Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Slivinski.
Hi amanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I actually started out in the wedding industry by designing and building wedding venues for Barns and Buildings back in 2013. When I started construction on Willowynn it was early 2019 and was the 7th venue I had built but this one was my own. I had dreamed of building a venue for years and knew one day it would come true! Knowing that our area didnt have many event centers, I knew we would be sucessful but could never imagine the life we have now.
When we opened Willowynn’s door February of 2020 a few short months later the world shut down and I thought we would lose everything but GOD had other plans. We barely made it thru Covid but I think families just wanted a reason to get together after being apart for so long so Willowynn really took off.
After seeing the need for on-site accomidations we turned our family home into an amazing vacation rental that we call THE FARM at Willowynn. It sleeps 21 guests and most of our families book it for their wedding weekend so they can relax and enjoy.
I truely love what I do, I get people at the best time of their lives and after planning a wedding with them and their families for a year, its like we are all best friends.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Wow. The struggles have been REAL! Opening during COVID was a really trying time. We had to reschedule 45 weddings and then had 88 weddings that next year. Going from knowing very little about weddings (only planned my own) to managing all those, was an undertaking to say the least, especially with have 4 kids under 10 years old and still operating a construction company.
There have been a few hiccups thru the years but I think Covid really set us up to handle anything!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I design and build residential and commercial construction while owning and operating one of Galveston County’s most successful wedding venues. I turned our family home into a vacation rental for our couples to enjoy for their wedding weekend and all while raising 4 amazing kids and a donkey.
My biggest accomplishment is my children, they are my reason why. As they are getting older they all work at the venue and help our couples any way they can. I am so proud of all of them and can’t wait to see which one decides to take it over.
I’m probably most known for building barns, not to be confused with metal buildings. Building with Barns and Buildings has been one of my greatest accomplishments, to help every customer build their dream has been so rewarding. It really was one of the best times of my life.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I see the wedding and event industry just getting bigger. With the age of social media, everyone wants to do show stopping events with all their favorite people and experiencing everything life has to offer.
In construction most people are starting to go towards being mindful of the products and chemicals going into their homes. I hope this trend gets bigger and we can push the industry as a whole to use less chemicals and get back to the basics, as far as materials are concerned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.willowynnbarn.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@willowynnbarn
