Episode 48 Choosing A Venue Is Choosing A Team: The Booking House

A historic cigar warehouse turned modern venue machine—this conversation with Brittany from The Booking House pulls back the curtain on what actually makes a wedding day feel seamless. We trace the venue’s transformation from raw brick and beams to a thoughtful, multi-room experience, and why adding the Atrium changed the game for ceremonies, rain plans, and late-fall dates. Brittany shares how she pitched in-house coordination as a college intern, then helped build a service model that reduces stress, tightens communication, and keeps couples focused on what matters.

Together we map the early planning stage, when couples are touring venues, juggling dates, and trying to make a budget real. You’ll hear clear questions to ask on tours, how to narrow your short list, and the difference between loving an aesthetic and understanding guest flow. We get honest about vendor red flags—too-good-to-be-true pricing, thin or dated portfolios, vague logistics—and the green flags that signal a pro: current reviews, crisp communication, and a history with your guest count. The vendor list here isn’t pay-to-play; it’s built on performance and teamwork, because the venue’s brand rises or falls on how well the whole cast shows up.

Brittany also walks us through a room-by-room tour so you can picture the day: two ceremony sites upstairs (Atrium’s open-air feel or the Rosati Room’s warm brick and chandelier), cocktail hour across the Station and Whitaker rooms downstairs, and reception with smart spillover for bars, desserts, lounges, and photo booths. Don’t miss the creative setup where a couple used the Atrium as a club-style dance floor while keeping dinner in Rosati—proof that flexible layouts can raise energy and comfort at the same time. When hiccups hit, the team solves them behind the scenes with calm, clear roles, from site managers to a dedicated bar consultant who keeps lines short and glasses full.

If you’re planning now, this is a crash course in choosing more than a space—you’re choosing a team, a flow, and a standard. Subscribe for more candid talks with the people who make great wedding days possible, and drop a review to tell us your top venue question for a future episode.

https://www.thebookinghousemanheim.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thebookinghouse/

Transcript

Welcome And Venue Snapshot;

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days. I'm James, a wedding filmmaker. I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about real conversations with the one to 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. Brittany, how's it going?

SPEAKER_02 0:23

Hi, good. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Good. I'm so, so glad to have you on. It's gonna be so fun. Um, Brittany is the manager here at the booking house, which is the venue we're in, which is so fun. So fun. Um we're gonna get into all things booking house, managing, tours, helpful things for couples, helpful things for vendors. Um, but before we do, like I said, we're here at the

The Booking House Story And Renovation;

SPEAKER_00 0:45

booking house. The booking house is an industrial, modern, chic wedding and event space in Manheim PA, rich with character and history. Originally built in 1884 as the old General Cigar Company warehouse. The venue plants historic charm with contemporary style across 15,000 square feet. It's centrally located and it's an easy drive from Philadelphia, Westchester, New Jersey, Maryland, and even New York City another hours, and it's serving both local couples and destination celebrations. It's a perfect spot for intimate gatherings or even events up to 250 guests. The booking house offers separate spaces for your ceremony, cocktailer, and reception, all on one property. And it's open year-round with their newly added Patreon. It brings an open-air feel without any weather worries, and with an experienced caring team providing in-house bartending and coordinating, they're dedicated to make every detail seamless so you can enjoy an unforgettable day.

SPEAKER_03 1:43

Love it.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Which is so fun because we've been here a couple times throughout the years, and every time we come, it's just such an easy day.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

I love to hear that.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

Welcome to our house, welcome back.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

I know, I know. And it's so fun too because we had our daughter's first birthday party down. I think underneath the house. Yeah, right below us here. Um we were just like kind of reminiscing about that as I was setting up and everything.

SPEAKER_02 2:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

But Brittany, thanks for being on.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

Thank you so much for having us. Thanks for hosting. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

I know you're kind of like standing in a little bit for all of the booking house.

SPEAKER_02 2:15

So I'll be a good representation. Yeah, hopefully.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

I'll try. No, but it's so fun. So just tell me a little bit about how you fit into what the booking house is now.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

And just give me a little bit of backstory then, too, on how this event space kind of came to be.

SPEAKER_02 2:33

Absolutely. Yeah. So originally, um, obviously, like you said, it was a scar warehouse built in 1884. Um, the current owners, Michelle and JP Perrin, they bought it in 2012. Um, they originally bought it. JP has a construction background. So they initially just bought it for just wick warehouse space. Um, but when his wife saw it and his daughter saw it, they were like, I don't know, there's something about this.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

That's so funny that he bought it just to put stuff in. Literally. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

He's like, yeah, it's like run down. But I mean, it did look pretty rough. Like if you look at the photos when it was first, when they first bought it, it was like you had to have that eye for it. But I'm so glad they did that. Um, yeah, and they renovated it um and we opened in 2014. So a little over 11 years we've been operating as doing weddings and events. And as you said, we do more than just weddings, we do birthday parties. Um, we've done, you know, fundraiser gallows, corporate stuff. So it's nice that it's very versatile. It's not just, you know, one size fits all for everything. So um we really like that.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Yeah, and there is like I you know, I said a big number for square foot, but there is literally it's a maze. Like we were trying to find a good spot to film here. Right. And you were like like mazing me around. I'm like, well, we could go here, we could go here. There's like good spots everywhere, which is so fun.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Yeah, and every every space is like a little different, which is kind of fun. So it's like if you like more of the modern stuff, we have the atrium, the cozy fireplace right here. We love that. Um, so yeah, so it's just it's so nice that there's so many different places you can hang out and kind of suit it to your celebration. Um, so they did amazing with renovations kind of going back to that. Um, yeah, we love the space. And the atrium was an add-on about two years ago. So even though it was um existing above the warehouse, they were like, well, we have something, you know, we wanted something different, but you know, we have this pre-existing space, let's do something with it. So so glad that they did that.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Yeah, I am too. Because we we were at a wedding here. We were I was like, oh, it was 2018. It was 2022 that we were here um a while ago. Um, I think that might have been the first wedding that we had here. And um, the atrium wasn't a thing. And I I think it would have been a perfect spot for that like November wedding that was happening. Um, but the wedding that we just did this year in 2025, I don't know when this is coming out, but 2025 we did a wedding here and it was in the atrium. And I was like, gosh, this space is so cool.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

Yeah, it's just I'm so glad that they did it just to do something different and unique. Like I feel like in this area there's really not another space like that. Yeah. So we just love that just adds a little something to it.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Yeah. Um it's very different. I would say, like,

Brittany’s Path To Director Role;

SPEAKER_00 4:56

you you said it, but it's very, very different from the brick kind of wood pseudo barn-esque kind of vibe. Yeah, more rustic.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

So you can kind of get a little bit of both um in the same space, which is so cool.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

Yeah, yeah, we love it.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

So, how do you fit into this like kind of manager role? You're doing the tour, like tell me about like how you kind of got your start here at the booking house and then kind of where you're at now and what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

Yeah, yeah. So I we opened in 2014. I missed the first year, I started in 2015. So not like yeah, the OG, but uh basically. Yeah, I mean kind of. Um, so um my position, I'm director of sales and operations now. Um, but when originally I started, I was a summer intern in college. So I knew I wanted to do something with weddings and events, and I'm from Lidditz area, so really close by. And I was like, oh, this like new venue opened up. Like, I'll just, you know, email them, see if they have availability for me to just be like an intern for the summer. Um, and the summer was great. Like I got to see behind the scenes, just kind of I was very part-time, just kind of working, you know, as needed, help with the events, um, kind of like what our site manager position is now, just more of like our part-time staff that we have. Gotcha. Just here for the venue. Um, but I loved it. And I I think that was like my junior year of college. And then I graduated in 2017 and I was kind of like, well, like I like it here. Like, what am I gonna do? Like I had a hospitality degree, um, knew I wanted to do something again with weddings. So um there wasn't really like a full-time position available. So I was like, how can I like fit myself into this? Like, how can I stay here? Um and I brought up in-house coordinating to Michelle and JP and their daughter Michaela, who was my position um at that time. And they were like, all right, like let's let's try it, let's see what happens. Like, let's just go for it. Like, what's what's the worst that can happen, you know? Um, and I'm so glad that they're so grateful that they took a chance with me. So that's kind of how our in-house coordinating service started. Um, I was just like, let's just see what we can do, how to help couples. Cause ultimately we we just wanted to enhance the experience at the booking house for the couples. So if we're like, you know, we can help with setting up decorations, teardown, the logistics, like we just be a little bit more involved in their day to help take that stress off of them. That was kind of the ultimate goal. And it's definitely evolved ever since. So very happy with that.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

Well, it's funny too, because I feel like the hospitality major in you would probably just like coming up with ideas left and right to like again, like you said, increase the that overall experience level um over the years. But I'm curious, like, how has it changed since you were kind of there after year one to now? Like, what's what are some of the biggest things that have changed?

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Yeah, I would say we definitely we lived and learned a lot. I feel like with any business, even though again, I'm not the business owner of not, you know, I wasn't missed the first year, but uh, we definitely lived and learned a lot. Like just again, how to enhance their experience. Like we were kind of just letting you know them figure things out. Like we we didn't have like a preferred vendors list initially, you know what I mean? Just what a great name. Yeah, that's that. That was perfect. I I tried that out.

SPEAKER_03 7:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

Um, but yeah, just like kind of giving them the tools and resources just to like, because it's most of the time, this is their first time planning a wedding. So they're like, it's such a big event. Like, yeah, you plan small parties at your house or whatever, but it's it's just so much different and you want things to go well and you know, trust the people that you're hiring to take care of things for you. So I just think definitely over the years, we've enhanced um, you know, obviously get our vendor list. Um, we've enhanced in-house services. So not only do

Evolving Services And Building A Team;

SPEAKER_02 8:22

we offer in-house coordinating, we also have in-house bartending. We started, I think, in 2021. So again, we just kind of saw a need for it, like just so it's cohesive, it's you know, straight across the board. And yeah, it's well, you guys know what to expect too. Yeah, exactly. I mean, obviously, again, with alcohol, it's sometimes a little bit of a liability. So we want to make sure that's taken care of for them and you know, they know what to expect too. So I definitely think, yeah, over the years, we've just tried to, you know, tweak things just to make it a better overall experience when they're coming here. Because if they're not local, they're traveling, they're having all their guests come here. We just want it to be memorable, unforgettable, and stress-free. So that's kind of what we feel like we want to do.

SPEAKER_00 8:57

Yeah, for sure. And I feel like it takes a team to do that. Um, it's obviously, you know, not just you doing this.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

So can you explain to me kind of like like what does it take in the back end to have, you know, the guests leaving and saying all those things that you just mentioned? It's stress-free. It was memorable, it was all of those things.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Yeah. So yeah. So when I stepped away from coordinating in 2021, that's when Aliyah came in. So she's our like kind of main in-house um coordinator. We do a few other um leads and assistance as well. So it's definitely it takes a village to kind of do what we do. Um, so they kind of handle more of the coordinating side of it. But when couples initially reach out, I'm their first kind of contact. So I, you know, emailing them, kind of giving them information, kind of seeing what their vibe is, um, seeing if it's a good fit. And then I'm usually the one giving tours too. Um, Michelle and JP, the owners, they are very involved too, too, as well, um, still up to this day, which is awesome. Cause I feel like it just kind of shows the couples like how much we care, like even with our higher-ups, you know, still being involved. Whether that's giving a tour, JP's, you know, fixing something that broke from a wedding. Like, um, yeah, they're just very involved. Michelle's amazing with her design eye. You know, we're updating the bridal suite or something like that. Like, we're just trying to keep things fresh. So definitely takes a village. That's kind of like our main staff. We also have a bar consultant, Emily. Um, she's kind of one of our main staff as well. She kind of meets with the couples to figure out what their guest count is, um, their bar menu vibes. So we provide like all the mixers and garnishes for their like mixed drinks. So we want to make sure, you know, that's taken care of. It's not an afterthought. Like sometimes people are like, okay, you want a bar, great. But like we we care about like how that can flow, making sure it's efficient. People are getting drinks in their hands. Um, so I would say that's our main staff. And then we have an amazing team of part-time staff that um are like our site managers, is what we call them. They're here just to kind of make sure everything's going well during the event, restocking restrooms, kind of doing those little behind-the-scenes things that maybe don't seem necessary, but they're very important. You know, you want to make sure they're comfortable.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

It's kind of funny too, because sometimes uh people name those people as like coordinators in some way. Yeah, for sure. Um, but it is kind of like that position of like venue attendant in a way.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, and like I feel like both are important. Like, obviously, coordinators are more involved. Um, and every venue does it differently, which is totally fine to each their own. Um, we just feel like, you know, when you're hiring in-house coordinator, they're kind of solely focusing on you. Yeah, they know, you know, we have in-house things that they can, you know, buy the things. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

Um which I've been here when Aliyah isn't like running around like the chicken with her head cut off, like just doing everything and doing it so well, which is so fun.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

Um love it. When you're when you're in that process, you're meeting with couples. I mean, super early in the process. Because oftentimes it's like they're picking a date, maybe, maybe they have a date or maybe they have a couple in mind. Yeah. But then they're trying to find, if they haven't maybe got a photographer to do engagement photos, they're trying to find like, okay, what's the spot? Like, where do we want to get married? What's the vibe? What's the

Touring Couples Early And Budget Reality;

SPEAKER_00 12:02

style?

SPEAKER_01 12:02

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

I'm just curious, like, what's it like to meet couples in that time frame where it's like maybe they just got engaged like yesterday, or maybe they're going to be engaged soon, or they're just like I don't know, it's just so early in the process. Like, what's that like?

SPEAKER_02 12:18

It is. It's I think it's exciting. I think it's fun because they're excited. This, like, we're the venue's usually the first kind of stop they go to with vendors because obviously they need their date. So, you know, they want to pick their place out. Um, it's interesting. I feel like it's a little like everyone's a little different. Like some people, they like know exactly what they want. They've had their Pinterest board for, you know, two plus years. They know the style and everything. Um, and then we have some people that are just like, I don't know, we're just gonna see what we like, which is great too. Yeah. So I just feel like I just we just try to make them comfortable. Um, to be like, okay, these are your options, kind of what's your style? Like, because ultimately we want them to feel like you know it fits what they're looking for. So, and you know, we're not everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay. There's so many other great venues out there too.

SPEAKER_03 12:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:58

But I think coming in for a tour and seeing the place in person, just because I feel like pictures don't do it justice sometimes, and like seeing how big the rooms are. Yeah. Um, especially if you have a higher guest count, you're like, I don't know from pictures, I'm not sure about that. Um, but I just think like getting them in the building and just seeing how excited they are to start planning. It can be like daunting a little bit as the person giving the tour, because sometimes they have like just so many questions, and you know, you want to answer all of them, but then it's like information overload to them, and you're like, I want to answer these, but like, is it too much? Yeah. So it's just finding that like happy medium of, you know, this is kind of the basics of what you should be looking for and like how we can kind of fit into your plans um versus just like all of your questions. So overall, I would say going back to your question, um, it's it's exciting. I I kind of like being that initial kind of person that they're meeting.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Yeah, it's like it's just so early in the process. Like, I feel like sometimes we're we're meeting with couples like a couple months out.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Right.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

You know, just as like a oh, you know, whatever, we want to do a video now. We didn't think we wanted it, but now we want it. Um I have to imagine, like, you know, you're walking through that process like early and they're they may not even know like what they want at that point at all.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Um, do you have advice for couples that are that are that early in the process that like hey, if you're gonna go do venue tours, like it it's good to be in this mindset, it's good to be like thinking, you know, how much could should they be concerned about budget or or all these different things when they're kind of like starting that initial venue tour process.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

Yeah, I love that. I would say, yeah, I think just kind of when you start touring, narrowing it down to maybe your top five that you really like online, that you saw pictures from, maybe you've attended an event or something there at the venue. Um, I would say try to narrow it down because sometimes I feel like if you tour too many venues, all the details just kind of like flow together and you're like so confused which ones you saw. Um I would say, yeah, narrowing it down. I think budget is a great thing to talk about. I know sometimes money can be a little bit awkward for some people to bring up initially. Um, and honestly, sometimes like being realistic with your budget. Again, this is usually the first time they're planning such a large event like a wedding, they don't really know what to expect, like how much things cost, um, which is understandable. And I just feel like, and not that I know the answer off the top of my head, but yeah, just being able to educate, you know, couples more if they're willing to talk about it. Like I'm happy to have conversations about, you know, obviously what we offer in-house, what that cost looks like, and then typical, you know, overall budgets that people that we see um spend. So I think, yeah, if you're willing to talk about, you know, money, definitely ask your your venue tour guide, just kind of see, you know, this is where we're at. Is this realistic? Like this is what we're like the vision we're going for. Um, I definitely think that's definitely a helpful thing to ask.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

Yeah, because I mean you guys have you've done a lot of weddings. Yeah, right. I'm sure you've been a part of a lot of weddings in different maybe different positions.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

Yeah, different capacities, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

Um, but I every episode that I do that we talk about budget in some way or another, it's like just have an honest conversation and pick a real number.

SPEAKER_02 15:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

And then you know, fit your stuff into that.

SPEAKER_02 16:03

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

Um you're kind of setting yourself up for disappointment in some senses or maybe a little bit of a headache in another sense.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

But so they're they're reaching out. What what's the process? Like, how far in advance should should couples be trying to find their venue? Or like, is there an ideal timeline? I mean, obviously, some of it's just like, do you have the date available? Right. Right. Yeah.

Dates, Timelines, And Vendor Booking;

SPEAKER_00 16:31

If you do, like what's that kind of process look like?

SPEAKER_02 16:33

Yeah. So I would say really if you have a specific date, because some people come in, they're like, I'm only looking at this date, which is sometimes like a Saturday in October that's been booked for two years. But you know, obviously we have something available, we're happy to work with it. Um, but some people do have a specific date. So if you do, great. Some people are just looking at seasons. Um, then you obviously have more flexibility. So I would say most of the couples these days are looking at like about a year out their booking. Um, some are a little bit less, which we've kind of seen that trend, I'd say, in the last year or so. Um, more like, you know, six to eight months out, which we can definitely still make that work. I think the the shortest time frame we've seen is about three or four months, which is it it's doable. It can it can work, but it's just a little bit obviously more of a crunch time and vendor availability can definitely be a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Yeah, I think that's the thing. If you're really, really set on a vendor of any category, the sooner you book that person, the better. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 17:22

That's what we always say. Cause sometimes at the end of the tour, they're like, well, like when should we tell you if we want to book? I'm like, as soon as you know. Yeah. Especially again, if you want a certain date, like we just can't guarantee that it's gonna be available tomorrow or next week. So I think, yeah, just the the sooner you know, the better. Um, again, same thing. Yeah, like you said with the vendor availability. Obviously, some people, some businesses only take one a day, some take multiple, you know, a weekend. So I think just the sooner the better for sure.

SPEAKER_00 17:46

Yeah. Speaking of that, do you guys I don't think you have multiple a day, but you're doing multiple in a weekend?

SPEAKER_02 17:53

We do, yes. We only book one wedding per day. Okay. So they get the whole building for the day, which is nice, and it's just private access. And it's not that's obviously not open to the public or anything, or there's not other, you know, weddings going on, which is nice. So it's just their group.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

When you guys have done a lot of weddings, like I said, um, and you've probably worked with like thousands of different vendors. Yeah. Um,

Working With Vendors And Red Flags;

SPEAKER_00 18:14

some of those being like repeats and stuff. But uh from your vantage point as kind of like manager, like uh, and I'm sure maybe maybe some of your other team would have a different perspective on this too. But what's it like to work with so many different vendors? Um, some being kind of like weekend warriors, some being kind of like the part-time thing, some being like this is my full-time thing, this is all I do. And just like giving me a little bit of uh, you know, insight on like what goes well and what doesn't go well.

SPEAKER_02 18:46

Right. Yeah, I love that. Um, obviously, when we see a vendor list and it's like all of our frienders, we're like, this is gonna be amazing. Yeah. Just because we know what to expect. I think that's the expectations is just a little leery when we're when we're working with like new to us vendors.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

Yeah, and it's not that they're not great.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

Exactly. I was gonna say, not that we don't want to work with them. It's just like, okay, like you say you're gonna do this, but like let's let's see it.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

We have the track record, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Right, right, right. And obviously, if we've venue our vendor friends that have worked with another venue, or I'm sorry, another vendor that um that's new to us, it's nice to be like, okay, like they're good, like you know what I mean, that kind of thing. Just and not necessarily good, that's kind of a very vague term, but just again, like they're they're they're team oriented. I think that's I've honestly had that before.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

Uh for for me.

unknown 19:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

We had a couple that didn't really know us super well and um I guess didn't know the the track record or something. And they like asked their photographer, like, hey, they're good, right? And she was like, Yeah, we love them. So it is like it is a great validation for you guys as a venue to have like, oh, okay, yeah, everyone else is saying what this person is saying they're gonna do is gonna happen the way that they're saying.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

Absolutely, yeah. And like I was, yeah, just I was gonna say, like, we're very team-oriented. Like it's it's a big group project that we're doing on a wedding day. So like every person's part is so important. So just being able to like be able to count on the other vendors to just kind of do what they need to do. Obviously, with coordinating, we are kind of more, you know, managing that in-house. But yeah, I just think it's it's fun to work with new vendors, but it's always nice to be have those repeat vendors that we love.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

So I don't want you to like name names or like like tell me any specific story, but I would love to hear from your experience. Like uh, are there red flags that couples should be looking out for? Are there things that could help them stay away from that potential not so great vendor experience from some of the stuff that you guys have, you know, seen?

SPEAKER_02 20:46

Absolutely. Um, I would say sometimes like just going with along with budgeting and money and stuff, if the price seems too good to be true, probably is. Um, and again, not necessarily this isn't across the board true because sometimes people are starting out and you know they do price a little bit lower, which is great. Um, but sometimes, yeah, if it's like, okay, they've been around for a while, I don't know. Just because sometimes you're getting, you know, people that don't know what they're doing, or it's more of a part-time thing for them, they just maybe the care isn't there. Um, so I would say definitely keep an eye out for that. Um people that maybe don't have the best reviews. I think looking at people's reviews is definitely a big thing.

SPEAKER_03 21:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:21

Because if clients and couples had good experiences, they want to share that. And if you're not seeing that on there, maybe that's a red flag. Maybe a red flag, yeah. Right. Um, and just maybe like vendors that like overpromise things.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

Again, that's kind of hard to tell as like a couple kind of looking out on the outside, but I feel like that's why I'm like so curious about different vendors' experiences because we have a little bit of an insider's view. And like I've been at weddings where I'm like, not sure about you, and I'm sure you've had the same experience in different times. But it's like there's not like a super solid like cut. dry way for couples to to realize that beforehand.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

And the last thing that I want, even if they don't like if they don't book me for their wedding video, I'm always like, just find someone that works because I want you guys to have a video. I think it's really important. Right. But I'm like, how do we keep

Brand Risk And The Power Of Preferred Lists;

SPEAKER_00 22:18

them from these bad experiences? And I just don't know if there's a good way outside of like, you know, hey, check the reviews, see what people are actually saying about these people.

SPEAKER_01 22:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

Do they have a track record? Are they, you know, current on all their stuff? Yeah. Is their last like wedding film on their website from 2014 or is it from 2024?

SPEAKER_02 22:37

Exactly. Yeah. No, I agree. I just, yeah, I don't know if there is like the right answer to be able to get like what's in our brain to their brains. But yeah, I definitely think just kind of that's why like a vendor list is so important, I feel like from a venue standpoint, offering that to our couples because from our perspective, like you don't pay to be on our list. It's like if we have a good experience with you, you offer good experience to the couples, that's how you get on the list. So that's why I feel like a lot we we recommend kind of leaning towards that to when they initially start planning. But obviously again it's ultimately up to them at the end of the day. But I think that's a nice starting point for a lot of couples and they appreciate that, especially when I mention that on tours like, okay, like that's good. Like it's good to know like you would personally recommend them, that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 23:20

Yeah. And I I have this like man, you guys have such a hard spot in the market in terms of like how your perception is because uh Joe Schmoe could be enjoying themselves at the reception and have a bad experience with any vendor not associated to the booking house. And then he would be like the booking house is terrible blah blah blah just a bad experience blah blah blah. And it's like you know I don't know it could be like the DJ was a complete jerk and has nothing to do with the booking house. Right. But they are at the booking house so it's like bad experience booking house.

SPEAKER_02 23:58

Absolutely we've run into that and sometimes it's good and sometimes it's not good like you're saying like we've gotten review like the chicken was dry be like okay thanks so much for your feedback. We didn't do the food but you know and then sometimes people be like oh my gosh the food was amazing. But like thank you so much like this is the catering team but you know people just associate like you're saying they're like this is the whole venue like they're doing the photos they're doing the catering they're doing everything which is understandable as a guest like you don't need to know that it's all separate.

SPEAKER_00 24:23

Right but it's just so it's such a weird because like you're building a brand you guys have uh you guys have you know a way that you want to present yourself. Yeah. And like you kind of live and die in some ways off of vendors doing a good job at your venue.

SPEAKER_02 24:39

Right. I think that's why we're like so like we're we're kind of particular like that's what with like our vendor list we we're just like you know if they don't do a good job like they're we're not gonna put them on the list. We're not gonna recommend them. Yeah. Um so yeah it's just it's again it's a whole group project and everyone's just kind of looking at us which no it's all and everyone is usually very amazing. So yeah but yeah it is kind of it's like a weird position to be in because you want to yeah obviously help out and kind of cover those spots if a vendor is lacking on a wedding day because yeah at the end of the day we're kind of putting our name on it.

SPEAKER_00 25:09

Yeah. Yeah and and it's like it's not even your decision sometimes too right.

SPEAKER_02 25:13

Exactly. Yeah we'll jump in when needed and that's yeah yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

So what are you hoping that couples are experiencing and feeling you know like they've gone through this whole process they've reached out they've um found their date they've come for a tour they've done all the planning they've had their wedding date and they're like walking out like what are you hoping that

What Couples Should Feel Afterward;

SPEAKER_00 25:34

they're thinking or feeling or or kind of like saying about the booking house?

SPEAKER_02 25:38

Yeah like after their wedding day you're saying yeah yeah I just want them to feel like they were taken care of they had such an amazing experience from start to end. Because I feel like even during that like planning process like we're still available to you know bounce any ideas off of or like help with the timeline obviously again with coordinating in-house um so I just want them to feel like they were taken care of and they were heard and they got the experience and the wedding that they've always wanted. So I just feel like across the board everything was good from start to finish.

SPEAKER_00 26:06

Yeah because they have like there's so much time planning and so many decisions. Right. But it it does seem like there's way more to it than just like oh this is a space where you get a marry. Like it is yeah but there's more to it than that.

SPEAKER_02 26:20

Right. And there's always yeah little details that come up like once they do start planning and I want couples to feel like they can reach out to us and ask questions or like what's we know we get measurements a lot like what's the dimensions of the mantle and which is good. Like I they're they're planning and you know we want to be there for them just have that support system. And even like if you know your parents are involved or whoever or vendors that they're hiring like we're like hey like give them our contact information we're happy to talk with them directly just so again kind of just take something off their plate. They don't have to worry about every single little detail.

SPEAKER_00 26:49

Yeah. So I know there is a lot of space in here but I'm curious if you could give the listener, the watcher if you're on YouTube, hey what's up uh could you just give us like a breakdown

Room-By-Room Venue Walkthrough;

SPEAKER_00 27:00

of like what spaces there are and how they can be used and kind of like in that if you could just kind of in some way like hey what is unique and different about the booking house and other venues.

SPEAKER_02 27:12

Yeah. So I'm gonna start on the first floor because I feel like that's where my like my tour brain goes. So like when you first walk in we do have like a lobby area so they can decorate that whether that's like your guest book, your gifts and cards, uh any decorations welcome sign. So it's like just a nice little cozy warm area to kind of first hang out at um we do have two getting ready suites. One's on the first floor another one's on the third floor so two separate spaces for you guys to you know enjoy um hang out with your friends get ready day of your wedding which is nice um and then on the first floor we also have our cocktail hour spaces for the weddings so that's called the station room and the Whitaker room usually used together they're kind of adjoined rooms and we can again host up to 200 250 for a standing cocktail hour down there. So that's always nice. So kind of starting down there restrooms on all levels which is good. So again comfort for your guests and then we have two options for ceremony site for weddings. So we have the atrium which we've talked about um the new space that can host up to 200 seated for a ceremony has the garage door windows so if you want more of that outdoor feel we have that available another options if you're more into like the cozy kind of fireplace um winter vibes I feel like a lot of our fall and winter couples prefer the Rosardi room which is our biggest room probably a lot of photos if you're looking at it's kind of like our I feel like our statement piece almost yeah um so we have you know the big chandelier it has the columns has the lights on the round the beams um the exposed bricks so that's just yeah kind of more like a cozy feel um so both are great options just depends on the style that you like so we have two ceremony spot options they both are located on the second floor just in different rooms obviously um and we are accessible which is great so we do have elevator lifts for any you know any grandparents elderly that are coming um it's just nice to have that option so you know it's not again we want people to feel feel comfortable here um and then so you have two options for ceremony again go downstairs for cocktail hour and then reception is on the second floor. So again that's the Rosardi room our main space um where we can have the dinner tables dance floor and then the room we're sitting in here is the back of the Rosardi room. So this is great for like um your bars back here, your buffet or stations if you're having that style of dinner, dessert tables, photo booth. It's just nice to have a little bit of an extra room rather than just one big room the whole night. And like kind of where we're sitting like the lounge area is nice if you're not into dancing but you want to be a part of everything.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

Yeah I do notice that it's like a little bit of a hangout space. And then it's also like you might grab a drink and then maybe stand at one of the high tops and chat and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 29:36

Yeah yeah so it's just like nice to have that little extra room I feel like we've hear guests comment like this was nice to have like not just have to be at the dinner table or have to be dancing the whole time.

SPEAKER_00 29:44

I wish you would be dancing the whole time but that's just my purpose.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

Agreed we love a dance we love a pack dance I I love a pack dance favorite thing. Love it. Yeah so that's the rooms and then the third floor is the the crow's nest is what it's called it can serve as second getting ready room. It also is like a cigar lounge too which is cool. So kind of tying back in the history of the building originally being a tobacco warehouse.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

Yeah so that's a great space there is such a cool little like loft off the back of the crow's nest that you can see over top of where maybe maybe it would be a ceremony but most of the time that I've been here it's been a reception space. Yes. You just like see all the party from up there and it's so fun. Yeah um I'm I'm not sure that guests are maybe supposed to be going up there. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 30:25

Whatever.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

But um it's for photographers and videographers all yeah. No, that's so fun. There's so many spaces in here and it does seem like you know and maybe this is a tip for couples is like envisioning the ways that you can use the spaces in a venue aside from it just being like I like the aesthetic or I don't like the aesthetic it's like okay I see I like the space I like the layout and I can see this being a great cocktail space. I can see this being like absolutely where we'd want to have our ceremony um and it seems like you guys have just like a lot of options which is really cool.

SPEAKER_01 31:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

When couples are in the booking process what are maybe one or two of your top questions you wish they were asking that they're not in the booking process.

SPEAKER_02 31:14

I guess just yeah I guess about vendors I feel like sometimes people don't even want to touch vendors yet which I understand it's a lot when you're first booking your your wedding date your venue I get it. Yeah um but just kind of asking if you know if we do have preferred vendors um we do have a list of required caters so that is one category that we do kind of want approval on just because as you know like catering is we don't need the dry chicken huge part. Yeah we don't want that dry chicken review.

SPEAKER_00 31:37

I don't want the dry chicken to be honest but that's just selfish.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

Yeah but yeah just kind of asking because that's like

Design Flexibility And Creative Setups;

SPEAKER_02 31:44

usually your next step then like booking your vendors. So I think yeah if they want to talk about that I usually try to sit down with them when they are booking. Obviously we do have some couples that are out of state and you know they want to do everything online, you know, hop on a phone call with me just kind of go over some of those questions. And again just like to set their mind at ease. I just I want them to feel supported throughout the whole process. So feel free to ask any questions. Again it can be overwhelming so sometimes they're like I don't I don't know what to ask.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

Sometimes they have no questions and then they come back with like 25. Right exactly I got you.

SPEAKER_02 32:12

Exactly yeah so I would just say yeah just yeah feeling make sure you're feeling comfortable and just yeah and it's okay if you don't have a question initially when you're booking and you know if you're comfortable with everything we try to go over you know the main points um of kind of what our standards are policies that kind of thing but yeah we know it's a lot of information overload.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

Yeah do you find that couples are kind of doing like similar styles based off of how the booking house kind of looks just like as it sits.

SPEAKER_02 32:37

Yeah yes and no like I we definitely have seen people really like they love the flowers they love the greens um kind of more of that like decoration style which is amazing and then we see people like love like all the uplighting or the lighting um the drapes that kind of thing so I feel like there's so many different ways that you can make it look amazing and like tailor it to your liking. Yeah that's nice that it's not again it's not super cookie cutter like you can put your own style on it.

SPEAKER_00 33:01

Is there is there a way that the space has been used that like stands out as maybe like and I know I'm putting you on the spot a little bit but like one of the more creative ways that you've maybe seen it used. I have it immediately came to mind when you started saying that I was trying to give you a little I was trying to give you a little think in touch.

unknown 33:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:18

So we had a wedding um this past January actually shout out to Courtney and Clay one of our couples they use the atrium for their dance floor so which is something again like we have if you've come up with ideas and we can make it realistically work we're happy to have kind of adjust how the rooms can be done.

SPEAKER_00 33:33

Dinner over here.

SPEAKER_02 33:34

Yep so dinner was still there they did have a higher guest count so like dance floor would have been a little tight um so we were might have like tear down tables that kind of thing so they were like well what if we have dance floor in the atrium it's like literally yep it's right like next to the bar which is great. So we open up those doors um invited people in there and they transformed it into like a Miami like club style. It was amazing they had like these big like balloons that were like very tasteful like not I feel like when I say balloons it doesn't yeah give it justice.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

It reminds me of those balloons that we had as a

Handling Hiccups Behind The Scenes;

SPEAKER_00 34:02

kid on the rubber band. Yeah. Where you'd like bounce it off your head.

SPEAKER_03 34:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:05

Not those kinds of no not that they're probably listening and like what are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 34:10

You're like ruining it now.

SPEAKER_00 34:11

I'm glad we didn't have that guy though. He's weird.

SPEAKER_02 34:14

But it was like it was just like they had like pinks in there. It was just it was amazing. Like they literally transformed it. Um so that was just something that again like we're we're happy to adjust it to kind of make it work for your vision. But yeah I would say that's definitely a memorable one and everyone was like so into the dance floor they were there the whole night which was amazing. So we love that.

SPEAKER_00 34:31

I love when that happens it's so fun now there are bound to be parts of like every wedding day that don't go as planned right you your coordinating brain's like yep yeah um I'm just curious from like the booking house perspective like how do you guys jump in you kind of mentioned a little bit but like jumping in trying to navigate those things keep it off the couple like how are you guys kind of navigating all that and then even more specifically like navigating that alongside of other vendors that might have hiccups and stuff that they're managing as well.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

Yeah I feel like when we initially reach out to the vendors you know we're working with for that wedding we always seem to say you know we're here to help so like let us know you know I think communication is a big thing. I think just going up to the vendor you know privately being like what's going on like how what can we do to fix this?

SPEAKER_00 35:21

Um yeah not like what's going on.

SPEAKER_02 35:23

Yeah like what can we do?

SPEAKER_00 35:24

No but really what's going on.

SPEAKER_02 35:25

Yeah. So I just think yeah just kind of again like going back to that team oriented like what can we all do to pitch in to make it work. Yeah. Just because we don't want to get you know the couple involved or even sometimes like if there is like a point person, whether it be a family member, just maybe seeing if they can help if if we can't handle it internally. But I feel like we just try to you know make it work behind the scenes, do what we can. And again it kind of goes back to it's nice when we work with vendors that we know and kind of already have that relationship built that like we can kind of lean on each other. So yeah I would say just try to handle it as much as we can behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_00 35:58

I know yeah behind the scenes as much as it can be behind the scenes. When you're kind of you kind of have like a hosp hospitality side of things as a venue you kind of have I mean I guess we kind of do as well in some ways, but um more so in the like the hosting kind of mentality

Culture, Values, And Avoiding Burnout;

SPEAKER_00 36:16

you have a little bit of a hospitality thing you have a little bit of that like professionalism. I'm curious like how you've managed the team in some ways and others to like hold up to that professionalism but also be like as hospitable as you can.

SPEAKER_02 36:31

Yeah. I feel like our team like we we all really understand like our values you know kind of how we want to present ourselves our brand like you're saying um we've just I feel like we've just been very lucky with with the team that we have especially again Aaliyah and Emily kind of like our main team with me they just like we all have different personalities but we all kind of balance each other out which is amazing. And we know how to have fun, don't get us wrong. But like we could be obviously very serious and professional. So I feel like just having people that understand that and again understand the brand the values um I think that's how we just kind of make that so cohesive and even if they're you know working with someone else not me they're still getting that same experience and I feel like that's what it comes down to just you know just kind of teaching that you know and again a lot of that just came naturally to them.

SPEAKER_00 37:15

So yeah I was gonna say like I I would imagine there's a vendor maybe that they're trying to scale and they're like how do we get a team to be on the same page when they're maybe not like you know I talk about this all the time it's like if you're not the owner no one's really gonna care as much as the owner cares. Sure. In most cases. I'm sure there's some where owners are like yo do whatever I don't really care. But in most if not mostly all of them how do you get those people that are a part of the team or or new people that are going to be joining the team to be like bought into all those things that you were mentioning.

SPEAKER_02 37:51

Yeah yeah I feel like I mean going back to our owners like they they fully they very trust us they're very trustworthy of us um which is awesome like they they value us and they we know that they have our back if we make a decision they they trust us enough to do that which is amazing. And I know not everyone is you know works like that. Yeah um but yeah just kind of bringing someone into it I feel like just kind of observing it and just kind of like you know explaining kind of this is what you know you do have the power to make decisions you know with the brand in mind but you know kind of going back to this is our values, this is kind of what we expect that kind of thing. So I feel like just kind of making sure they understand it.

SPEAKER_00 38:25

Yeah no it's it's true. I mean it's it sounds simple but yeah um I'm just like man every time not every time I'm like making general generalizations but I hear a lot of times where photographers maybe have tried to scale and they're like realizing that no one is ever going to take the intentionality that they take sure day of if they're trying to kind of build out a team. But it sounds like you know if we can have the solid brand foundation and like bought into that yeah then it can kind of yeah kind of work that way. Absolutely um where are you seeing the booking house going in the next like five or ten years?

SPEAKER_02 39:03

Yeah.

Looking Ahead And Team Growth;

SPEAKER_02 39:04

I hope we can do something else cool. I mean we did the atrium so we probably won't do a big project like that for a while JP's like atrium round too yeah he's like don't say that I'm not doing that. But I feel like we just try to keep things fresh. So whether that's just doing like a little cosmetic update somewhere in some of the rooms um and just again just kind of again building if we can add any other services um just to enhance not that we want to step on other toes of vendors but just you know again if we see a gap in the gap in somewhere we want to fill that in. So I think yeah just kind of still you know growing our team expanding um we have we love our team I personally do. So I don't want anyone to get burnt and that's obviously a big thing in the wedding industry. Burnout's real.

SPEAKER_03 39:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:43

So you know making sure we have enough team members that again are kind of follow our values but you know we can kind of split up the work so we're not all burnt out once November, December runs around or comes around. So yeah so I think just yeah making sure we grow the team still keep everyone um yeah and we've been fortunate that a lot of our core team has been here for many years which is awesome.

SPEAKER_00 40:02

So it's telling yeah from what you're saying like you're saying a lot of nice things about the owners but it seems like that is those are true things and not just like niceties that we're talking about that are listening and like wow yeah she should do more podcasts. Let's get her out there.

SPEAKER_03 40:19

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 40:20

That's so fun. Yeah well I know I'm excited for the next five to ten years just to see I mean like the atrium space I was like what what is this? And it's amazing. So I'm so excited to see what you guys come up with and like how you develop your services and truly truly to to benefit the couples like that's the end of the day for us like we want the couples to feel the benefit of those things that we're doing to like build and grow our businesses

Open House, Where To Find Them, Closing

SPEAKER_00 40:45

and hope the other vendors are feeling the same way too um but Brittany thank you so much for being on yes thank you I loved having you on and hearing all the things about the booking house. Where can people find and follow along with what the booking house is doing.

SPEAKER_02 40:59

Absolutely yes we do have Instagram TikTok we're even on we're a little trendy but the best way to contact us is through our website we do have a contact form a lot of details are on there too if you're kind of just initially searching so definitely reach out on our website but we are on social media too if you want to kind of look at the pretty pictures.

SPEAKER_00 41:15

So yeah all that stuff will be linked down in the description below so if you're a link clicker go ahead and click the link there and uh make sure you follow along with what they're doing.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

You have things that are coming up that are exciting yeah so we're really excited um we uh have an open house wedding open house we have annually um earlier in the year so we're really excited to connect with couples that are engaged or maybe you're starting planning looking for vendors it's just like a fun day to kind of kickstart your planning so we're excited like kickstart the season too yeah absolutely yeah so fun thank you so much for being on I hope everyone listening got a ton of information about the booking house and just what it takes to be a manager kind of like running the space I know you're not like the owner usually it's like the owner that we get but it's so fun to kind of hear your journey in all of this as well.

SPEAKER_00 41:59

If you're watching on YouTube it would be awesome. It'd be so helpful if you give give us a thumbs up on this video and uh subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes that are coming out for the preferred list. And if you're listening on a podcast app, how's it going? Hopefully you're having a good walk or workout or whatever you're doing drive I don't know if you're driving around listening to the episode. If you've made it this far thank you for listening. I really appreciate it. And um it would be amazing it'd be so so helpful if you could leave us a review just letting us know what you think of the show and um what you're thinking of all these amazing vendors that we've been having on. But that's all for this episode and uh we'll catch you next time on the preferred list.

SPEAKER_01 42:40

Thank you