Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Meet The Wedding Pro - Tammy with The Veranda
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Imagine stepping into a place where love stories are painted against the backdrop of stunning chandeliers and rustic industrial charm; that's The Veranda, as told by co-owner Tammy Lucas. With a personal touch Tammy guides us through the venue's remarkable transformation from a diesel shop to a dream wedding destination. Her narration is a tapestry of family, determination, and an unwavering belief in love's power to triumph over adversity – even when that means renovating a venue amid the pandemic.
Tammy unveils the practical magic behind hosting celebrations that range from the intimate to the grandiose. Her stories of a family heirloom truck adding nostalgia to the venue, and the heart behind the name 'The Veranda' infuse our episode with a sense of community and heritage. Tune in for an inside look at a venue where every detail is steeped in love and every event is an ode to the art of making memories.
Wedding Venue Transformation and Details
Speaker 1Welcome to Metropolitan Weddings. I'm Meg, I'm Dawn, and we are here to educate couples with information from wedding professionals in the industry.
Speaker 2Our goal is to make the wedding planning process as seamless as possible by providing you with insight from industry professionals.
Speaker 1Okay, couples, let's get this party started. Okay, listeners, we're here today with Tammy. Tammy, would you like to introduce yourself and your business?
Speaker 3Sure, first, thanks for giving us the opportunity to do this podcast, but my name is Tammy Lucas and my husband and I. His name is Glenn, but he's at work right now. His name is Glenn, but he's at work right now and owns the veranda which is between Fairgrove and Buffalo, about 20 minutes from Highway 65 and I-44 North.
Speaker 1Yeah, and how did you come upon this property?
Speaker 3How did you end up being a venue owner? Well, it was not my idea.
Speaker 1It was 100% Glenn's idea.
Speaker 2And I see he's not the one on the podcast.
Speaker 3That means I can say whatever right, yeah, it is. He forfeits. He has, oh, I don't know.
Speaker 3Prior to buying this, probably four or five years before, he kept saying we needed a. He wanted to do a wedding venue. About the time our kids were old enough and we're talking about getting married, you know, we were looking at venues and all these. So he thought that that would be a good thing and I kept putting him off because I taught kindergarten I only did with little kids, I didn't do brides and so he finally talked me into it and we bought it in January of 20, and then the world fell apart in March because, you know, smart people buy wedding venues or put in wedding venues when nobody can gather. Oh man, um, and then in 21 I retired from full-time teaching and I do part-time with parents as teachers now. So, um, and so we bought it and at that time it was a diesel shop. A what, uh-huh, a diesel shop it was. When he took me to look at it, um, there was an 18 wheeler sitting in the middle of where the reception area is. Oh my gosh, and I thought that he was nuts.
Speaker 1I mean I? I think he's nuts and I've seen transformed now, so I know that you've made it work, but wow.
Speaker 3Yeah, we gathered it. I mean, it was bare walls down the metal. We put all new wiring, new sheetrock. Wow, there was sheetrock.
Speaker 1He really had a vision.
Speaker 3He did have a vision. I at that point point was not sure. I, everybody, including our children, were like oh, mom and dad, what have you done? I was thinking the same thing a couple of times, especially because you couldn't get anything at that time. Yeah right, but tell us when windows could come and nobody could tell us when sheetrock or anything.
Speaker 1So so how long did the process of transforming it from a diesel shop into the veranda? What was that timeline?
Speaker 3we um. We signed the end of january of 20 and we had our first wedding October of 20th.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 3That was pretty quick. Wow. So we had lots of family and friends. That helped yeah.
Speaker 4So yeah, Well, the upside to doing that at that time is no one was working much either. A lot of people were at home, so you probably had lots of help.
Speaker 3We had lots of help. We had lots of help and that was a very good plus side to that. Yeah, because we're lots of time off. I mean, I wasn't teaching school because the schools were closed, so there was lots of time off and we just kept going.
Speaker 4Lemonade and lemons.
Speaker 3And I said, what are we going to do? He's like we have no choice. We're going to put this together and I'm like, okay, Okay.
Speaker 1I mean it is nice to be able to call your friends and be like. I know you're not working today, so come on over.
Speaker 3Yeah, it was a big leap of faith. I'm like, oh my goodness, well, congratulations, I'm not the risk taker. Yeah, I hear you.
Speaker 1Well, congratulations on the transformation. Now that I know that it used to be a diesel shop, it's even cooler that you guys did all that yourself. I didn't realize that. I just assumed you built a wedding venue.
Speaker 3No, it was a diesel shop.
Speaker 1So there's an outdoor. Okay, walk us through the venue, because inside there's a couple of different parts. There's an upstairs.
Speaker 4I'll make this perfect. I haven't been there.
Speaker 1I haven't seen it.
Speaker 4Tell me about this place, and then everybody else can get the same picture.
Speaker 3Right, we do have an indoor and an outdoor ceremony area. It's a lot of metal and wood Like. There's a six-foot metal chandelier that hangs as soon as you walk in the front door, the double door. There's an upstairs where lots of DJs will sit, because then they can look down over it, and that has big tables for the banister and all on that. There's an aluminum and copper bar over by the kitchen area that also has a window that opens up into a shipping container that has an outside bar so you can pass things through it In our, our VIP room. One of them has a curtain so the groom can walk through there without seeing the bride and go into the ceremony area. Yeah, on that on the side. So, and then our outdoor area, um has three steel arbors, the what. The main one is a 3d. It has a tall one and a short one, and then it has two shorter our metal arbors that stand on each side of it with some evergreen trees in the background I'm looking at the pictures right now.
Speaker 4The arbors are pretty cool those are new this year yeah, I love the dimension, the dimension that it creates, how they're like stacked together right there.
Speaker 1That's pretty cool yeah I like the okay, so it's. It's really nice because you've got indoor area, outdoor area, the views you're not far from town but definitely like rolling hills and trees and fields and you get a sense of just sort of that midwest beauty out there so if you're listening right now, go to the verandamodecom and you can kind of see what we're talking about too yeah and yeah, yeah, we set up just enough, just high enough, on a hill that, like pictures and all, you don't get any of the roadways Right, or like in the sunset, you just hit the top and with the sunset, and so you could do the ceremony indoors or outdoors.
Speaker 1There's a reception space indoors, there's that pretty sizey outdoor like courtyard area. That's right in front of that shipping container bar, which is totally fun. I love it that you guys put that in Super cute.
Speaker 3Yeah, we call that the mix and mingle, terrace it that you guys put that in super cute.
Speaker 3Yeah, we call that the mix and mingle terrace um, out there, there's a fountain and a fire pit and a swing um, out there, we've also had weddings out there, just a small uh-huh. We've had weddings under the string lights out there instead of out back. There's a couple of places out back. There's a big tree that we've also had an outdoor wedding at instead of where the arbors are, so there's different locations for the outside wedding and then under the veranda there we've had cornhole.
Speaker 1Obviously you've got to get your games on when you're after the wedding. You've got to celebrate with a few rounds of cornhole.
Speaker 2Everyone loves cornhole. They really do, they really do Always.
Speaker 1Dawn says that because she's good at it and she wants to trick you into playing.
Speaker 4She's a sandbagger. She's like come on let's just play a little game of cornhole. Here's the thing she's like oh, let's play cornhole, this is fun. And then, all of a sudden, she's winning.
Speaker 2That's not 100%.
Speaker 4It is true, you're a sniper.
Speaker 2We're usually even come on now.
Speaker 1Tammy, in your household who's the cornhole king or queen? You're a sniper.
Speaker 3We're usually even. Come on now, tammy, in your household, who's the cornhole king or queen? It's definitely not me, and Glenn is much better than I am.
Speaker 4So, tammy, I have to ask how did teaching kindergartners prepare you for the wedding world?
Speaker 3Because there's got to be correlations there.
Speaker 4Well, I'm just dealing with them I know you're like I've never done weddings before because I did kindergarten. And then you do weddings and you're like I feel the same way exactly I still work on.
Speaker 3I still work on a lesson plan and Lynn's always saying do you have to plan everything? I'm like, yes, yes, at 10 o'clock we're doing this.
Speaker 1Yes, I love that about you.
Speaker 3Sometimes it's just survival, sometimes it's just survival.
Venue Owner Conversations and Wedding Planning
Speaker 1I feel like just teaching, like teaching kindergartners to line up. That's lesson one in weddings. Just, can you control the crowd at all? Right, it just. It's a constant like, well, we're going over here, hello, we're going over here.
Speaker 4Do you ever use a whistle?
Speaker 3I have not at the venue. No, I have not at the venue?
Speaker 4I have not. I've not at the venue. I have not at the venue.
Speaker 3I have not.
Speaker 1I have not at the veranda make a list of things that don't translate from kindergartners to weddings.
Speaker 3Number one whistles a whistle would be a good idea. You know, sometimes it's still like like wrangling cats. Yes, maybe switch it to like a bell or something a little less. Sometimes it's still like wrangling cats, yes.
Speaker 1Maybe switch it to like a bell or something a little less aggressive, yeah.
Speaker 4We need to do an anonymous, unfiltered venue owner podcast. Oh, no when everyone just shares the rough and tough side.
Speaker 1We're going to disguise everyone's voices so I mentioned.
Speaker 4You said you make a plan and you said at like 10 am this happens. So is that something that you do with the couples that come there? Do you make a plan for the day for them?
Speaker 3I don't um. I only make glenn a plan um let's support our couples and all um in different ways, but I don't make them a plan. I give them suggestions if they want it, but I don't make them a plan how. I give them suggestions if they want it, but I don't make them a plan.
Speaker 1How many people can you guys have out there?
Speaker 3We have tables and chairs for 200. We've had a few over 200, but for space-wise and depending on the time of year, especially if it's outside, it's very, very doable Inside if it's dead of winter. Of course, in Missouri it could be dead of winter and still be 80. But we have tables and chairs for $200. Okay, we also have an outside I don't know like a 1951 truck. Oh yeah, it's a dump truck. That's real popular and it actually has a story behind it. It was my husband's grandfather's and it used to be a hay truck and he cut it down and made it a dump truck so he could haul gravel in it.
Speaker 4Hold on one moment Our silly dogs.
Speaker 3Hey, I understand when I'm not doing parents and teachers or subbing or doing the veranda. I have five grandkids so I get it.
Speaker 1It's kind of the same. Do you have any pets, Tammy?
Speaker 3We do, we do, we do. We have two dogs, one's inside and one's outside.
Speaker 2Two dogs sounds amazing. Yeah, we have six Way too much dog in this house, all in six indoors how ridiculous.
Speaker 3Ridiculous. Most of my messes come from the grandkids, because I watch the three youngest three days a week. So they're nine months, 18 months and three oh wow. That's the age where you have to work. Yeah, yeah, when we go to the veranda they feel very familiar, comfortable and familiar up there, so they help me do tours. Sometimes they still do the show, but you know.
Speaker 2Adorable.
Speaker 1We do love raising kids in the wedding industry. Yeah, we have raised some kids, so I'm glad that you're starting a new generation. Yeah, but this, so this gave you the opportunity to do that. Right. You would still be daily kindergarten teacher and you wouldn't necessarily be, you know, have the schedule where you could watch them and teach them right of venue owning right. Yes, so that all worked out here. He knew what was going on, old glenn he did.
Speaker 3He knew that I was. If I retired, I wasn't gonna just sit home and eat bonbons he's keeping you busy I think I excuse me. I think I'm busier now than I was when I worked full time.
Speaker 1It sounds like it Okay, so I'm assuming that are there any nights of the week?
Speaker 3they can't do a wedding there. No, what is the process like, do they? Yeah, we do weddings seven days a week, different prices, different packages. We have micro weddings and so we work with them on payments and we just try to have really good, open communication with them and be affordable um, do you guys do?
Speaker 1like rehearsal dinners out there or um rehearsal yeah, they do.
Speaker 3They can do a rehearsal um anytime the week of. Sometimes it works out, but it can be the day before their wedding, just depending on the week of what's booked and all. But they can do rehearsal and their dinner there all at the same time. So that is one option that they get. That way they don't have to go somewhere else, since they're already there. So how big is the property? It's almost five acres, okay.
Speaker 4So there's plenty of green space for people to take photos as well. Yeah, that's cool. It's really pretty. I need to just make a trip out there.
Speaker 2It is.
Speaker 1It's really pretty. You can get your picture taken with the truck. What did he call his granddad? Is it grandpappy or like?
Speaker 3He just called him.
Speaker 4You know, I don't know His name was Jack Lucas. Everybody has a Grandpa.
Speaker 2Jack, I know.
Speaker 4I had a Grandpa Jack, don had a Grandpa Jack.
Speaker 2Well, he was Papa.
Speaker 4Jack, well, mine was too. Yeah, we had.
Speaker 3You can get your Go ahead.
Speaker 1Tammy.
Speaker 3I think I don't really know. I've never asked that. I think he just called me. I don't know. You know, I've never asked that.
Speaker 1I think he just called me, I don't know Well, Grandpa Jack's truck, then that's what we'll call it for now. Yeah.
Speaker 3Grandpa Jack's, how do you know?
Speaker 4Okay, so, I'm always curious where people come up with the names for their venues. So how did you come up with the veranda?
Speaker 3Well, when we when it went from, because it did not have that wraparound veranda on it. So when we were looking for names, veranda actually means open porch, it's ground level and it's usually roofed. It can stretch along one side or more than one side, like a wraparound porch. And so when I was trying to come up with a name, I was Googling all kinds of, you know, different images and different terms, and so veranda came up when I put in that it had like a covered wraparound because it's on two sides of it, and so we just came up with the veranda that way.
Speaker 4And so we just came up with the veranda that way. Nice, it sounds like. I know it's a common term with like a home structure in a building, but it sounds just super classy to me.
Speaker 1I don't know why.
Speaker 4Like we're getting married at the veranda.
Speaker 3I kind of thought it did.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 3Better than the diesel shop, for sure, for sure, we're getting Better than the diesel shop For sure, for sure, when you get married.
Speaker 4the diesel shop, the old diesel shop.
Speaker 1There are other venues that like work in the old, like the old property name. I don't know if that would have worked as well for you guys. Right, yeah, the old diesel shop, yeah, grease and wheels.
Speaker 3Yeah, most people think it was a diesel shop and I'm like, yeah, if I showed you pictures, if I showed you pictures, it has transformed.
Speaker 1well, I mean there's a few people that would get into it, but not the mass amount I don't think Probably did good. On the name there, what style? Without looking at the pictures? What style are we painting the picture of in their mind?
Speaker 3Most of the time it's more of an industrial because it does have a lot of metal and wood, um, but it's also a blank slate where we've had like really rustic, with leather table runners or you know um to some that are all glittered out. So it kind of Glitter. Cleaning up is wonderful.
Speaker 1Don't talk bad about glitter.
Speaker 3Hey, I like glitter Everyone hates it.
Speaker 2It's the worst. I love it. It's the worst.
Speaker 1Glitter's the best.
Speaker 3It works to clean up, but I love how it looks.
Speaker 1Yeah, sequins are better.
Speaker 3They're a little easier to clean up. They usually are.
Speaker 1Well. I didn't want to leave everyone with this Diesel vision, so we need to like.
Speaker 4Glitter it up Glitter doesn't make it better. Wow.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 4I think, people who like glitter.
Speaker 1What about us?
Speaker 2Adam, I just don't get it, that's all you got, it's like stuck on your face.
Speaker 1It's like stuck everywhere and yeah, mental issues, yeah, home and there's like glitter might be like it's glitter, though it's not like it's maggots on my face. It's like little sparkly things Glitter.
Speaker 4So when somebody gives me a card that has glitter on it and I open it up and I put the card down and I look at my hands and there's glitter on it. And then I go to wash my hands and there's still glitter on my hands. And I do it again and there's still glitter on my hands. It makes me want to throw up.
Speaker 1Well, Adam has a birthday coming up.
Speaker 3The kindergarten background. Yeah, glue and glitter everywhere.
Speaker 4You're probably immune to glitter at this point from being a kindergarten teacher. True.
Speaker 3It doesn't bother me, honestly, who's messierier? Kindergartners or weddings? Oh man, oh, wow.
Speaker 4yeah that that too kind of depends on the glitter so, speaking of messy weddings, do you guys, do you guys, have a liquor license? Do you provide alcohol or do you allow alcohol?
Speaker 3yeah, we do allow it. We don't have a liquor license um, so they have to either hire a licensed and insured bartending service um, we do offer that they can. The bride and groom can purchase um and bring it in, but they do have to carry a host liquor liability with that.
Speaker 4Okay, good to know.
Speaker 1Also, you mentioned a bride's room and a groom's room. Or was it a groom's room or was it a bride's room and a? There's a bride and groom. Tell us about those. She's like there's room. I said Tell us about those. She's like there's rooms.
Speaker 3I said tell us about those. Okay, yeah, I'm like, pardon me, the bride's room has a whole wall of mirrors and white, so they have. I think there's 12 plug-ins, so there's plenty of plug-ins. Yes, that also has a door that can walk right into the ceremony area. The groom's room does not have all the plug-ins for the straighteners. They do have their. The bride's room has its own wine tool or wine refrigerator.
Speaker 3The groom's room has a refrigerator room has its own wine tool or wine refrigerator. The groom's room has a refrigerator um. The groom's room also has an xbox um and a tv and dark and some games in there for them to to do while they're waiting patiently.
Speaker 1Yes, nervous energy. Uh, occupy their time.
Wedding Venue Features and Services
Speaker 1Yes right while they're waiting while they're waiting for the 12 plug-in room to get ready, yeah, until it's showtime I mean you guys really have for for starting with a diesel shop in the middle of a pandemic. It sounds like you guys have really done a great job at turning this into a perfect spot for you know couples to come and just have a nice, peaceful, beautiful day Blank slate, but it's. It's a blank slate, but you set it up really well as far as like the areas and the vignettes of space that you know people can gather in, so it's a really good gathering space thank you.
Speaker 3Yeah, we have. We tried to think of lots of different things and read and toured and so, yeah, there's always something that needs to be done and updated and added, and that that's just part of anything you do, so we are always doing more with that.
Speaker 1Always.
Speaker 4I'd say, by looking at the pictures, I would classify it as a blank slate with very functional design elements that are complementary to any style.
Speaker 1There we go. I like it.
Speaker 4That's what I think when I see it.
Speaker 1Can we write that down for their ad in the magazine? There you go. I'm going to need a quote, yeah.
Speaker 3Every time somebody comes in and adds their flair to it, I'm like I never thought of that. And it goes really well, and so.
Speaker 1Can they do?
Speaker 3fireworks out there, they can do fireworks.
Speaker 2There's a bonus too? Yeah, because you can't do that everywhere. You cannot.
Speaker 3We also I mean, we try to make it affordable and we have linens and things like that and planning sessions for them. But we also do a mock setup. They can schedule Anytime before their wedding To come in and bring whoever their photographer, whoever, and they get to do a mock setup and so they can move the tables how they want them and the lights will dim and brighten and so they know how, where they want everything. Not that any wedding is stress-free, but if they come in and kind of know how they want it set up and we set it up for them, where they just have to walk in and decorate, that mock setup helps with the stress a little bit. Very cool.
Speaker 4So you said you do have linens, we do. Okay, do you have different colored linens, or what do they have to?
Speaker 3choose from Black and white, black and white. Okay, so you do, you have different colored linens, or what do they have to choose from? Black and white, black and white Okay.
Speaker 4We do black and white Very cool. Is that included with the fee or is that an additional charge?
Speaker 3It's a it's a small additional fee.
Speaker 4Okay.
Speaker 3Just because it's a fee is all it is.
Speaker 4Very cool.
Speaker 3And then, like the day of, we don't want to be, I don't want to be, I don't want to be the teacher with the whistle hovering over them that day. But we, we give them their privacy, that they want, and then we check in and out and if they want us to stay, we, you know, you know, we stay, um, but we're just minutes away if we need to go back, um, but we check in and out with them and kind of base it on whatever the couple wants for that day. So we kind of give it a little bit of both, because I don't want them to feel like I'm, I don't want to feel like I'm the teacher.
Speaker 1That makes sense. Yeah Well, I feel like we've kind of gotten a pretty good picture of what it's like at the Veranda. I want to come see it now.
Speaker 4I need to go out and see it.
Speaker 2It's a nice drive.
Speaker 4Where are you guys located?
Speaker 3You go straight down. I did. But you go straight down 65 North past Fairgrove, but about five miles before you get to Buffalo and it's right on the right or the east side of 65. So it's very easy to find.
Speaker 1And everybody honk at Tammy when you drive by. That's it. Well, if they want to get a hold of you and come tour the property or ask you some more questions, how do they do that?
Speaker 3They can go on our website and they can respond there, or they can call my number at 417-818-5153 or text at either one. They can get all the information they need. I'll be happy to talk to them. Our website has prices and photo galleries, which pictures are always important? It gives them that mental image.
Speaker 1What is the website. It's the veranda mocom okay, the veranda mocom more pictures. Go look at the pictures. Yeah, thank you so much for spending the morning with us.
Speaker 3Thank you for the opportunity.
Speaker 2It was good talking to you, Tammy.
Speaker 4Can't wait to see the veranda, the veranda, the veranda there we go the veranda. You need to have Glenn just standing in your booth if you're at the show or whenever you talk to people and just use an accent.
Speaker 3There we go, tammy. I'll start telling that oh my gosh, just use an accent. There we go, tammy.
Speaker 4I'll just start telling that, oh my gosh, would you?
Speaker 2like to come and see the veranda.
Speaker 3They'll hire you the veranda. Yeah, there we go, we'll just hire you to do it.
Speaker 1But if Adam comes out to visit, will you get a whistle and some glitter.
Speaker 2Oh no, who would know Just throw glitter at him as he's walking up. And some glitter, oh no, oh no. Yeah. Just throw glitter at him as he's walking up.
Speaker 1Just do it, Just follow him around like brr. I'm sorry you can't go there, sir Brr, Move it along, sir.
Speaker 2All right.
Speaker 3I guess, we'll let you get back to your day of playing with grandchildren.
Speaker 2Well, they've been very good. They have been so far Better than our dogs have been during this podcast, that's for sure.
Speaker 4But would you rather have six dogs or six little children?
Speaker 3I'll stick with the dogs. Right now you can't put the dogs in a kennel.
Speaker 2We had to take them out of a kennel, because they were down there barking.
Speaker 3So yeah, that didn't work.
Speaker 2It's a little frowned upon if you put children in a kennel.
Speaker 1All right, thanks, tammy. Thank, you have a great day, you too.
Speaker 2Bye, bye-bye.
Speaker 1Thank you for joining us for Metropolitan Weddings Engaged podcast.
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