Download the full transcript PDF.

[00:00:22] Wendy: Hi guys, this is Wendy, and I am here with Kylan Pimley and Stacey Rase, and I’m so excited to talk wedding group hosting. So we’re talking bridal parties getting ready, family of the wedding. Who else? I don’t know. We’ll let them talk about it. Okay, so Kylan, can you give us a little background about your hosting and where you’re at?

[00:00:47] Kylan: Sure. I am in Washington State. We’re in the Columbia River Gorge. And we have two properties that are very close to wedding venues. And the Columbia River Gorge is a wedding venue destination area. It’s very beautiful. And we have a large house that sleeps 13, and that’s generally where the bridal parties come and families of the bride or families of the groom.

[00:01:18] And then our second property sleeps two, and we get a lot of wedding guests just in town for the wedding. And most likely they are attending the wedding that is staying at the other property.

[00:01:34] Wendy: Right. And Stacey, tell me about where you are located and what properties you have.

[00:01:39] Stacey: So first of all, we got to address this. Kylan and I don’t do this every day, but thought it would be fun for today. Happy, happy to be here. I’m located down in Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans, a city called Covington, which is called the North Shore of New Orleans. We’re about a 45-minute drive from New Orleans, but it’s more suburban area.

[00:02:05] And incidentally, before we started this, I didn’t quite realize that we really are a destination spot for people in South Louisiana to get hitched. So I have two separate properties here in Covington. My first is in our downtown Covington area, right in the heart of downtown, within walking distance of wedding venues and other micro hotel that’s really cute. 

[00:02:31] So we get a lot of people in the downtown area that want to come in for weddings. It’s called The Lacroix. It sleeps up to 15. And then I have Sleepy Lagoon, the properties of Sleepy Lagoon, which is where I’m sitting right now. We have three homes. I live in one home, and I short-term rent the other two.

[00:02:50] They sleep up to 14. So we’ve become known as the bridal party wedding weekend place for brides and their bridesmaids, even grooms and their groomsmen to get ready the day of the wedding. Or sometimes they’ll check in on Friday and stay till Sunday. So it all varies.

[00:03:12] But we also do a lot of things revolving around weddings. So we do a lot of showers, engagement parties, proposals. Sleepy Lagoons are on 18 acres, and it’s very well-manicured. It’s park-like, so there’s a lot of different photo opportunities and things to do out here wedding wise. It’s a one stop shop for a lot of different-things.

[00:03:36] Wendy: So you’re a little bit busy, is what you’re saying.

[00:03:38] Stacey: A little busy.

[00:03:40] Wendy: If you guys can’t see them because you’re listening to this, they totally punked me and are wearing veils. And I know the both of them from HBMM. So they are both members. And so thanks, guys. It does dress this show up a little bit for sure with your veils. I did want to talk about how you got into the wedding group business. Did you look for that kind of property? Did you know that’s the guest avatar you were going to be that would be gravitating towards your properties? Oh, Kyle, why don’t you–

[00:04:17] Stacey: I’ll go.

[00:04:18] Wendy: Okay, go ahead.

[00:04:18] Stacey: I told this story so many times. Yeah, absolutely not. I did not. I bought my first STR from someone that was already renting it out. And one of her main pieces of advice to me was whatever you do, don’t host brides. Okay, okay. This was five years ago, and I didn’t for about a year. I also didn’t have very many requests for it, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. 

[00:04:44] But then along comes a really good friend of mine– shout-out to Melissa– who begged me. She wanted her son and the groomsmen to get ready there because it was close in downtown, blah, blah, blah. I said, okay, this one time, I’ll let it happen. Let’s see how it goes. 

[00:05:03] They were fantastic. Maybe it helped that they were family friends, but they were just incredible. And the photography that came out of it that she shared with me and then I posted was just a trickle-down effect. I also have to say I have four kids that are all in their 20s. Two have gotten married in the past two years, so they’re all in that phase where they know tons of people that are getting married. And so I get a lot of referrals. So that’s how my journey began.

[00:05:38] Wendy: And Kylan, what about your property? Either one, did you know that that’s the kind of guest you’re going to get?

[00:05:46] Kylan: I didn’t know what would be to the magnitude that it is. I knew that the properties were near a very large wedding venue, and we would get wedding guests occasionally, but I didn’t realize that. At this point, the majority of our reservations during wedding season are wedding parties or families of the groom, families of the bride, the bridal parties themselves.

[00:06:08] I assumed that since we were so close to the wedding venue, that we would get wedding guests. I just didn’t realize how much this would be, how often I would be interacting with brides. Yes. 

[00:06:23] Wendy: Right. And you know what, Stacey, you said something I hadn’t thought about, is that weddings are the event where the cameras come out professionally and unprofessionally, but I bet you have so much content. Do you get those photos from the photographer themselves or the brides?

[00:06:46] Stacey: Usually, it’s from the family. I have partnered with photographers to actually bring them in to stage things. And I have an uncle who is actually a wedding photographer, so that helps. So he’s fine with sharing things with me if they happen at my properties. It’s interesting. 

[00:07:08] So I put up QR codes in my spaces and encourage the bridal party and the guests, the moms, the dads– the maid of honor, I ask her to be my point of contact so that I don’t have to other the mom or the mother of bride. So sometimes I’ll get some sneak peek stuff, but you have to be real careful. 

[00:07:29] So you don’t want to be the one that posts something about Susie Q’s wedding before she does, or she might not “approve” that image. So yeah, it’s a little back and forth-ish, but if the bride or the mother of the bride sends me something and says, hey, it’s cool to post, then I do.

[00:07:49] Wendy: That’s cool. So Kylan, do you have people getting ready for their weddings and the photographers in there while brides getting dressed before the wedding moment, when they’re all getting ready? Do you get those photos? Do you ever see those after?

[00:08:09] Kylan: I have not seen one, and I think that they’re pretty. They’ve been pretty sacred to those, that family. And so I’ve asked, and I ask once, and if I don’t hear back, then I don’t ask again. We generally don’t have. We just have hair and makeup artists come in. We haven’t had an actual photographer come in. 

[00:08:40] Since we’re not a wedding venue, we’re not really set up for it at the big house, we asked for all the vendors contact information so that we know who’s coming on and also who I could potentially partner with as well and create relationships within the community. But I have not seen a photo. I would love to see a photo of getting ready in our properties.

[00:09:05] Wendy: I know. I bet it would be so pretty.

[00:09:07] Stacey: Yeah. I have a unique opportunity too. Like I said, a lot of these are referrals. I also was a cheerleading coach for almost 20 years, so a lot of the girls that I’ve coached are now getting married, so I have really close ties with a lot of these brides. And as I said, I also live on the properties at Sleepy Lagoon, so sometimes I’ll hop over.

[00:09:30] I’ll take my own footage, and I tell them I won’t post it until they approve it, but then I store it for two months until they get their shots. And then I get approval and post it. And so it’s never the day of, ooh, look, here’s what’s happening– 

[00:09:45] Wendy: Yeah, behind the scenes.

[00:09:46] Stacey: At the bridal. No, none of that.

[00:09:50] Wendy: One thing I wanted to know is if you guys have done anything physically to the property to cater to this specific guest. There’s going to be people coming in that aren’t necessarily staying there. If the bridal party’s coming, they’re not staying there. Is there anything physically that you’ve done to set them up for that?

[00:10:13] Kylan: We put a lot more mirrors in the property, a lot more mirrors, so full length mirrors in all the bedrooms. And we also put those close up mirrors in all the bathrooms. We provide q-tips, makeup wipes, extra makeup towels, bobby pins, that kind of stuff.

[00:10:40] Wendy: That’s a good idea.

[00:10:40] Kylan: That seems to be a win. Yeah, they love that.

[00:10:44] Stacey: All those things, and you probably have these two, Kylan, a hanging rack for the bridesmaid’s dresses, a professional steamer. I’ve got mimosa bars. It’s not an extra charge, but they can use and set it up however they want for mimosas, or Bloody Marys, or whatnot. Yeah, little stations for hair and makeup. I have a room upstairs in the large home at Sleepy Lagoon, and my next project is to do one of those rooms where it’s the actual makeup bar with the– yeah.

[00:11:17] Wendy: It’s a glam room. 

[00:11:18] Stacey: With lights. A glam room. Yeah. 

[00:11:21] Wendy: Don’t tell anybody, but I want to have a house with a glam room. 

[00:11:25] Stacey: Yeah, just for you. Why not?

[00:11:28] Wendy: Not for me. In one of my houses for a guest to use.

[00:11:32] Stacey: I would like one just for me.

[00:11:35] Wendy: Totally would be fun.

[00:11:37] Stacey: Yeah.

[00:11:38] Wendy: Okay. So is there anything above just hosting the guests? Do you do concierge? Do you do any other services for the guests while they’re there for the wedding guests?

[00:11:53] Stacey: Yeah. I’ll start if you want. And I’m pretty sure Kylan and I both do this. As soon as there’s a booking, I send out a Google form that asks specifics, just name of the mom, name of the mother-in-law, the groom, maybe maid of honor, if they know that yet, and bridal party size, if they know that yet.

[00:12:15] And when I get that, I also send them a preferred vendors list because over the years, I’ve gotten really close with a lot of great vendors that know my properties, and I trust, and I know they’re insured, and blah, blah, blah. So I send that as well as a list of concierge services for them to be thinking about while they’re planning. They could also, obviously, host a shower here, or an engagement party here, so those kinds of things.

[00:12:46] But as it pertains to the day of the wedding, we offer someone that comes in be the day of contact on site at the premises that will help keep the food warm if they’re serving a brunch and will pick up if they have a lot of bridal parties that come, get ready, go to the wedding and reception, and then we’ll come back and spend the night. 

[00:13:15] So she will do her Mary Poppins and make sure everything is tidied up, everything is hung, and beds turned down, a turndown service, but with a little more oomph. And sometimes even set out an after-rehearsal setup of late night food. So it can be all encompassing. 

[00:13:38] I think this is really special for Sleepy Lagoon. We cater a lot to grooms and groomsmen for the day of because we have 18 acres, and we have stocked lagoons and ponds that they can fish. They can barbecue. We can set up a crawfish boil. We’ve got games for them, outside games to play, corn hole. We back up to the river, so there’s a sandy beach. They can go hang out down there. 

[00:14:06] One groomsman and his guys actually did ski shooting at the back of the property and shot skiing. The opportunities are really endless at Sleepy Lagoon because it’s so much bigger. We don’t have neighbors, so it’s endless and fun.

[00:14:24] Wendy: That sounds pretty fun.

[00:14:25] Stacey: Yeah.

[00:14:26] Wendy: So Kylan, do you offer any concierge service at this point?

[00:14:30] Kylan: We have to be a little careful with concierge services as far as allowing rehearsal dinners or extra guests to the property. We are located in a national scenic area, and so that restricts us a little bit, but we do offer services like fill the fridge. If you know they’re coming and they don’t want to worry about groceries or just the basics, we do fill the fridge for them.

[00:15:01] We also do the turndown service. So that time when everybody’s running around getting ready and then they leave for the wedding, that time between leaving for the wedding and coming back from the wedding, doing the dishes, wiping down the counters, just doing the Mary Poppins, as Stacy put it. I think guests really appreciate that because it’s like the whirlwind never happened, and they can come back and have a relaxing evening after the reception. 

[00:15:27] Wendy: That’s so nice.

[00:15:28] Stacey: As a two-time mother of the bride, that is most appreciated, to come back– 

[00:15:32] Kylan: It is. 

[00:15:32] Stacey: And not have to clean up a mess. Yeah.

[00:15:35] Wendy: Yeah. Because you’re going to be the one that’s doing it.

[00:15:38] Stacey: Exactly. 

[00:15:41] Kylan: Yes.

[00:15:41] Wendy: Yeah. This all sounds lovely, but what are the downsides? What’s the bad stuff that happens?

[00:15:49] Stacey: I know I am so lucky, so I’m going to let Kylan take the lead on this. I think I had one complaint, and it was at The Lacroix in my downtown because we have a back deck that backs up to an actual resident that lives downtown. And it’s right by her bedroom window, so I had to tell them to hush it or else. Other than that, it’s just bobby pins everywhere. There’s nothing that’s been horrible for me, but you’re on Kylan

[00:16:19] Kylan: You’re so lucky. It’s very tricky because, Stacey, I think you have a property that is just so lovely and such a special place for brides.

[00:16:39] Wendy: And she’s also on site or nearby.

[00:16:42] Stacey: For one of them. Yes. And I’m five minutes away from the other. 

[00:16:45] Kylan: Yes, yes. And I’m not able to be on site. And our property’s larger. It’s three acres. And so we have the same fun environment like lawn games, and we have the hot tub, and we have a fire pit, and we have trails, and it’s private, but it’s also in a residential area. So the downsides, the most common is not the guests that booked the reservation, but another guest staying with that person says, hey, let’s all go to Underwood Hideaway after the reception, and we’ll all hang out. And then 30 people show up. 

[00:17:29] Stacey: Sounds innocent enough. 

[00:17:30] Kylan: I know. And I’ve learned to look at it in a positive way that I feel very thankful that they like and love the property enough to invite their family and friends over. However, when judgment is impaired and 30 extra people are on the property, it goes sideways really quickly. And so unfortunately, I’ve had to be the bad cop a lot. And basically, just with the extra people and the noise because I’m very protective of our neighbors and our community in that way. And I don’t want to get the bad name of having a short-term rental in–

[00:18:14] Wendy: I think your place is remote though, right? There’s not a lot of places– 

[00:18:19] Kylan: It’s a rural area.

[00:18:20] Wendy: To go up there. 

[00:18:21] Kylan: No. The location is on the Washington side of the gorge. It’s on Underwood Mountain, and the venue is near the top of Underwood Mountain. It’s a view of Mount Hood. It’s absolutely beautiful. They have weddings during the week. They are so busy. It’s just gorgeous. And we’re two miles away down the mountain, from that venue. So we’re the stop on the way to all the hotels.

[00:18:53] Wendy: Mm-hmm.

[00:18:54] Kylan: So it’s very easy to– 

[00:18:58] Stacey: Veer on in. Yeah. 

[00:19:00] Kylan: Yeah. And again, I love that our guests want to bring their families back to celebrate. It’s a life occasion, and it’s a huge, huge event. I’ll just give an example. So we had two guests a go. So two weeks ago, we had a guest rent the property.

[00:19:26] Her niece was getting married. So it was her brother’s daughter. So the father of the bride was staying at the property, but he wasn’t the one on the reservation. And then there were some cousins that were staying at the property as well. And 10:15 at night, the noise aware alarm went off. 

[00:19:55] It’s a decibel reader essentially, and it was highest I’ve ever seen it. And that’s the device that’s inside the property. And when that happens, I checked the security cameras in the front to make sure that everything’s okay. And there were lights. There was blaring music. It was full-on. So I had to tell the guests that they needed to close it down. And as you can imagine, it’s just a horrible position to have to be in to say, you guys can’t do that.

[00:20:37] Wendy: Yeah. Especially on the wedding day or weeding weekend.

[00:20:40] Kylan: Especially on wedding day. 

[00:20:42] Stacey: Yeah, to be the Debbie Downer. Yeah.

[00:20:43] Wendy: AD MARKER

[00:20:44] Weddings are not our main guests, but we do have people that are in town for weddings. And now I know right away to say upfront, I’m sorry, I know that you’re going to be around a lot of friends and family that you probably haven’t seen in a while. You’re going to want to turn up. It can’t be at our house. Only the people that are registered can come back to the house. 

[00:21:10] And we’ve even had situations where it was very tame. There were 11 cars at a house that can only really accommodate four. And even though it was not loud, the neighbors started to freak out. Like, I think a party’s happening, and it was really just family getting together. And I had to be that bad guy to go over there and shut it down because you can’t piss off the neighbors.

[00:21:37] But yeah, especially after people have been drinking and they haven’t seen these people in a while, they’re having a good time. Everybody wants to go back. And it happens for weddings. It happens for sporting events, people in town for baseball, the kids’ baseball tournament, or whatever. So it’s like something you have to point out in the beginning.

[00:22:01] Kylan: And it’s hard because, for our property, it’s not a very black and white policy because I don’t mind if grandma and grandpa want to come over, few extra people with a conversation of the understanding of our house rules. Absolutely, they are welcome to come over.

[00:22:25] But then when everybody comes over, it’s hard because– not all of our wedding guests are bad, obviously. We have a lot of guests that ask ahead of time. And depending on the situation, if it’s reasonable and I think they’ll leave a positive impact on our community, I really don’t care.

[00:22:49] Stacey: Yeah, my bridal parties ask in advance. And sometimes it makes sense to say yes. I have to keep in mind what time of year it is, which property at Sleepy Lagoon. It’s normally not a problem. The only thing that I worry about is liability, guests that aren’t staying here overnight and leaving my property.

[00:23:12] It’s not going to stop the extra guests after the reception, but one thing is a tip that I’ve found is, like you said earlier on this topic, just because Aunt Susan is the one that rented it, signed the rental contract, signed the house rule agreement, doesn’t mean everyone coming across that threshold knows those rules.

[00:23:38] So on wedding weekends, I have, or it says, easy peasy wedding gathering rules, and it just has little bullet points of the main things that they need to know that the person on the contract signed to agree to these rules, and I laminate them and put them on every bed, every bathroom countertop.

[00:24:00] Wendy: Oh.

[00:24:03] Stacey: They can’t be missed. It’s like, oh, there’s another one. They know, oh, no glitter, no confetti. Got it. No vaping. Okay. 

[00:24:13] Kylan: I got that tip from you. I do exact same thing. Yes.

[00:24:17] Stacey: Whether or not they choose abide by them, but at least it’s not the mom having to go, no, Joey, you can’t do that. I signed a contract. It’s me being heavy in a nice, easy way. So tip for people out there that are considering.

[00:24:35] Wendy: I love that.

[00:24:36] Kylan: Yeah, that’s a very good tip.

[00:24:37] Wendy: Have you done that, Kylan?

[00:24:39] Kylan: Yes, yes.

[00:24:42] Wendy: I think it’s so good when you can head off the problems that you may have from the beginning. 

[00:24:48] Stacey: Yeah. And I’ll even say things at The Lacroix. Guys, I know the back deck is the best hangout spot in this home, and it’s fun, and it fits everyone. Our quiet hours are 10:00PM. After 10:00 PM, take it on inside because guess what guys, I will lose my license. I put that out there. I’m not trying to be mean. This is just my business, my livelihood, help me help you. Let’s get this out there. 

[00:25:18] Kylan: Take it inside, but also shut the windows.

[00:25:20] Stacey: Also shut the windows, shut the doors. Be quiet when go back out to that igloo outside for your beer. Yeah, just keep it up.

[00:25:29] Wendy: This is a topic for an entire other episode of just signage. There could be a whole episode on signage because you want to put reminders and plings in places where it makes sense so that they can understand the rules, what’s expected, and know how to operate something. But you also don’t want to make it– 

[00:25:52] Stacey: Everywhere. 

[00:25:53] Wendy: Yeah. Stop doing everything. So yeah, that’s just such a good tip, to put it on the beds. I never thought of that. Good idea. Okay. Other thing I want to pick your brains about is partnerships and marketing yourself with the nearby businesses because I know you both do that. Tell me about the different partnerships and people that you have reached out to nearby that have helped lock yourselves in as the place to rent. 

[00:26:27] Stacey: You want me to go?

[00:26:28] Kylan: You go first. 

[00:26:29] Stacey: Yeah. As I said, I had two daughters get married, and I didn’t say this, but within five months of each other. Thank you, girls. So I was in wedding la la land for a really long time, as well as also hosting bridal parties. So I got to know a lot of the vendors personally and professionally in all the ways.

[00:26:54] So I made so many connections. The shop where it’s the nicest bridal shop, I’ll say that they’re my favorite because they promote me all the time. They’re called I Do, and both of my daughters found their wedding dresses there. So I started this relationship with the owner there, and now, every bride that walks out their door with their little bag, with all their fun stuff has my brochure in it. 

[00:27:21] And that’s been amazing, the best referrals in the world because it’s a higher end dress shop, and the girls call me sometimes two years out and say, in fact, I just booked to 2025 wedding today. So I would think that’s my hottest tip, is yes, get in with those wedding vendors and form those relationships. 

[00:27:47] I don’t necessarily get kickbacks for a referral fee, but I just have really good working relationships with vendors, a caterer that I absolutely love that knows– we have a commercial grade kitchen here at Sleepy Lagoon. Not every person knows how to use those appliances.

[00:28:09] I love when he’s the caterer because he knows the quirks, he knows the things. So it’s just a little more peace of mind to make those connections and have those people again and again in your spaces. You trust them. Anyway, that’s a biggie for me.

[00:28:25] Wendy: Right. Yeah. And so I know that you do this, Stacey. But Kylan, you work with the wedding venue down the street. Have you reached out to them? 

[00:28:35] Kylan: We have talked on Instagram. The guests that come to me aren’t looking for a wedding venue. They’ve already chosen it, and it’s usually them. So I think it’s more a one-way. They’re sending their guests to our listing. I usually have partnerships with the hair and makeup artists because they’re the ones coming into the house. 

[00:29:04] And so I get asked a lot, do you recommend anybody? And so I have a girl that I continuously promote. Yes. But it’s interesting because our booking window is about 60 to 90 days. So by the time they find our property, their wedding is planned.

[00:29:24] Stacey: Oh, wow.

[00:29:25] Kylan: So it’s basically just wrapping up the details. And I have connections. I’m not asked very often for those connections.

[00:29:35] Wendy: Mm-hmm.

[00:29:36] Stacey: And I’m just the opposite. I feel like I get in with them at the very beginning. Sometimes even I’ll get contacted for the spot for the proposal, and then it comes full circle, which is really cool.

[00:29:48] Kylan: I think you’re a different part of the process. You’re one of the first steps in planning a wedding because you’re where you’re getting ready, where you’re getting married, and I’m where the extended family is going to stay. But, oh wait, this property is so beautiful. Maybe we could have a brunch here. We’re on the last minute, can we have a brunch for two people? 

[00:30:10] Wendy: That’s a totally different booking window too, right?

[00:30:16] Kylan: It’s a very different booking window. Yes. 

[00:30:18] Wendy: The family is scrambling to tighten up those details where the bride’s already done this a year in advance.

[00:30:26] Kylan: Right. 

[00:30:27] Wendy: Didn’t even think of that.

[00:30:28] Stacey: Yeah. And I’ll say this to my booking window on the OTAs. I’m on Airbnb and Vrbo. It’s a 12-month out for all of my listings. However, I would say maybe 10% of my bridal contacts come from the OTAs. It is normally word of mouth in our community. I have direct booking sites.

[00:30:55] I don’t do instant book. I never have, because I do specialize in this kind of thing. So I want to make sure that we’re the right fit for them. I gave a tour to a bride yesterday, who I can’t believe I’m doing it. I think I told you guys I’m considering it. Guess what? It’s done. I am hosting a 70-ish person wedding reception out here in November. So taking that next step, and that has brought along a lot of different things that I’ve never done before, haven’t thought about, but I did a lot of research before considering, and I’m going to do it. 

[00:31:33] Kylan: I have no doubt. I have no doubt that you [Inaudible].

[00:31:39] Stacey: Say some prayers.

[00:31:40] Kylan: Oh, man. That’s so exciting.

[00:31:41] Wendy: We hosted one wedding, and it happened to be for our pool tech, and he said, it’s going to be about 50. I should not be talking to the groom. I should have been talking to the bride because the day before, I find out it’s going to be more like a 100. And I was like, this is a regular house in a regular neighborhood.

[00:32:00] So it worked out, but definitely keep an eye on those numbers, if there’s anything I’ve learned from the one wedding that we had at our place. Wow. That’s going to be fun. I think you’ll learn whether you it again or not.

[00:32:18] Stacey: Right.

[00:32:19] Wendy: How far out is that wedding?

[00:32:21] Stacey: November 11th. He’s a veteran getting married on Veterans Day. Isn’t that sweet?

[00:32:26] Wendy: In 2024 or2023?

[00:32:29] Stacey: This year.

[00:32:30] Wendy: Okay. You’re going to learn quick.

[00:32:33] Stacey: Yes. 

[00:32:34] 

[00:32:34] Wendy: That’s cool because even before we started this, I know I really did not grasp that you guys have two different wedding– you’re obviously in different parts of the world the country but two different wedding groups that you’re even catering to. And there’s so many because we have bachelorette parties, the bridal party getting ready, the family of that are coming to the wedding, or friends.

[00:33:02] There’s so many parts of this wedding industry that somebody could host. And I think it’s such a great idea to just niche down into that and just be the best at that. And it seems like you guys have both done really well at that. Do you think that you would do it again? Would you buy another property and repeat?

[00:33:21] Stacey: Oh. 

[00:33:22] Kylan: I don’t have a choice. We have so many wedding venues around us. It would be hosting cannibalism. It would not work. In fact, we’re setting up another one right now in the gorge, and it is four or five miles from another wedding venue.

[00:33:46] Stacey: Wow.

[00:33:47] Kylan: It’s going to be the same thing. So I’m just going to channel what I’ve learned and apply that to this new property as well.

[00:33:56] Wendy: Are you going to apply anything different? 

[00:33:58] Kylan: Yeah, do it again.

[00:33:59] Wendy: Are you going to do anything different with this one that you didn’t do with your own property?

[00:34:04] Kylan: Yes. The neighbors. A few reasons. The neighbors are closer at this new property. There’s also a creek. So there’s a little bit of a liability with a creek. And it sleeps eight instead of 13, so it’s a little bit less. But it’s on acreage. It has a huge deck. It has a detached private garage game room. It’ll be really great. 

[00:34:33] Wendy: That will be fun.

[00:34:35] Kylan: And again, you guys know it’s an honor when guests want to bring their guests, their family to our properties.

[00:34:43] Wendy: I know. It feels like such a bummer I to be that person that’s like, sorry, no, your friends can’t come. I’ve even been on a trip with my husband, and he plays water polo, and they’re like, everybody’s going back to this Vrbo. Do you want to go with them? I’m like, I cannot break that rule. Does the host know this? 

[00:35:02] Stacey: I can do that.

[00:35:04] Wendy: There’s no way. I can’t be that person because I get mad at people like that. I understand.

[00:35:09] Stacey: Yeah, STR host honor system.

[00:35:11] Wendy: Right? I know. 

[00:35:12] Stacey: That would be against my morals. 

[00:35:13] Wendy: And you’re not going either. Sorry. 

[00:35:14] Kylan: It’s breaking the code.

[00:35:16] Stacey: Right, right.

[00:35:18] Wendy: Is there anything else you guys want to share about the wedding groups that we haven’t talked about?

[00:35:25] Stacey: Along that same vein, I think just because I do get to know these families in the planning process a little while longer, that may be why, Kylan, I have a little bit of an advantage on your– because in your situation, they don’t know you. You’re a faceless– you’ve got a name and whatever. You’re the own homeowner and host. But to me, I’m Miss Stacey. The bride and groom, they–

[00:35:56] Kylan: Right. You’re also in the South.

[00:35:58] Stacey: I’m welcoming, but also, I set the boundaries and let them know. So one thing we didn’t talk about, when people ask me, how do I know if I’d be good at this? I’m like, first of all, do you like working with people and communicating? Because this is not a one-time thanks for the check-in info, and have a good time. 

[00:36:26] There’s just so much communication that has to go on, which is great. But are you that type of person? Are you willing to give tours? Because people aren’t going to shell out thousands of dollars for a space when they really haven’t seen it yet? Is it right for my block bridal party? They don’t want to be, I guess, surprised when they get there. 

[00:36:49] And I understand that. They get this one shot at this perfect day. So are you willing to spend the time, and do that, and make that a connection? To me, that’s a number one. It does. Full disclosure, it takes way more time than just having a business traveler come in and out. It just does. 

[00:37:12] If you love hospitality, then it’s great. But you’re going to work your tail off. It’s not a set-it -and-forget-it type business. It’s a whole different ball of wax, and there’s different things to consider as far as insurance. I had to learn about what is event insurance on top of my short-term rental insurance. There’s just a lot more hoops. So it is more work, but I also know now that it’s a lot more lucrative than just your regular price that you can charge for a Saturday night in June.

[00:37:51] Wendy: And you’re booking– 

[00:37:52] Kylan: And wedding–

[00:37:53] Wendy: Sorry, I was just going to say you’re booking two years out, too. 

[00:37:56] Stacey: Yeah, yeah. So there’s considerations. I had to figure that out today with the 2025. I looked at that date in 2024, or that second weekend in whatever month, and compared it to that. In my neck of the woods, I have to be really careful about carnival season because you might think anywhere else, a wedding in late January is like, ugh, who would pick that.

[00:38:26] But down here, that might be one of my highest selling weekends because it’s a Mardi Gras weekend, and people coming in from out of town. So there’s a lot to consider when it’s a booking that’s 24 months away. So yeah, you just got to put your thinking cap on and do the best you can to price up for inflation, but also figure out what those exact dates will look like in that particular calendar year.

[00:38:52] Kylan: I have a funny story for you, Stacey.

[00:38:56] Stacey: Go for it.

[00:38:56] Kylan: So one of the things you and I talked about, it was a conference we went to, and you were like, just call your guests on the phone. Get a booking confirmation that comes in, pick up the phone, and give them a call. And I’m like, what?

[00:39:12] Wendy: Panic.

[00:39:15] Kylan: So I did. I’ve done that this year, three times. And all three times, it was extremely awkward. My guests had no idea why I was calling, and I was like, I’m just calling to welcome you to Underwood Hideaway. We’re so excited to host you. Just wondering if there’s anything specific you want me to know. No, we’re good. 

[00:39:37] Wendy: Totally different animals.

[00:39:43] Kylan: By the time they find our properties, they’re done. They just want a place to be. And it’s a very different–

[00:39:54] Stacey: I’ve gotten a sense over the years with which guests I should do that with. One thing that I do, and I know I’ve said this to you guys, and you think that I’m crazy, but every single booking I get, doesn’t matter what the guest is coming in for, I immediately log into my phone. Kylan Pimley, whether it’s Airbnb, Vrbo, Peerspace– I’m on that too– or just direct, how they booked, what space they’re in, what city they’re from, and what are their booking dates?

[00:40:31] So if Kylan Pimley calls me out of the blue, I can pick up the phone and say, well, hello, Kylan. How are you doing? I cannot wait to see you guys in August at the cottage. They’re like, how in the– what? Did she– yeah, it goes so far guys. And also guess what? When I started in this business, I got burned really bad.

[00:40:58] That’s a whole other story. Not this podcast, but go get the Hospitable hosts book and read my chapter, Chapter 20, about how I got hoodwinked. And all of a sudden, all of the hundreds of bookings that were promised to me for buying this already lucrative Airbnb, the account was turned off, and all those guests were, poof, in the air.

[00:41:25] So I’m also once bitten twice shy. I know if Airbnb or Vrbo ever says, hey, guess what? We just pulled your listing, for no reason, which they can, I have every single guest that has ever stayed with me, and I can contact them outside, off platform, and say, I’m still here, but next time here’s my website, which I do anyway. Yeah.

[00:41:52] Wendy: Do you ever send them– 

[00:41:53] Stacey: No, I don’t. I text them. I physically, personally text them after checkout. It’s a copy paste, but I changed all the names and whatnot. And here’s my website.

[00:42:07] Kylan: Has anybody replied opt out or no? 

[00:42:10] Stacey: Never, never. I do have some guests that, even though they know, normally, they’re business travelers, and they choose to continue to book on platform because they’re getting reimbursed from their company, and it just makes sense. They have an account, or blah, blah, blah. And I respect that. I have one guest that does that. She’s probably stayed 12, 15 times, but always on platform. That’s fine. She knows if she ever wants to come for a different reason, who to call.

[00:42:40] Wendy: Have you ever texted them or messaged them on their anniversary?

[00:42:45] Stacey: I don’t. I probably should. I’m not that big of a CRM machine, but I guess I’m just old-school. But I have had repeat guests that are brides that come back to stay for their anniversary, which is their first whatever. Yeah.

[00:43:02] Wendy: Oh, man.

[00:43:03] Kylan: I think it’s hard. You have text rules.

[00:43:06] Stacey: I would need an assistant for that.

[00:43:07] Kylan: Disclosures are very tricky too with sending texts. It’s crazy.

[00:43:13] Stacey: Yeah, could be. 

[00:43:14] Wendy: Yeah, but this is Miss Stacey.

[00:43:15] Kylan: It’s old-school, I think. Miss Stacey. Exactly, exactly.

[00:43:22] Wendy: You just text like, hey, I know your anniversary is coming up. Want to come back for–

[00:43:29] Stacey: That’s pretty cool.

[00:43:31] Wendy: I don’t know. An idea.

[00:43:32] Stacey: They’re like, she remembers me.

[00:43:35] Wendy: Oh, thank so much for coming on. You guys, could you tell everyone where they can find you and book with you?

[00:43:44] Stacey: Sure. You go first, Kylan. I always mess mine up.

[00:43:48] Kylan: You have to read it first. Our Instagram is @gogorgegetaways, and our direct book link is in the bio.

[00:43:59] Stacey: Okay, so I do have a one stop shop for finding all my information, my websites, my Instagram, Facebook, and stuff, but I have to look it up. So it’s a link tree. 

[00:44:11] Kylan: That’s what mine is.

[00:44:14] Stacey: Yeah, right. But I’m going to spell it out because I find it so weird. So it’s L-I-N K-T-R.E-E\rarefindrentals. So linktr.ee\rarefindrentals. That’s where you can find all my stuff.

[00:44:31] Wendy: That’s awesome. Listeners, go find them, go follow them on all the socials, wherever they’re at. Thank you, guys, so much for coming on, bringing your veils, and all the knowledge about wedding groups. And thanks, for joining us.