Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassidy Kerr.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hello, my name is Cassidy Kerr,
I was born and raised in Scurry, Texas where are now wedding venue A Thousand Cedars is. I graduated from Scurry in 2014 and headed off to Texas A&M, where I spent the next 5 years. At Texas A&M, I received my degree in University Studies Leadership with minors in communication and sports management. As you can see by this path, a Wedding venue was nowhere on my radar, I assumed I would stay on my path to be a sideline reporter, work in social media in sports, or even continue to edit videos for teams. Sports was my passion. At Texas A&M I met my now Husband Cameron Kerr at a swim meet where I was working, and he was competing for A&M; that story is a whole fairy tale in its own. After college we lived in Houston for 2 years in that time, I worked for 2 different sports franchises. In 2020, I had started my first step into a bigger scene in sports working for the XFL in Dallas, Texas. This was an awesome opportunity. We moved back to my hometown, where my parents and sister still lived. My dad had retired from the Dallas Fire Department and sat down for all of 30 seconds before deciding he had a new idea. A wedding venue this was very convenient for me because I was engaged. I would spend the majority of my time planning my wedding, working for an up-and-coming sports franchise, and helping my dad build a wedding venue. I was living what I thought was my best life. But if you reread that year, you’ll know what happens next. Covid hits. I was out of a job, And I had to cancel my wedding in a matter of weeks. I began to put all my effort and time into building this giant event venue in the middle of a time where you couldn’t have events. I knew nothing about weddings, I knew sports. I hadn’t even had my own wedding yet, but if 2020 gave us anything it was TIME. My dad asked if I wanted to take control over the venue, so I devoted my time into constructing an actual building and a business plan for A Thousand Cedars. People started booking on faith for the next year, which really encouraged us. After we got through a few small events later in the year, I knew this was where I belonged. I LOVED creating in this space. I love my brides; I have such a passion for being as hands-on as I can be to make sure no detail is missed for weddings. The abnormal hours and creativity transferred from sports perfectly. I always thought I’d head back to sports once the world went back to normal, but now I’m a mom to two little boys, Oliver and George, and you would have to strip the venue out of my hands. I’ve been a part of almost every single wedding held at A Thousand Cedars for the last 3 years; I am absolutely so proud of what my family has created. God changed my plans for his plans, and it has been nothing but rewarding.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, we built the wedding venue in 2020, so I think saying yes is the easy answer here. Couples were really afraid to book in case we had another shutdown. Everyone was struggling financially, so a lot of couples were choosing to elope instead of having weddings. 202o brought so many struggle but with God and a positive perspective, we had some luck. The cost of lumber skyrocketed after we had done most of the building; I did not have to cancel any couples weddings due to covid, the industry completely changed, but I only have experience and knowledge of what it is now, so I never had to unlearn anything, it gave me a more even playing field being new to the game and it gave me the confidence! Also, shout out to the Emerson (wedding venue) ladies in Kaufman; they helped me anytime I had industry questions. One thing I love about the wedding community is that it is a lot of community versus competition.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My title at A Thousand Cedars is a little bit of everything; I’m the CEO, social media manager, venue manager, and all of the above. As of right now, I handle all of our tours, meetings, and emails. I am always there with you the entire wedding planning process. My brides have my personal phone number and shoot me text all through the wedding process; by the time your wedding day come A Thousand Cedars knows your wedding vision and is there to help you execute it.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Personalization and uniqueness. We see couples stepping away from tradition and really just throwing a party with their favorite things and favorite people. Less structure and more of being in the moment and really taking the time to be with your guest. We’re seeing more activities as an alternative to dancing all night. It’s so fun to see a couple be themselves through the wedding planning process. Wedding are becoming more of an experience than anything.
Pricing:
- Thursday Wedding-$4500
- Friday Wedding- $5500
- Saturday Wedding- $6500
- Sunday Wedding- $5500
- Micro wedding – $2500 +
Contact Info:
- Website: Athousandcedars.com
- Instagram: @athousandcedars
- Facebook: @athousandcedars
Image Credits
Lo and co media
Dalilah Esme Photography
