Ma Maison, Wedding Venue Stories.

Ma Maison Brings The Elegance of France To Lone Star State Weddings!

Ma Maison, Wedding Venue Stories. This gorgeous wedding venue sits on 23 acres in the beautiful Austin Texas Wine Country. Ma Maison is a luxury wedding and event venue that combines the warmth of home with breathtaking European-inspired elegance. Inspired by the owners French heritage, the 10,000-square foot property and immaculately designed outdoor sites provide an oasis of natural beauty and exemplary customer service in the spectacular Texas Hill Country.

Ma Maison was named the No. 1 wedding venue in Texas by Southern Living. I grew up in Texas and I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to have the opportunity to feature this incredible, award winning wedding venue in our Wedding Venue Stories blog. They say everything is bigger in Texas and that includes LOVE STORIES! I want to sincerely thank Karen Moise, Ma Maison owner, for granting us a glimpse into her wedding venue story. Our interview Q & A is below along with some stunning images of the lovely venue. At the bottom of the blog I have a “Rumor Has It” section inspired by Conor Eaves, the brilliant Sales Account Executive at Ma Maison. I chatted it up with her for a while and she is clearly a stand out wedding industry expert. You will find some bonus wedding information at the bottom of this blog graciously provide by Conor, trust me, you want to see it!

1. Karen, why did you decide to start a wedding venue? 
2. “Right?? Crazy!  I have been a wedding coordinator for nearly 40 years, and mainly in Houston.  We started noticing that the couples did not want to get married in a church and many wanted to come to Austin and the Hill Country.  At the time there were only 4 wedding venues, all were something previously and all were too rustic , is a Barn and Mansion etc.  SO we decided to build Ma Maison  and to build it French inspired.”
4. How long have you been operating?  “We just started our 8th year”

1. Please share your experience about how much effort & cost goes into running a venue.
2. “#1 do your homework!! Don’t ask others for their business plan.  Attend networking meetings, READ the E-Myth! (a must) The cots are endless because we host alcohol events and after every wedding there’s always something to fix”
3. What do you like best about being a venue owner? 
4. “WE LOVE our couples….”

1. How many acres do you have and what is it like to maintain that much property? 
2. “We have 23 acres.  It was very important to find beautiful land, we have rolling hills, hundreds of old live oaks and a 2 acre lake.  We own a farming tractor and a bobcat. and we daily are mowing grass, etc…”
4. How many weddings do you host each year? usually between 90-110
5. Do you host wedding shows, open houses? 
6. “We host one open house per year and we usually have over 100 brides come not all are booked with Ma Maison, we invite everyone because it’s also a huge vendor event as well.”

1. Tips on providing great venue tours for potential clients?  
2. “YES! be genuine, know your business treat them like family”
4. What do you think your couples love most about your venue? Any venue assets/features that help you book clients?  
5. “Many of our couples say they book Ma Maison because of me….  we have lots of options we have 3 outdoor ceremony spots a new chapel and our grounds are gorgeous.”
7. Do you do your own advertising & marketing? If so please share any tips on best practices that help you get your business in front of more potential clients, get more leads, etc… 
8. “YES, we have a dedicated employee for all things social, I use to do it all my self….. again READ all things in business.”

1. Please share any costly errors or regrets you may have learned from.  “STORAGE….. never anticipated the need for storage.”
3. Do you have a great website? Tips on website design or features that help you attract, book clients?
4. “Branding is everything!”  www.TheMaMaison.com   
6. Any hard challenges you would like to share with venue owners and how you overcame that challenge? (permits, legal issues, neighbors, vendors, bridezilla/momzilla, bad reviews)?  
7. “All of the above, but I have finally learned that a sell is not always a good thing, I can usually pick up crazy during the tours.”

1. Do you have any tips you would like to share with other venue owners?  
2. “Attend Wedding MBA, treat yourself to Engage Summits totally worth the money.”
3. Do you have any thoughts or solutions to share regarding Covid19? Or maybe just share how Covid is impacting your business. 
4. “We have lost over half of our revenue this year, we received 5 star reviews from our first couples when we opened back up.”
6. Any advice to anyone thinking of starting a venue? 
7. “Again do your homework, we now have 45 wedding venues and the competition is fierce.  Be prepared to work your ass off with little to no reward.  Its not for the faint at heart it’s a fun business but its hard.  Now 10 years later, I would not do it again.”

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Contact Ma Maison via their website: www.themamaison.com or on Instagram @themamaison or to find them on Facebook click here. If you would like to be featured in an upcoming Wedding Venue Stories Blog please contact didi@weddingvenueowners.com

Top Ten Wedding Venue Features At Ma Maison:

1. The Lac View, their beautiful water front ceremony site.

2. The Grove, offering natural beauty and much needed shade.

3. The Great Hall features beautiful exposed beams, chandeliers, antique French accents

4. The Chapel

5. The Trellis

6. Green Cathedral

7. Courtyard Fountain

8. Bell Tower

9. Tunnel of Love

10. The Bridal Suite

11. BONUS – Ringing The Bell

RUMOR HAS IT….. that the following wedding vendors have provided outstanding wedding services at Ma Maison and deserve a shout out!

I found so many adorable dog images on The Ma Maison Facebook and Instagram pages (@mamaison) I had to ask Conor Eaves, Sales Account Executive for Ma Maison about these pictures and I loved her response so much I created a photo gallery to go with her quote, “Everyone on our staff happens to be dog lovers and Karen especially loves her 3. Ellie just happens to be a superstar. She is so friendly, loves a good party and absolutely fancies herself the queen bee of the venue. I think we honestly just really want Ma Maison to feel like home to anyone and everyone who comes to visit us and what feels more like a homecoming than a sweet dog coming to greet you?” Conor Eaves.

BLOG Photo Credits Include: Cory Ryan Photography, www.coryryan.com. Kelly Costello Photography, kellycostellophotography.com. Katherine O’Brien Photography www.katherineobrien.com. Jenny DeMarco Photography, www.jennydemarco.com. Sophie Epton Photography, Sophie Epton Photography. Prima Luce Photography, (512) 537-5823. Erich Mcvey Photography. Debra Gulbas Photography, Debra Gulbas Photography. Joseph West Photography, Joseph West Photography. Jessica Frey Photography https://jessicafreyphotography.com/

At WeddingVenueOwners.com we do our very best to make sure that talented local wedding photographers are credited properly and their original artwork. If there is an image here that is not credited and should be please contact didi@weddingvenueowners.com. Please support photographers!