Vendor Spotlight: Hawthorn Estates
The first time we DJ’d at Hawthorn Estates, Jerrod came home very excited to have been introduced to such an amazing venue. He had nothing but great things to say and couldn’t wait to work there again. And it wasn’t just because of the venue itself, which is incredibly beautiful, but what stuck out to Jerrod were the owners, Tammy and Rob.
The first thing he mentioned was how organized and on top of everything they were. They truly made his job a lot easier by being so accommodating, knowledgeable and available. We have worked at several venues where no one seems to know what is going on. A lot of pass the buck and figure it outs. But at Hawthorn, we can always count on both Tammy and Rob to make things go so smoothly. They also have become instant friends. They are easy to talk to, such a pleasure to be around and make anyone in their presence feel welcome.
The journey of Tammy and Rob began when they saw an old barn not being taken care of. They thought they could save that barn and create something beautiful from it. Here is their story:
“We bought the 1940s barn, moved it to our property and then started really researching ideas for what we could use it for. At that time, in 2008, there was a huge trend emerging of using barns/sheds as event spaces. As an interior designer, the wheels really started turning that this could be really a wonderful space for wedding couples looking for something unique to celebrate their special day at. We renovated the barn over a 5-year period of time, and in 2013 we hosted our first wedding.
Tragically, in December 2016, our barn was completely destroyed by fire. The outpouring of love and support from the wedding community, the couples and friends who attended events at our venue truly gave us the strength to rebuild. We were completely booked for the 2017 year and ¾ booked for 2018. So many of our couples stayed with us, not knowing even what we were going to build, they trusted us and kept their dates with us, and we could not disappoint. We worked non-stop to get the new venue built to be completed for our first wedding which was scheduled for May 2018 and we did it!”
Hawthorn Estates is a year-round venue complete with a mix of prairie, forest and interior photo opportunities. They are so diverse with their venue that couples really do not need to stress about weather impacting their day. If it rains, couples can get married under the solarium. If the weather is too cold, the inside space can easily transform from ceremony to reception with the upper mezzanine area available to entertain guests while the transition takes place!
I asked Tammy and Rob the following questions, and here are their answers!
Q. What is your favourite part about hosting weddings? A. “Our favorite part of hosting weddings is meeting people and celebrating in a couple’s important day. We feel that all love is created equal and enjoy hosting weddings from diverse cultural backgrounds. Each wedding is unique, and this truly makes this part of what we do so interesting!”
Q. In your opinion, why should future brides and grooms choose your venue? A. “For Robert and myself, we don’t just provide a place for couples to celebrate, our mission is to bring a high standard of service leading up to and on a couple’s event day. From sending seating plans, meetings with couples, ceremony rehearsal outlines, we genuinely want to ensure a couple’s day goes as planned and that everyone has the best experience possible.”
Q. What was your wedding highlight from 2020? A. “My biggest 2020 highlight was to see even through all the challenges, couples with their family and closest friends, pulling together and still celebrating their special day even if it was very different than what they planned for, love prevails. I cried at almost every wedding this year because it really reinforced the importance of what a wedding is about.”
From our vendor perspective, we always feel honoured when we are a part of a wedding at Hawthorn Estates. This venue truly goes above and beyond for all couples and for every vendor working there. We are lucky to have met Tammy and Rob and look forward to each and every event that brings us together!
