Commitment Ceremony Reflection

This past weekend was The Inn's first commitment ceremony and I can honestly say I am sad that it has come and gone. I know that many people have an issue with this concept and if I am being totally open and honest I did too just a few short years ago. However I have done much soul searching over the last year and a half and have come to the realization that what this world doesn't have enough of is LOVE based on being true to your heart. What I saw this weekend was an overwhelming amount of love from family & friends to the couple. There were same sex & straight couples mingling together for a common goal of celebrating the love M&M share. My heart has been deeply touched by these amazing women and their family & friends. They included me in and allowed me a glimpse into a celebration that really looked no different than any other celebration. A couple deeply in love, family by their side, amazing friends....what everyone who is totally in tune with their heart wants!!! So I am blessed to walk away from this past weekend with a greater desire to celebrate LOVE NO MATTER THE PACKAGE!!!!

Event Professional Mixer this Wednesday from 4-8

Are you an event industry professional in need of a relaxing evening of great conversation and a peaceful setting? Then I have just the event for you. Come out this Wednesday to The Inn and let me welcome you into the relaxing peace that my place invokes from the moment you step through the door.

RSVP

Shira & Kumar's Amazing Wedding Last Month

The ubber talented Stacey with SMS Photography captured this wedding last month at The Inn fabulously. I figured I couldn't do it justice by posting just a few pictures. So here are a couple I pulled from her blog but I highly recommend you go see the full post on SMS Photography's blog. Enjoy!!!!

November 14th Open House

I am super excited about the open house coming up in a few weeks. Shamika with An Event to Remember has done a fabulous job in lining up some wonderfully creative vendors who will be on site that night. I couldn't have done this without all her help. Thank you so much Shamika!!!

So mark your calendars and come on out. I promise...once at The Inn you will feel relaxed and at home!!!

A huge thank you to Delores & Ann with Premire for the cocktail tables & all the beautiful linens they will be providing, to Kathy with Dragonfly Designs for this amazing flyer and to all the other vendors who have set aside a few hours to come out and provide you with the opportunity to hear what they have to offer that will make your day even more special.

• Dragonfly Designs
• Southern's Fine Dining
• An Event to Remember
• Premier Party Central
• Haute Cakes
• Bella by Sara
• Vignette Photography
• Complete Music
• D&H Stage Lighting
• WeTendBar

CLICK HERE FOR THE INVITE!!!!

New Twitter Sign

Here is the latest addition to our sign post that welcomes guest into The Inn. Another wonderful use for the old fencing I aquired several months back. A couple of paint pens, a sharpie and the "how can I make this unique?" attituded and voila.

As you can probably guess more signs will follow. Right now there is the welcome sign to The Inn along with parking & handicap/vendor drop off directional.

New Drink/Appetizer/Place Card/Candy Station

Okay so it has been complete for about 6 weeks but I had only documented the process on FB and not blogged about it yet. Honestly, building is in my blood and The Inn gives me an outlet however I am pretty sure this can be accomplished by anyone with just a few key tools and materials.

I had the idea months ago that I really needed to build a table for the outside of the fireplace wall. It was such a massive element that folding tables just did not please the designer in me. It wasn't until I was given a bunch of old fencing that it all came together. Here are the stages:

Before with just folding tables

The beginning...2 4x4 post, some 2x4 pt pine, 4 porch posts & a 4x8 sheet exterior grade plywood

The start of adding the old fencing

Top and trim complete with recycled fencing

A light coat of the same rich brown that the trim on the house was painted a few weeks prior.

This is where the fun begins. I added in a random way light blue from the ceiling and green from the wall at the end of the veranda. (sorry it's sideways...it refuses to rotate :( )

Now a almost dry brush effect with the cream color from the inside of The Inn.

Now was time for the orbital sander to give it the unique aged look as if the fencing had survived many paintings.

Here it is after the sanding and post poly stain to further enhance the aged effect along with protection (sorry it's sideways...it refuses to rotate :( )

A little sisal rope detail to add to the rustic nature of the piece.



All Finished and ready to be used!!!

It has already been a fabulous addition to several weddings and I can't wait to post pro pictures as it gets many years of use. So don't be afraid to reuse & recycle...you never know what gem you could create.

Websites...to much info or not enough

There seems to be two different sides to website content. One is you provide very little info forcing your proposed client to call you for more information so that you have the chance to hard pressure sell them. The second is to provide them with almost all the information they need just shy of coming out to see the place. This allows them to assess their options in the comfort of their own home. I tend to fall on the later of the two choices as for me I am not only NOT a high pressure salesperson but I HATE being high pressure sold anything. This is why I am in the works on a brand new website for The Inn at Wild Rose Hall. I plan to put as much information on it as I can possibly contain on it. I want people to know all about it before they ever step foot onto the grounds. I am sure there are plenty of people who would tell me that it isn't a smart move but I am following my heart on this one. The Inn is an expression of my heart...yes it is a business but it does not mean I have to go against the core of what makes me ME. I want my clients to know me and so here is the content of the "About the Owner" page I am putting on the new website.

Hi...My name is Morgan Jackson and I am the proud owner of The Inn at Wild Rose Hall. My business is unique in the sense that I am very much a hands on owner. The staff consist of only me which at times has its cons but for the most part I wouldn't have it any other way as it allows me the opportunity to be fully involved. I am blessed that during event times my kids often come and help me set up so that my clients do not have to worry about that detail before their event.

A Little About Me:
I am a native Texan and proud of it-at least now that I am older =). Born in Ft. Worth in 1968, grew up in Midland until we moved to Austin in 1981. Austin has changed a ton in the past 30 years. It is such a unique city full of friendly creative people. Hence the need for my style of unique event venue. I have been in the local wedding industry since 2006. Before purchasing the business from Wild Rose Hall's previous owners, I owned Simply Abundant Blooms, a floral design company. Creating is in my blood. I have been in love with architecture since I was a little girl. As I grew up, my love of garden & interior design blossomed. I love to use my hands to create so during non event times you are likely to find me digging in the dirt, wielding my compound miter saw to build something, painting, trimming trees, repurposing furniture…My desire is to create an atmosphere at The Inn at Wild Rose Hall, both inside and in the gardens, that not only speak of comfort & charm but also what I believe is truly Texan, warm and inviting.

The Story Behind Why I Purchase Wild Rose Hall:
Sometimes life really is full of amazing twists & turns. In late 2003-early 2004, a gorgeous piece of property I would pass by almost every day went up for sale. I pulled the flyer and went on the internet to research it. I was intrigued and enamored at how beautiful and perfect it was. See I had for many years dreamed of having a B&B and a place for gatherings (event venue). I could see as I looked at those realtor pictures just how fabulous it could be. I was so excited I even had a name picked out, Wild Rose Inn. My husband and I tried to figure out a way to swing the numbers and at the time there was just no way. I was heartbroken but not nearly as heartbroken as I would experience several months later. The “for sale” sign came down and as I would drive by I would just wonder about the “what if’s” however I also knew it hadn’t been feasible. Imagine my surprise when a new sign went up by the road that read “Wild Rose Hall”. I drove home and immediately searched for it on the internet. There I found the page for Austin’s newest event center. I was devastated to say the least. I could not understand how I had a vision for something that someone else was going to experience and on top of that the massive similarities in the name I would have named it and the name it now had. Honestly, it felt like a cruel joke. Much of the next year as I would pass by I would cry because I still just couldn’t understand. Well as they say, timing is everything. In January of 2008, I was at a wedding industry get together and ran into the owner of WRH. He had known the story of my love affair with the property because several month prior I had talk to he and his wife about possibly becoming their preferred florist. He informed me that his wife really wanted to go back to teaching and they wanted to sell the business. I couldn’t believe it. After I left the meeting I called my husband with the news. I was excited beyond words. Could it actually happen this time? Over the next several months, we came in and started working side by side to learn the ropes in a hands on training way. By April, we were working as the property managers as all the details were hammered out. July 1, 2008 we signed the purchase papers for Wild Rose Hall and immediately renamed it The Inn at Wild Rose Hall. An homage to their name plus my original desired name. My original hope had been that it would be a family business but due to the stresses of life over the last couple of years it hasn’t really worked out that way. I have taken to heart this quote by Mary Engelbreit “If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it”. And so The Inn really is my creative baby and I will continue to nurture it, create for it and embellish the beautiful piece of property that I fell in love with all those years ago.

My Philosophy:
The Inn at Wild Rose Hall is not just a business but a lifestyle and a piece of my heart. For me it is all about being relational, honest & real. I want to know you and I want you to know me so I always encourage my clients to connect up via FB. This way it isn’t a cold sterile formal process but a process that has grace, understanding & heart.