We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessie Dement and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessie, how do you think about risk?
I have a love/hate relationship with risk – it’s such an important part of owning a business and growing anything, really, but it makes me so uncomfortable! I’m slowing learning how to handle the stress risk taking brings and have seen it return learning and growth over and over again. Lots of head-clearing walks and taking breaks has helped me trust it more!

For our business, it has also been about taking the right risks while maintaining our vision and what we offer to couples. We try to balance expansion and growth with staying true to ourselves! Sometimes it feels like the biggest risk to ignore trends and keep doing our thing, but ultimately that is what has led us to find the perfect couples and build the right foundation for us.

What should our readers know about your business?
When we decided to open a wedding venue, we knew that there were a growing number of options in our area but really had no idea where to start in terms of pricing and packages. Rather than looking at what others were doing, we sat down and thought about what we wanted each couple’s experience to be with us, how we wanted them to feel during their wedding weekend, and what that meant for our offerings. We started with lower prices to get folks in the door then increased pricing as we learned. We also looked at what expenses we needed to cover to keep the property maintained well and our staff paid above the living wage – our staff are the reason we function, so keeping everyone well taken care of was a priority from the beginning.

Because we did things a little backwards we’ve built things a little slower than some places – it’s taken several years to fill our season with awesome couples at the right price. Because we book out about a year in advance, all of our lessons take a year to implement! 2022 we learned our true operating budget (our first full season), 2023 we learned where our prices truly needed to be for sustainable growth, and this year is our year to shine! There have been some tense times during the past 6 years as we sort through all of that, and ultimately it took significant financial investment to float the learning curve, patience, and making hard decisions at times to keep us going!

Our hope is to offer a home away from home to couples, and keeping that idea in mind has helped bridge the gap through stressful times. Ultimately our business is joy and reminding couples that everyone deserves to be celebrated!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Our venue is in Fletcher, a little town outside of Asheville. It’s got some great spots like Turgua Brewing Company, Barn Door Ciderworks, and Whistlehop Brewing Company that I love to take folks to! I always make at least one trip to downtown Asheville for dinner, and then usually a hike to a waterfall (there are so many just down the road in Brevard).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Twisty Maple is a family-owned business, so we are built on the idea that it takes a village! We wouldn’t be where we are now with out my family and our business partner, Annette. We’ve met so many amazing vendors along the way that have offered wisdom and help to get us where we are, too.

Website: www.twistymaple.com

Instagram: twistymaple

Facebook: twistymaple

Image Credits
Bri Hines Photography, Eliza Bell Photography, Jessica Merithew Photography, The Wheeler Photo, Annette Lotz

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSouthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.