Today we’d like to introduce you to a small wedding venue business doing BIG things: THE SPRINGS
We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
THE SPRINGS stumbled into success. It was originally born as an idea from a Texan family – none of whom had wedding experience – but saw a need for gorgeous event venues with little restrictions and a full-day experience.
The family had the perfect mix – an accountant, an architect, a builder with landscape experience, an entrepreneur, and an operations leader. The first venue was built just north of Houston in the Lake Conroe area in 2009.
What they developed was something unique & stress-free for couples. Our operations style appeals to couples who don’t want the hotel or resort experience, rather a family-operated business with relationships as a key value, both with vendors and with our clients.
Now, we have 11 locations in the Houston, DFW, and Oklahoma regions and employ 150+ hardworking people. We serve 3k+ weddings a year and are proud to be “The Wedding Venue Experts” that couples trust!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like every good small business story… No, it wasn’t easy!
The market is tough, there are so many good venues out there. At the beginning, it was enough to have a beautiful venue, but with so many new ones coming on the scene, it was so important to differentiate ourselves. Instead of focusing on sales and bookings, we focus on relationships and education.
One of the things we hear all the time is, “Wow! Y’all thought of everything!” We offer many tools, checklists, and guides for couples who don’t know how to get started after the proposal. We have all of these on our website for everyone – even if they don’t choose our venue, we want couples to feel empowered with information.
Another challenge we experienced was our naming structure.
Originally, each venue had a unique name, but we found ourselves spread thin trying to manage so many individual “brands”. With names like Amber Springs, Pecan Springs, Brazos Springs, and Crystal Springs… and our plans to grow and build more venues in the future, a change was needed.
In late 2015, we unified as one brand – both for name recognition and to build trust. People now recognize THE SPRINGS as The Wedding Venue Expert company and seek the location closest to them.
Why the capitalization, THE SPRINGS? Why not?! Go big, right? 🙂
THE SPRINGS Event Venues – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
FLEXIBILITY & EASE:
Our rental allows couples to have the venue all day, with only 2 vendor requirements (bar service & security) but couples can still bring in their own catering and alcohol. The large space and well-equipped facilities allow couples the opportunity to get ready on site, host a ceremony and reception exactly how they want it, with little decor needed since landscaping is also a priority – it’s gorgeous, year-round.
PRICING:
We’re also really different in our upfront pricing. With flat rates and no hidden fees, it’s a breath of fresh air for couples who want all the information *before* the tour. We offer generous discounts for non-Saturday events and also for off-season dates.
CLIENT SUPPORT:
Along with our many tools on our website (http://thespringsevents.com/wedding-planning.html), we also started a successful Facebook group for all of our couples to connect and share ideas. (www.Facebook.com/groups/SpringsVenue) This segment of our business of engaging with couples where they are (online!) and being extremely fast in responses has been a huge part of our business.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It’s impossible to pick just one – we’re so proud of our venue teams and all of the support staff that we have to make our company successful. Most of all, we’re grateful for our clients who choose us and continue to recommend us.
One really exciting and recent development – if you google “The Wedding Venue Experts” – we rank #1 on Google! That was a “happy desk dance day” for sure when we got the Google affirmation of #1!
Pricing:
- Off-Season Starts at $2550
- Peak Season Starts at $3450
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheSpringsEvents.com
- Phone: Varies by location – see attachment
- Email: Hello@TheSpringsEvents.com
- Instagram: @SpringsVenue
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/
SpringsVenue - Twitter: @SpringsVenue
Image Credit:
JW Baugh, Dozier Design, Rafael Serrano, Ryan O’Dowd, Stephanie Rogers, Studio H-Town, C. Baron
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
