The Prettiest Wedding Yet

We just raised the bar for weddings @ The Windmill. Since we opened in March of 06, we've had maybe 12 to 18 weddings out here. All of them have been pretty. All of them special. All of them perfect (and not so perfect) in their own special way. But the wedding we had out here last Saturday NIGHT for Kendall and Cade was hands down my favorite.
I think it's because they had it at night. The contrast between a jet black ski and tiny, bright twinkle lights always gets me. Plus, there was a chill in the air. It felt like winter and the families did a fantastic job.
Pardon me, but I gotta tell the story in chronological order. Otherwise, I'll get lost. First, all brides get access to WRP Friday @ 12pm before their big day. We do this for chaos control. Things will change. Decorations range from BIG to little. So, we always include plenty of time.
Usually, families want to get here @ sunrise on that Friday. But in this case, I bet the family didn't show up til 5:00pm. In fact, I took a nap waiting for them. But when they arrived, they were ready to go--no messin' around, if ya know what I mean.
We had a fun rehearsal Friday night with an absolutely INCREDIBLE spread prepared by the groom's dad, Tim Owen. I'd still want to know how he bbq'd his shrimp. All had a good time, me too.
By the next morning, it was full steam ahead by 9:00am. Kendall and Cade picked one of our arbors for the ceremony. We already had twinkle lights under each one, but the family added dried mesquite, spray painted white with twill over the altar.. In the daylight, it looked great, by night time... WOW!
The family said 100 would come and 100 came. We all huddled under the portable heaters, but from what I could tell--everything went off without a hitch. At one point, I looked up and said to myself: "I sure hope someone's getting a picture of this." Then at another point, the crowd gasped as a shooting star shot across the pitch black, starry night.
Thanks to Pastor Tommy (Colonial Hills Baptist), he had Kendall and Cade kissin' and I doin' pretty quick. It was pretty cold out there. So, I'm wouldn't say I saw people running for the heat of the pavilion, but put it this way: no one was slowing down to chit chat.
You know a lot of folks wanna have a big sit down meal for their reception. DON'T DO IT! It's a waste of money! We do our "Walking Hors' deourves". It's great. People can roam, visit, and gnosh til their full.
Once we had folks in our big pavilion, the waiters began cruising among the guests. The menu for Saturday started with: Baby New Potatoes stuffed with a cream cheese, bacon, chive mousse. Then, we served stuffed mushrooms with pecorino, romano cheese and finally prime rib or chicken kabobs withe marinated fresh veggies.
Sounds good, eh? Our chef is new. She's worth a million bucks, but don't tell her!
After the big eats, the crowd enjoyed incredible cakes made by the groom's sister, Whiteny Owen. I knew they were good after I tried 'em and then looked up and spotted one of our waiters off in corner stuffing his face like he had only one minute to eat til' he was full.
After that, the fun became a big party. Good music, good dancin' and good times. The families left this morning after a big ranch, continental breakfast and a lot of laughs.
So if you see them around town, you might wish Kendall and Cade Owen congratulations. And if you see the bride's family, Cindy and Jackson Brewster, or the groom's family, Tim and Trussia Owen, give 'em a pat on the back. They're great folks and we're all the better for getting too enjoy a few hours of their lives.
Good people. Good times. Thanks for letting us play along.
Bill Robertson
Mgr., Windmill Ranch Preserve
325.573.1200

Concerts, Weddings & Sandwiches

The three nouns in the title bar have very little in common except that right now I'm eating and sleeping all three, although only one noun is really edible.
Concerts: We just wrapped our last concert in the Live at The Windmill series. The idea when all this began in April was to give indy musicians a fun place to play and bring new acts to the area. The jury's still out on "Live's" success or failure b/c it's hard to make a judgement after only one season. We did have some fantastic acts. If you ever get a chance to see "The Hogg Maulies," "The Kim Townsend Group", "Glitter Rose," "Thomas Champagne," "Ruben V," "The Bruise Brothers," or "Andy McIntyre and the Primal Groove" don't miss 'em. Great stuff.
The shows started on Sunday afternoons in April on our main stage in the north pasture. But due to smaller audiences and extreme summer heat, we moved them to our pool stage and random Saturday nights. More than once I heard guests say while under a full moon and starry skies, "wow, this is great." I just wish more people had been wow'd. And every band said, "incredible." We'll see about next year. The bands are nice, but don't play for free.
Weddings: We've had many fun weddings out here and this upcoming weekend's event should be no exception. Kendall and Cade, November 15th under the arbors. This time it's a night wedding complete with twinkle lights under the arbors, spotlights on the windmill and a reception to rival them all. Many have asked me why I get so wound up for a wedding. My feelings are this: No one goes into a wedding expecting anything but success. So, I perceive this day as their most important day! Literally, it's the first day of their lives. We plan to standby by that motto this weekend even if the weather throws us a cold curve.
Sandwiches: I haven't ever written about much besides the ranch in my blogs, but times; they are a changin'. A new venture about to happen is The Big Apple Deli. It's our sandwich shop/beer & wine bar on the downtown square. We're slated to open December 8th. To say there are a million little details to handle before then is a GIANT understatement.
The Big Apple Deli is completely modeled after The Caterie in Baton Rouge. That's a deli/bar where I worked as a teen. I loved it then. I think I love it now. We'll see. By the way, our motto is: The food's okay, but the restrooms are great! Stop by, you'll see.
Anyway, that's what's going on in my life. None of it is the be all-end all. It's just what I do. So, if you're ever in this area in spring and summer please check to see if we're having a concert. If you're falling in love and want a fun place for a wedding, give me a call. And if your hungry and need a fun bathroom, stop by the deli.
Bill Robertson
Mgr., Windmill Ranch Preserve
Snyder, TX
325.573.1200