Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey Hogge.
Hi Stacey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Vista West Ranch is one of the first wedding venues in Dripping Springs. What was once our family garden has grown into what you see today. We started hosting weddings here very organically with friends and family in 1996 using our groom quarters, the bunkhouse, and our reception space. In 2006 we realized there was an emerging demand for couples who were wanting to celebrate their wedding receptions in barns. So we erected our own beautiful reception barn as an homage to a barn where our family grew up between Comfort and Fredericksburg. It was as essential then as it is now that we make Vista West Ranch feel like “home” and maintain a sense of family for every couple who gets married at our venue. Vista West Ranch has been published worldwide as one of the most beautiful places to get married, and even though we are the owners, we truly believe we’ve created something extremely special for our couples and feel incredibly fortunate to have been a small piece of so many new beginnings.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Every business experiences some hiccups and setbacks. As a small family run business, personal loss has been our biggest. We are a small but mighty team and what affects one affects all. My husband and I bought this property from my parents in 2013 – they were the matriarch and patriarch of Vista West Ranch, if you will. We took over and have continued to push VWR to be the nationally awarded venue that it is today. My father had a stroke in 2015 while he was working and building the bar in our second venue. He passed away a few days later in the hospital. We were extremely close. Time pretty much stopped for us, but the weddings didn’t. While inside, we were devastated, the outside conveyed something totally different because every one of our couples deserves to have your full attention and 100% from you on their wedding day. We have weddings every weekend. We also had a venue to finish for couples who were contracted at the new property.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Being an event design artist and home builder by trade and talent has been a strong asset to our success in this industry. With an eye for detail and the ability to create a location that exudes our style, we’ve captured a warm and welcoming – casual and comfortable location that is easy to add a custom look for any event. Our place appeals to brides of all walks of life and all styles, which in turn draws couples from around the globe. We are most known for our almost all inclusive package, which isn’t the complete easy button, but it’s very close and extremely helpful to our couples who are planning from overseas as well as local brides that are already living a busy life. Our small team is something that makes planning your wedding with us special. Our “everyone is family” mentality certainly sets us apart from larger type businesses. It’s not unusual to end a tour with open arms and big hugs… this is something we love and the VWR family has become quite large over the last 14 years. The magic of being a small part of families uniting at our place never goes away.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
It’s one thing to have the dream and another to make it happen. There is no easy button in this industry – patience and true grit are what you need to be successful. Owning an event venue requires that you pull up your bootstraps and become a Jack of all trades. You learn real quick to ensure success at one point or another. You’re going to get your hands dirty and lose a good amount of sleep. I’ve been property maintenance, gardening/lawn care, repairman, event coordinator, office administrator, accountant, marketing and sales. And that’s any given week. Profit isn’t just given. It’s earned, and it takes a couple of years to get there. Working in the world of weddings isn’t a get rich scheme. It’s the strongest of the strong survive.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@vistawestranch.com
- Website: www.vistawestranch.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vistawestranch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vistawestranch/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vistawestranch/
Image Credits
Personal Photo: Jona Christina Photography
Venue Photos: Diana Ascarrunz Photography
