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WELCOME to our little corner of the internet friends!
Why We Created The Guide So here’s where we come in. We’ve done this, like hundreds of times and can navigate this in our sleep - but don’t worry we are showing up FULLY caffeinated and ready to help you because that is what you deserve. Between this first series (Episode 1 - 4 and the free guide you downloaded - and if you haven’t you totally need to jump over and grab that) you will know everything you need to to rock this first stage of planning. It’s a big stage, we know, and a HUGE check off your list for planning. Let’s do it! Rather listen in? Skip over to the Behind the Party Podcast HERE to listen in now.
I’m not going to overwhelm you with my spreadsheets - organizing is my happy place guys, but instead I am going to give you all the questions and checklists you need to ask to narrow it down. Over in that guide we’ve also included worksheets to keep organized, as well as to print and take with you on tours so you don’t forget a question and have to go back to ask again. On top of all the options though, venues do not make it easy - they each have different amenities, services and rules to guide your experience. It’s what makes them unique, what shows off their priorities and what they are known for and lets you get to know their personality but it’s also a huge pain to compare costs. This is when being prepared, feeling comfortable and confident in what you are looking for and keeping your eye on your priorities BEFORE you get too deep in planning is really important. It’s why we suggest you start with a little homework before submitting all those contact forms and information requests online.
Either way - you need to know what you are comfortable with and what your max amount is. Once you start getting a better understanding of real costs for services in your area this may adjust and that is okay. For now, give yourself the grace to come back and change your budget, but have a conversation of what this means for you. Really not sure where to start? Do a quick search and find costs of 3 venues, 3 caterers, 3 DJs, and 3 photographers in your area. You’ll see that 1) it definitely varies and 2) what is unrealistic and realistic for the type of wedding you envision.
Now that you have your homework done, use those 10 questions in the guide to field through venues and narrow down your top choices. Those are the ones we are going to focus on in Episode 2 - and get you ready to know exactly what to ask when you’re visiting. 16th Annual Best of Weddings Awards Honor the Top Wedding Vendors Across America Denton, TX January 2022 - Hawthorn Hills is pleased to announce that they have been selected as a 2022 -- winner winner of The Knot Best of Weddings, an accolade representing the highest- and most-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples, their families and wedding guests on The Knot, a leading all in one wedding planning destination. This is the 5th year Hawthorn Hills has been named a winner of The Knot Best of Weddings awards.
In its sixteenth annual year, The Knot continues its long-standing tradition of supporting local wedding vendors with The Knot Best of Weddings 2022, an annual by-couples, for-couples guide to the top wedding professionals across the country. This year, five percent of hundreds of thousands of local wedding professionals listed on The Knot received this distinguished award. To determine the winners, The Knot analyzed its millions of user reviews across various vendor categories—including venues, musicians, florists, photographers, caterers and more—to find the highest rated vendors of the year. These winners represent the best of the best wedding professionals that engaged couples should consider booking for their own unique weddings. The Knot has inspired 25 million couples (and counting!) to plan a wedding that’s uniquely theirs - from finding inspiration and local vendors to creating and managing all guest experiences, wedding registries and more. On The Knot Marketplace, couples can connect with any of the hundreds of thousands of local wedding professionals across the country, and The Knot Best of Weddings award gives couples the confidence to book the best vendors to bring their wedding visions to life. In combination with years of trusted content, The Knot’s innovative technology helps all couples seamlessly plan a wedding that’s uniquely theirs. Wedding professionals who win The Knot Best of Weddings are members of WeddingPro, a leading B2B wedding brand. As the largest marketplace and community for wedding professionals, WeddingPro connects businesses with more than 13 million unique monthly visitors who are planning weddings on The Knot and WeddingWire, as well as with hundreds of thousands of pros in the industry. Through its online marketplaces, educational programs and community-building events, WeddingPro is dedicated to helping wedding professionals build relationships with couples and pros that grow their businesses. For more information about The Knot Best of Weddings and this year’s winners, please visit https://www.theknot.com/vendors/best-of-weddings. About Hawthorn Hills Minutes from Denton on rolling North Texas hills, a modern venue with a one of a kind view allows our couple's to enjoy every moment of the wedding day. If you are looking for a venue close to amenities that will still allow your guests to relax, get out of the city and focus fully on you - we are the perfect location! Hawthorn Hills was built with you in mind. Our open floor plan and smaller details allow you to personalize your event and watch your vision come to life. Your guests will love our water view, and hillside courtyard complete with an arbor. The private dressing rooms, and services give you a complete package leaving less to worry about. With multiple packages available, you can have a blank canvas + bring in your own pros or rest easy with a more inclusive option. Our bright, timeless venue is easy to customize & make your own. About The Knot The Knot is the nation’s leading digital wedding resource offering a seamless, all-in-one planning experience—from finding inspiration and local vendors to creating and managing all guest experiences, wedding registries and more. The trusted brand reaches a majority of engaged couples in the US through the #1 wedding planning website TheKnot.com and #1 iOS and Android mobile app The Knot Wedding Planner, The Knot national wedding magazine, and The Knot book series. Since its inception, The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to plan a wedding that’s uniquely them. Visit The Knot online at TheKnot.com and follow on social media: Facebook.com/TheKnot and @TheKnot on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram 14th Annual Couples’ Choice Awards Honor the Top Wedding Vendors Nationwide and Abroad Krum, January 19, 2022. -- Hawthorn Hills Ranch was announced as a winner of the 2022 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards®, an accolade representing the top wedding professionals across the board in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism reviewed by couples on WeddingWire, a leading wedding vendor marketplace.
To determine these distinguished wedding professionals, WeddingWire analyzed reviews within its Vendor Directory across more than 20 service categories—from venues and caterers to florists and photographers—to find the most- and highest-rated vendors of the year. The winners exhibit superior professionalism, responsiveness, service and quality when interacting with the millions of couples who turn to WeddingWire to help with their wedding planning process each month. Wedding professionals who win WeddingWire Couple’s Choice Awards® are members of WeddingPro, a leading B2B wedding brand. A marketplace and community for wedding professionals, WeddingPro connects businesses with more than 13 million unique monthly visitors who are planning weddings on WeddingWire and The Knot, as well as with hundreds of thousands of pros in the industry. Through its online marketplaces, educational programs and community-building events, WeddingPro is dedicated to helping wedding professionals build relationships with couples and pros that grow their businesses. Hawthorn Hills Ranch is honored to be one of the top vendors in Venue in Krum on WeddingWire. For more information about Hawthorn Hills Ranch, please visit us on WeddingWire. To learn more about the Couples' Choice Awards®, visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards. About Hawthorn Hills Ranch Minutes from Denton on rolling North Texas hills, a modern venue with a one of a kind view allows our couple's to enjoy every moment of the wedding day. If you are looking for a venue close to amenities that will still allow your guests to relax, get out of the city and focus fully on you - we are the perfect location! Facilities and Capacity Hawthorn Hills was built with you in mind. Our open floor plan and smaller details allow you to personalize your event and watch your vision come to life. Your guests will love our water view and hillside courtyard complete with an arbor. The private dressing rooms, and services give you a complete package leaving less to worry about. Couples can also enjoy use of the dark wood ceremony arbor, located on the cobblestone courtyard for a stress-free day. No mud, sinking heels from rain leading up to your day will deter your plans. The indoor capacity of Hawthorn Hills is 230 leaving plenty of room for a dance floor and more. Services Offered With multiple packages available, you can have a blank canvas + bring in your own pros or rest easy with a more inclusive option. Our bright, timeless venue is easy to customize & make your own. About WeddingWire WeddingWire is a trusted online marketplace, connecting couples with local wedding professionals and a suite of comprehensive tools that make wedding planning easier. Operating within a $250 billion global industry, WeddingWire helps millions of couples every month find the right team of wedding professionals to personalize and pull off their special day. Couples around the world can read millions of vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a directory of hundreds of thousands of vendors local to them. Visit WeddingWire online at WeddingWire.com and follow on social media: Facebook.com/WeddingWire and @WeddingWire on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Things to ask a venue before touring…
SKIP TO THE BOTTOM TO GET THE FREE 9 PAGE GUIDE: WHAT TO ASK VENUES Yeah, it can be quickly overwhelming to think through all the different options, services to compare and narrow down so many great options. Most people will tell you that the first step is to pick a date and a venue location. We are going to stop you right there though because being a venue we disagree. If you jump right into the search for a venue without a little prep work you are going to be quickly overwhelmed and stressed. Worse, you could end up stuck in a situation that you later realize is not what you truly want for your wedding experience had you known sooner. So that is where we are going to start in this blog, so that we can really help you out - no reason to tell you where the finish line is if you don't know were to even sign up for the race right? Before you start clicking on those venue contact pages here are the steps you should take first to avoid unnecessary stress - and so you can feel confident in your choices. In the end, we have a free guide for you - 9 pages filled with specific questions to ask before you visit venues, why you should ask them, and worksheets to keep you organized when doing it.  Step 1: Guest Count Of course, no one is expecting you to know exactly who is coming to your wedding, and right now this should just be a working list that may change over the next couple of months. To make your wedding guest list there are a few areas to consider.
 Step 2: Budget Again, don’t think you have to have it all together right now. As you begin getting quotes you may see that you want or can adjust your budget. Having a general sense of the amount you can or will use for your celebration is very important. Without this conversation and decision, you can easily end up in a place spending more than you ever wanted to. I mean, have you seen all those TikToks of brides going over budget in every category? Yeah, let's not do that - what do you think? Let's take a breath, figure out this whole planning thing and then tackle it like a pro. Specifically, you want to determine the amount you want to spend on your venue. The tricky part is that some venues are very basic whereas others include catering, linens, staff, sometimes bar packages, and more. The comparison of each one can be, well honestly - a pain. It can also mean a lot of research on your hands if you haven’t hired a professional planner that you trust to give you general costs and values. The goal is that you don’t jump into a venue blindly and end up spending thousands more than you wanted, or if your budget is not a concern, that you don’t end up stuck with options/vendors you don’t want.  Step 3: Your Vision This is probably your favorite part - ours too. I would bet you already have this part pretty much figured out. Hate to break it to you though, style-wise the guest table and wedding cake décor parts are not the most important right now. The overall vibes of your day though - now that’s what we want to focus on. Do you picture a certain time of year? Celebrating in the summer sun, or a cool winter day are drastically different. If you envision yourself having an outdoor wedding on a rooftop venue in the city or surrounded by trees, nature, and your pups it will help guide your search. What you two want to focus on and should be thinking more of is the setting you want to welcome your guests into. Think of it as finding your dream house and then filling it with your décor. Find the venue that allows you the ambiance you’re seeking to not limit your vision as it comes together over the next few months. Once you have narrowed down your overall style you will know if there is a certain time of year you want to say I do. Then you can narrow it down even more to fit your lifestyle.  Step 4: Set Your Priorities This one! Ooh yes, you have to figure out what is on your dream list and matters to you. Of course, saying I do and getting married is the first thing so let’s not count that one. Moving to the next - focus on what you will be spending money on and what is the most exciting to you. For some people it is florals, others it is photography or maybe yours is unique touches like a coffee truck. These top items are where you want to make sure you’re choosing a venue that 1) allows your vision 2) has room for what you have planned (especially if a mobile truck) and 3) is not going to steal part of the funds you were going to use for those special touches. The thing about it is, choosing your venue is the first investment most make for their day and it also is one of the biggest portions of your budget. Going over means you have to give room somewhere else - and trust us no matter how much you love your venue if it means 6 months later you realize you don’t get that dream honeymoon you will be bumming a bit and no venue wants that. As a venue team, we can promise you that venues are excited about hosting your wedding, and we are thrilled to see the wedding vision and style you come up with! Even more than that - we are counting down the days for your wedding and we would never want you having second thoughts about choosing us. Whether you are engaged or pre-engaged (we see you boo) having a realistic grasp on these will really help you as you take that first big step into planning. Half of it is fun, like exciting make your style board and dive down the deep hole that is instagram and TikTok inspiration to find the best vibes that match both of your styles. The other half… well not many people like budgeting and looking at money we know - but with the amount you are getting ready to invest whether it’s a tight budget or open ended you need to do this. Alright so - have you done these four steps? If so then good for you, go grab your favorite beverage whether it’s sparkling water or ranch water and get ready for more of the fun stuff. Questions to ask venues before you tourWhy is it important to talk to a venue before visiting? Great question friend! Here’s the skinny… There are a ton of options a TON of venues near you to choose from, visit and get lost in. When I got married almost 10 years ago from when I am writing this there were like 5 venues north of DFW in a two-hour radius. Now you can print that google map off, hang it on your wall throw a dart, and land on like 10 in one bubble. That’s amazing great news for you BUT it does mean more prep work. I know, I know I said we were done with that after the first 4 steps but this is different I promise. The perk is you do not need to settle, you can find your style, your budget and your priorities to have the day you deserve. The down side is that it can be super confusing to compare all these options and if you aren’t careful a total time suck. Most cultures only book 1 venue for their wedding, a few book 2 (especially if you are having a henna ceremony, rehearsal dinner, or post-wedding brunch), and a small number book 3 or more. What that means is you have to take that list of 100+ venues in your area down to 1 (for the sake of this let’s just pretend you are looking for 1 specific venue right now). You are about to spend so much time researching what venue is gorgeous in fall, which venue has a great reputation, where will my guests stay… Then you’re going to spend days on days visiting these places. Once we had a couple visit us to see everything, and they were obviously burnt out. They couldn’t think of a question to ask, they seemed overwhelmed and kept confusing all the places they had looked at - when we asked they told us they had visited over 60 wedding venues. 60 VENUES! Could you imagine the time it took to set up those visits, work around work, social calendars and then to drive to each spot? No wonder they were overwhelmed, and if you take anything from this post please know you do not need to do that to find your dream venue. If you are visiting 10 venues you have not asked the right questions and are doing too much. In fact, if you ask our venue manager “how many venues should I tour?” she will tell you if you have seen more than 5 you have seen too many. The difference is that we know this industry, we know what to look for, what to ask, and how to narrow in on what is or is not a good fit. By the time a couple is finished touring with us we can tell you if you are a good fit for us, and if not 3 venues that would be perfect. Now, wouldn’t it be nice if you could do that too? Imagine all the conversations you would not have to have with venues you really are not into! So that’s our goal here - we are going to take you from newly engaged and lost in a sea of wedding planning to feel prepared, confident, and most importantly EXCITED about your venue. We’ve organized all of the information for you on an easy to ready PDF that is completely FREE to you. Then, because we are extra and super organized, we also made you a worksheet to keep it all organized, typed up email templates for you to send inquiries to wedding venues and a guide on what to ask when you’re visiting. We’ll talk more about that in a different blog though. No gimmicks, no weird sales email from us just helpful tools to get you in the venue you deserve and is waiting for you. One last thing before you jump into the guide and workbook though - if you are lucky most of these venues will have the bulk of this information on their website. If you are going to take the time to reach out to them, that means you would visit that venue right? Well, I promise you taking time to look over their website for this information will be a lot faster than 50 back and forth emails, and definitely faster than going to visit a venue that is a 30-minute drive just to realize whoops, they don’t check one of our boxes. Check out their websites, fill in the worksheet, and then use the templates to reach out to them to get the rest of those answers! Ready for that guide? CLICK HERE AND ENTER YOUR INFOIf you have any issues with the link shoot us an email and we will get it right over to you! No sales pitch, just 4 helpful emails each with a guide, templates or worksheets to use. Contact Us: info@hawthornhillsranch.com
Photos by (top to bottom of blog): Enchanted Luna Photography Taylor Salerno Photography 9th Annual Hall of Fame Awards Honor the Top Wedding Vendors Across America Denton Texas, 2021—Hawthorn Hills is pleased to announce that they have been inducted into The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame from The Knot, a leading wedding planning and registry brand and app. Exceptional wedding professionals who have earned four or more of The Knot Best of Weddings awards are inducted into the prestigious The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame. Despite COVID-19 interrupting many 2020 weddings and social events, wedding professionals around the nation continued to support to-be-weds throughout their wedding planning journeys. From adjusting future schedules to make way for postponed weddings, to helping couples host socially distanced weddings following state and local guidelines and restrictions with an increased focus on health and safety, wedding pros—and the industry as a whole—rallied together in 2020, ultimately helping couples continue to celebrate life and love. The Knot 2021 Best of Weddings recognition honors the vendors who went above and beyond to help to-be-weds navigate the global pandemic. In its fifteenth annual year, The Knot continues its long-standing tradition of supporting local wedding vendors with The Knot Best of Weddings 2021, an annual by-couples, for-couples guide to the top wedding professionals across the country. To determine the winners, The Knot analyzed its millions of user reviews across various vendor categories—including venues, musicians, florists, photographers, caterers and more—to find the highest rated vendors of the year. These winners represent the best of the best wedding professionals that engaged couples should consider booking for their own unique weddings. This year, The Knot Best of Weddings winners represent the top five percent of local wedding vendors listed on The Knot. There were 1,422 new inductees into The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame for 2021, out of hundreds of thousands of local vendors featured on The Knot. The Knot has inspired 25 million couples (and counting!) to plan a wedding that’s uniquely theirs. With a rich history of providing high-quality content and inspiration, The Knot makes it easy for couples to connect with and book just the right wedding professionals to create their perfect wedding day. On The Knot Marketplace, couples can connect with any of the hundreds of thousands of local wedding professionals across the country. The Knot Best of Weddings gives couples the confidence to find and book the best local vendors to bring their wedding visions to life. In combination with years of trusted content, The Knot’s innovative technology simplifies wedding planning, inspiring couples to plan a wedding unique to their love story and personalities. Wedding professionals who win The Knot Best of Weddings are members of WeddingPro, the leading B2B wedding brand. As the largest marketplace and community for wedding professionals, WeddingPro connects businesses with more than 13 million unique monthly visitors who are planning weddings on The Knot and WeddingWire, as well as with hundreds of thousands of pros in the industry. Through its online marketplaces, educational programs and community-building events, WeddingPro is dedicated to helping wedding professionals build relationships with couples and pros that grow their businesses. For more information about The Knot Best of Weddings and this year’s winners, please visit https://www.theknot.com/vendors/best-of-weddings. About The Knot The Knot is one of the nation’s leading multiplatform wedding resources offering a seamless, all-in-one planning experience—from finding inspiration and local vendors to creating and managing all guest experiences, wedding registries and more. The trusted brand reaches a majority of engaged couples in the US through the #1 iOS and Android mobile app The Knot Wedding Planner, the #1 wedding planning website TheKnot.com, The Knot national and local wedding magazines, and The Knot book series. Since its inception, The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to plan a wedding that’s uniquely them. Visit The Knot online at Facebook.com/TheKnot and @TheKnot on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. 
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Hawthorn Hills
Location10340 Jackson Rd. Krum, TX 76249
940-600-7838 info@hawthornhillsranch.com |
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