Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexis Willey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alexis, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
My husband and I were looking for a property to flip near a local university for staff housing. He found a different type of property with a unique, historical building on it going for sale at an auction. He showed the property to me and I fell in love with the beauty that shined through its cobwebs and vandalism resulting from being vacant for almost 3 decades. The building was too large to covert to a residence and with the existing layout/rooms, you could see the potential for an event venue.
We almost didn’t make it to the auction due to other events taking place that weekend, but my husband was able to attend after all. He ended up going head to head with a gentleman from Florida, whose intent was to tear down the building and sell the large timber frame beams for a large profit. We ended up winning the bid, and soon after we committed to a 15-month renovation process that resulted in a one-of-a-kind, versatile venue for local and destination-style couples alike to host one of the most important days of their lives together!
Initially, we booked purely local weddings/events as we were getting the word out. I will never forget one of our first brides who toured, went home to tell her family about this “new venue in the area” that was converted from an old lumber mill. She discovered that her grandfather actually worked at the mill back in its earlier days. When he returned to his old stomping grounds, this time for a very different but very special reason, it was truly a full-circle moment that continues to pull on our heart strings!
Bringing this piece of history back to life and introducing people from all over the country to our beautiful area has been a total blessing and completely amazing journey.
Alexis, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Neither my husband or myself ever had intentions of owning a wedding venue. It was an opportunity we stumbled upon and have taken it day by day to reach the level of involvement and success we are at now. We learned early on from vendor friend who had years of experience in the wedding business and took their recommendations to heart. Additionally, as we’ve navigated the learning curve, we have continuously re-invested back into the business to further improve, grow, and adapt our services for our couples and their needs. As we evolve, we grow to love this opportunity even more every day!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Word of mouth among the local community and among the regional community of wedding vendors. Making connections early on and forming not only relationships, but friendships, with helpful individuals is what created a successful pathway. Additionally, listening to our clients and learning from experiences to critique our services and policies has contributed a great deal to our consistently happy clients and guests.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Word of mouth and social media/internet leads.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theparkermill.com
- Instagram: @theparkermill
- Facebook: @theparkermill
Image Credits
Sheila Mraz Photography