Choosing a Locally Owned New Hampshire Lakes Region Wedding Venue vs Corporate … And Why It Matters
Planning your New Hampshire Lakes Region wedding is a journey that often begins with searching for the perfect venue. Venue ownership is a heavily overlooked but potentially meaningful factor that may help you decide what is the right fit for you. While corporate-owned venues may catch your attention due to their widespread presence; locally owned wedding venues like Cold Spring Farm offer personalized advantages that make your day truly unique and unforgettable.
Personalized Services
At a locally owned venue, you will often work directly with the owner(s) themselves on the details of your wedding. Owners and staff of small businesses naturally have a deeper investment in their quality of service and reputation as they are more personally and financially connected. For some, your event is a job, but to a small business owner - it represents who they are, what they do, and their livelihood depends on it.
Locally owned wedding venues often service fewer weddings per year than their corporate counterparts, allowing them to offer more individualized service to each of their clients rather than focusing on the higher number of weddings overall. With the built-in time to devote to each client; owners and staff can better understand and assist in every detail you plan for your day.
Unique Atmosphere
Every venue has a story that lends itself to the overall atmosphere and aesthetic of the space. Locally owned wedding venues are often the curated result of many years of history and hard work towards a distinctive vision reflective of the property, history, interests, etc. Unlike corporate-owned venues that may follow standardized themes, layouts, color schemes, etc., for each of their many locations, locally owned wedding venues often bring an unmatched authenticity to the overall vibe of their space, providing a truly one-of-a-kind backdrop for your big day.
Flexibility and Customization
Corporate venues tend to have a standardized and easily repeatable system for executing wedding days. Designed for efficiency, this may benefit some clients; however, it often comes at the cost of flexibility and customization. Due to less volume and more personal control over operations, locally owned wedding venues can typically offer more flexibility in terms of scheduling, payments, and custom packaging options and are far more likely to be able to accommodate special needs/requests. This adaptability ultimately helps ensure that your wedding day aligns with your vision and budget without the constraints of corporate policy.
Have A special request? We are here to help.
At Cold Spring Farm, we only do one wedding per weekend. This gives you the flexibility and opportunity to extend your weekend to include an on-site rehearsal dinner before the wedding or a farewell brunch the following morning.
Community Connections and Development
Community networking and support naturally matter most to those who reside within the communities in which they work. Locally owned venues are often a wellspring of information about trusted local vendors which can be an incredibly meaningful resource for you as you embark on your wedding planning journey.
As a constant source of employment, activity, information, and events – locally owned venues tend to be very active participants and supporters of their communities and of other small local businesses. For example, at Cold Spring Farm, we are proud to be the home of community events that range from school board meetings and athletic end-of-season celebrations to our annual harvest festival where we showcase ~40 local vendors each year. We are able to offer our space for these events as a direct result of our client’s support.
Support for the Local Economy
Where you choose to invest your hard-earned money truly matters.
Supporting locally owned businesses is not only a solid ethical choice; it is an imperative factor in creating and maintaining a sustainable, thriving community. When dollars are spent locally, they are far more likely to be recirculated locally, raising the overall economic activity, paying local salaries, and building up the local tax base.
Wedding venues naturally create plenty of jobs and a network of other small businesses to stay in operation. Your investment in a locally owned wedding venue is an investment in every person and local business they employ. The reach of wedding venues may be farther than you imagine as wedding venues not only employ venue staff and other related industry professionals but also give steady jobs to landscapers, carpenters, flower farms, cleaning companies, laundry services, etc. They even have a far-reaching impact on their local community outside of those they directly employ by often filling the schedules of local hotels, restaurants, vacation rentals, transportation services, etc.
River Ben Estate | Circle of Seven Ranch | Swan Lake Overlook | Hidden Springs | Evergreen Ranch | Izenstone | Wild Rye KC
While there are many factors to contemplate when choosing the right venue for your vision; we hope you’ll consider not only the personalization, uniqueness, and flexibility of a locally owned wedding venue but also the impact your choice has on the local community. By choosing a locally owned wedding venue, you are investing in a tailored experience that also contributes to the strength and sustainability of the community in which it is located.
At Cold Spring Farm, we are proud to be a locally owned, family-owned, and women-owned small business in a community we truly love. We are grateful for the opportunity this business has provided us to network with and employ other wonderful small businesses within our community. From the moment you tour the property to the execution of your event – you’ll work directly with our dedicated owners, who pride themselves on providing the best service they possibly can. We know your wedding day is sacred, and we will always treat it as such.
We firmly believe in the importance of community – both local and our amazing community of other venue/small business owners from all over. We see our blog as a space to educate, share helpful inspiration and information, and support our beloved communities. Check out some other great locally owned venues below.
Rustic Grace Barn | Montague Meadows | Villa At The Vineyard | The Ballroom At Park Lane | Rough and Ready Vineyards | Irish Hills Wedding Barn | The State At River Run
Here are some (but not all) of the small businesses (not necessarily wedding-related) within our community that we love who help us keep Cold Spring Farm going!
Jillian Moulton, our website, social media, and marketing expert keeps up our online presence and has all the patience for our questions and ideas.
New England Holiday Light Co. helps us keep our outdoor spaces well-lit and beautiful.
The Scrubbin’ Fairies help us maintain our high standard of cleanliness.
Granite Waves Electrical – Our amazing electrician, Dave Gibson, who helps us keep the lights on.
KL Ranch, our beloved and incredibly knowledgeable mobile vet and horse experts.
The Balanced Trim, who are at the farm regularly to help us care for our horse’s hooves.
Lang’s HVAC keeps us all comfortable no matter the season.