Meet Amanda Peoples

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Peoples. 

Hi Amanda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started my career in the luxury customer service industry. My first job out of college was in the reservations department at The Umstead. I then moved on to working at Bailey’s Fine Jewelry. Both of these jobs would unknowingly set me up for running a wedding venue. I learned the importance of customer service and providing excellent client experience at a high level that I have taken with me as I started this business. After Bailey’s, I got a job working at Party Reflections. Here I was able to get my feet wet in the events industry. Working for a rental company showed me the behind-the-scenes logistics that goes into each and every event and how to ensure they run smoothly. 

Walnut Hill was simply our family getaway for years. My dad built what is now our main Estate House in 1990 and we would spend our summers here as kids swimming in the pond and running around the property. In 2018 my dad asked if I would help him if he built a venue. My husband and I had just had our first baby so a new business like this wasn’t something I was exactly planning, but I figured I could help a bit and that we would maybe book 15 weddings or so. Well, just a few years later and I now own the company and we do 75 weddings a year! I never saw myself as a business owner and I never expected that my little slice of heaven would become so special to so many people. 

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?
The wedding industry is never a smooth road. There is no class you can take on how to own a wedding venue and so much has to be learned on the job. Every day you are working on the most important day of someone’s life. With that, there is a lot of pressure and responsibility that I do not take lightly. We began hosting weddings in 2019 and it was a huge year of learning for me. I remember my husband saying to me at the beginning of 2020 “Aren’t you excited for this year? It will be so much easier for you now that you have learned so much.” And I was excited! It was going to be a great year and we had implemented new policies and staffing to help make every day run as smoothly as possible for our couples. Then we all know what happened, right? Covid! Our second year in business, a pandemic shut us down. Venues get very little help with staying open during this time and there was truly no way to pivot the business. Couples wanted guidance that was nearly impossible to give. It was an exceptionally hard year for me and our family. To top it all off we welcomed our baby girl in June of 2020 and 3 days before I went into labor, we had a major water leak in the estate house and the majority of first floor had to be gutted down to the studs! I remember replying to emails to our couples and calling contractors while I was in labor the hospital. And having zoom meetings to figure out events the day we checked out and got home. To say I was emotional during this time is an understatement. When I have a rough day now, I try to think back to that year. If I could make it through all of that with a newborn baby, then I can survive anything. I am so thankful for all of our couples that stuck with us through those hard times. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am truly proud of the venue that we have built and the businesswoman that I have grown into over the past few years. It is so easy to look at where someone is today and think that they have it all together and figured out, but that is often not the case. I never thought I would own a business or be someone’s boss. This venue was not a dream I had that I planned for years and then made into existence. In truth, it was dropped into the lap of a very tired new mother. I was unsure and scared and so so so very sleep-deprived. But I went on tours and met couples (sometimes with a baby in tow) and spent countless hours googling how to build a website and simply doing my best. That first year I was honest with my couples. I didn’t pretend to know all the answers or be an expert when I was still learning. I have grown right alongside Walnut Hill. I had my birthdays here growing up and then when it become a wedding venue we continued to grown together. I learned so much about myself as I continued to grow the property and I know that this journey has just begun. 

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Networking events can seem very overwhelming and a bit intimidating when you are new to the industry. Although they can be a great place to meet other vendors in the industry, don’t be afraid to email someone directly that you really want to connect with! See if you can grab lunch or a coffee or if they are going to any local events that you could meet up at. (Pro tip: don’t reach out for this during the busy busy season!) I love meeting new people but in October I barely have time to eat! 

And reach out to those that you may think are your “competition”. Some of my best friends in this industry are fellow wedding venue owners. We rely on each other for advice and a sympathetic ear when it’s been a rough week. No one will understand the struggles of the wedding industry like someone who is doing what you are doing! 

Pricing:

• weekdays $5,000
• Fridays and Sundays starting at $7,000
• Saturdays starting at $9,000

Contact Info:

• Website:www.walnuthillnc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walnuthillnc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walnuthillnc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@walnuthillnc 

Image Credits
Arika Jordan Photography
Fabiana Skubic
Lindley Battle