Summary: <p>Today's guest is farmer, entrepreneur, and wedding venue owner, Buddy Powers. Buddy and his wife Jill own Big Spring Farm, a wedding venue in Lexington, Virginia that hosts over 50 events a year and has been featured in places like The Knot and Style Me Pretty. Today he's chatting with us about starting and running a wedding venue and he's also sharing a little bit about how other vendors can serve venues.</p> <p><strong>The highlights:</strong></p> <p>02:49 The transition from farming to starting a wedding venue.</p> <p>06:06 How Buddy and Jill found Big Spring Farm</p> <p>10:53 What Buddy looked for in a wedding venue property.</p> <p>13:51 The biggest challenge they faced in starting a wedding venue</p> <p>16:00 How to navigate zoning and other government related tasks</p> <p>20:44 A few things Buddy and Jill did their first year that was instrumental in building momentum for Big Spring.</p> <p>24:56 The first steps people should take when starting a wedding venue, and a few things to avoid.</p> <p>30:58 How did you build strong relationships with other vendors and clients?</p> <p>38:02 What are some ways other vendors can serve venues well?</p> <p>Buddy Powers is a farmer, entrepreneur, and business coach. After an internship at the world renowned sustainable livestock farm, Polyface Farm, and almost 8 years in the wedding photography industry with his wife Jillian Michelle, the couple launched Big Spring Farm. This venture melds the Powers passions of living in harmony with the land and creating gorgeous spaces for hosting events.</p> <p><a href="https://bigspringva.com/" rel="nofollow">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bigspringva/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bigspringva" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/bigspringfarm/" rel="nofollow">Pinterest</a></p> <p><strong>Resources Mentioned in the Episode:</strong><br> <a href="https://thevenuehelper.com/" rel="nofollow">The Venue Helper</a><br> <a href="https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/405715?v=7" rel="nofollow">The First 3 Steps to Starting a Wedding Venue</a></p>
