The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast

Episode 13 From Family Estate To Dream Venue: The Barn At Silverstone

• James • Season 1 • Episode 13

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Some wedding days look effortless; the best ones are engineered that way. We sit with Miranda, owner of The Barn at Silverstone, to unpack how a historic family estate became a nationally recognized, guest-first wedding venue—and what actually makes celebrations run smooth from first email to last dance. With nearly 800 weddings behind her, Miranda shares a decade of lessons that most couples never see but always feel.

We explore how in-house catering, climate-controlled spaces, and a true indoor ceremony option remove friction and protect timelines. Miranda breaks down the planning portal she gives every couple—checklists, layouts, inspiration uploads, and vendor contacts in one place—plus why she reviews vendor contracts to catch missing details before they derail setup. She’s candid about vendor red flags (communication tops the list), the difference professional DJ gear makes, and how to vet photographers for the style you want, like golden hour portraits that actually glow.

The tour of the property doubles as a masterclass in guest flow: solid-surface courtyard ceremonies, stables for an indoor-outdoor cocktail hour, and an upstairs reception flooded with natural light. We talk smart tactics—tray-passed drinks at the start of cocktail hour, seating charts shown early to eliminate bottlenecks, and repurposing ceremony florals to elevate the reception. On budget, Miranda champions less is more: choose refined pieces that photograph well, skip the clutter, and invest where comfort and beauty meet.

If you’re planning a wedding or work in the industry, this conversation is packed with practical ideas you can use tomorrow—questions to ask venues, how to build a trustworthy vendor team, and ways to design a day that feels calm for you and easy for your guests. Enjoy the story, steal the systems, and come away with a clearer path to an elegant, stress-light celebration.

If this was helpful, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more couples and vendors can find it.

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SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to The Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days. I'm James, a wedding filmmaker, and I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about real conversations with the ones who make it happen. Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insight, good stories, and maybe a little inspiration along the way. Let's meet today's wedding vendor. Hey Miranda, how's it going?

SPEAKER_01:

Hi, James. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, what's super exciting is we are here at your venue, the Barnett Silverstone. And the Barnet Silverstone was featured on World's Greatest as the world's greatest venue, which is so cool.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

I've told that to a couple people while we've been filming here, and they are all like, Whoa, what? Really? Here, the breathtaking historic stonework meets elegant modern design with an inclusive approach that lets couples enjoy a truly low stress planning experience. We shot a wedding here a couple weeks ago. It's not gonna be a couple weeks ago now, but if filming this right now, it was a couple weeks ago. And I met you within like probably five minutes of being here, and I was like, this is a cool place with a cool owner.

unknown:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Tell me a little bit about how you got into the industry. I've you've done so many weddings. I can't wait to hear more about that. But tell me how everything kind of got started for you guys here at the Barnet Silverstone. Just give us a little bit of insight on who you are too.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so my husband and I both went to college at IUP and our degree was in hospitality management. So we came home to our family estate and uh we were looking to get married. So we looked around, we didn't like what we found. Our goal was to find a place that was beautiful but elegant. A lot of the barns in this area are very rustic and um not inclusive. A lot of DIY, a lot of stuff you have to do on the day yourself. So we decided we had a barn, we needed to do something with it anyway. So we decided to restore it the way we wanted to restore it and how we envisioned our wedding. And that's what we did.

SPEAKER_00:

Here we are.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and here we are.

SPEAKER_00:

How many years have you guys been in business?

SPEAKER_01:

This is 10 years. 10 years.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, crazy. That's so cool. And it's funny, rustic barns are okay, but there's a place for some not rustic barns.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah, we are a destination location, so a lot of our couples are like New New York, New Jersey.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. Um, do you find that when couples are reaching out, are they expecting it to be like just a normal, kind of more generic barn, or are they they know like what they're kind of getting themselves into?

SPEAKER_01:

Perhaps not when they first inquire, but usually by the time we've emailed back and forth, I mean I send all of our information because I want to make sure that this is what they're looking for. Some people just want a DIY space, and not that you couldn't do that here, but it's really not designed necessarily for that. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So you've been in business for 10 years. What did it look like when everything kind of first started? You had your wedding here, and you're like, wait a minute, this could be like a thing.

SPEAKER_01:

It was almost the opposite. So we wanted a place to get married, so we were going to restore it, but we also were looking to expand our business. Uh, we have bed and breakfast as well. So the upstairs, there's rooms here, but we now pretty much focus on the weddings. So we decided uh to restore it already knowing that we were gonna open it as a wedding venue, but kind of did it the way we would have wanted it for our wedding.

SPEAKER_00:

Gotcha, that's so cool. What did those first couple years look like as you guys were kind of getting things off the ground, like working out the kinks?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, it's definitely a roller coaster. As soon as you start, you know, you learn pretty quickly. And the thing is that I'm at every single event. So, you know, even just five weddings in, and you're like, oh my goodness, okay, so let's not do that, let's do this. So a lot of different changes that we've had throughout the years. And every year we've tried to enhance our property or the buildings or just like the process in general, and we've come to a spot where we're meaning to be as inclusive as we can be while still letting the couple have their own vision and just making it as seamless as possible for the planning process.

SPEAKER_00:

Because I do feel like there are some venues that like they kind of pigeonhole you into like you gotta work with these people, and it has to kind of be this way. It sounds like what you're saying is like there's a little bit more wiggle room for couples.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and like they can bring their own vendors and all of that. So, of course, we have recommendations, just ones that we are we know will do a good job, but they're welcome to bring whomever they'd like. The only uh restriction we have is that we have our in-house catering so that we pretty much take care of everything, and that makes it so much smoother. You're not having a cater that's learning for the first time at the facility. Where is the stuff at? Where do I put my stuff? Yeah. Oh, they didn't provide the linens. We didn't know that, or the bartending isn't included, or just like there's so many nuances between catering and having them on site, it just makes everything run so much smoother.

SPEAKER_00:

What are some of the like big standout things that you guys learned in those first couple of years as a new venue in town?

SPEAKER_01:

Um well, even when we opened, asking vendors what they think would be best for our facility. So, right as we were restoring it, like outlets all over the place so you can plug in and um lots of natural light and lighter ceilings for greater photos. So taking a lot of advice from vendors in general before we physically opened and then just evolving every time there was a wedding and there was something that didn't go quite right, we're like, okay, right that's let's uh let's adjust. Yeah. Um, so and catering, honestly, was one of the big ones where it was a huge headache. Every time a new caterer, the couple's upset with the with the catering, and it's like, I had nothing to do with that. We had our first and almost only bad review, which was the food was cold and the service was terrible. And I'm like, I had nothing to do with that. And now I stand wholeheartedly behind our caterer. So I have no concerns with our.

SPEAKER_00:

Like, how how do you manage, like, how do you manage all that?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, and that's part of why I have a recommended vendor list. And again, they don't have to go off of it, but then I at least know that the vendors that I'm recommending, it's gonna be a smooth experience, and they know the facility, they can give guidance just like I can give guidance. Right. And it just makes things run smoother.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I'd I'd have to imagine. I mean, the preferred list kind of is off the back of that idea.

SPEAKER_01:

Imagine.

SPEAKER_00:

Um imagine, there's a preferred list. Um and I'm assuming you've kind of developed that list over the years.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, absolutely, and it evolves every year. So it's always changing. I mean, if something happens or somebody goes out of business, or you know, there's so many different things, or I find somebody that's absolutely amazing and deserves to be on that list. Nobody pays me to be on that list. Honestly, kindness and communication and working as a team, and that's really all I need to know that like you're worth recommending. Yeah, and then it makes the day go so much smoother.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and especially if they know the space. I mean, I'm hearing that from the catering side of things. Like they know the space, they know what to do. Then there's not this like when does food come out? Where does it go? How does it stay warm?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, and even still, not everybody, I mean, even if we had multiple caters, you don't know that the cater isn't connected to me. The couple, like the guests don't know that. So everybody, it reflects all on me. And at least having consistent quality and it's an award-winning cater, just again, it just makes everything great.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. No, that I could I can see how that would like you're kind of living and dying off of this one vendor doing the best job that they can.

SPEAKER_02:

Yep.

SPEAKER_00:

Um is there like a moment in those first couple of years, or even like the year before, where you guys were like getting everything ready where you were like, We want to do this. We feel like this is the right path for us moving forward. Like, did you always know that you were gonna be like a business owner?

SPEAKER_01:

I pretty much always knew I would do some sort of business. My parents are entrepreneurs, they work together. Um, and I always wanted to work with my husband doing something, and so that was the path that we were leading, and we were getting married, and we needed a spot anyway. So it kind of just fell into place. And again, hospitality being our degree, we did some wedding planning in college, some restaurant management. Knew that I didn't necessarily want to do the food end of it. I could, don't want to. Um, and I love design, so I mean it kind of falls into place with weddings.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Walk me through the like the path of like you have the idea, you start the renovation process, and like now you are here having done probably almost 800 weddings. Almost 800. Like that just is mind-boggling. And like you said, you're at all of them. Like, what's that journey been like? I know you've learned a bunch, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, it's it's a roller coaster, but it's it's like it gets easier and easier and easier as you go through. I it was such a fun planning process as we started. I mean, it was our barn, it's our property, and and seeing how the spaces could evolve because I mean we completely gutted them and just restored them. And we did it pretty quickly because I was getting married. We did it in about three and a half months. Wow. Um, so we were on a mission to get it done. Um, and you know, we kind of created our own procedures, how we would want to create them. In fact, way back, we were actually gonna hand it off to somebody to manage, and I just kept creating the procedures and making things, and I was like, you know what? I can absolutely do this. I love this space, I love this property, and I would want to be like very heavily involved in it. And so my husband and I took the reins and did everything together.

SPEAKER_00:

You're probably like so glad now. I mean, then you can't like go back and like change everything, but you're like absolutely that was probably the best move. It was now, yes. Um, no, that's so cool. It so you knew you're gonna be a business owner. I'm assuming you weren't thinking maybe letting venue owner.

SPEAKER_01:

It wasn't necessarily um our our we we didn't have anything particular in mind, but uh it totally fits with the hospitality side of things.

SPEAKER_00:

Um has it been fun seeing the business grow and like change and evolve and like has your roles kind of shifted as you guys have a little bit, a little bit.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, I used to be even more hands-on than I am now, which is hard to imagine. Um but You were everywhere we were here. I mean, I would come in at, you know, 7:30 in the morning and I might not leave till 3 a.m. Um and do it all over again. And it was it was getting pretty difficult because it was my husband and I, our our mentality is you know, work really hard at the beginning so that it'll pay off in the future. So we pretty much were the staff. We set up everything, we cleaned everything, we did almost everything that you could do at the mode, the property. I mean, we currently have 37 acres. We didn't start with that many, but um it was a lot to maintain and doing the landscaping and all of that ourselves amongst tours and contracts and final walkthroughs and everything else. So uh it slowly evolved where my husband is now the behind the scenes doing the cleaning with with somebody to assist, um, and uh the setup of the tables and chairs and linens, and I am more of the face and the tours and the contracts and the final walkthroughs and emails and all of that stuff. So he usually you don't see him unless there's an issue, and then you see me the whole day.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So if you see him, you know something's going real bad.

SPEAKER_01:

We don't need them to know that.

SPEAKER_00:

What does it take to run? I mean, maybe even more specifically, run a successful wedding venue where you're turning a profit and having happy clients and customers and and people are enjoying the space that you have here.

SPEAKER_01:

It takes a lot of a lot of work, um, a lot of time, dedication, and ever evolving. I mean, even general weddings are always changing, and you know, you got to stay with the time so that you're not outdated and got to keep up with the other local venues. I mean, everybody's adding things, and it's you want to make sure that you're on top and that you have everything and more than what everybody else has, but a lot of long hours and a lot of late nights. In fact, considering I have two children, a lot of my emails are going through at like 1 a.m. Yeah. Just like getting my emails done when I can.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that. Is there a significance to the name of the venue?

SPEAKER_01:

So this build the the building that we're currently sitting in uh is a limestone mansion, and it was my my parents purchased it for their silver anniversary, um, their 25th wedding anniversary. So it had the limestone, so they called it Silverstone. So it was um Silverstone Inn and Suites, and then we added a barn to it, and so we said the barn at Silverstone.

SPEAKER_00:

That's so cool. I feel like it's it's really cool to hear like such a sentimental story behind the name and not just like, oh, we just like Silverstones.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00:

No, that's so cool. Um when you have couples inquiring, like what's that process look like for them? Um, seeing the space, envisioning like what their day could look like if they if they booked the Barnet Silverstone as their their wedding venue.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so when they inquire, all my information goes out to them. I figure out what date, and hopefully if I have what they're looking for, because I might not be within budget, I might not have the date that they're looking for. So I just like to make sure that we are a good fit for what they're looking for. Schedule a tour, it'll be with me. Um, and then I show them around and kind of talk through the space as if it was a wedding and how it can all work. And then I sit down and go through all of our pricing and also even a vendor list I provide to them, an abbreviated one, uh, but just all the standard like DJ photo, all of that, um, just to give them some guidance.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm assuming there's like hundreds of different ways that couples could use the space and like having ceremonies here, maybe ceremonies are other location.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Like like what's that look like when they're kind of you're helping them kind of figure out like how do you use the space to fit like a day that they're trying to put together.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so I I kind of figure out and talk with them about what they're looking for. Some people like yard games, some people do not, some people want cigar bars. It just depends on what their preferences are. But I kind of talk about what different things can happen in each of the spaces as we go through them. And then when we sit down, I have a photo book of a whole bunch of really fun things that they can do. So anything from the ceremony locations and what it looks like for a real wedding to be set up there, different types of florals, simple florals, extravagant. And then I have, for instance, Jubilee Entertainment. They have a ton of beautiful installations they can do in the venue. Um, or one of my favorite DJs, DJ Andy M, has bubbles and sparks and clouds and the works. So I pretty much show them real weddings, real photos, um that they can see that and be like, oh, I like that. Oh no, I don't like that. And then I can say, okay, this is how it works. This is kind of maybe the ballpark for pricing that you might be looking at, just so that they can see if it's a good fit for them.

SPEAKER_00:

I feel like it's so hard for couples now in this like digital era to envision what they're thinking they want, actually make it make sense, and then try to figure out how it fits with the venue that they like.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Well, you know, I think a lot of my couples trust me. So I usually ask them, and we have a portal that they'll share with me, and in that they can upload inspiration. So if they're like, this is the vibe I'm going for, I can spell out for them, okay, reach out to this vendor, ask for this. Reach out to this vendor, ask for this. I love those. And that can kind of bring your vision to life of kind of like what you're looking for that fits within our venue.

SPEAKER_00:

And it sounds like you have a lot of actual weddings that you can use as examples.

SPEAKER_01:

I pull from almost all of them. Anyone that gives me photos, at least.

SPEAKER_00:

Like send all the photos, I will use them all. Um so clearly there's I don't even know how many venues there are in Lancaster.

SPEAKER_01:

Me either, but there's a ton.

SPEAKER_00:

There's a ton. Um, you're one of many, but there's something different about being here working with you. What's the mindset on the approach? Um, what's the mindset on like serving your couples? Um, basically, like, what's different about the Barnett Silverstone?

SPEAKER_01:

We're family owned, and I know that there's are several in this area, but we're family owned, and I am the main point of contact. They're not getting passed around from person to person. What they tell me, I'm writing down, and it's not like I've forgotten versus a lot of places they hire people and they might quit or they might, you know, go to a different position. And it's like all those details you gave might not translate to the next person. And now you're getting frustrated. So I am that point of contact, and because I have so much experience and they can see that, usually they feel more at ease. My goal is to make sure that people I try to take the stress away. So again, I have a portal that they'll have access to, and I consider it to be like a virtual wedding planner. It has an entire checklist of exactly how to plan a wedding, what to ask your vendors, uh place you can import photos, the layout, timeline, just pretty much everything all in one hub for them. And again, I also have great vendors that I can recommend that take away some of that stress. So you met Taylor, Taylor from Treasured Events. She can provide gorgeous stuff. I love Taylor.

SPEAKER_00:

Such a great person.

SPEAKER_01:

She is, she is. And you know, she can make our venue gorgeous, but also provide all the necessities for our couples. Less is more here. And she can provide the necessities that are needed. Our couples come with like a guest book, and that is it. Everything else is taken care of for them. So trying to remove the stress, create an easy planning process for them through the portal and just through communicating, I think that kind of sets us apart from everybody else.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I mean, there's so much that goes into like making the day actually happen. Um, and it seems like your systems are giving space to be like, we'll help you find all the people, or you can find all the people.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00:

We'll help you get everything kind of situated, or you can do some of that yourself. But there's like this underlying current of like, we want you to enjoy your day, not feel the stress, like we'll take all that and just bottle it up for you.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I love that. Um has your business sort of like evolved over the years? Or like what's that kind of been like? I mean, I know, you know, obviously things have changed over the years, but like what's that kind of looked like from like when you guys first started to like the weddings that you guys are putting on now?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I mean, it it is a total difference. The more experience you have, like the easier and quicker it'll evolve. So, yes, from the first two years we were open till now, night and day difference in terms of like the quality. Uh, again, I think after the first few years, really trying to hone in on the experience of the couples and trying to eliminate a lot of the questions that they might have and answering them ahead of time and just trying to eliminate all of those issues before they arise on the wedding day. Um, now that I know what those pop potential issues could be, yeah. That's that's pretty much what has evolved amongst every year always trying to enhance the property, adding a backup generator, peace of mind. So couples don't have to worry if the power goes out. Because if the power goes out at a venue that doesn't have a backup generator, you cannot function. You can't flush toilets. That is a hazard. Like you can't have the music going. Yeah, you can maybe bring in a generator for the DJ. What about the kitchen and the food? Like there's so much that just physically can't happen if you don't have power. So we have the generator, we've added an indoor backup ceremony location completely separate from any other space. So we're not flipping a cocktail hour or a reception. So the couple and photographers or video can get the space completely pristine and set up without having to worry about flipping it. So a lot of places it's like, oh well, yeah, I guess you're in the reception hall now and people have already seen it, and now we're trying to flip it and it's tight and it's like it's I want my couples, they've worked so hard to see their vision come to life. I want them to come into that room and have a chance to take it all in before the guests get in there and make a little mess of things.

SPEAKER_00:

It's so tough too, because it's like if if there's not space, then there's not space, but it's Sounds like you've thought through, I mean, you've done a lot of weddings, so it's it's probably come up at some point where it's rained, and you're like, Well, let's put this in the reception spot. Yeah. But now you're like, Oh, actually, we have this other space where you can completely have a standalone ceremony and not worry about the elements if they don't want to be outside.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. Well, that's my wedding. So at my wedding, we did not have the backup ceremony space. We got married at the rehearsal before our wedding, it rained. And so we had to rehearse inside. And I'm like, oh my goodness, if I have it rain on my wedding day, I'm gonna be heartbroken. It didn't. It was gorgeous. My wedding was perfect. Love it. And I'm like, I never want anybody to feel that way. I don't want anybody to ever panic about what are we gonna do. Oh, we've got to flip the space. People are gonna see the reception hall. I'm not gonna see it completely set up. So literally, as soon as we got married, I'm like, first agenda at a backup ceremony location, completely separate. Yeah. Not flipping anything. We don't have to worry about it. Also, a lot of the times it's one is above the other, similar to ours, where stables and reception are one above the other. You can hear things happening when you're flipping spaces, and it's just it's not nice to hear that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, because you do have the space. Walk me through like what kind of spaces you do have for the listener as they're kind of in you know, imagining what I'll throw some clips maybe at the front of this one to kind of see what it looks like. But like walk me through like the different spaces that you have and and how you've seen that those spaces are are adding value for your couples too.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so specifically for the events for ceremony, we have our courtyard as the outdoor option, which is solid surfaces. It's not like heels or grandparents are gonna have any issues. Beautiful fountain with the weeping willows in the backdrop. And then we have it flows into the stables, which is where the cocktail hour is, and cocktail hour is always indoor and outdoor, so guests are able to flow both spaces. We have a nice pavilion and fire pit in the courtyard as well. We have again a whole nother building, which is our indoor ceremony space, which uh could either be their plan A or plan B. Uh, if it is their plan B, it's morning of that we look at the weather together, figure out whether it's just temperature or the rain that they're concerned with, and then make that call together. And then the upper level of the main barn, which is the stables on the lower level for the cocktail hour, the upstairs has the reception, which is grand, tons of windows, overlooks the courtyard. So if people want to do things in the evening, the fire pit, yard games, cigar bars, whatever it might be, they have that opportunity to still go outside and have kind of like an indoor-outdoor vibe for the reception as well, if they'd like to.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's awesome. And then we're we're in the bride getting ready space.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so we actually have two suites for the ladies. We have a bridal mansion, which is what we are in. It has multiple different rooms from a dining area to eat their lunch and brunch, a little coffee bar area if they want to have mimosas, um, beautiful like salon space and like lounge.

SPEAKER_00:

I will say, I'm just gonna jump in really quick. Please your salon space is nice.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Like it's like an actual like little spot. I I've I feel like we're in a room like this, yeah, oftentimes to do everything.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And you have like we brought a bride into here, all of the dresses are hanging up behind me, and it's a completely clean space. Yeah, there's nothing in here, no bags, no water bottles or whatever else. And when she was in there getting ready, getting her hair and makeup done, it's the hair and makeup stuff.

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00:

And then we have this nice clean space in here. I've I just kind of jump in because it's just like the space makes sense, and we're not just in some like random podunk room that has white walls and might be kind of nice.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, exactly. And again, we are in the dressing room, so clean, you know, you get your photos of the dresses, we have a place for them to hang. So uh photographers are always looking for a spot to hang dresses, so we have that built in, so you don't have to worry about that. And then in addition to the bridal mansion, we have a whole nother smaller suite, which is just kind of like a little decompressant uh decompression location for the bride right before ceremony, and then a spot for her to get bustled, touch up her makeup, and have if she wants a dress change, she can do that over there. And that's right next to the reception hall. And of course, we do have a groom suite as well, uh, very much more industrial. Yeah, still has a restroom, uh TV to keep the guys entertained. Um, and yeah, so those are it does.

SPEAKER_00:

I love um seeing a venue that's like thought through all the different things. I know you've had a lot of weddings, so it's like come up probably in all these different scenarios, but it's like a thoughtful process of like, here's a clean space to do the actual getting ready photos, as opposed to like um bridesmaids, could we move everything out of the way and then move this couch and then push that chair over? And now we kind of have a clear corner. It's like, no, let's just use this room with this nice big mirror that's right behind this camera.

SPEAKER_01:

A lot of natural light. Get a lot of natural light.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I love it. Um when you're like setting up for a wedding day, is there something that you do or like a mindset that you have that like gets you in the zone that like helps you like just have your yourself ready for like the I mean it's a it's a long day.

SPEAKER_01:

It's a long day. Um, and there's a lot of details. So every night before I have a wedding, I review their vendors, their like decor that that's gonna be provided, and just kind of have like a big picture of what the day is supposed to look like. That way, when I like jump in for that day, I am already expecting, oh, there's an alcohol service dropping off the alcohol. Like I just know what's supposed to happen, when it's supposed to happen. And if it's not, we're calling those vendors. Um, but again, it just allows, and that's why I found you pretty much right away because I knew what time you were roughly supposed to arrive. Yeah. Um, and again, it's also in our portal, but I do just kind of take the second to just review all the details the day before uh for each wedding and then coffee the morning off because that will always get me going. I need coffee. I live on coffee.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, is there anything that you find helpful, like speaking to other vendors to like help stay focused throughout the day, stay in the zone, like in there for the couples, like ready for what's coming up next?

SPEAKER_01:

I really don't, honestly. I mean, I'm just naturally in the zone once I start. I mean, but no, I don't really do anything aside from just a little perk for the coffee, and that's pretty much it.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that. Are there like trends in the industry? I mean, you've you've been it for 10 years, like I'm sure weddings 10 years ago look somewhat nothing like they do now.

SPEAKER_01:

100%. Even from my wedding, well, which was 10 years ago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Sorry to date you, but um what's been like what's been like the biggest shift that you've seen in in the industry over those 10 years?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, couples going for kind of like less is more, but higher quality stuff, a lot of our couples, but also the guest experience and making sure that they're more comfortable. A lot of my couples choose our indoor ceremony location by choice because they know it's climate control, they don't have to worry about weather if it drizzles, if the sun is beating down on the guests, like none of that has to be a concern. So I think the guest experience is kind of one of the uh ways things are definitely shifting um for the future.

SPEAKER_00:

Is there something that you guys are are doing or are planning to do in the future with the venue to like elevate the guest experience? Sorry, I threw it. We didn't go over this question. That's a new one. That's not on the list. Uh where was that?

SPEAKER_01:

I honestly don't know. I mean, we've already kind of gotten there with regards to I I feel like we have kind of maximized the guest experience already. We have the indoor ceremony space, every space is climate controlled, which again, things that weren't always our backup ceremony space wasn't climate controlled at the very, very beginning. We've added climate control. Um, and we are always directing guests from one location to the next, so they're never guessing what they should be doing. So, in general, we already kind of have it set up for the best experience that our guests can have.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I mean, it it makes sense with how long you guys have been doing it and throwing that question there, you're like, I don't even know. Yeah, because it's already there. You don't know because it's already there, yeah. And that makes total sense. Um, is there like a favorite moment or like one of the more memorable moments that you've had over the course of your time as a as an owner?

SPEAKER_01:

So um, well, one of my just fun favorites is uh Kane, uh Kane Brown uh attended one of the weddings here, which is one of my favorite artists. So I love that. That was fun. Um, and then for a just a memorable experience, uh I had a bride that always said that she had bad weather on her wedding day, and it was a gorgeous fall day, like not a cloud in the sky. We're getting her lined up for an outdoor ceremony, and as soon as we get her out of the building, the sky goes dark, the wind picks up, and it was probably like a 65 degree day, and all of a sudden, as she's walking down our staircase, her veil blows off and it starts snowing. And I have never in my life experienced a weather change like that. So they were very brief with their ceremony and then all ran inside.

SPEAKER_00:

I can imagine a 65 to snowing just it was crazy. It seems like it shouldn't, it shouldn't be a thing.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, when couples are are finding their venue, obviously they're coming to the table with some ideas, right? They're not like completely clueless. Um but what are some things that they should they they should be asking that they're not when they're reaching out to venues and and kind of inquiring about the different services and and things like that?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, backup generator, do they have a plan B? And how what time does that need to be called? Some people it's like 48 hours, and it's like, well, you don't know the weather in 48 hours.

SPEAKER_00:

Um You're talking about like ceremonies, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you. Thank you for the clarification. So yeah, for ceremony for a backup plan in terms of like what time that needs to be called, if their ceremony is set to be outside. Um, is the food cooked fresh on site? Because a lot of places where there's off site catering, a good majority, probably 80%, cook off-site, transport, maybe 45 minutes to an hour. The food is just sitting there, it's nothing fresh. And then additional fees. A lot of catering have like a 20 to 25% gratuity that's slapped on top that you weren't aware of, or the coordination is an additional$2,000. That's also part of our package, is meant to be more inclusive and less add-on. So we don't have any like hidden costs like that. We have our venue and our catering package, and that is it. Pretty much the great majority of what they'll need is included. Bar if they want, of course, extra food or more time, those are additional charges. But in general, there's no like linen charge or cake cutting fee or corkage fee or coordination fee or setup fee or anything like that.

SPEAKER_00:

So you kind of have a pretty simple. If they like it here, they can have their wedding here, they get the catering built in, and you're not having like these extra like hidden things.

SPEAKER_01:

Is there like a base package and then they can like add time or like how does So our both both the venue and the catering package are designed that you don't need to add anything, but you can. So I mean, like, even for so for the venue, all the time is included. Ceremony is already part of the package. It's not like it's an addition. If they want a little more time, yes, they can add it. Uh, but the bridal mansion's included for seven hours, the groom's lounge is included, so the whole property is theirs, the rehearsal's included. And then for the catering, cake is included, desserts are included, bartenders are included. Really, the only thing not included in terms of like food and beverage is the alcohol. And they can either go through an alcohol service or they can bring their own, but it it's designed not to have tiers of packages, but just to be like what you need included. So you're not wondering like which one should I pick? Is it everything that I want?

SPEAKER_00:

That we have switched our packages a couple times, and I will say we've made them so simple. Like, if you like us, we'll be there all day and we'll make the full film. And I I feel like the industry, I hope, will kind of go more towards like the simplicity side of things because I I feel like it just it benefits the couple. Yeah. Because there's so many things that they need to decide on, and it's like we don't need to add more stuff. Um, and I love that they get like all the spaces, yeah. It's not like, oh, pay more for this or pay more for that.

SPEAKER_01:

Or you want the reception hall or you want the cocktail hour? It's like it's just all included so you don't have to worry about it.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, when couples are planning, obviously, some couples are planning for a year and a half, maybe some couples are six months or all across the board there. But what would you say your best advice for couples when they're planning in that like thick of it, they're trying to make all these decisions, pick vendors? What's the what's the advice that you have for them?

SPEAKER_01:

A good core group of vendors, and I mean that wholeheartedly, is going to be your best way to success. Having a team that is relatively familiar with the space is always very helpful, but a team that works well together, they are all then having the same goal of just making the day the best that it can possibly be. And I I mean, I've had couples that have zero stress because they're like, nope, he's been here, he knows what he's doing, I don't have to worry about it. But when you have all these vendors that just haven't been to the space or a florist who wants to come and mount things on our barn doors, but even though I give in the measurements, doesn't know the size or didn't bring a ladder when they were supposed to, it just it causes hiccups in the day and it's like low key, she's sending you the measurements. Yeah, right. Oh, I send everything. I have everything. I have so many resources that I provide to my couples just to take the guesswork out of it so they don't have to worry about it. But anyway, so uh good core group of vendors is is key. And then also RSVPs, getting them in earlier. So a lot of places, it's like they need a deadline of two to three weeks out from your wedding. It takes time for everybody to respond. Your deadline does not mean everybody has responded. It means now this is your point to reach out to those vendors or to those guys.

SPEAKER_00:

You're calling and seeing.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. So the a lot of vendors, like rentals and florists, not all, but a lot, will have a deadline of around one month when things can be changed. Well, if we don't know your guest count is and we don't know what your final layout is because you don't know your guest count, you can't finalize your florals, your t table numbers, your rentals, your linens. Like nothing can be finalized. So the sooner you can get your RSVPs in, typically, ideally, I like eight weeks, but eight to six or six to eight weeks is ideal. Um, that gives you a week or two to gather those final RSVPs specifically before I will meet with my couples. And then we will finalize the exact layout, we'll figure out the linens, the table numbers, and I kind of go through all their vendors and like you need one more centerpiece, you need two less table numbers, and you know, just go through all of those details with them and and make sure that everything is uh in a nice pretty bow.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, because that makes for the the actual day running much smoother, I'm assuming.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, it's funny. So I give each of my couples a pretty extensive questionnaire, just asking them all types of questions about their wedding, what's their guest book, what type of centerpieces do they have, among so many other questions. Then I ask for all vendor quotes and contracts, and I review and I make sure that what they expect is in the contract. So for instance, if the bride is saying that she has uh twinkle lights over in the reception hall and a floral installation, but she doesn't have the beam for the floral installation in the contract, we're gonna kind of make sure that that is then all situated before the wedding day. So when the florist comes, the wedding day, she's not surprised by no beam or whatever it is that she needs to install things. So I just kind of am that final eye. So really on the wedding day, very rarely do we have any issues with unexpected things because most of it has been handled in advance.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so you're actually going through the couple's contracts with all their other vendors.

SPEAKER_01:

In fact, even video and photography, and sometimes my couples are like, why? Why are you doing that? I'm like, because a lot of not necessarily video, although every now and then, but a lot of photographers will request to have a hot meal, of course, which we alre we always provide vendors with the same meal that everybody else will be eating.

SPEAKER_00:

Which we appreciate.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you. Um, and we actually feed the vendors first.

SPEAKER_00:

Also appreciative.

SPEAKER_01:

But um, but it'll say, need to, I've had it where it says, needs to sit near the bride and groom in the reception hall for the meal. Whatever. Um and I right most vendors like a little breath of front. Yes and check my cook and and yeah, and you know, and I get why a lot of pla a lot of vendors, photographies specifically, have been traumatized by some, you know, venues that shove them in a corner, don't feed them right away, give them a cold sandwich, and they've worked their like the whole day. Yeah. So I get why they do that, but I've had also a photographers show up way back in the beginning and they're like, Well, where's my seat at the reception? And we're like, we have a vendor table for you in the in the stables. And they're like, No, that's not what's in my contract. I I am going to stand here and eat. And I'm like, okay, okay, noted. Well, now I'm going to look at every contract and ensure that like any specific policies that any vendor would have, we are upholding. That way there's not going to be an issue of, you know, just not upholding their contract.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, it you're really going to bat for your couples. It's it putting you in the sort of, in a sense, in the driver's seat to be like, okay, everything's going to run smoothly because if it doesn't It's me.

SPEAKER_01:

That kind of looked through the video.

SPEAKER_00:

If you didn't do anything to not make it run smoothly, if it doesn't go smoothly, people are gonna look to you and be like, Brandon, yeah, what's wrong with your venue? Yeah, like, well, that dude didn't listen to my thing that I told him.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, trust me. I'm like, that was not part of the script. That was not how it was supposed to go. No.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, so you have interaction with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of different vendors. Oh, yeah. Some, you know, over the course of time, maybe multiple interactions. Oh, yeah. Um, speaking to the couples, like what are the red flags? And it could be a category of vendor, it could just be vendors in general, but what are the red flags that they should be looking out for?

SPEAKER_01:

Honestly, the primary one is communication. If couples are already having issues getting in communication with somebody, anyone, vendor, venue, whatever it might be, they are less likely to respond to you even more so when you've booked. So having issues before you've even booked is a huge, huge red flag.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, which is crazy because as as a business owner, you'd want to respond to inquiries.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, agreed, agreed.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, are there other red flags that you've noticed over the years?

SPEAKER_01:

It just depends because every every vendor is just a little bit different. Uh, I mean, in terms of DJs, you have to be very careful with them. They're their setup, what they need and what they require. I mean, I've had DJs that say they're professional and show up with equipment that was probably bought at Walmart. And I I've even had it one one time where their equipment, because it was on the cheaper side, uh, ran on the same frequency as the twinkle lights I have in our in our indoor ceremony space. So while the sound was going in and out, the lights were twinkling, like twinkling in and out. And I never thought or knew that was a thing until that time. And now I am very clear to my couples to make sure they have a professional that has high quality equipment uh so that we don't have that issue. I've only ever had it happen once, but I don't want it to ever happen again.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, because it again, it looks like your lights are the problem. Yes, exactly. Not yeah. Are there other vendor categories? Like that was super helpful with the DJ thing. Are there other categories that you have like top of mind that you're like, uh definitely watch out for this, maybe with a photographer or or a videographer or something like that?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, I don't necessarily have red flags for photographers specifically, but usually I ask the couple, like a lot of couples love golden hour shots, photos in general or a particular style. And what I always say is look at their portfolio and make sure that that is in their portfolio. Because a lot of the time, if you don't see golden hour in that photographer's portfolio, they might not be able to capture that light the way you would want them to capture that light. Uh so again, not necessarily a red flag, but just like a tip that I give to my couples of like at least look for what you're going for and make sure that they have it within their repertoire.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Um, I I I appreciate the experience that you're bringing because for For me, as a videographer, I have like a narrow scope. Like, if I was talking to another videographer, like I did my my one episode, I'm like, we're going back and forth because like it it's my job too.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, you're right.

SPEAKER_00:

But like I don't have the experience that you have. Like you're working with so many different vendors throughout the wedding season, and then like season after season after season, I'm sure you're seeing like you're seeing all of it. I am the good, the bad, the the best, the worst.

SPEAKER_01:

My dilemma is I don't know at what point the red flags appear for those. Like I get the end result, and I don't know what you could have seen beforehand.

SPEAKER_00:

At what point, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

To be able to be like, watch out. When did this go south? Like there are definitely several vendors that I would never recommend. And not that I would point them out, but I don't know, you know, if it would even have been apparent beforehand. I mean, and I I don't mean to say it this way, but sometimes price point is a key factor if they're like, I'm a DJ, I'm a professional, I do it for a hundred dollars.

SPEAKER_00:

It's like a be careful more questions.

SPEAKER_01:

Be careful. That is not a professional DJ, more than likely, like pretty highly likely. Yeah. Um, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um speaking on on budget for just a second, um, I find that most couples um they have an idea of what they want their day to be, and they have an amount of money that they can spend to make that all happen. Uh what are you pointing them to to to help them make sense? Maybe they've already like selected, okay, we want to have it here. We've booked with Miranda at the Barnet Silverstone. Now we're just putting together our team of vendors.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

How do you get all of that together to like make it make sense with the money they can spend and keeping everything up to the expectations too?

SPEAKER_01:

So couples now, not everybody will tell me their budget. If they do, I can absolutely guide them with like who might fit within their budget to be able to execute flawlessly. Or hey, maybe it's a DIY, maybe you want to provide your own candles versus going through a rental company. Um, so I can happily guide, not everybody tells me though, what they're going for. Some people are like, I want this, I want that. And you can just tell that they have no limitations. And at that point, I can still just guide them for what they're looking for. But when couples are like when you can kind of tell the budget is definitely of concern, I can give them guidance. And my my biggest thing, and it doesn't matter whether it's a a wedding that can afford anything or one that is on a very limited budget, I am a big advocate for less is more. If you just put quality items out and don't just put tons of cheap things everywhere, it's going to look so much more refined and so much more elegant and more just in general, it's gonna show up prettier in photos. I I I have a lot of couples and they're like, should we do this? Should we do that? Should we have programs? Should we have name cards? Should we have menu cards? It's like you don't need you don't need favors, you don't need programs. You can do it, you can do anything you want. But there are so many things that people won't notice or you've spent money on and then they're gonna leave it behind. I had a groom who spent so much time engraving everybody's name into beautiful wood coasters that he cut and and polished and did everything himself ever had everybody's name and 30% left them behind. Oh. And I'm like, what do you what are we gonna do now? Like I mean, of course I'll pack them up for him, but like that's so heartbreaking that he spends so much time on that. Uh and again, that's still nice, and not to say that they can't do that, but there are so many things that are not necessary for a wedding to go off without a hitch, and you don't need to spend all that money on it.

SPEAKER_00:

I love it. Um when you said it at first, I'm thinking like florals. Not that we need to spend less money on florals, but I'm like, if you're only gonna spend so much on florals, it to me, like from what you're saying, it almost makes sense to go with like the quality, yeah, the the nicer flower, yeah, the nicer arrangement, as opposed to like let's put a hundred of these things all over the whole bunch of fake flowers everywhere versus or whatever it might be.

SPEAKER_01:

But yeah, exactly. And also we can repurpose things, and there's definitely a key to repurposing. So you always want cocktail hour to be completely set up because when ceremony is concluded, guests are going in there. You don't want us to be putting things into place as guests are walking in. But once guests go to cocktail hour, we can repurpose the great majority of what is at ceremony to reception, and no one knows the difference. You have beautiful barrel flower arrangements that we can put at the dessert table, the guest book table, or the sweetheart table. We can repurpose bridesmaids' bouquets, they could be centerpieces or just decor around the room, the mantelpiece, or um, you know, really the welcome sign. We can just repurpose those to the reception and guests, even the seating chart, we usually we do take that from cocktail hour, but we'll have it at cocktail hour first. I'm all about efficiency. So I love to have a seating chart at cocktail hour. Guests have an hour to look, and then we move it up to reception right before guests come up. Majority already know their seats, so they flood right in and go to their tables. Grandma might have forgotten she can still see it. Uh, but again, it just allows for a nice smooth transition from one space to the next without lines, which is the biggest thing.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that. It's like you see the bottleneck at the sign, probably at enough weddings, and you're like, let's find a way to fix it. So you're putting it down where everyone can see it, and they're like, oh, table 14, like, got it, table 14.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Most people are probably gonna remember.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, a few might.

SPEAKER_00:

And then you're just kind of like getting everyone moving, and again, same thing, like customer, guest, client experience is like elevated just on these like little small things that go a long way.

SPEAKER_01:

Some couples are like, but I really want it at reception. I'm like, I know you really do. And if you really want it that way, I will do it that way. But please listen to me when I say it's not good. Don't do it. And same thing, like for uh for the cocktail hour, you know, everybody's gonna flood to the bar. So we will actually have trays of drinks that start cocktail hour off. So the great majority of guests will get drinks in their hands immediately, so we don't have a lineup at the bar. And then we'll also have personal attendants going to the bride and groom, getting them drinks and appetizers. So again, they're not waiting in lines either.

SPEAKER_00:

Drinks ready to go at the bar. That is like ideal. So you're just grabbing stuff.

SPEAKER_01:

So we have so all of our servers that'll have butler drinks will first go out with a tray of like red wine, white wine, beer, her specialty, his specialty. And then that way when guests enter, they can literally just grab them off the trays. And then those that want a specialty drink can actually just go right to the bar and you know, order whatever they're interested in having.

SPEAKER_00:

Ingenious to the flow. Um, what I'm hearing is so much about the flow of everything, and you're you're trying to alleviate any potential hiccup. Yeah, like, oh, here's a long line to get a drink at the bar, and you're like, oh man, don't like that.

SPEAKER_02:

So let's not do that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and even just a line to get into the reception, it can take so long to get everyone from cocktail hour up and seated and ready for the stuff, and it's like, oh, now we're 10 minutes past when we wanted everyone to come in, but you got all these like systems that just like make it all work. Yeah, I love that. Um, is there something that couples can do um specifically with you that that kind of pulls out like more value from yourself as an owner?

SPEAKER_01:

Honestly, just asking, just using me as a resource. I am an open book. I have seen so many things. It's rare when I haven't seen something, and I'm happy to give my opinion. You don't have to use it. You don't, if you don't like it, that's totally fine. But I'm gonna hurt your feelings. No, I'm just here to make it as efficient as possible. That is like everything I've ever tried, not just for the planning process, but for the wedding day itself.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I love that. So just ask if Miranda knows it, if she can help. Yep.

SPEAKER_01:

And if not, I'll direct you where you should go.

SPEAKER_00:

Who can help you? You have the person that can help. Um, I love that. Is there something that you wish you knew? Maybe speaking more to like vendors, business owner kind of mindset. Is there something that you wish you knew when you started out that you're like, oh, that would have helped us so much if we would have known X, Y, and Z about our business journey, or what's that look like?

SPEAKER_01:

I have already kind of delved into this a little bit, but really having an like on-site catering, uh, it has made a night and day difference. Somebody that knows the facility in and out, the same consistent crew. So we don't have any issues of like they don't know where this is, or they don't know how to talk to guests the proper way, or whatever it might be. It's it's it is absolutely totally different having somebody that knows your facility so well and they can pick up the pace if something else is happening, or they're very much aware of like if photo needs a little bit more time, we don't want to put the fillets in right away because we don't want to have an issue with you know, like whatever it might be. So we do work hand in hand with all the vendors, but having uh a consistent crew makes everything run smoother.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so it sounds like if you're a venue owner, hop on the dedicated catering team train because it's changing the game for you. I love it. If you could swap roles with another vendor category, what are you a venue owner to what?

SPEAKER_01:

Rentals. Rentals, um, decor rentals. I am like I love design, I love art and all of that. And I love I actually set up 90% of all the decor for every wedding that we have here because I'm very particular about it. And I already know what they want because I've had that meeting with them. Yeah. Uh so I love doing setup and being able to be like, and these gorgeous lanterns and you know, whatever, a beautiful sofa set and whatever else. I would I would love to do that because it's the the pretty aspect of the wedding in general making.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, we might be what happens. We'll just speak it into existence. Um no, I love that. Um, Miranda, I appreciate you being on and hosting us for the day. We've been filming here all day. Um, where can people find out more about you and about your venue here at the Barnett Silverstone?

SPEAKER_01:

So both our website and our Instagram slash Facebook, but the Barnett Silverstone.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that. Do you have any exciting projects or or exciting things that you guys are working on or that are coming out?

SPEAKER_01:

A little behind the scenes, but nothing too crazy. We have done a lot of the physical plant renovations, restorations, and upgrades. So we have the facility where we want it. So now we're we a few years ago purchased more acreage, so we now have 37 acres uh instead of 15, and we are slowly but surely kind of doing more landscaping, so it just has even more prettier acreage to do some photos on. But we already have quite a bit. I know, it's already so nice. And the nice thing is that the property that we expanded to was a landscapers property before we purchased it, so it had a ton of ornate trees and blossoming trees. Uh, so it was a nice addition.

SPEAKER_00:

That's so awesome. Well, thank you for being on. Um, that's all for this episode. Um, I appreciate you guys all for tuning in. Um, please make sure to check in on what's happening here at the Barnet Silverstone and also subscribe and uh let us know how you guys are liking the preferred list, and we'll catch you next time.