Vendor Spotlight: Sarah Brown with Waverly Estate
Meet Sarah Brown, Owner/Event Coordinator for Waverly Estate! With its charming historic buildings and 200-year-old sycamore tree, this venue/bed and breakfast in Lunenburg, Virginia is a must-see! Owned and operated by Sarah and her husband, they strive to treat all their couple’s like family!
What makes you or your business stand out and why should a couple hire you?
Waverly Estate offers a full weekend venue rental that allows the couple to relax and enjoy everything the weekend has to offer. I always say it’s like a destination wedding that is a whole lot easier for your guests to attend! Having the full weekend allows for much more time to set up, spend time with your family and friends, and RELAX on the day of the wedding. It allows for a much less stressful wedding and really slows down the pace of the weekend.
What’s a weird/unusual tip you tell your couples?
This may not be too weird or unusual but one thing that I always suggest to our couples is to not only set aside time after the ceremony for couples pictures but to set aside time AWAY from all of your wedding guests and wedding party. I usually tell our couples to escape to our historic chapel or into the estate house for pictures with just the photographer. One thing many people don’t realize is that on your wedding day, there is little to no time that you and your brand new Husband or Wife are alone to enjoy each other and to celebrate being married with just one another and nobody else around to snap pictures of you, come up and congratulate you, hug you, etc. Step away from the crowd for just a little bit to spend time with one another and then head to the reception to celebrate with all of your friends and family because the next time you will be alone together is when the reception is completely over!
What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
I absolutely love meeting new couples and learning about their love story; where they met, how long they have been dating, their proposal story, etc. Being able to work with people for sometimes over a year and then being a part of their big day really creates the perfect recipe for a lasting friendship. We love being able to see our couples’ wedding dreams come to life on their wedding day and are always sad to see it all come to an end.
How did you get to where you are now?
I actually wrote a blog on these questions because I get asked all the time, “Was this family property,” “Was this property passed down to you,” “Oh!, YOU are the owner?!” Yes, we are young and very blessed but we also have put our heart and soul into this property to make it exactly what we have envisioned and to make it the perfect place for our couples to spend their wedding weekend. We took a huge leap of faith and haven’t thought twice about our decision. Everything fell into place so perfectly for us that we feel this was meant to be. We get asked all of the time, HOW did you do all of this at your age. Well, a whole lot of heart, hard work, and dedication went into it. You have to LOVE what you do to be successful and I think that is true in every aspect of your life. If you don’t love it, it’s not worth it!
What’s something every couple should know before getting married?
When people tell you that your wedding will fly by, they are not kidding! That’s why it is so important not to sweat the small stuff and to really try to be present in the moment and leave the details on the day of up to someone else. You deserve to embrace every single second of the day!
What’s your go-to spot to eat in RVA?
I feel like I should say something that is local and unique to RVA but if it is a special occasion, I love to go to the Melting Pot. Especially when they have unlimited cheese and chocolate. I mean….unlimited cheese and chocolate, how can you go wrong?!
What did you want to be when you were little?
A dolphin trainer! For as long as I can remember that’s what I really thought I would be when I grew up. That changed pretty quickly when the reality of it set in but still to this day I adore dolphins, I would just much rather see them in the wild.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
We had bed and breakfast guests staying with us last night so this morning’s breakfast was not the norm, but I always make enough for my husband and me to eat too, so we had a full meal with a parfait, casserole (I won’t give away our secret recipe!), and some bacon breakfast bites!
What do you like to do when you’re away from work? Where is your happy place?
If I don’t have anything going on for work you can find me in the mountains camping and hiking. If we get even a day or two in a row off we are typically getting in the car and heading to Charlottesville. It’s our happy place and can really give us some much-needed relaxation. We absolutely love traveling and have tried to take out of the country trip once a year to explore new cultures, authentic foods, and new scenery.
What is your newest TV obsession?
It’s not on Netflix, but recently I have been spending way too much time on Hulu watching Outlander! Absolutely addicted! Oh…and the Bachelor. I am a Bachelor(ette) loyalty member and it will always be my guilty pleasure.
Learn more about Sarah and the rest of the team at Waverly Estate on their website. Other Blog Photos: Courtesy of Waverly Estate. Featured Photo: Courtesy of Verlee Bishop Weddings.