The Venue RX

In this week's episode of The Venue Rx Podcast, our host Jonathan Aymin sits down with Maritza and Andrew, owners of Bel Cielo Wedding and Event Venue in California. Maritza and Andrew share their unexpected journey into venue ownership, the challenges of taking over and growing a countryside event space, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. They discuss everything from navigating permits, property maintenance, and local regulations to refining their venue offerings and building relationships with the local vendor community. They also discuss how changing guest counts, evolving booking trends, and seasonality are shaping the wedding industry, along with the importance of creating memorable guest experiences, adapting to market demands, and exploring new opportunities such as micro weddings.About Our Guest: Maritza Recinos and Andrew Sanchez are the team behind Bel Cielo Farm, a wedding and special events venue located in Brawley, California, in the heart of Imperial Valley. Together, they help bring new life to a historic property that has been part of the community for more than a century.Featuring a beautiful olive orchard, lush gardens, and charming outdoor event spaces, Bel Cielo Farm offers couples and families a unique setting for celebrating life's most meaningful moments. The property's history dates back to 1914, and its transformation into an event destination blends historic character with modern celebrations.Through Bel Cielo Farm, Maritza and Andrew are part of the growing wedding and events industry in Southern California, creating opportunities for memorable celebrations while preserving the charm and character of this historic estate.Find Them Here: Website: https://sites.google.com/view/belcielofarm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belcielofarm/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belcielofarmweddingeventvenue/Email: [email protected]

On this week’s episode of The Venue Rx Podcast, our host Jonathan Aymin sits down with Britt Schrader, owner of The Colonial at Sunset, to explore her unconventional journey from a career in sports management to becoming a successful wedding venue owner. Britt shares what it was like navigating family dynamics while renovating and building the venue, the lessons she learned from launching a wedding planning company in 2020, and how those experiences shaped the way she operates The Colonial today. She also dives into creating all-inclusive wedding packages, building an experience that makes planning easier for couples, and the hiring and leadership challenges that come with growing a venue and building the right team. About Our Guest: Britt Schrader is a wedding and event professional, entrepreneur, and a driving force behind The Colonial at Sunset, a family-owned private estate wedding and event venue located just north of Tampa, Florida. After taking an unconventional path into the wedding industry, Britt helped bring to life a vision for the historic Schrader family property that she had dreamed about for more than a decade.In addition to her work at The Colonial, Britt is the founder and lead designer of Elle Gray Events, a wedding and event planning company that serves as the venue’s exclusive planning partner. Her experience on both the planning and venue sides of the industry has helped shape The Colonial’s approach to creating seamless, highly personalized celebrations, including its all-inclusive wedding experience.A multi-passionate entrepreneur with a love for people, design, and hospitality, Britt brings together her experience in planning, sales, marketing, and venue operations to create memorable experiences for couples while continuing to grow The Colonial at Sunset as a wedding and event business.Find Here Here: Website: thecolonialatsunset.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/colonialatsunset/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thecolonialatsunset/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecolonialatsunset/

On this week’s episode of The Venue Rx Podcast, our host Jonathan Aymin sits down with Caroline and her husband, Kyler, the owners of The Firehouse Event Venue in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Together, they share their story of building and operating The Firehouse while also growing Brooks & Reid Events, and what it has looked like to manage multiple businesses in the wedding and events industry. Caroline and Kyler open up about the challenges, unexpected costs, and wins they’ve experienced along the way, including the true costs and surprises couples face when booking a venue, how they balance planning, rentals, and venue ownership while raising a growing family, and the lessons they’ve learned from buying an established business versus building one from the ground up. They also discuss the importance of avoiding the comparison trap, staying focused on your own goals, and finding your unique lane in an increasingly competitive wedding and events market.About Our Guest: Caroline and Kyler Parker are wedding and event industry entrepreneurs based in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Caroline is an owner of Brooks & Reid Events and Rentals, a full-service event planning and rental company serving Eastern North Carolina and beyond, while together Caroline and Kyler are behind The Firehouse, a historic event venue in downtown Goldsboro.Their experience spans multiple sides of the events industry, from wedding planning and rentals to venue ownership and operations. Through Brooks & Reid, Caroline and her team provide event planning and an extensive collection of rentals, while The Firehouse offers a distinctive setting for weddings and celebrations with indoor and outdoor event spaces, a rooftop lounge and bar, and in-house access to Brooks & Reid’s planning and rental services.Find Them Here: Website: https://thefirehouse.co/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefirehouse.co/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefirehouse.co/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefirehouse_eventsPhone: 919-714-4599

On this week’s episode of The Venue RX Podcast, host Jonathan Aymin sits down with Kelsey Correia, COO and Lead Planner at Floriana, an elegant historic estate wedding venue in New England. Kelsey shares the inside story of how Floriana transformed its brand and operations, including how a strategic rebrand and new website helped quadruple their lead flow.Kelsey dives into the business behind running a successful wedding venue, from financing and staffing to managing inherited bookings and transitioning existing events. She also discusses the decision to bring catering in-house, how greater control over the guest experience impacts operations, and the systems needed to manage a growing venue effectively. Kelsey also shares Floriana’s approach to increasing bookings, planning for capacity, and making thoughtful decisions about future growth while staying competitive in an evolving wedding market. About Our Guest: Kelsey Correia is the COO and Lead Planner at Floriana, a historic estate wedding venue in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Her career in events began with a work-study job in college, eventually leading her to professionally enter the events industry in 2018. Since then, Kelsey has planned and executed weddings throughout New England, led event teams for North Shore hospitality groups, worked directly with full-service planning clients, and launched her own planning company, Beach Rose Events.Today, Kelsey brings both a planner’s perspective and an operator’s mindset to Floriana, where she has played an integral role in transforming the historic property into a thriving wedding venue. Her work has included rebranding the business, rebuilding operational systems, bringing catering in-house, and creating a more intentional guest experience. Known for her creativity, practical problem-solving, and ability to anticipate the needs of both clients and teams, Kelsey brings a unique perspective to the intersection of hospitality, event planning, and venue operations.Find Them Here: Website: www.florianaipswich.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/florianaipswich/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556700051209Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/events2360/Email: [email protected]

On this week's episode of The Venue Rx Podcast, host Jonathan Aymin sits down with Hannah Corbacio, the visionary behind The Rosalia Hotel, a beautifully restored boutique hotel and wedding venue in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Hannah shares how an unexpected start in real estate investing evolved into an ambitious hospitality project, offering an honest look at what it takes to breathe new life into a historic property while building a thriving wedding venue business.Hannah opens up about the realities of working alongside her spouse, raising capital for a large-scale renovation, and having the confidence to book weddings before the venue was even complete. She also shares how setting clear expectations with couples helped build trust during construction and why taking calculated risks has been essential to her success. She also breaks down how she's leveraged organic social media, especially TikTok to generate awareness, build excitement, and consistently attract new wedding bookings without relying on a massive advertising budget.About Our Guest: Hannah Corbacio is an entrepreneur, real estate developer, and the co-founder of The Rosalia Hotel, an ambitious boutique hotel and wedding venue project in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Alongside her husband, Hannah is leading the transformation of a historic bank building into a one-of-a-kind hospitality destination, blending luxury accommodations, weddings, and community revitalization.Before entering the world of hospitality and real estate, Hannah built a successful career in marketing, experience that has played a key role in launching and growing The Rosalia Hotel's brand. Through creative storytelling and organic social media particularly TikTok and Instagram she has generated excitement for the project and attracted couples long before the venue officially opened.Find Them Here: Website: https://therosaliahotel.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therosaliahotel/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therosaliahotel