BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Seasons of change

My musings…

As I sit here writing our December newsletter (a day late, but that’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes), I am experiencing a bit of writer’s block. This is mostly due to the fact that there is a lot I want to write about and only so much space in a blog post before readers’ eyes roll to the back of their heads! 😉

I feel like this past month has been a time of paradoxes. It absolutely flew by, yet it feels like I wrote our November newsletter months ago. There are many items on our to-do list we accomplished but also several moments of feeling utterly unproductive. We experienced the sentiment that the holiday season equals family time; however, it has been our busiest period of the year professionally.

Basically, this past month has been chaos. But a (mostly) good kind of crazy. And to keep my head on straight through the ebb and flow of both extreme busy and quiet stillness, I’ve rooted my mind into the notion of keeping balance.

Photo Credit: Gardens of Weber Manor.

Last week when Mike’s dad was visiting for Thanksgiving, we had a long conversation about balance. I feel that many people strive for it. It’s often the theme at professional panels and in self-help books. Yet so many people struggle with their version of achieving balance. (A healthy balance between work and personal life, school and work life, friends and family time, staying healthy and meeting day-to-day demands, etc.)

Now, I am no expert on this topic, but I can speak from my own experience as this is a concept I have been acutely focusing on, both consciously and subconsciously, since the beginning of the pandemic when burnout was tapping on my backdoor.

In a month like November, where I spent a long weekend in Portland, OR for a funeral, spent a week and-a-half in NYC for my financial planning profession, and had several people in-and-out of our house throughout the month (including Mike’s kids for the week of Thanksgiving!), any surface-level notion of balance went right out the door when I looked at my packed calendar. This month was filled to the brim with ever-changing demands and a full personal and professional load.

But, it all turned out okay.

It was a month of paradoxes, as I mentioned before, so there were moments where I was stressed or felt guilty for not responding to text messages sooner or wanted to do more but didn’t have the time. But even in the chaos can come a sense of balance and accomplishment.

Much like the plants and trees in our garden go through seasons – even here in Florida – so, too, do we experience different seasons of life. Some seasons line up with our calendarial season or a school’s-in-session season. Other times our seasons can be one week long or last for two years.

Some of those periods of time may require full attention to a work-related endeavor. Other times we show up for friends or family members as the best versions of ourselves.

Whatever the season is, I am understanding that it’s okay to have 1-3 top priorities during that time and to forgive myself for not showing up 100% to everything (or everyone) else in those moments. During Thanksgiving week when the kids were with us, they were my top priority followed by making sure my clients were taken care of. Do you know what “suffered”? My social media posts and interactions for the event space. But that’s okay. There will be other times where I can make that a focus.

It’s not about finding the perfect balance every day for every aspect of my life but allowing the current season I’m living in – intentionally or unintentionally – to take precedence unapologetically.

Just like the Serenity Prayer my dad taught me years ago (“God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference”), I am finally understanding the balance that lies within that dichotomy (what we can and can’t control) and embracing each season I’m in, whether I have a lot or little control.

Updates for TheGoWM…

Is there such a thing as downtime??

Last month we:

  • Booked our very first wedding at the GoWM!!!

  • Finished the in-ground sprinkler system (= very happy plants).

  • Planted even more bamboo.

  • Brought in gravel to add in more pathways throughout the venue.

  • Started to add some decorations to the garden space (besides plants!).

  • Took some much needed time with family and spent a lot of time outdoors!

This month, we plan to:

  • Finish running the electrical lines.

  • Get an electrical meter installed by FPL (our electric company).

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

  • Continue landscaping in all 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.

  • Please engage (share, like, comment, save) with our posts on social media if you feel inclined!

  • 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