editor's note
Mary Hughes, Editor-in-Chief
have owned a B&B for 4 years now. I love doing weddings and even though in three years we’ve done 20 or so I get choked up each time we do one. It’s
emotionally thrilling – don’t ask – I am just a big baby at heart! I love the business and have been searching for the ‘other special place’ to buy and grow my B&B enterprise to include larger weddings. Each year I seem to find 'the one’ but there ends being something wrong – something I can’t undo or live with. In late spring of this year it felt like a lightening bolt hit me while I was walking up the driveway of our one-acre property. The idea came to build my own room for weddings. I discussed this idea with my husband and he was open to it! I then called the contractor and he too thought it would be something he could do.
Applications and permits later, we began construction on September 8th and finished on time for an opening harvest dinner on October 25th.
Seven weeks from start to finish, the 650-foot space is now a three-season room with a huge Dimplex electric fireplace and many repurposed items. The unique windows were discovered stored in a shed on someone’s property and are over 100-years-old. We piano hinged them so they can open right back against the wall for fresh airflow. The gorgeous tables and chairs were found online from someone who had closed their business and their misfortune became my good fortune! The ceiling was constructed from weathered barn boards and is a beautiful contrast for the modern lighting. It was a tight budget – and we went over slightly – but the results are amazing. It turned out to be more beautiful than I ever imagined. It is a wedding venue that suits the size of our property and can accommodate up to 60 guests, just enough for us to handle. I believe that a bed and breakfast is a magical place and makes the perfect backdrop to cater to a clientele who want an intimate wedding – magical, personal and memorable!
Building a dream
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