Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Allison.
Amanda, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Where to even start! I’ve been planning & coordinating events for about 10 years & absolutely love it. After graduating from Texas Woman’s University’s Executive MBA program my husband & I set out to follow the goal of opening a venue that would allow any bride to see her dream wedding come to life.
My husband & I were married in Spring of 2012, shortly followed by a traumatic injury he endured while serving as a firefighter. We began the process of opening a venue in 2014, and in 2015 my husband medically retired from his dream job of being a lifetime first responder.
He continues to undergo surgeries all resulting from the injury & we are beyond grateful that he is still here today. His support of my dream is unending & it isn’t uncommon that he gives me the pick me up needed to continue pushing forward to be better for myself, our family, and our clients.
We built our venue from the ground up completely taking a leap of faith. It was important to us that we make sure to ask wedding professionals what they felt was important to provide the best for our couples. Our large windows overlook rolling hills, a one of a kind gorgeous hillside courtyard complete with a custom arbor – and of course our largest pond on the property. The modern & timeless interior makes it easy to dress up or down to fit any style wedding, banquet or party.
In October 2016, we held our Grand Opening & to say we were excited is an understatement! Our family has spent countless hours working to help us build our dream – a destination wedding venue right here in the heart of Texas.
I am proud to have an MBA, be a CWP {certified wedding professional}, and a part of many local organizations. From volunteering as a LEAD Delegate with the Denton Chamber of Commerce, administering the Denton Event Professionals group with the talented ANM Photography & standing as an officer for the North Texas Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta community is an important role in our personal life & business. I believe that we should be active in our communities and give back – we even have a “Love in Bloom” program where we take any unused floral decor from weddings & events and break them into arrangements for local teachers, nursing homes, etc.
Our small, family-owned business strives to offer the best service to our clients as well as be a benefit to our community. We were honored by being voted “Top 3 in Denton County” for 2017, our first year open and can’t wait to see how we can continue to grow from here!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Is it ever a smooth road?
I mentioned my husband’s injury, which has been the biggest struggle as he progresses through his recovery and surgeries. Yet, we have been so blessed to have a family to help us along the way with this as well as on the business side of things.
When looking for the property for our venue there were countless options – most just the right size too. We landed on a beautiful property around 160 acres in all. Talk about a job in itself! Being 10 minutes from accommodations, nightlife and more makes it even better though.
When we first found the property, we were told it was off the market & thought our beautiful piece of heaven was out of grasp’s reach. It wasn’t long when we got the call that the impossible happened & it was ours.
Anyone who has remodeled or built from the ground up knows that construction hardly goes as scheduled, so 8 months past the initially scheduled date we finally celebrated our Grand Opening! It was a long-awaited day, but our team was prepared & we did not have to displace a single couple due to the delay – talk about when planning background comes in handy!
Please tell us about Hawthorn Hills Ranch: Denton Wedding Venue.
This may be my favorite question!
Hawthorn Hills is a wedding & event venue that sits hillside with a gorgeous view of North Texas scenery. We love to celebrate with everyone & are excited to see each person’s vision come to life.
What makes us unique is that although we have a one of a kind view with pastures, creeks, ponds & more we are not a barn. Our venue was built to be welcoming & with the ability to personalize. The interior has vaulted ceilings with light grey walls, large windows and a custom granite bar. We only book one event a day so that all our clients can enjoy what their day is truly about – there’s no stressing to get in & out quickly.
Our hillside courtyard has been described as both a garden & vineyard style providing an elegant setting without the risk of sinking heels even if it was raining earlier that day. The property has water features, strung lights, and plenty of room for guests to enjoy. It’s our couple’s destination wedding only minutes from a hotel or home.
Although we specialize in weddings we absolutely love getting to celebrate with all our clients – holiday parties & organization banquets are a fun twist to our normal schedule. Known for our personalized touch & customer service it does not make a difference what the event is – we will go above & beyond to make it an amazing day to remember for our clients.
What sets us apart as a venue is that we offer options. Whether you’d like an inclusive package {fully staffed & professionally catered} or something a little more DIY we are happy to customize a package for you. We have experience & education in planning & are eager to put those tools to use to help you during your event versus simply opening the doors for you.
We are beyond proud of the reputation we have earned – from providing a reliable, excellent service to the fun & energetic mood that we bring to each day. Events are a time to celebrate – if we can take away some of the stress of our clients we are happy to do so!
Our style- now that’s difficult to explain. “Timeless, elegant & a clean style” are descriptions we often receive for our venue, as well as an elegant vineyard or modern country venue. The best part is that while we are walking with our clients they are able to see their decor come to life – whether full of candles, moody colors and warm florals or envisioning a greenery set oasis with woodland touches. The versatility of our venue is endless – what would you plan if you were able?
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
From a business perspective, I feel there is always something to improve on or do better. Focusing on how we can continue to improve & be better is what make a business continue to evolve – and that is what our clients deserve.
If we had to start over, I would increase our building size. We currently can host groups that are intimate up to 250 guests. We love catering to events that fall between 50-250 guests, but I would love to have additional rooms for added options & entertainment.
One thing I would recommend to any business owner is to always continue improving, struggles create the opportunity to learn and improve. Bumps along the way make us who we are, make us stronger & help us develop the tools we need to continue growing.
Pricing:
- Full Day Options {tables, chairs, tablecloths, set-up, cleaning & security} beginning at $3000
- Average Spent {catering, staff, decor & more available} $8500 for events with 150-175 people
Contact Info:
- Address: 10340 Jackson Rd Krum TX 76249
- Website: www.hawthornhillsranch.com
- Phone: 940-600-7838
- Email: info@hawthornhillsranch.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hawthornhills/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawthornhillsranch
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HHRevents
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/events-at-hawthorn-hills-ranch-krum
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/hawthorn-hills-ranch-krum-tx-965640
Image Credit:
Rachel Gilster Photography
Blackall Photography
Rachel Gilster Photography
Haley Katherine Photography
Brittany Barclay Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas 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.
