Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Randall.
Hi Leah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Leah Randall, I am 26 years old. I am a Florida native from Riverview but only recently moved to Brooksville with my husband. I grew up playing volleyball and still play a little beach ball when I can. The beach is definitely my favorite place to be! Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that my favorite thing on earth is fresh chocolate chip cookies!
I never went to college because I always knew I wanted to open my own business. For me, the best education was experience. I had the opportunity to become part owner of a women’s fitness boutique. I got to learn and experience how business works first hand. After working there for 3 years i felt confident enough in branching out to start my own business.
I was sitting at the dining room table my talking about what we wanted for our future. I’ve always dreamt of opening a business were I could work from home and raise a family. I felt like God placed the idea of a wedding venue on my heart and it just stuck! My vision for the wedding venue was a place different from anything I’ve ever seen. I wanted to give people that Pinterest perfect wedding without a crazy price tag. My heart’s desire is that all types of people could afford and experience the wedding of their dreams. There were times when my dream seemed too big. I thought about giving up because let’s be honest, owning your own business is scary and a lot of work. It took us 3 years to find the perfect property to create a place where it felt like a hidden gem in Florida. We finally found that property in Brooksville, but the transformation didn’t happen right away.
Sometimes life gets in the way of your plans. Between fixing up the property, house and working full time jobs; the venue got put on the back burner. That is until my sister-in-law got engaged and expressed her desire to get married on the property. This crazy dream that was dreamt up at the dining room table doesn’t seem so crazy anymore. We already have multiple bookings for this year. We could not have done this without the help from our family and friends. They gave me the confidence to chase my dream and make it a reality.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has it been a smooth road? No, it definitely has not been a smooth road creating a wedding venue during a pandemic. I’m not sure that I expected it to be smooth, but I definitely wasn’t prepared for the reality of trying to find materials and enough of them during construction. Fortunately, I ascribe to what Theodore Roosevelt said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…” Other struggles included learning during the process that you usually need more than what you planned for. We had to continually bring in more dirt for leveling, and needed more pavers, more plants, more lights, etc. Added to these struggles, was a deficit of time when my sister-in-law got engaged and wanted her wedding to be our first wedding and wanted it to happen in a mere three months. With the help of amazing family members and friends, we pushed as hard as we could to get it picture perfect.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Havenwood Events is a brand new event venue in Brooksville, FL. We provide a beautiful space and atmosphere where people can host any event. When creating the venue I wanted to do something that is special and unique. The ceremony site was created with a simple, yet elegant design that allows each event to carry a style of its own. The open air and natural colors blend in with the surrounding canopy to create a sense of peace and stillness. Florida is known for its beautiful sunsets and I wanted to have a clear tent so that you would still be able to enjoy all of the multi changing colors of the sky throughout the event. As the night comes, the canopy lights appear brighter and brighter; giving it that perfect romantic twinkle glow. It truly does feel magical. What truly sets us apart is our vision for a different type of event space.
One that is affordable but does not lose any quality in the process. I want to use Havenwood to bless people and give them the event that is Interest perfect and memorable. When it came to branding, I wanted something that explained who we are and had meaning behind it. Choosing a name for your business is a lot harder than naming your favorite childhood stuff animal that’s for sure. Most people name a business before they build it. I didn’t come up with one till later on in the process. Things move at such a fast pace and it’s easy to get caught up in that environment. I came up with the name Havenwood Events because I wanted guest and clients to feel at peace in our secluded woodlands. Our events are about taking the time to enjoy people and the beauty around you. We are brand new so we have a lot of room to grow. I want to create different types of packages for our clients that would best fit them. I take pride in our customer service and vision for weddings. I want to take time to meet like-minded vendors who have a similar vision.
As of now, we have a flat rate for everything we offer. We do the set up for each wedding so all they have to do is show up and decorate! We have both ceremony and reception, clear tent with string lighting, tables and chairs, dance floor, etc.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
There are many thoughts that go through my head when I read this question. If I had to pick one advice for anyone who is just starting out is to be all in. You can’t have any exit plans. It will take a lot more time invested then you originally thought, more resources, and more materials. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to make your dream happen. It’s definitely a sacrifice and at times can be scary but the end result is so worth it!
Pricing:
- Flat Rate $2,500
- Bookings for 2021 $2,000
Contact Info:
- Email: Havenwoodevents@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.havenwoodevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/havenwood_events/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/havenwoodevents
Image Credits
Folk Ventures Heyitsthelopezes
