Where to begin…? The idea was basically dreamt up by two cousins who can’t say no. Kristi and Kelly started by throwing weddings on the farm for family and friends over the years and realized it was not only something they loved to do, but something they were good at! Appreciating how peaceful and private it was out here, they began imagining opening it up to the public. As the willow tree grew, so did their vision and it eventually inspired the name of their unique venue and encouraged them to make it official.
The two balance each other out perfectly. Kristi has a creative side that can tend to run wild and dreams big, while Kelly can take those dreams and figure out how to make them a reality. They’re both trying to figure out how to balance being moms, wives and running a business and so far are nailing it! Over the last couple of years, along with their husbands and kids, they’ve managed to take a beat up old shop and turn it into something beautiful! They can’t wait to show you what they have planned next, when these two work together, they make it happen!
Hi I'm Kelly! I married my high school sweetheart over a decade ago and have been blessed with 4 of the cutest little kids ever, not that I'm biased or anything! 😉 I grew up here in the Tri-Cities and come from a huge family, which might be why family is a big part of my life. I love being at home with my kiddos but when I'm not bouncing back and forth between ``mom of the year`` and ``hot mess mom``, I'm busy killing it managing everything out at The Willow. I love a good challenge and finding ways to keep everything organized while juggling life, and 2020 has definitely made it interesting! When I decided to become a working mom, I never expected to have a start like this, but here I am making the most of it and still loving what I do. I'm still learning to stop second guessing myself because I usually know exactly what needs to be done; and although I'm not going to brag about it, I always give 110%. I love meeting new people and having new experiences, but find most comfort in a good cup of coffee while roaming around Target.
After 3 years together, I was lucky enough to marry my best friend, Clayton on this farm back in 2006. Life has thrown a lot at us over the years but it’s only made us stronger and shown me how tough I really am. I love to laugh, be silly, to work on random projects with my husband, to hang out with my kids- even if that means learning to play Fortnite (which I’m told I’m pretty good at, for a mom), to make people smile, to host and plan events and to get lost in my own world designing or creating something beautiful. I’ve always enjoyed being creative, coming up with wild ideas and jumping into them headfirst, usually a surprise to my husband. Thankfully he is incredible and puts up with all of my shenanigans, he’s always around to help me in a bind despite his ridiculously busy life running the farm. Starting this venue was one of the few times I actually sat on an idea and really thought it through and look how that turned out... thanks 2020! But that just tells me, I need to trust my gut and go with my instincts because dammit, it’s time I accept I’m pretty good at what I do!
