In the midst of recounting tales from Island View Waterfront, I hesitated to title this piece 'Where did that hole come from?'— wary of SEO intricacies, yet eager to unravel the unexpected stories behind the scenes of our waterfront haven.
In October of 2021, a wedding coordinator found Island View Waterfront on Instagram and knew that it was exactly what her client had dreamed about.
You see, I had JUST started advertising as a waterfront venue. While our family has owned and operated this waterfront property since 1968, for the past 50 years, it was a successful waterfront restaurant. But due to the recent shutdown, the restaurant industry wasn't the same, and my dad was trying to figure out if we should sell or keep the family property.
Taking a leap of faith in myself, I determined that a wedding venue was exactly what we needed to pivot to in order to stay in business for another 50+ years. We had hosted weddings over the years in conjunction with the restaurant, but I was proposing only being a venue. And Bruce (my dad) was having reservations.
I plunged ahead and took it upon myself to build a website, create a new social media page (IG: @IslandViewWaterfrontVenue), and even found a part-time job at another local wedding venue to immerse myself in all things weddings so that when the time came to book a wedding, I had my ducks in a row.
This lead to A & A scheduling a tour to visit Island View Waterfront on Halloween. The groom was the first to arrive, allowing us time to chat about the panoramic views, wedding planning, and, most importantly to him, whether we served Jameson (the Irish whiskey) at weddings. 'Yes' was pretty much the only word I was handing out that day, "Yes, we can special order that for you."
The bride, along with their wedding coordinator, and the rest of the family arrived, and we began the tour. Imagine my surprise when they wanted to sign the contract immediately to book their spring wedding in April, just six months away. It was exactly what the bride dreamed her wedding would look like; married at the church where they met and the wedding reception by the water surrounded by their most cherished people.
I was speechless. "Yes, ok, yes. Let's all grab a seat and look at the contract." Insert me internally freaking out because I was presenting my first-ever contract, to a couple I had just met, and this would be my first official booking (without telling Bruce that I was doing it). Yes, Jess! You are doing this. Also, are you insane?!
The groom read the 6-page contract, line by line, asking questions. "What if someone wants to smoke? Where do we park? What time does the music have to end?" And the last one...."Why do we need insurance? Don't you have insurance?" Because I had researched the heck out of everything, I know that this was standard practice.
"Yes, we have insurance. However, you need it too."
"Why?" he asked.
Talk about putting me on the spot. But this is important, and he won't be the last person to ask, so here goes.
"Your insurance helps to protect you if there is damage to the venue or an injury to someone at the event. If one of your guests damages a wall or if your photographer trips and sprains his ankle trying to get a shot you requested, the resulting repairs or medical bills would likely be covered."
I looked at the coordinator, and she confirmed that this is standard practice for venues. He initialed next to the paragraph about insurance, and they signed the contract.
Yes! Officially booked. You know that saying "When you buy from a small business, an actual person does a little happy dance," well, I wish I would have recorded myself when they left. Your gal, Jess, was a dancing machine! And yes, I called Bruce. I don't know the exact conversation, but let's say I don't remember him being as excited as I was. Spoiler alert: it's 2024, and he isn't mad about it.
The six months sailed by, and I learned so much from having A & A's wedding at Island View Waterfront. The coordinator was a bible of information that I soaked up, and when the wedding day arrived, the wedding dream was now a wedding reality. The coordinator hugged me, and her exact words were "You did it! It is so beautiful, and I am so glad this is where their reception is! It's a dream. A is going to be so happy."
The night flew by, but I remember standing on the pier, looking back at the reception. In front of me, a happy couple danced under twinkling lights, while the photographer and videographer teams captured them surrounded by their family and friends. To my left, a small fire was burning in the lawn fire pit, and the breeze from the Chesapeake Bay teased everyone with the scent of marshmallows some of the guests were roasting. As the sun set to my right, on Brown's Cove, I realized I was standing in my own dream. I had created a waterfront wedding with a chill backyard vibe. It was a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere that now was alive at Island View Waterfront.
I said my goodbyes to the married couple and grabbed a celebratory beer; it was time to clean up. As I walked inside the main building, I saw that someone had left me a wedding gift. The freshly painted wall now had a gaping hole in it. A stark reminder that in this business, unexpected challenges may arise, but they become part of the journey.
As I stood there, assessing the damage, I couldn't help but take a huge swig of my beer and clean up the now empty bottles of Jameson at the table next to said wall. The hole in the wall wasn't funny then, but it became a testament to the stories that unfolded within these waterfront walls. From the doubts of the first leap into the wedding business to the joyous dance of A & A under twinkling lights, each mark tells a tale.
Island View Waterfront isn't just a venue; it's a canvas for dreams, and each event adds another stroke to the masterpiece.
So, as I asked Bruce to patch up that hole, I knew it was not just fixing a wall; it was preserving a memory.
Thank you for joining me on this incredible journey. I'd love to hear your thoughts and funny wedding stories. Share them in the comments below.
And cheers to creating dreams and making memories at Island View Waterfront.
Until next time,
Your gal, Jess
p.s. And that's why you need insurance – it safeguards not only the physical space but also the special moments that make your event unforgettable.
To learn more about having your dream wedding at Island View Waterfront, visit our website: https://islandviewwaterfrontevents.net
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