Guest Blogger | Heidi Curry of The William Allen Farm!

Good morning! We are so excited to feature one of our favorite people this morning on the Blog: Heidi Curry of William Allen Farm! Heidi and Al own the William Allen Farm in Pownal, Maine and are so passionate about sharing their beautiful property with couples to spend their wedding day 🙂 Read below to hear all of Heidi’s words of wise advice, their story, and how their venue can be a perfect fit for someone you know who may be popping the question or planning their big day soon!

“My name is Heidi Curry and my husband Al and I own the William Allen Farm in Pownal, Maine. Our 200 year old authentic New England style post and beam barn is just five miles inland from the beautiful coastal town of Freeport.

Our adventure began in the wedding business after we were married in our barn in September 2013. We had a small intimate wedding with just family and friends by our side. We spent the summer cleaning out the barn in anticipation of our big day. Although the barn has always structurally been in great shape, several generations’ worth of ‘stuff’ resided in the barn. We fill a 30 yard dumpster not once, but twice, with old cast off drum sets, canoe paddles, boxes of National Geographic magazines and anything else you can possibly imagine.

We found a new home for the lawn mower, tractor, four wheelers and a whole host of garden implements. Then we spent days with a push broom and shop vac getting rid of all the cob webs and hay chaff left behind from the previous 200 years.

I grew flowers all summer and placed the flower boxes up high on the beams, we brought in the farm tables and chairs and beautiful china and glassware. We had the most special day of our lives with our children and the friends and family we hold closest to our hearts. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

During our reception, many of our friends talked of the transformation of the barn. “It’s just beautiful!” they said. “You should do weddings here!” they said. “Really?” I replied.

Anyway, you know the rest of the story. We have been hosting weddings in our beautiful barn since 2014 and have made many improvements to the barn and property over the course of three years. We now boast indoor restroom facilities for the guests and a large bridal suite fit for the queen of the day and her court to get ready in. We built in a beautiful bar area in the barn under the hay loft. We also offer tons of on-site parking tucked away and out of site of the party, a thing the photographers just love. We enjoy watching our guests wander the sixty plus acres of fields and forest we have here at the farm.

The most wonderful part of our story is that Al and I have found our passion for this business. We just love what we do and feel so honored that our couples have chosen to spend the most important day of their life here with us in our little corner of the world. We have been blessed to meet such wonderful people and love it when we stay in touch even after the wedding.

I have learned so much and talked with so many people over the past three years. I love to spend time with each couple when they come to tour the barn and property. I am especially grateful when our couples bring their families with them for the tour. I am grateful when I see the families as well because one of the most difficult hurdles to get over when starting to plan your wedding is the budget. It is important to talk about what your budget is going to look like and who is able to contribute before you even send out your first email or place your first phone call inquiring about all the parts and pieces involved in a wedding.

Although the venue is a big piece of your budget, it is probably not the biggest. There are catering and bar service costs to consider. Here at the William Allen Farm, we are a blank slate venue meaning all of your tables, chairs, china, glassware, linens etc. will need to be brought in by a rental company. There are other expenses as well, from your photographer to flowers and invitations. It can seem a bit overwhelming at times but it doesn’t have to be. The most important thing you can do is to start by having the budget conversation and how much can be allocated to each cost.

Once that has happened, start sending out those emails and making those phone calls and enjoy the planning process. When you start gathering your information you will know what fits with your budget and what doesn’t. You can politely let the vendors that don’t fit with your budget know that you appreciate the information they have sent along but unfortunately the numbers don’t work for you and you can schedule appointments with the vendors that do work with your budget.

By working through the budget process BEFORE you begin the search for everything you will need for your wedding day, you can avoid the heartbreak and stress of finding something you may fall in love with but just realistically can’t afford. Everyone deserves a beautiful day but you shouldn’t have the added stress of not knowing how to pay for it. Just keep it all in perspective and enjoy all the steps you take along the way to get to your wedding day. It will be a day you carry in your heart for the rest of your life.”

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There you have it! Isn’t she great?! Not only does her & husband own a beautiful property, but she offers so much helpful advice when it comes to booking your venue. She’s 110% right about having the conversation and we are so excited that she provided this little word of wisdom 🙂 Thank you so much Heidi for being a guest on our Blog! Here are some images that we took at the William Allen Farm last summer! To view the entire Blog, CLICK HERE!