Booking a Venue | Interview with Karen and Grace from The River View at Frankenmuth Brewery

 In this episode, we sit down with Karen Kelly and Grace Kowitz from The River View at Frankenmuth Brewery to talk all things wedding venues. We dive into what makes a venue truly stand out, what couples should look for when booking, and how to navigate the often overwhelming process of touring and choosing the perfect space for your big day. Karen and Grace share insider tips, common mistakes to avoid, and practical advice that can save couples both time and stress. Whether you’re newly engaged or deep into planning, this episode is packed with real-world insights to help you confidently choose a venue that fits your vision, your budget, and your experience. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Micro weddings kind of seem to be taking over the industry right now. I think between the hops and barley room, we could do two simultaneously while hosting a rehearsal dinner upstairs throughout the restaurant and while maybe also holding an anniversary dinner on the terrace. So there's much to be had here. And I think kind of what she was talking about as far as really honing in on making it an individual experience for the guests that we have day of. The reality is, you know, 50 plus weddings a year, but multiple events per day, per week, per month.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

Well, we do have minimums, you know, that we work with. A lot of people are confused about what's included in that.

SPEAKER_03 0:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

You know, maybe that's just the venue fee. Or, you know, now how much of that is food and beverage? Where always the best thing, you know, start with the brochure, narrow down your preferences, then we do the proposal for them, so then they can see exactly what's included.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

I think what we strive for is an interpersonal relationship with brides and grooms and their bridal party and their family. We offer a unique experience here because every detail down to your tablecloths, your napkin fold, your bar selection is tailored and curated for you for your special day. Um essentially, we we're here to mirror your dream wedding in any aspect that we can.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

I'm broadcasting from the Riverview at uh Frankmith Brewery. And I am here with Karen and with Grace, and we're gonna talk a lot about the uh how how the venue industry kind of works, what they're what this venue is all about, and maybe you get some uh indication as far as maybe you want your wedding here. Um so hi, how are you?

SPEAKER_02 2:04

Wonderful, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Hi Hello. So, gosh, I'm gonna start with a few questions here, just kind of like get a good essence about how this place kind of like started and how to how it how it performed and where it where it came from, all that kind of stuff. So, all right, so when did it get started and where where is it at specifically? Just to spot to sell everybody.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

Okay, all right. Um, we are located in Frankenmouth. We're up on the hill, so it's not like down by the river shops and Bavarian Inn and Zenders. It's up on the hill, which you can see, you know, going up Main Street, but we are right on the river. So it's a very unique location for us, a different kind of experience in Frankenmooth than the traditional places. A lot of people don't realize we're here. Even, you know, when brides and grooms come for site visits, the first thing they say, oh my god, like I didn't even know. And then they come through the hops room and they see that river and they're like, wow, that's often the first word I hear in a site visit or even from guests. So that's really exciting. Um, we're part of the Frankenmouth Brewery, so a lot of people know about that. It's one of the oldest breweries in Michigan, going back to 1862. I know, but the River View actually started in July of 2019.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

Oh, so relatively recent then. Okay. Oh, I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

Yeah, we've done a lot of improvements over the years too, and continue to, um, just to make this a venue that's a five-star experience. Like that is the foundation of everything that we do, and all of our improvements, our maintenance and our service equipment and our team. So it's really where we are.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

I know when I've been here a few times, it's like I I I think when I came here the first time, I did the other impression, like looking out here on the river, I'm like, oh, that's a beautiful like location. And it's like really makes uh things very, very special, and like looking off the river and and and stuff like that. But to be a part of this, like I mean also a restaurant, the the restaurant portion, the brewery portion and stuff, but being a part of it is kind of like I can see where if people don't actually see it, they kind of like, oh, they didn't know it was there. But what are some of the things that like what do coup couples not realize about running a venue like this?

SPEAKER_02 4:12

Well, you know, for the couple, this is their one experience, their one big celebration, you know, their whole family comes together and closest friends, and it feels like this is the only one there is, and to them it is, and to us that's how we like to treat each opportunity to work with a couple in a family. But we can do up to 50 events a year sometimes. So we have 50 special events. You know, so I think you know, how do we manage the details? How do we make sure that we're not missing really a single thing, you know, that we talk about throughout the whole process from the very first email, you know, requesting information to their special night. So I think it's the amount of details, you know, that we manage makes it yeah. And in this building, we have a lot of locations too. Like we have this river view, which is the hops room that we're sitting in, and then we have the barley room, but we also have the terrace, which is a space up in the restaurant that's perfect, you know, for rehearsals and showers, and then the doxy room, also in the restaurant, but that's good for like 25 people. So you don't always realize this all the it's almost like different events could be going on in the different rooms. So there's a lot of juggling.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

So you could you could you could host like how many weddings could you host here at one time? I'm curious about that. If it depending on of course, it's like whether it's a small little uh little wedding or maybe a bigger one or whatever, it's like what's what's the capacity, I should say.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

I would say two.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Yeah, as micro weddings kind of seem to be taking over the industry right now. I think uh between the hops and barley room, we could do two simultaneously while hosting a rehearsal dinner upstairs throughout the restaurant and while maybe also holding an anniversary dinner on the terrace. So there's there's much to be had here. And I think kind of what she was talking about as far as really honing in on making it an individual experience for the guests that we have day of. Um, the reality is, you know, 50 plus weddings a year, but multiple events per day, per week, per month. So um us trying to hone in on that, you know, while having multiple events is something that we strive for. And I think we do pretty good at.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

You do. I mean, that's I mean, I I've been very impressed every time I've can't I've come here to kind of like record a wedding. So um what are some of the questions that you should ask? You like couples that should be asking, but you usually don't, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 6:35

I'm gonna take that one, Grace.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

Yeah, uh, and we have talked about this so many times, just to take pressure off of bride, sometimes groom. Groom usually is just along for the ride for the most part. Um, but we do things in phases, you know, it's not all of an information dump just in one sitting. Um, you know, we kind of do an overlay when we have your proposal set out, um, and we kind of do a rough run through what your day is gonna look like, cost of goods and services and everything under the sun, basically. Um, but during your planning process, you know, the five to six week mark, we have our final details, and then usually about 14 days out, that's your final, final, final, you know, your final count for guests, food, any accommodations needed, parking-wise, um, accessibility-wise. Um yeah, I would say that that that's how we approach things is is um in little dollops of information.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

I mean, you don't want everybody to get all this information, overload and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

So that's a good that's a good method to take. So um are there any hidden costs that that somebody like that couples forget to budget for?

SPEAKER_02 7:47

Right. What I love about our process is okay, we give them like the wedding brochure, which then that has a lot of details, overview, good reference point with this folder, so it becomes like there, all right, all my important documents are in here. But then our our proposals are very clear, very straightforward. They're itemized so you can see what how every charge breaks down, so you know that ahead of time. Um, the only thing not included on our proposals is gratuity for the service staff.

SPEAKER_04 8:15

Oh, sure.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

But that's the only the only thing. So we inform people it right at the time of the proposal. I mean, we make that known, and that way it's not a hidden cost. So I don't think we have any hidden costs because we like the transparency, just helping with budgeting, and there's enough details to work through. So we like to keep it very simple.

SPEAKER_00 8:34

Have you heard about any like any hidden costs from anybody else? Like anybody has ever told you, well, yeah, this place didn't do it.

SPEAKER_02 8:41

Well, we do have minimums, you know, that we work with. A lot of people are confused about what's included in that.

SPEAKER_03 8:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

You know, maybe that's just the venue fee.

unknown 8:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Or, you know, now how much of that is food and beverage? Where always the best thing, you know, start with the brochure, narrow down your preferences, so we do the proposal for them, so then they can see exactly what's included in that bottom line, and then also like what the deposit would be, you know, to secure the date. So right from the get-go, everything's right there. It can be emails when they come in for site visit. We often print those, it becomes part of the folder. So throughout, like Grace said, we're just feeding information so it's not overwhelming. They can enjoy the process of planning. I mean, that takes longer than the actual event. You know, a year, sometimes two years, people are planning their wedding.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

So I mean, it's I know as far as like some couples on it when they do this stuff, I know it's like when they don't have any kind of experience with planning a wedding, which most of them don't.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

Right.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

I can see where a lot of them kind of like get this this idea, like they get this this nervous, it's like, okay, they say this this price, and then it will end up being uh much more than what they expected. Um I know it's when they look at with me and stuff like that, they they always ask, it's like, okay, I know your price is out there, but is there anything hidden in that? And I can understand it's like they're gonna they're gonna have feel this kind of like, okay, are they gonna are they going to um add on something that I'm not aware of? And I like how you you explain that to everything um to them as far as what they have, um, what they're gonna be getting at a certain price, so they don't have to worry about it.

SPEAKER_02 10:28

And just like Grace said, you know, once the final count is in, then we fine-tune the numbers, we send a new updated invoice with all those reflected changes and final counts for kids, you know, people under 12 or people that aren't on the bar package, and it's very clear. You know, we we send it to them, I'm sure they share it with you know other people in the planning process, and then you know, we answer questions as needed, but it's very clear cod.

SPEAKER_01 10:51

So very much so. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:53

That's good. Yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

So let's see. So as far as couples, couples goes, like, how do they compare venues like properly? I guess. Like how do they compare yours to let's say another one? It's like, okay, how should you choose you over somebody else?

SPEAKER_02 11:14

Right. I'm gonna let Grace answer this one again because Grace is getting married this year. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Thank you so much. I know it's coming up very fast. So, you know, I kind of entered that process a little cocky. You know, this is what I do for work, right? It can't be that hard. Um, but the most evident thing that I keep running into, um, the difference between the venue that I work for and the venue that I chose is it's not a full service venue. And what that means is everything down from the ordering of your linens, any bar ordering, your glassware being polished, silverware being polished, napkins being folded. I mean, anything and everything behind the scenes is for us to take care of. Um, you know, we're built-in coordinators as well, so the timeline of your event is something we take into consideration. Um the flow of ceremony, being on tempo with music, when we're opening and closing the doors for your bridal party to make it down the aisle. You know, there's so much that goes into what we do. And now that I'm planning my wedding, um, I've had the joyous um choices to make between multiple vendors. You know, I'm grateful that I'm getting my catering through my work. Um, because I will say that we have a pretty good, we have a very good buffet. Um But yeah, I it's down to contacting your vendors, getting a valet ready for you, um, you know, speaking with hotels about booking or blocking rooms out. These are things that we can take upon ourselves. Whereas most venues nowadays, it's a space for you to hold your sacred event, but that's it.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

So I've seen that. I've seen that quite a few times where yeah, they it's like you're just renting the space and then you're on your own. Right. So that's good. I like that. And my current congratulations again.

SPEAKER_02 12:59

So one more point to that though, is I think for couples to cust pick where they'd like to be is who are they as a couple?

SPEAKER_03 13:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

You know, what how have you how did you meet each other? Where did you meet? What kind of things do you do together? How do you see your life together? Like picking a venue that is an experience too for your guests, you know, instead of more of just a social obligation anymore, it I see weddings have kind of become a reflection, you know, of who you are as a couple and how can you incorporate that throughout the the special moments of this of the day.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

I can definitely see that because I again I experienced so many couples and they're all different. It's like I'll have I'll have one that's very traditional, and then I'll have another that's wants to theme everything of the great Gatsby. So it's like it's uh they're very different, and that's what I love about them. It's like everybody has their own story, right? You know? So kind of like going a little bit off topic and stuff like that. It's like, you know, I I've I've had so many that have asked me, it's like, how many bridezillas have you had? And I'm like, well, personally, I don't feel that that I have had any. Because it's like there's a lot of stress that goes in into the into the wedding day. And um, you know, they're overwhelmed. And it's like a lot of these brides do it on their own. And I think having a coordinator kind of like help you through that, it's kind of can relieve that a lot of lot of stress and stuff. Much less it's like you may have like helpful grooms, but it's like 90% of the time they're just there.

SPEAKER_01 14:39

I always say weddings are like prom for grooms, they get the tucks, they show up.

SPEAKER_00 14:44

Yes, right? Yep, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Yeah, with us on our site visits. So as I mentioned, the folder, I'll go back to that. It has my card and it has my cell phone and it's call or text anytime, even on the very first email that I send to people, because I think that's important. Like when you have a burning question, like you need to know someone's gonna answer the phone or someone will respond to your text. And I mean, always within 24 hours. I mean, if it's late at night, it's gonna be the next day.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

So I can't say like an hour promise, but I think we do a really good job at dropping that veil, right? The professionalism still stands no matter what, and we are available and accessible most of the time. Um, but we're very interpersonal as well. We understand that these are sacred events, these are the once-in-a-lifetime events, right? Um so we want to be able to connect deeper with that, but also maintaining a professional relationship of, you know, I can't answer your call at 11 o'clock at night, but I will get back to you at seven in the morning. Yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

And I would I would hope that some some people respect that. It's like they look at they're they're at work from like eight to five, and then at five, they don't want to deal with anything to deal with work and stuff like that. But I know too, it's like, oh, if if somebody contacts me at like six o'clock in the evening and like, oh, yeah, I can help you and stuff. But it's it's it, you know, it depends on your personality. But I don't I wouldn't expect anybody to like they email somebody, email me at like 11 o'clock and then email at 7 o'clock in the morning, like, why haven't you responded?

SPEAKER_01 16:13

I think in the years that I've been here, and maybe Karen can agree to this, I think I've maybe only seen that once, maybe twice. But again, like you were saying, they're nervous, and this is this is a very big, it's a large commitment, it's an expensive commitment. You know, these things can definitely add stress to anyone's plate.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

So and there's a lot of little moving pieces too.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

100%. And when you think of something and it populates in your brain at 11 o'clock at night, you want to make sure that you get that to who needs to handle it. So exactly.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

This is respond within 24 hours and you're you're good, you're good. So as far as like how how have you seen weddings change within the last five, ten years? So and I wouldn't say ten years, because I don't think this this place hasn't been running as a venue for ten years. But you know, ever since it started, I guess how how have weddings changed since then?

SPEAKER_02 17:02

I think it goes back to just choosing it to be a personal experience. You know, instead of having a thousand people at your wedding and you can't even talk to six hundred of them, you know, now it's more of the experience instead of the moms and dads kind of choosing the invite list. I see more of, you know, narrowing it down from the couples who is our closest friends, our closest family. That's who we want to celebrate with. And that's that's what I see as the biggest change. Before it just seemed like the weddings were larger and you felt like you had to, and I don't see that anymore. Like I think it's different.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

I would agree. I think micro weddings are the turn of the trend right now. I think that that's where a lot of people are being a little bit more realistic with the accessibility of themselves for their special day. Like she was saying, you know, we've seen it before, 240 people, and brides and grooms struggle to be able to have those intimate thank yous and I love you and I appreciate you for being here. Um, it really helps people take stress off of their plate and enjoy their day a little bit more. Um, not to say that those 240-person weddings aren't a blast, because they are, and they've been some of the more unique ones that we've been able to be a part of, but I think intimacy and again going back to the analogue of a wedding, right? Enjoying it for what it is, which is a sacred commitment to one another.

SPEAKER_00 18:19

Yeah, it is. It is. I enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 18:23

We really do. We get emotionally involved. I can't tell you how many times I sit behind the frosted glass door ready to open it for bride and groom to come down, and I'm like choking up because it's so beautiful and it's so amazing that this is what we get to do. I always say, you know, we're not saving lives or fighting for this country, we're doing a very fun job. And this is this is what it is. It's fun. It's fun to be a part of. Oftentimes, too, we see ceremonies nowadays are very quick. You know, they're very, you know, 10 to 15 minutes max. So timelines are having to be shifted. Or, you know, can we do the cake cutting before we do our first dance? Swapping things back and forth. So having, you know, ample amount of time to be here, be prepared, and be ready for whatever the day holds is extremely important. So you don't miss the whole ceremony.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Right. If you're you forget that we have offsite parking in addition to our parking lot. You know, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

So yeah. But it's like well, what's what's the shortest wedding ceremony you ever had here? Do you know?

SPEAKER_02 19:23

Under five minutes, honestly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

We're like, we hear clapping, we're like, whoa, from what I remember, is is that they were together for upwards of ten years. You know, they tried to get married during COVID and it just didn't happen. So they were able to get married, I believe it was in 2024. And by the time we had closed the door from the bridal party, the last guest of the bridal party making it down, I walked around the liquor cabinet and back and I heard clapping. And I'm thinking to myself, were they clapping for the bridal party? No, they were done. They were done and ready to go. So they made the most of their cocktail hour, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Sounds like it. Sounds like I know my my shortest one was like um from the moment I hit record on my camera to the moment I stopped recording was four minutes 59 seconds. And it included walking down the aisle, saying I do, and walking back down the aisle.

SPEAKER_01 20:17

Sprinting down the aisle.

SPEAKER_00 20:19

Well, we know it was just uh the bride and the bride and her dad and the best man made of honor. That was it. Who was walking down and then walking back was obviously the couple and but the best man made of honor. It's like four minutes, 59 seconds. I'm like, wow.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

That's another big change. Like when you say, like, what's really changed in the last five to ten years, too, since COVID. Like, remember, like you just said, there were times where people weren't doing weddings. Yeah. You know, because of COVID. So I think that kind of forced a transition in how we look at them now.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

It did. You know? It did. I I know for a lot of us wedding vendors, that year was very yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:57

Took a little time, yeah, to recover.

SPEAKER_00 21:02

So how do you, I guess, how do you plan for emergencies here?

SPEAKER_01 21:06

Well, that was like one wonder, like what kind of emergency? When you say emergencies, are you talking like weather emergencies or you know, a bride's dress strap broke? Okay, that kind of emergency. Stuff like that, ain't it? So we all know what a sew. We all know we'd honestly keep a sewing kit here, you know, we keep tide pens, stuff like that. Just stuff to have on hand, Day of. Um I think because we as a team are pretty trained, diligently trained, I'd say, in anticipating needs, as far as, for example, when we're dismissing tables, we're we're doing it because it's efficient, it looks more elegant. Um, but we're also doing that so per table, we have two staff members go to bust your plates from your hors d'oeuvres, fill your waters. Your guests don't even understand that their their cup was half empty, right? So when we're able to anticipate needs and move about five minutes faster than what everyone else is, those emergencies. Don't seem to happen often. So yeah, we're in the right place at the right time.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

Yep. I I can see that. It's like, you know, I've seen my share of you know straps on bridesmaids going like getting undone. And uh but the big one for me is the uh bustle on the dress. She's dancing, and somebody steps on it and it breaks the bustle. So it's like I I also carry around a little fanny pack that has all that stuff in it.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

Oh yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Yes. So it's like I I've had to pin up a few of my bride's dresses because somebody stepped on her dress. Um so um, I guess where where do couples like overspend? I guess. What do you what's your opinion on that?

SPEAKER_02 22:49

You know, I would say the favors. You know, a lot of times we think, oh, we need something there with the plate or with the place setting, but then when it comes to the end of the night, it seems like we always have so many left behind, you know. So don't know that that's really the part people hold on to. Um, I will say, like a consumable thing, like what we offer is really fun because we we can do like custom label root beer.

SPEAKER_04 23:10

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 23:11

So they can send us artwork, we can put their name, their date on it, but then if they want to drink it now, they can. And Grace can even make them an amazing cocktail with it, or they could take it home for their kids, or but that's just kind of a neat favor because a consumable, something that's from the venue. Um, but as far as other favors, I see left behind. So I'd say, you know, just consider that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

Well, that sounds good. I uh um, and what is one creative or memorable wedding you've had here?

SPEAKER_01 23:45

Do you want to talk about November 8th and I could talk about New Year's Eve? I think that would be fun. Personally, I kind of dreaded having to work on New Year's Eve, and I'm thinking to myself, you know, there's so many more things I could be doing. Bar none, one of the coolest weddings I've ever done. So this hops room that we're in transforms into dance floor after ceremony, and it was 11:55, and everyone had grabbed their final cocktail from the bar and made their way into here. We did um champagne flutes, so every every guest had um a glass of champagne and DJ's counting down. Uh the TVs were on in here doing a countdown, and unbeknownst to actually anyone here that they lit fireworks off from across the water. Yep. So I'm thinking, I'm like, yeah, you know, congratulations, we set this up for you. No, I'm kidding, but but it was it was a very, very unique wedding, you know, to celebrate, you know, kind of a holiday at the same time of a wedding, and people were just in really good spirits. It was a really fun crowd to be a part of.

SPEAKER_02 24:48

So yeah, yeah. The November 8th was one of our largest events last year, and it was great because like they had this whole room was packed with the ceremony, so like 200 people were in this room for the ceremony. And then after all the guests got the opportunity to go like and explore Franken with a little bit. And then we I did open the terrace for them too, if they wanted to stay on site. And then we continued to like transform the space even into hops a little bit for the seating for dinner. So when they came back for cocktail hour, you know, we had it all set up in here, the room had completely transformed. And then some tables were here, as I said, for dinner, but then they were able to stay, and then that was the dance floor. And it was it was just very unique because they embraced the entire venue, they embraced the entire menu. Like they, yeah, the town, they really created a very amazing experience by including like every every hors d'oeuvre, you know, every dessert, they had a very large expansive menu. So they really just said yes to the whole experience, and it was amazing. The guests, I mean, the guests, of course, always bring extra magic to the celebrate, the magic, but it was amazing just to have them here for the whole day and have the transformation take place and experience it in different ways.

SPEAKER_00 26:03

That's fun.

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Yeah. Yeah, that was very memorable.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

Well, so what is the craziest request you've ever had? I love these. I love many stories.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

We've had many, but nothing has really shocked us as much as um, and neither of us knew this, but a haircutting ceremony after your ceremony is um, I guess it's it's the trend right now to signify, you know, out with the old, in with the new. And we had a bride come to us asking us, you know, if she could use one of our additional spaces for this, and we're thinking, cutting hair in a restaurant, food service, health code. So all these things are flying through our mind, but we were able to transform our rooftop space, our red sky space, um, to match health code, you know, to accommodate her and her bridesmaids or her mother. Um, she ended up not doing it, which I was so bummed out about because I wanted to see the haircut, but I would say, I would say that was probably the thus far, knock on wood. That that's the craziest so far.

SPEAKER_00 27:07

It's so funny that you mentioned it because I for the I didn't know that that was a trend until my wedding, like a wedding I was at in October, where I was like, I didn't even know it until the day of. And it's like, she's like, Yeah, I'm getting my hair, I'm doing my haircut. It's like gonna be a surprise, like during this, during this reception. And like, you are? She's like, Yeah, and it's like I follow her back. She did this whole like, she she cut her hair like like basically cut off about that much off her hair and right to the shoulders. And then it was like, um, then she changed her dress and made this big appearance out in into the reception that was just crazy.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

That's what I was anticipating was that aha moment and everyone being able to see it. So unfortunately, we didn't we weren't able to do that. But if anyone's watching and you want to do that, please, that would be very fun. That'd be very cool to be a part of.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

It is fun. I I love seeing these little things here and there that just kind of pop up and in the all right. So um, so timely advice um from a venue perspective, like you know, how do you guys go about helping with the timeline?

SPEAKER_02 28:20

Well, we have in our folder at every site visit sometimes before, we do have a sample timeline that is just proven. I mean, if you stick to that, I mean, we've done so many to that timeline that it's just flawless. We will accommodate any requests for modification, but we know that that one, and that takes a lot of pressure off just to have at least a rough draft, a start, because it's hard to like how long do these things take? When should I do my cocktail hours? So we always just give one right away. And then we offer another one when we do our tastings, so where people can come in, and then they they've got often have family there because we do open it up to family members too, and it's a four-hour time frame on a Sunday where you get to come in and just really get comfortable in the space, think through your decor, of course, try the amazing food, kind of to narrow down your selections. And that's done maybe four or five times a year, and it's just it's super fun because this we actually have the ceremony set up, we show the different um arches that are available, different linen folds, you know, on the napkin folds, options and colors, different table setups like the rectangle versus the round, what's the floor-length linen, what's the standard linen. So all those things we cover at the tasting. So then they get another timeline. So then the parents or whoever's there, because that's when they're talking through a lot of details.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

Okay. So it's kind of like a whole showcase. It's like, okay, we're gonna you're gonna come in for the tasting, but you're also gonna see other things that can inspire you to kind of like for your own wedding day.

unknown 29:49

Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:49

The hope is with the tasting is to kind of tie the loose ends or answer the unanswered questions, you know, showing again everything from napkin folds, any option of any question you might have. Um, and all management is on site usually for those. Um and bar is open, which is always nice, so they can sample the beer beforehand, the wine beforehand. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

Yeah, and then um we have Holly also, who you know is here today getting ready. She's I know. Um, she has a business with decor. And so she's able to bring in some samples for the tasting, which is great because that's another thing that's really stressful about weddings, is what decor should I do? Because when people come in, they have kind of a clear, you know, canvas for, I mean, the linens are out, they look beautiful, the napkins, you know, the charger plates if they want those, but then everything else is for for them to choose. And so having Holly on staff is great because she can answer questions, she can help people, come up with a vision, and she has so many options that there's different levels. You know, there's budget, there's all out, you know, and everything in between. So that's really great. We do that at tastings too.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

Oh, that's good. That's good because it that that really helps. I definitely see it's like I I can't imagine that I any couple who would rever reserve a venue or especially if the venue is providing the food, because I know some venues don't, it's like they outside catering and stuff like that. But it's like if you're offering that, just to be able to come in and have a little taste of what uh what you're offering and stuff, but to see everything, I can see how that can kind of like relieve some somebody's stress. It's like, okay, I really like that, I'm really inspired by that. I can somewhat breathe.

SPEAKER_01 31:37

Right. And when you think about what we all offer in-house, the the only other vendors usually that you'll need is a DJ and photographer. Yeah. We do the food, we do the bar, we offer the decor, the linens, the silverware. So we are one pretty much one full swing. So chairs, tables, all different kinds of tables.

SPEAKER_02 31:56

I mean, we've got four foots, eight foots, got cocktail. I mean, there's just a lot of variety. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

So it's like you can take that that stress off of the couple right away.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

It's like yeah, and the tastings are great for the parents too, because they have questions and they're asking the bride and groom questions. They're yeah, then the parents can come in and they can ask just as many questions, then that helps all of them, you know, just as a as a family planning this event. That, you know, we're all on the same page, they all get the cell phone number, they all know where to get the questions answered, and it does relieve pressure. Oh, yeah. Make the planning fun.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

I can see that.

SPEAKER_02 32:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:34

It's fun. Um, so why a venue why uh why venue walkthroughs matter before the wedding day? Like, why does it matter for them to walk through it?

SPEAKER_02 32:45

We'd like to do it even sooner than a walkthrough. As soon as we have the setup done, we like to take pictures and say the room is ready. Look at here's the ceremony space, here's where the desserts are gonna go. We'll either do like a quick video or maybe five or six pictures just to show them that the things that we talked about throughout planning are done and ready. That way they can just go, okay, looks great, I'm ready, can't wait. Then they get here to set up or decorate that day, and everything is as expected.

SPEAKER_01 33:13

It's one thing for someone to tell you how amazing something is, but to experience it and be in it on your own terms is a lot more validating, you know, as far as your experience goes. And also it helps, it eases your mind heading into such a big day, but those last minute changes, you know. Actually, I I don't know if I like this here, if I want to move that, or if I need an additional something, right? That gives us kind of an overhead to be able to make those tweaks, and then when you come in, it's uh just a seamless day.

SPEAKER_00 33:42

So is there anything else that uh couple should know about that you can provide for them?

SPEAKER_01 33:49

I think what we strive for is um an interpersonal relationship with brides and grooms and their bridal party and their family. Uh we offer a unique experience here because every detail down to your tablecloths, your napkin fold, your bar selection is tailored and curated for you for your special day. Um so essentially we we're here to mirror um your dream wedding in any aspect that we can.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

So that sounds like a good place to end. So all right. So I hope you guys got a lot of information. And hopefully, when you guys decide on your wedding, even if it's a micro one or a full-fledged wedding for your day, I hope you choose a review at Frankmooth Brewery. So until the next episode, I'll see you then.