Our History

Life has a way of deciding your destiny. That was the case with me. In 2001 after having coordinated events and weddings very part-time for 5 years, life threw me a curve ball. At the time, the very last thing on my mind was getting back to work. I just wanted to be well. I turned to planning events and weddings to get my mind off getting well. I learned that it brought me great joy to see others enjoying their event as much as bringing me joy to help them do it.

It was always a dream of mine to own a reception hall. In 2001 in a conversation over coffee, Tony, my girlfriend Wanda and me devised what this space would look like in a perfect world. We sketched a drawing that I still have today. It was a nonchalant conversation that we didn’t think much of. However, over the next days, weeks and months it became the topic of conversation almost daily. At the time I began working as a personal assistant for a successful business man in Lancaster and one day over lunch he asked me what was keeping me from my dream. I didn’t have an answer for him. After some hesitation I said I guess I was waiting on our youngest to graduate from High School. He told me that was the wrong answer. He told me that in business there were people who had a passion for their business and thus became successful. Then there were the fly by nights who had a good idea and were just in love with the idea. Then he said something that changed my life. He said: “If you aren’t willing to do it today - you won’t tomorrow”. I got to thinking about that and realized that my whole life I told people there were “doers and sayers and I’m a doer”. The hunt began.

I won’t bore you with the details of looking at properties… falling in love then falling out of love for almost 2 years. It truly was a hassle. What I can tell you is that when I finally did find the space it was love at first sight for me and Tony thought I was insane. After some coercing Tony saw what I saw. It took almost 3 years and lots of blood sweat and tears (mostly tears) to get where we are. NOTHING went right…. I’m not just saying that. NOTHING.

At last, we are finished in this endeavor and I’m forever indebted to my husband for following me as I followed my dream. It was a huge sacrifice on his part. He worked in the warehouse 7 days a week, every week for 2 1/2 years. - that’s no exaggeration. He believed in me and my vision and believed that together we could make the vision exactly the sketch almost 3 years later.

Truthfully, the sketch is very much the same as what the space looks like today. It’s amazing. It says a lot about Tony’s character and trust to follow me after he had been the one leading for so long. So here I say: Thank you, my love.