We have shaken things up at Poplar Hill this year and had an absolute blast this past wedding season. This team is truly the Dream Team! From new additions to the property to some of the most adorable and sweet couples, to already starting on to “what are we doing for next season”, it’s been a heck of a ride this year!
Let’s start with what was new: (after pretty pictures – so many to share)
- New blacktop under the tent to make all those meals and dance moves as smooth as ever
- A new awning to keep you dry between the tent and barn
- New doors leading to the deck where our couples make their entrance to see the love of their life at the end of the isle
- The man cave has a beautiful new bathroom
- New doors to our silo! They are beautiful thanks to Corey, our resident carpenter extraordinaire!
- We had our first (but not last) Barn Bridal Show, and it was beyond what we can put into words in the best way
- We worked with so many new vendors this year
- Tent installation was WAY better this year and we are slowly becoming experts at this (at least we think so).
- We did a giveaway for a couple’s photo shoot for the first time in partnership with StepOut Buffalo.
- We hosted our first Women in Business event, and it was so inspiring
- Our first engagement on site
- Our wonderful Poplar Hill owners hosted their annual Easter Egg hunt on these beautiful grounds, and it was nice to see some of our newly engaged and married couples there
- Our first all food truck wedding
- An adorable gender reveal
- A spectacular drag show
- Fun, not your average photo booths
- A bounce house
- Table decorations from simple and elegant to extravagant and gorgeous and fun and whimsical
- So much food
- So many memories
We have tossed around new ideas that you have been reading about if you are keeping up with our blogs. Micro-weddings have us on a new level of excitement as this new offer has brought in so many more amazing couples that we may have never met without this! We were fortunate in that our lovely boss sent Penny & Madelyn to attend a conference this year and one of the topics was micro-weddings and wow, are we excited to have our first one here next year. The simplicity of it mixed with the fact that it is an affordable ceremony, makes this a perfect fit for some couples. It is a beautiful wedding with all the same rustic, laid back vibes and up to 50 of your favorite humans to party with. For this package, our couples can still use any vendors they want. It is also 5 private hours on the grounds, meaning even with micro-weddings, there is only one wedding on the grounds at a time. It really is a wonderful addition to our wedding day options.
We have continued to learn and grow from each and every experience here. The behind-the-scenes events have us laughing, crying, bleeding slightly, working hard and being goofy and sarcastic with our couples. In case you haven’t been paying attention, humor and sarcasm are our love languages. Our marketing queen Madelyn is all over Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest (slowly but surely), setting up some great campaigns to get the word out about our venue and all we have to offer. Go take a look and see if we are a good fit for what that vision is for your perfect day! Or if you have no ideas, and we can help you kickstart your wedding journey with some helpful tips. Madelyn works very hard to keep you all informed of all that we have to offer, our fun adventures, our bloopers, upcoming events, our wonderful vendors, and so much more!
What else has happened this year? Surviving the two winter storms this year has been a fun one. Not really, but truly seeing Buffalo in full blown action as the “City of good neighbors” has been heartwarming during these terrible events. We have shown our resilience and have truly weathered the storm together.
The improvements and new ideas that are coming into play here in 2023 have us bubbling with excitement. Don’t worry, we will share all of this with you…soon….ish. That’s all we are going to say on that topic.
It’s a journey for us, for our couples, and their loved ones. We cannot thank our 2022 couples enough for making this year one to top. You all really brought your A-game, partied like rock stars, and grew our tiny family into a much bigger one! Our vendors have KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK. Please check out our vendor page as our 2022 vendors will be added soon. Every single one, we have nothing but amazing things to share about their work with us. The list of people that have helped us this year is so long. So to everyone that made this year possible, for your hard work, your support, and your kindness, we thank you from the very bottom of our hearts.
Now let’s bring on 2023!!! See you next year!
P.S. – We know some of you reading this just got engaged within the past few weeks! Call us, email us, go to our website, and reach out! We are excited to meet you, talk about what you are looking for and let you feel the love that oozes from this venue. Your memories begin here!
Penny Jensen
Author
Madelyn Jensen
Editor