Just over an hour from the Twin Cities, Celebrations at the Gables is a gorgeous location destination wedding venue. Luscious gardens, delicious on-site catering, and full weekend rentals are just a few of the reasons this is a perfect location for your day. Get to know more about this property in this week’s vendor of the week feature.
Q: Let’s get to it, what’s your business’ specialty?
A: We offer a venue and catering for important life events.
Q: Where can we find you?
A: We are located in rural Turtle Lake, Wisconsin.
Q: Tell us when and how Celebrations at the Gables began.
A: It all began with my mentor, Georgeina O’Connell. Her son was getting married and she wanted to offer a unique experience for him and add value to her family catering company, a venue was built.
Q: What makes your company unique from others?
A: Our venue is unique in the aspect that when our guests book with us they automatically get access to the venue 9 am Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 10 am. This allows a laid-back, non-pressured experience for our guests. We also offer a Sunday option available at noon-10pm for a lower cost. Additionally, this year will be our first year keeping the venue open for winter events for corporate parties and weddings!
Q: How long have you been in the industry? What do you think has changed the most since then?
A: I have been involved with the hospitality industry for 8 years, I have spent the last 3 of those here at Celebrations as General Manager and will be transitioning into full ownership in the coming months. Of course trends change with the come and go of the seasons, but the most defined change has been since Covid, more people are coming to celebrate their loved ones because they remember not being able to even see one another during the hard Covid years.
Q: Walk us through your average workday.
A: Average workdays include fielding emails and direct messages from our online marketing and website platforms, checking on upcoming inventory needs for catering and on-site celebrations. Maintenance of the buildings/ landscape from cleaning to mowing. And meeting with booked guests for wedding planning purposes.
Q: What should a couple searching for their wedding venue know?
A: When searching for the right wedding venue for you and your guests you should find a venue that feels welcome and calm to you, finding a venue with staff that treat you like you matter can really enhance your experience.
Q: How far in advance should a couple book with you?
A: For fall wedding we recommend a year ~2 years in advance, for the early summer months I would recommend 6 months to a year for our venue, our early season May-July doesn’t book as fast as August-November.
Q: What is the biggest crowd-pleaser at your venue?
A: There’s a tie, when our guests arrive they are in awe of our gardens, there is great thought put into our gardens and there are constant flowers blooming with changing of seasons. After that, watching our guests reaction after a taste of our food is rewarding and motivating to the least, our food is raved about years after the wedding sometimes that’s all people remember about wedding held at celebrations.
Q: What is the history behind your venue?
A: Open to public in 2013, Celebrations at the Gables is nestled back on a dead end road on an old farmstead. The buildings original to the property would include a 135-year-old farm house that we host our wedding guests in, a round top machine shed we transitioned into an indoor chapel/sanctuary and a well house that surpasses the farmhouse by many years. In 2013, Georgeina added a beautiful wooden structure of rough cut lumber to create the masterpiece of a building we host in today.
Q: What are your other hobbies and passions besides creating beautiful wedding days?
A: We love to cook! We do catering everyday of the week for celebrations small and big they are all treated equal to us. Other than that I enjoy being in the outdoors and hanging out with my family.
LIGHTNING ROUND!
Q: Do you have any favorite podcasts?
A: I enjoy Jenna Kutcher with Goal Digger, she keeps my wheels spinning
Q: Who’s your most played artist on your streaming service?
A: Zack Bryan
Q: What was your latest impulse buy?
A: My latest impulse buy are holiday craft kits to use for our Christmas at the Gables 2023!
Q: Mountains or Beach?
A: Mountains!
Q: Go-to cocktail (or mocktail)?
A: Moscow mule!
Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I wanted to run my family business.
Q: You’re at brunch. Are you going for something sweet or savory?
A: I’m guilty of a strong sweet tooth!
Q: Go-to comfort food?
A: Pasta!
Q: Duck Duck Grey Duck or Duck Duck Goose?
A: Goose!
To learn more about their gorgeous property and to get information on their wedding packages, check out their website!
All images courtesy of Celebrations at the Gables
