Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Meet The Wedding Pro - Sherry with Greenwood Springs Event Center
Have you ever dreamed of a greenhouse wedding that feels like you've been transported to the English countryside, but with all the modern comforts you need? In our conversation with Sherry Durling, owner of Greenwood Springs in Joplin, Missouri, we discover how an eight-year journey running a seasonal greenhouse venue has evolved into an ambitious expansion project that wedding couples are going to love.
Nestled in a picturesque valley with natural springs, Greenwood Springs has always offered couples a unique setting with what Sherry describes as "lush landscape views" and an old-world charm. Now, she's quadrupling the footprint of her original greenhouse, creating a glass-walled structure that preserves the outdoor aesthetic while adding climate control, updated amenities, and space for up to 250 guests.
What makes this venue truly special goes beyond the gorgeous setting. We explore the 100-year-old stone bridal cottage where photographers capture stunning getting-ready moments, and the literal "man cave" (yes, an actual cave!) beneath it, complete with foosball, Xbox, and a neon sign that has grooms exclaiming "that's sick!" when they tour the property. Sherry's thoughtfulness extends to creating multiple outdoor conversation areas with fire pits and standing tables under wisteria, giving guests places to connect away from the music.
The venue's proximity to Downstream Casino (just two miles away) brings additional perks, including complimentary shuttle service for wedding guests staying at the resort. This partnership creates a comprehensive wedding weekend destination with spa services, restaurants, and activities all nearby – despite feeling worlds away in the serene valley setting of Greenwood Springs.
Ready to explore this unique blend of natural beauty and modern luxury for your wedding? Visit greenwoodspringsjoplin.com to learn more and schedule a tour of this evolving venue that promises to deliver a truly distinctive wedding experience.
Welcome 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 2:Our goal is to make the wedding planning process as seamless as possible by providing you with insight from industry professionals.
Speaker 1:Okay, couples, let's get this party started. Well, we are here today with our friend Sherry. She's got all kinds of fun stuff to tell you, like newsworthy stuff, right.
Speaker 3:So introduce yourself and your business to our listeners today. Well, my name is Sherry Durling and I have a venue in Joplin, missouri. I've had a venue for about eight years and it's been a greenhouse. It's been fun and I've decided that I wanted to make it an indoor greenhouse and larger, and so I'm super excited All right. What's the name of this venue? You got there Greenwood Springs Amit Center. We're situated on this valley that's got springs and a spring house, and so I originally named it for just the springs that it sits on.
Speaker 1:I love it, greenwood Springs.
Speaker 4:Greenwood.
Speaker 1:Springs, yep Springs For your greenhouse. Okay, so we're going to, now that you've introduced your business, we're going to get to know you a little bit. We've got a couple of questions that we like to ask. It's just quick fire.
Speaker 4:If only we could play what we were talking about before we started recording this fun then we could really get to know sherry. But we'll keep it pg, let's just say that, or maybe even g thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you, I appreciate that for g whiz guys.
Speaker 1:Okay, quick fire questions, just the you know first answer uh, lab french or Chihuahua Lab Open field on the lake or busy city street.
Speaker 3:Open field on the lake. Wait, no, those are two different ones. Oh, she wants both.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that doesn't make any sense, does it? You can't be in an open field and on the lake ones? Oh yeah, that doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 3:Does it Well. I just thought that was a. I thought that was a good picture. Then you're running and then you get a lake.
Speaker 1:All right. So which do you choose, though Open field or on the lake? Busy streets is on the lake, all right, we're on the lake with your lab, yep, okay. And then coffee, tea or mimosas coffee three words to describe your business oh, that's really hard.
Speaker 3:That's I'm a paragraph, kind of person. Keywords Three words. I would say lush landscape views.
Speaker 1:You act like you're going to say another word.
Speaker 3:I know I'm trying to keep it out of the paragraph.
Speaker 1:Man, it's hard to narrow it down, you get one more word Sherry I don't let other people have another word, so you should feel very.
Speaker 3:I feel special. I definitely feel special, I would just say. I would just say beautiful okay, very good.
Speaker 1:I love it that all of your words are descriptive. They're descriptive words of of what you feel like you're going to see when you go there. So it's more about the surroundings for you than the like seats 650, or you know what I mean. Like for you, it's the environment and the what's the right word?
Speaker 3:Just the aesthetic. Yeah, yeah, aesthetic. Yes, I like aesthetic, that's a good word. That would be my paragraph. It's how you feel, like it's the whole view. I just it's important to me that whatever view you're looking at, it just it feels special, it feels different, it feels like you're on a destination wedding. I feel I've had a lot of people tell me that and a lot of photographers like to like to. You know, do shoot that here, because it's just, it's a unique place that just has these kind of old world feel that year round it's just kind of a beautiful view.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so let's talk about your upgrade, because you've had a greenhouse this whole time, but it was a smaller footprint and didn't have a lot of the amenities and things that you, after having been in business and having had this vision that is kind of coming to fruition, you're getting to actually do these things that you've wanted to do. So describe what those are and what changes you're going to be going through that we can expect well, I've always loved the feel of the greenhouse.
Speaker 3:I think it's just um, and it was fun. You know, I I feel like I dressed it up as much as I possibly could. It was. It was originally a nursery, so it was a real greenhouse. Um, we did, and we bought it, we put some chandeliers in and some draping, and so that was just fun to make it a little more, I don't know, just a little more geared towards just a luxurious outside wedding.
Speaker 3:Um, but it limited us to mainly the fall and the spring and some late night summers, um, nights. But I would have, you know, it's Missouri, so you've got weather, and so there would be worries and there would be, you know, people, rightly so, saying I just don't want to take a chance on that day, even though I want an outside wedding, just don't want to take a chance on that day, even though I want an outside wedding. So I wanted to be able to provide an indoor with heat, with air, that didn't take away from the view, actually really showcased the view, but gave just another opportunity to, you know, have that outdoor feel of a wedding that's inside and be able to enjoy the valley still, but make it larger. I'd love to be able to host larger weddings. I feel like we were kind of capped off at about 150 and we're going to be able to accommodate up to 250.
Speaker 1:So describe the building that you guys are creating.
Speaker 3:So describe the building that you guys are creating. Well, I wanted, you know, I took that footprint and I just went. I just kind of quadrupled that. So I still have my wisteria. That was on the side. That was just always a big hit. I still have my wisteria that that was on the side. That was just always a big hit. Um, I still have my outdoor dance with the light. Um, it just went out and back and, um, the sides in the back are glass.
Speaker 3:The front, I wanted to be able to have, um, a kitchen to prepare for the caterers, where they can, you know, they can get, you know, they can bring their warmers in. I wanted to be able to have a bar. That, to me, was something that we wanted to be able to provide, and I also. It's one thing that just always bothered me is we did not have it was built before I guess they were required to do the ADA bathrooms and there's just there's just grandmothers and people that come to the wedding and I did everything I could to those bathrooms. So I'm actually I know it's crazy, but I'm so excited to be able to have the bathrooms where anyone will be able to be. You know, they'll be larger and they'll be ADA compliant. So that's just something I'm excited about too.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Yeah, it is. So you're expanding. We're going to have quadruple the footprint. It's glass sides and a glass back, with a bar inside and upgraded restrooms, which you know you don't think about, but they are extremely important during a wedding. They are, and so having enough of them and having them be nice is all amazing. I love the fact that now we've got heating and air.
Speaker 1:Being someone that doesn't really love to be hot or cold. Right, I can really get down on some heating and air. And then the pictures that I've seen. You've got this gorgeous outdoor area too. This, it's not a I don't know what is it. It's not a pavilion, it's not a deck, it's a porch. It's a what?
Speaker 3:are we calling it we've got out.
Speaker 3:We just got outdoor spaces that are. There are porches, there are back porches. We've got the stamp cement we're putting in the back. We were expanding the cement in the front. They can still do dance floor outside if they choose to do that. But one thing that I mean, all my sons are about the marrying age not my youngest and they're not dating so but we've, they've been going to a lot of weddings and I kept saying what is you know, what is something that you that you wish of? And I kept saying what is something that you wish a venue had, what are your thoughts on? Because they were guests and my middle son was like you know, you get to see people you haven't seen in a long time and sometimes it's loud indoors. So it's nice to have all these spaces outside to just have conversation and, especially at our venue, to just kind of enjoy the outdoors. So we wanted to be able to provide that.
Speaker 1:So you have like little chat areas set up. Is that what you're saying?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm going to like under the wisteria, which that's still. That's always been one of my favorite parts of the venue just the purple flowers coming down and the lights and it's always been a popular spot. We've used it for additional reception area, but now I can make more standing tables and um, so that you know just there's a place, there's a place there that's going to be in the back. We'll be able to do, you know, just some yard games if, because a lot of my couples have done that in the past because there's plenty of room to do that, but this will be kind of designated um with some benches and um fire pits.
Speaker 2:We're going to do some fire pits back there, so I think that's going to be a neat addition yeah and something that she has worked out too, that we were just talking about recently, is um, you guys have kind of a transportation solution too, don't you?
Speaker 3:we do I um. I'm two miles from downstream casino, so um I realized that one day, when we heard Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Speaker 1:No need to buy a ticket.
Speaker 3:That's right. We can just pull our lawn chairs outside and watch fireworks, and so we definitely get there. So we definitely get there. I told my husband, who has that loud music, Whose radio is that?
Speaker 2:And he said honey, that's live and that's Lynyrd Skynyrd. You should have known who Lynyrd Skynyrd was.
Speaker 3:I did not. Yeah, I don't know my. He definitely knows his artists. Oh, that's fun. That was when we realized that. So I called up downstream and I said listen, I know you don't need. I finally got to the right guy and I said you don't need my business, but I'm two miles away and you know you're a great hotel. You are known in the wedding business for the spa and for the bachelorette parties and the bachelor parties, and I already know my, my client's book room. You know what would you think about providing? Just, you know, if they had a, they had rooms, providing the shuttle and at the end of the night, just taking the party to downstream. And he said absolutely, of course we'll provide that. And here's all my contact numbers and make sure to tell your couples that we're happy to accommodate that. That's amazing, isn't?
Speaker 2:that huge when she told me that I was like what?
Speaker 4:to be able to have transportation provided back and forth to the hotel from.
Speaker 2:The hotel is pretty huge yeah and they have great people, movers, downstream to be able to get you know, know, to do transportation, and they're literally two miles away from Greenwood Springs. So, yeah, well good for you.
Speaker 3:There's a golf course and there's, you know, there's just lots of. There's great pools, there's great restaurants. So it's kind of like you know out, you know out of town guests. It's just it's the perfect place to send them.
Speaker 4:I love it because it's kind of hard to illustrate it through a podcast. But if you ever go out and see the property and you see where the venue is going to be, it's super quiet and you feel just really kind of isolated in nature and everything where this venue is going to be. But you're so close to all of these things, true? So if you want that kind of intimate outdoors brought into the luxurious feel. You can have that without having to go like 45 minutes outside of town.
Speaker 1:Right, it's so cool. It's just off the highway, right by downstream.
Speaker 3:We're definitely close to I-44 and I mean we just it really is a great location and I mean just the landscaping in the south part of the Joplin area is just so. I mean, when you do the outside ceremony, you're facing west, you're completely shaded and then you just have this gorgeous sunset, so it's really in a good spot.
Speaker 1:So I know you have a few other little fun amenities on site that are worth talking about. Like the actual cave Is it an actual cave? Like the man cave is it's pretty special.
Speaker 3:It is. It's an actual cave, Like the man cave is. It's pretty special. It is. It's an actual cave. It's actually underneath and it's a spring. It's underneath my bridal cottage, which is a 100-year-old stone cottage, and then underneath is this spring and, of course, my boys loved it.
Speaker 2:And when we first bought it.
Speaker 3:It was pretty, you know, just it. It was had a bunch of storage stuff in it and my, my boys were like you've got to make this into a man cave because the groomsmen need a cool place to be, and what other venue has like a true man cave? And my middle son insisted on a neon sign. So we definitely have the man cave neon sign. Um, we've got the foosball in there, we have the xbox and just kind of some, you know, just some outdoor furniture. So what I love is I'm a boy mom so I kind of, you know, I I understand the grooms. I love it when the groom's parents come and they tour as well. A lot of times the groom is not fully engaged in the. You know he's supporting but he's not fully engaged in the tour. I walk him in the man cave and it all changes and I love. That's probably one of my favorite things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is nice to have them feel included, like, yeah, I love it. Here too, they're connected.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean they definitely get engaged at that point and they're just like, oh, my guys are going to love it. The word I keep hearing is sick.
Speaker 4:It's so sick it's a good thing, it's so sick.
Speaker 1:I love your sick man cave. It's amazing. It's amazing, it's fire. What about the bridal cottage?
Speaker 3:The bridal cottage is. That was probably the very first thing I remodeled when I bought the property, because I think that is the coolest thing the door although the door opened up into the road because I'm pretty sure this cottage was here long before that road was much a road and so I switched the door to the other side. So the bride, when she comes out of the bridal cottage, she's raised above the ceremony site and she comes down these steps and that's my favorite moment because the audience always reacts to this bride coming out of this very picturesque cottage. And inside I painted it white and put modern features. We put more mirrors for the bridesmaids they order in brunch.
Speaker 3:There's always a photo shoot in there. That's just gorgeous. Some of my best pictures come from the bridal cottage. Um, yeah, that that. I've always had that strong reaction with a bridal cottage. It was just the last two years I opened up the man cave, so I feel pretty confident about the place to get ready. Is is as special Like. It's a special part of the venue that makes it very unique.
Speaker 1:Is it also? You may have to cut this out. If it's not, is it also the Lake Honeymoon Suite still?
Speaker 3:Yes, it has been in the past couple of years. You get the bridal cottage man cave package. You also get an overnight stay. My good problem that I have right now is I'm now starting to book Friday, saturdays and Sundays, so that's caused a little bit of an issue with flipping that, because it was also an Airbnb in my off season in the winter, airbnb in my off season in the winter. So, um, it stayed very busy and I'm now I have I've I've had to shut down the Airbnb for construction, um, and I've had a lot of people like where's the cottage, where's the Airbnb? So, um, I'm trying to, I'm trying to navigate that, um, as far as providing that as an overnight stay.
Speaker 2:Okay, and maybe with you having so many weddings, that, yeah, that downstream will be a wonderful place. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:That's why I mentioned downstream and that usually they're usually excited about that and they forget about the cottage, the place to stay when they've got the whole package.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's nice to wake up where your family's at and just be able to meet downstairs and do whatever you're gonna do and all of that. So yeah, so yeah, absolutely, um, okay. So you've talked about it kind of feeling old. It's hard to describe when you can't see it. So definitely go look at pictures of what Adam described as being just like this sanctuary, away from everything but yet so close, and then you've described this old world almost has like another country feeling to it, like you're in Ireland or Scotland or I don't know, with the rocks and the hills and the is. Yeah, am I right? And then, where where would it? Where would you describe it as?
Speaker 3:well, I've had a lot of people say that I used to have um people even from like. There was this couple from the Carolinas that would come and stay there because he was from England and he said it made him feel like home.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it does have that old world feeling um but then you're adding all of this new modern glass, gorgeous. It's got like the best of all of these aspects.
Speaker 3:I, yeah, I tend to go more the modern. You know, like those I don't know the word like it's not necessarily rustic, it's old world, but like I love the different textures I'm able to. I've been picking out at the at the venue with the new greenhouse. I want to do like blacks and grays and things that go with the rock but that are that are modern and just feel clean and um, just kind of go with any style. I don't feel like it limits anything, but it's definitely um, it's definitely a modern, luxury, old world feel. That's kind of what I'm going for.
Speaker 1:That's nice for couples that have all different types of like a vibe that they're bringing with their decor and it just kind of blends in seamlessly to all of that. It's canvases neutral enough to sort of be a great backdrop for lots of different decor styles.
Speaker 4:It's going to be super cool yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, it was already a cool venue, as it was, it was just hot. Yeah, just being the greenhouse, that it was for years and years and years, but just expanding it and doing the things that you're doing is going to make it great.
Speaker 3:I'm really excited. I'm just. It's fun to pick out all these things. I hear from my photographer friends that I need to have that White ceiling, so I'm taking their advice On that for the photography In the. They will all appreciate it.
Speaker 2:All the photographers will thank you.
Speaker 4:There's another venue.
Speaker 2:Owner that asked us one time about the ceiling Color and we're like go light, because that way you know you can, you can bounce off Of it and then they put in a black ceiling. I was like, did they want?
Speaker 4:our opinion so the white, the white ceiling will help everything, because it will make the photos look better it'll make everything in there look better because it's just the way light works with photography, so yeah, the photographers.
Speaker 3:Thank you so key yes, well, photographers make everything look even more beautiful than it is, and so that's that's. One thing I'm grateful for is that I've run the venue for eight years. I've I've learned a lot of things. I've really enjoyed being a part of a network where there's vendors and even other venue owners. Where we can I don't know we can help each other out. We can I just. I love that feeling that we're all working together for the couple to make a special day and that we're like sharing our information and on the same team and so like asking vendors what they think about things as I'm building. It has been just a huge blessing, because I don't want to be like man. I wish I would have done that if I just would have talked to somebody. So I'm literally picking the brains of all my vendor friends and I'm taking their advice.
Speaker 2:And everyone has plenty of advice for you, I'm sure Always.
Speaker 3:Yes, they do, but I mean photography. That's pretty key yeah.
Speaker 1:Where's a great? What's the best way for a couple that is, you know, engaged in considering where they want to get married and they want to kind of see and hear more about what you got going on out there. What's the next step for them?
Speaker 3:well, I've. I'm trying to keep my website updated. So definitely go to my website and there's. You know you can contact me. There's a form there. Um, my, I have a lot of them that text me and I mean, you know, venue owners I'm getting texts and phone calls all the time, but the emails are definitely. The form on my website is probably my preference how to reach me and I'm working on. The bigger I get and the more busy I'm getting, I'm definitely doing some research on how to become more efficient and more userfriendly for my couples to keep all the things organized. So I'm definitely in transition. But my website I've really tried to keep that on right where it needs to be. And what is your website? My website is greenwoodspringsjoplincom Awesome, yep, greenwoodspringsjoplincom Awesome Yep, springsjoplincom. So, um, I'm excited, I bet you are.
Speaker 1:I'm excited for you.
Speaker 3:Yep, I feel all the emotions.
Speaker 1:Actually, that area is really begging for something unique like this. It doesn't have anything like that down there, and so I think it's amazing that you've taken what you already had and like making it just better for you, better for couples, like taking your dream and it's coming to fruition. It's amazing.
Speaker 2:It's really exciting, Well, I think, being able to accommodate larger weddings where for years and years and years it's been a little limited. Your local people are gonna love it yeah, I'm and I'm.
Speaker 3:I definitely am beginning to see evidence in that oh yeah I've just been really thrilled with how supportive people have been and excited that's and excited.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. It is fun.
Speaker 1:Well, congratulations, thank you. Let us know when the ribbon cutting is? I will, absolutely For sure. And yeah, is there anything I'm leaving out, guys? I don't think so.
Speaker 4:I'm just excited to see it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, me too. Yeah, we've definitely been to her original greenhouse numerous times, so it will be really cool to see the larger version of what once was yeah.
Speaker 3:Exciting, it's exciting and I just I appreciate all the support you all give, especially to your vendors and your venues, the show I got so many you know just people encouraging me. So just a huge shout out to the Met Bride family. That's just encouraging and and helpful, definitely helpful. I'm glad I'm part of this group.
Speaker 2:Oh, we love having you, we really do.
Speaker 1:Thank you All right. Well, thanks for hanging out with us this morning. It was a good time being flexible.
Speaker 2:No, all right, well, thanks for hanging out with us this morning.
Speaker 1:It was a good time, flexible and all of the things.
Speaker 2:It's been fun. It has All right, we'll talk to you soon, okay.
Speaker 3:Okay, okay, you too, bye. Bye, bye.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining us for metropolitan weddings engaged podcast. Be sure to click subscribe so you are notified when our new episodes drop.
Speaker 1:For more information and to get connected with merchants for your wedding, visit metropolitanweddingscom. You'll find information on upcoming wedding shows, access to our blog, facebook and ig also look for the latest issue of Metropolitan Weddings on newsstands near you. Email any questions or suggestions for topics to hello at metropolitanweddingscom.