We passed the Crooked Willow property on the way to our family cabin for almost 14 years! The car was full of “ooo’s” and “ahh’s” as we would drive by on our way to the lake! As breathtaking as we thought the property was, never did we imagine it would be ours one day!
In the fall of 2017, I (Derek) was heading out the family cabin one day to do some maintenance work. As I drove by the Crooked Willow property (as we had so many times before) I noticed a ‘for sale’ sign stuck in the front yard. I was so excited and immediately sent the listing to Jody. She thought it was a joke and dismissed my message completely! But I couldn’t let it go. For days, I couldn’t get my mind off of the property. Both Jody and I were stressed out from our corporate jobs in the city. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was our chance to make a change for the better in our lives! So I presented the idea of turning Crooked Willow into a wedding venue to Jody. She was on board!
Not long after that, we toured the property and completely fell IN LOVE! We requested a private meeting with the previous owners in order to present our wedding venue idea to them! We were incredibly nervous; but when we arrived at the meeting, we quickly realized there was no reason to be nervous at all! The previous owners had wedding magazines spread all over the counter! We couldn’t believe it! They dreamed of seeing the property turned into a wedding venue! It was fate! We talked for hours that night, dreaming of all the beautiful weddings to come!
Stay tuned for PART 3
-Derek and Jody
Photo credit: Johnson Photo and Films