Sunflower Farms Venue
The song may not go, “over the Narrows and through the woods” but I can guarantee that route will take you to the prettiest venue on the peninsula. Sunflower Farms Venue the newest in rustic chic locations you’ll find here in the PNW.
Jake and I had the incredible opportunity to attend a styled shoot at Sunflower Farms Venue. While the venue hasn’t officially opened (their first official wedding is June 2022!), they did kick off the year in all the right ways. This family owned and operated venue takes a hands on approach with each client, providing a unique experience.
I love a good barn venue (especially one that caters to smaller intimate affairs) and I could go on and on. I also love a great vendor relationship and hearing directly from the people running the show. So, I emailed Madisen to get her answers to all our burning questions!
Sunflower Farms Event Venue Interview
1) What was it that made you decide you wanted to open Sunflower Farms Event Venue? Was this a long standing dream of yours, or a spontaneous meeting of opportunity and an idea?
– My Dad has always been in Parks and Recreation. First in Des Moines and then in Gig Harbor. His favorite part of that was always special events. Although construction and woodworking are a hobby of my Dad’s, it turned into a career, as he was a Project Manager of a large construction company before he took on the venue full time. On top of that, my Family has always been known as “the fam who throws the most fun parties.” Between loving to throw parties, loving special events, and being a very talented woodworker he really wanted to end up opening a venue. With all that being said, no one thought that this dream was in the near future by any means. My parents were looking to downsize and stumbled upon this property. Keep in mind, they were looking for a home, not a business venture. But when my Dad stepped foot out of the car he saw it all come together in his head and what you see today is almost exactly how he pictured it. They bought the property in December of 2018 and it has been such an exciting journey ever since!
2) I know we talked a bit at the shoot, but please remind me about the building and repurposing materials for the barn. You started the project during the shut down when wood prices skyrocketed.
– As far as the property itself goes, both buildings were existing, but they were trashed. They were both used as auto shops, but on top of that weren’t very well maintained. The property has a manufactured home on site, so the first thing my Dad did was gut and renovate the house. That way we could get renters in it while we were working on the venue portion. After finishing the house in June 2019, we were full steam ahead on the venue. 2020 was TOUGH for everyone, but for people needing lumber, it was very tough- hah! Lumber prices were insane and we simply couldn’t afford all that we needed. So we turned to Offer Up, Facebook Marketplace, and Craiglist. All of the sudden, my dad was a professional lumber thrifter. We bought wood from dilapidated barns, behind people’s sheds, anything you can think of! Although it dramatically increased our workload- it was absolutely worth it! Each board that is hung in the Barn was cut to size, planed, sanded, hung, and stained! Now that that building is completed, it is incredibly rewarding, but in the thick of it, it was exhausting.
3) A quick peek at your about page shows me it’s a family business! How do you like working with family?
– We are a family-owned and run business! It’s my Dad- Bill, Mom- Leslie, younger Sister- Abby, and myself! We all play different roles, but we absolutely love doing it together. We are a super tight knit family, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t experience our fair share of family disagreements!
4) What does the process for working with you at Sunflower Farms look like?
– If I understand the question correctly- it is pretty similar to that of all venues. Once we receive your inquiry, we will have you out for a tour. Once you have decided that we are a good fit, I will send you our contract. When I receive your signed contract, I will send out a link through Intuit Quickbooks as a way to pay your deposit! We require a 50% deposit in order to reserve your date and will bill for the second half (plus cleaning and damage deposit) 60 days prior to your event. From there, you are officially part of the Sunflower Farms Fam! We encourage our couples to continue to come out and check our progress, but do require one final two two months prior to your event. This way, we can nail down logistics, such as set up for your ceremony and reception. Set up and take down are included in our pricing, so we like to know exactly what our couples are expecting, so that when they walk on site the day of their event, everything is ready to go!
5) What’s your favorite part of weddings?
– I love that our society has made a point to celebrate love in a huge way. I absolutely love that society has a system that somewhat dedicates a season to celebrating your love, because it truly is incredibly special. I love even more that now I get to be a part of that over and over again with all different kinds of people! Specifically in a wedding, I LOVE to listen to couple’s personally written vows. There is something so special about being intentional in what you say to your person on the day you are joining your lives together!
6) This is the first year that Sunflower Farms is hosting weddings, correct? What are you most excited about?
– Although we have had a couple events, one being a wedding, this is our first official year! Our first event is June 10th and we have 27 events following that all the way through November 2023. I am somewhat mimicking what I said above, but I am so excited to be a small part of such a special occasion. I am so excited to be able to provide a personalized and seamless experience to every event we hold!
7) What’s the most important piece of advice you have when it comes to wedding planning?
– I think that I am biased, because I am on the venue side of it, but securing your venue before ANYTHING is so important. As you dive into the depths of planning, you will find that for every 10 florists there is 1 venue (hypothetically, of course). We have heard over and over again from our booked clients how many venue owners they came into contact with that were disengaged and ultimately uninterested. So with that being said, not only should you book your venue immediately, make sure it feels RIGHT. That it is a perfect fit for you, your partner, your family, and what you envision on your day. I think that once you find the perfect venue, the rest will (hopefully) fall together beautifully.
Bonus Question: How did you pick the name?
– As far as the name. Mine, my mom, and my sister’s favorite flower is the sunflower. Although we will not have a sunflower field, we will have a garden where we plant one white sunflower per couple that chooses to get married here. This will be located down below the terrace.
There is so much to love at this pretty peninsula venue! Be sure to check it out at the Seattle Wedding Show on February 19th + 20th (booth 2231). You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram and their website for more information!
