.
Let us know if you have any questions or feedback. Our email for The Gardens of Weber Manor is info@thegardenswm.com (and add this email to your contacts!).
-Emily, Co-Founder, The Gardens of Weber Manor
“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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– Alianne Valladares-Prieto
– Fernanda Rodriguez