Choosing the perfect location to begin your lives together as a couple is one of the most important decisions during the wedding planning process. We feel strongly that it is essential to look at many different locations, even if you feel that you have found “the one.” Just because WE love Lavender doesn’t mean that it is the right fit for you, and even if you have found “the one”-after seeing others-you will return back to it. It is no secret just how Jason and I feel about Lavender on the Lake; I find myself tearing up just thinking about all of the heart and soul that we have put into this space. But as we started sharing Lavender with our couples and families, I wondered what made it feel special to them. Why were couples choosing our spot to begin their lives together? I decided to ask them for this piece so that I could share with you what our couples are saying.
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Location
We are located right off the turnpike-just 7 minutes from the charming downtown of Saint Cloud, Florida. From airboat tours, to local food and beverages, we have our favorite things to suggest to provide you and your guests with a unique and memorable experience. If you or your guests want to catch a Florida sunrise, we are just 1 hour and 15 minutes from beautiful Florida beaches. For all of the Disney lovers, we are located 30 minutes away and you can even see a glimpse of the nightly fireworks from the dock here at LOTL. For those looking for some night life, Downtown Orlando is located just 30 minutes from us. One couple shared that they have friends and family coming from 12 different states and 2 different countries; with Lavender being just 30 minutes from Orlando International Airport, they were thrilled that transportation to the venue would be quick and easy for their guests. Overall, Lavender on the Lake is the perfect spot to celebrate with easy proximity to all of the things you need to provide opportunities for your loved ones to create moments that will forever be cherished.
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Price Point
One of our sweet couples sent me a text and shared that they had looked at several places prior to booking with Lavender and that so many venues charge super high prices for the services that they provide. Kara said, “Lavender is everything that we wanted and more at a price that we could afford.” Jason and I know that weddings can be super pricey, and we definitely don’t want anyone feeling like they have to spend too much on a venue and therefore aren’t able to select certain vendors or to have all the details that they desire.
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New Venue
Being a new venue has certainly had its ups and downs; because we have just closed construction, we are continuing to make finishing touches to improve our property all while learning our own processes and procedures. Whereas, some may find this to be a reason not to choose Lavender on the Lake, many of our couples shared that this was one of the reasons why they chose to book with Lavender. Our very first couple to book with us made the decision without there even being drywall up! Why? “We saw the vision and knew that we were getting not only a good deal, but also a unique and once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to watch our venue develop.” Another couple, Emily and Connor, said that with Lavender being a new venue, “it can be created into whatever we want it to be.” We are so excited to see their vision to come life at their wedding this December. As a family owned business and farm, we cannot thank our early couples more for believing in us, trusting us, and for understanding that we are human, too. We are doing all that we can to ensure that each and every event here runs as smoothly as possible to create everlasting memories.
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The Name
Many of our couples have asked us where the name Lavender on the Lake comes from. In truth, we planted 2000 lavender plants in 2019 only to watch them die throughout the year of 2020. We knew that we would continue to try different varieties because of its fragrance, flavor, and color. Smells trigger memories because the brain’s smell center is connected to the areas of the brain that are involved in memory and emotion. Therefore, we love the idea that when our couples smell lavender, they may think back to their special day here. In addition, Lavender not only is lovely, but it also provides a lot of wellness benefits and range of culinary uses, so there are just a multitude of reasons to love the name for our venue. One of our September brides, Victoria said, “It sounds corny to say that it fits, but it simply does. Where did y’all get married??? Lavender on the Lake. The name, the place, the feeling; everything came together and it was a magical YES!”
Enough said.
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Size of Building
When our concrete pad was freshly poured and the framing was in place prior to dry wall and completion of the roof, I will never forget the moment that Jason and I walked “into” the space. I looked at him saying, “How do we make this place feel smaller?” His answer. “We don’t.” We laughed because it felt so big in size as well as in the reality of seeing the bones of our dream surrounding us. (We have since found ways to provide a more intimate feeling despite it being 6000 square feet of reception space.) The space IS big. Our couples are telling us that they loved knowing that their guests would be able to dance and move without feeling like they were on top of each other. According to some reports, the average wedding size for a wedding in Orlando for 2023 was 149-159; having hosted several events so far with 150 guests, we can honestly say that we have ample space for a lot more guests.
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Ability to Select Vendors
Many venues provide a preferred vendor list that the couple must stick to when selecting their vendors. Whereas, we do provide a preferred vendor list, at this time, we do not expect our couples to select from our list as long as the vendors are licensed and insured. Several of our couples said that this was a high selling point for them to choose Lavender because they already had visions of how they wanted their wedding to be which meant selecting specific vendors to help bring their visions to life. Some couples also said that with the ability to select their own vendors, they were better able to stay within their budget. Jason and I also love that with the choice of choosing their own vendors, each and every wedding truly will be unique to each couple≥
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Thoughtful Design
”You thought of everything,” was something that we frequently heard while giving tours to our couples. I can honestly tell you that JASON thought of everything; I was merely the sounding board asking the questions to help him take his ideas further. Having photographed over 700 weddings worldwide, Jason had the ability to walk throughout numerous venues which absolutely impacted the design for this space. He not only saw what he liked about other venues, but he also saw areas for improvement. On one of our tours I said that the entire barn was built with the vision through Jason’s lens as a photographer without even meaning to draw that comparison. He looked at me and of course made fun of me. Victoria said that we “created a dreamy venue, paying attention to every detail when creating it.” Lainie and Seth said, “From the beginning it was clear every detail was arranged to make the space perfect for couples and vendors alike. Even more important than a thoughtful rain plan, there are so many intentional additions you would hardly think to notice. From a separate vendor room to a large prep kitchen and hooks for hanging formalwear in the getting ready suites, everything was created to serve those in the space and it’s not lacking in anything.”
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The Owners Jason and Shelley
This is the part that I am literally just going to cut and paste because boasting is not something that sits well for me.In fact, I feel like hiding under the table by even pasting it here, but the words that so many of our couples said about us made me cry with each word as they came in. We feel truly humbled and honored to be in this position to have created a space for our community and families to have wonderful experiences. Kara said, “first and foremost, we absolutely ADORE you guys! Not only are you both genuine and easy to work with, but your passion for wanting to make your vision for the venue a reality shines through.” Emily and Connor said that one of their top three reasons was that our venue is “owned by a down to earth couple with great creative ideas for the place.” And finally Lainie and Seth said, “Our best piece of advice to engaged couples starting the wedding planning process is to surround yourselves with people committed to making your day special. Don’t limit your support team to just your family and friends — seek out a venue and planners and other vendors who will support you too. That is what we found at Lavender on the Lake. Here you don’t feel like a number in a queue or someone just using a nice empty space. Lavender on the Lake is special because here you become a part of the larger love story Jason and Shelley are creating.”
Again, we are honored and feel that we are truly just a vessel.
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Spacious Getting Ready Rooms
Our couples LOVE the bridal suites because there is plenty of room for all things getting ready! We allow our couples to have access as early as 8am because Jason’s gripe about some venues is that they do not allow the couple and vendors in early enough which causes unnecessary stress to all. Our couples walk into the suites and have said, “Wow! So spacious!” and many have even looked up to comment on how much they like the ceilings. Each suite includes a full bathroom to make getting ready simple and comfortable. From tvs and foosball tables to makeup vanities and daybeds, we have cozy and beautiful spaces to spend the hours prior to walking down the aisle.
Photo credit to Snapshots by Gabriela
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The View
Our lakefront, stunning sunsets are something that causes us to pause during the daily grind. So many long days of work start with the sunrise and no matter how many more hours we have to go, Jason and I stop to take in the painted sky at sunset so that we can bask in appreciation for another day here. Our couples are telling us that one of the top reasons for booking with us was because of the images that they have seen on Instagram of the sunset view. We have had several weddings already with gorgeous painted skies, and even with a cloudy or rainy day, the wall of windows provides for a quintessential Florida backdrop for our couples and guests.
We love this place, we love that we are finally able to share it with our families, friends, community, and couples, and we truly loved hearing just what our booked couples are loving about our space, too. We know that we will continue to grow along with Lavender to continue to do our best in providing a place for families and friends to come together to celebrate LOVE and LIFE.
Thank you so much for stopping by our blog. Through out our process, we have connected with so many wedding venue owners and are beyond grateful for the support. We hope to create awareness for the importance of supporting locally owned wedding venues. Locally owned wedding venues have less turnover, they create local jobs and bring lots of revenue into the local economy. In every blog we share, we will proudly mention 5 locally owned wedding venues from around the country.
