Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Martinek.
Jennifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My background is in new construction and interior/ exterior decorating. Due to ups and downs of the economy over the last 35 years, I knew being able to retire in the construction business was probably not in the cards. Although the economy is doing great today we have been through many down economies that have lasted 7-9 years each.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have been in customer service all of my life and wanted to continue to be in the field of what I knew, helping people. I first started talking with my husband over 17 years ago about opening up a venue to offer couples a place to have their dream wedding. With our background in construction, design and customer service the venue business was a great fit. It took years of looking off and on but we finally found the perfect piece of property that we could afford. Eight acres of wooded landscape with a natural spring, on a road called “Bells Chapel” at that. It was a mess. We cleared the land, designed and built the building ourselves from the ground up. The warm Tuscan style is something I had planned on for years and when it came time to start construction, I had no problem with ideas. It came out beautifully. The lush landscaping you see today is also something we designed and implemented in keeping with the Tuscan Architecture.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a wedding venue with a beautiful Tuscan style setting. We specialize in weddings but we have hosted many other events as well such as corporate dinners, holiday parties, banquets, and proms. What sets us apart? You know I didn’t visit venues prior to designing Hidden Waters. I can’t say what sets us apart. You would have to ask our clients and guests. What other venues looked like or how they ran their business was of no concern to me and still isn’t. I didn’t look at what worked or didn’t work for any of them. I believed so much in what I wanted in a venue and what I wanted to offer clients I just went with it. In addition to the building and grounds being so beautiful in my opinion we have created a space that when you walk in the doors you feel like you are being given a huge hug. Maybe that’s the difference. I will say we treat anyone who walks in the doors like family and strive to take good care of clients and guests. We take very seriously the fact that people have given us the opportunity and entrusted us to host such a Special Day that it is our duty to see that when they leave Hidden Waters it was a positive experience. Not just a positive experience but all that they dreamed of.
If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?
The venue business is a very demanding business. People come up to me all the time and say “I want to have a venue”. My reply is if you are going to have the caliber venue we have and desire to genuinely care about your clients, be ready and willing to work 24/7. We are family-owned and operated and our hours are demanding. I will not complain for bring busy as this is what I prayed for and God delivered. We have had and still do have the pleasure of hosting many ceremony and receptions for couples all in the DFW as well as Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma, and too many more to mention. What I didn’t expect was all we would be exposed to in the way of different cultures and meeting so many people that we now can call our friends. This has been a great experience for us and very rewarding.
I’m not sure if I would do anything differently. Everything that we have experienced be it good or bad has taught us a lesson. You get growth from both. Who would want to change that?
Contact Info:
- Address: 2220 Bells Chapel Road
Waxahachie, Texas 75165 - Website: www.hiddenwatersevents.com
- Phone: 972-617-7787
- Email: hiddenwatersevents@yahoo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hiddenwatersevents/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hiddenwatersevents/
Image Credit:
Chelsea Hafner Photography, Kylie Crump Photography, Cindy Medick Photography
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