Listen to the Podcast About Mill Pond Estate
Podcast Summary
Toni Miller, the owner and manager of Mill Pond Estate, was recently interviewed by Meny Leizerovich on the Eventful Endeavors podcast. Toni shared how her early life in Barbados nurtured a deep love for nature, which ultimately inspired her to purchase Mill Pond Estate in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.
Toni’s vibrant career in marketing over 15 years left her longing for the outdoors. In what she calls her ‘quarter life crisis’, she decided to purchase a piece of land intended to be a family estate. The bountiful beauty of Mill Pond Estate, with its lush vistas and natural landscapes, was discovered almost by accident.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Toni’s property became an unexpected relief for many desiring open spaces. After several passersby showed interest, one brave person approached Toni, asking to use the property for a small, intimate ceremony that had been canceled due to the pandemic. Consequently, Mill Pond Estate unexpectedly became a cherished venue for numerous outdoor events in the Tampa Bay area.
The story of how one woman’s passion for nature transformed an unassuming piece of land into the popular Mill Pond Estate is as heartwarming as it is inspiring. Whether you’re seeking a tranquil space to connect with nature or looking for an ideal event venue, Mill Pond Estate promises to provide a captivating experience.
Learn more about
Mill Pond Estate
This interview was provided by
Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos
Podcast Transcript
Felix And Fingers (00:24)
Hello, hello everybody. Happy Wednesday. Welcome back to another episode of Eventful Endeavors. And today I’m really happy and excited to have Toni Miller, who is the owner and the venue manager of Mill Pond Estate. Hi there, Toni . Thank you so much for being here today. How are you doing today?
Toni (00:40)
Alright.
I’m wonderful, excited to be here. Thanks so much for having me.
Felix And Fingers (00:48)
Absolutely, you know, I it was very easy, you know I came across your website and I saw this beautiful piece of land and then you guys offer so much of like just natural beauty out there and I said like I Really got to get a hold of this lady and see what’s going on. I want to hear all about it and so far listeners So once again, Milpone estate is located in beautiful Tampa Bay area here in Florida Toni I’m actually a little curious because I was actually reading a little bit about your
bio before that call and I know that you have tons of love for nature and animals as well. I know you also do volunteer work in that area so yeah I would love to hear all about it.
Toni (01:30)
Yeah, so a little bit about me first, if you’re wondering. Well, I actually grew up on the island of Barbados. So I’m actually an islander. I think my love of all things nature and outdoors kind of stem from there. I did move to the US when I was 18 to start studying. But yeah, all has been drawn to like being outside, you know, touching grass, sorts of stuff.
Felix And Fingers (01:34)
Yeah, absolutely.
Toni (01:56)
Um, I started in marketing. Um, that was my career for about, oh, I want to say like 15, 15 plus years. So unfortunately that meant I was in the office a lot and get out, was, you know, having to sit behind a computer. And eventually I was just like, ah, I need to be used to the nature again. So I like to call it my quarter life crisis, not a midlife crisis, a quarter life crisis. And I just started Googling land. I was like, I got to get out. Um, and I found this
piece of property and yeah, it was just meant to kind of just be a family estate for me and my family to just enjoy and it’s really blossomed into something that I couldn’t have ever imagined.
Felix And Fingers (02:37)
That’s amazing. That’s so much fun. And you know, I’m really curious. after, you know, getting your bachelor’s degree in communications at the University of Tampa, what actually led you to say like, I would like to actually start my own venue and just start this path? What happened?
Toni (02:55)
So it’s funny, I got interviewed, I think it was about two years now, and the title of that interview was like, accidental venue owner. So I really stumbled into this quite on accident. It was around COVID time, everything had kind of shut down. And I was like, thank goodness I have my property, because I can at least like still get out. I know for a lot of people that wasn’t possible. So I feel very grateful for that. And what ended up happening was a lot of people would just drive past
the entrance and they would slow down. was like, okay, that’s fine. But eventually it kept happening and happening. And then one brave soul actually came up to the gate and called me over. I was like, uh-oh, what’s happening now? And they started off as like, I promise I’m not a crazy person. I was like, really? That’s what a crazy person would say. But they were actually asking if they could use the property. Their event had unfortunately been canceled due to COVID. know, everybody had to kind of like…
lockdown, social distance, and stuff like that. But we had this great big open area so people could stay six feet apart if they wanted to. I was like, absolutely, come on. So I have this really wonderful memory of just having a really small intimate ceremony on my spot and it’s just them and a couple people and I was like, oh, that’s really sweet. And then I went about my day and then it just kept happening and it just kept happening. And more more people were like, oh, you could do this and we could social distance, you please have it? I was like,
So I kept letting people on and then I was like, um, eventually I’m going to have to like make this a legit thing, you know, liability, make sure that we’re doing everything above board. So I literally accidentally stumbled into being a venue owner. So I’m the accidental venue owner.
Felix And Fingers (04:36)
This is the most unique story I actually ever heard. Usually people they kind of have a plan or something has changed and they just want to shift and do something else. I love that story so much. It’s just like, okay, so I guess this is happening so we might as well do it right. I love that approach. This is awesome, this is really great. And you know, I did say earlier that you’re an animal lover and you do have a horse bounty, is that right?
Toni (04:52)
Yes.
Well, I now have six horses. But it did start off with Mr. Bounty when I was having my quarter life crisis, as I like to call it. also bought a horse. Would not recommend just buying a horse off the internet. I got very lucky and I had to find a place for him. So you know how they say they put the cart before the horse. I got the horse before the land.
Felix And Fingers (05:02)
6 horses?
You got wow, you really got it already. Wow, so I’m just curious, so where is Bounty and the other five horses are currently staying? Are they staying in the van of you by any chance?
Toni (05:32)
They
absolutely live at the venue. fact, this is their home. I just come here. I just work here. This is their home. Everything that was created here truly was created for my love of animals and just my love of nature. Again, this was not built to be a venue. It just so happened that I love creating beautiful outdoor spaces. And I guess that lends itself well to an outdoor venue.
Felix And Fingers (05:34)
you
Wow, okay, this is amazing. And I’m just curious and I don’t know what’s gonna be the answer to this. But do you guys offer by any chance within your services, can the bride slash groom or both can actually walk down the aisle actually riding a horse? Is that a thing or probably not?
Toni (06:01)
Okay.
So we haven’t had somebody ride down the aisle yet. I wouldn’t be opposed to it. I think that’s pretty funny. But we do have a carriage ride that we offer. So they can do like a carriage ride entrance that’s really popular. And actually, it’s not Bounty that does that. It’s my other horse Tango. He’s our carriage ride horse.
Felix And Fingers (06:34)
wow, okay, this is so exciting. really think it might be, I mean, I feel like a lot of couples would love that. I know that if I had to get remarried right now, I would definitely go on that track. Of course, my marriage. So I love that. And I just wanna clarify, how long is it now that you are with Mill Pond Estate? For how long has it been?
Toni (06:53)
about five years, because again, we started really with when COVID started. And then I think I got my incorporation documents, like November of that year. So about five years.
Felix And Fingers (07:04)
Okay, so it’s been a little bit and you know, and obviously you have experience in the industry and I do have some questions that I usually love asking on this podcast and I’m sure that our listeners are actually really looking forward to hearing your answers about it and this is more about the industry and you know, you’ve been around now for five years. What are like current trends that you are now seeing like in the wedding industry?
Toni (07:12)
Sure.
Um, I still see a little bit of a hole out from like, COVID time. So I am still seeing smaller weddings. They are starting to get a little bit bigger, but I’m still seeing the majority of minor capping around 80, 75, even a 50. So more intimate kind of celebrations. I’m also seeing couples really inject their personality or something about their story into it. I’m not seeing, you know, just a traditional, you know,
story of like just a cookie cutter wedding. I’m seeing them really try to inject some personality into it. Like a recent wedding I had there, the bride’s grandpa used to grow jalapenos and they did a whole like for their like seating chart, they did a whole like pop pop shed and it had all these jalapeno decorations and it really
important nod to him. So I’m seeing a lot of that and then they’re incorporating how they met like if they met in a bookstore their seating chart is going to be books and stuff like that. So really like intimate and unique touches that really speaks to their love story.
Felix And Fingers (08:33)
Yeah, I love that and I can actually attest to it myself as a performer. I am playing in a lot of weddings and it feels like nowadays people are trying to just get the more personal aspect. You know, just bring it in there and make it a little bit more unique on their end. So yeah, I love those ideas. I actually come across them as well and this is really cool. You know, which actually takes me to another question which is gonna be actually totally different. What things couples should never…
Toni (08:44)
Yeah.
Felix And Fingers (09:01)
do like any cringe worthy things you hate seeing at a wedding.
Toni (09:06)
What should couples never do? Oh, that’s interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything cringe. As long as it’s something that’s important to them, I think it’s really cool. I mean, my number one issue that I see is people kind of taking a backseat of what they want because of what other people think they should do. Like, you know, I really want my couples to just focus on them. What is it that you want? This is your day.
even if somebody’s helping them pay, still, my client and my duty is to the couple that’s getting married. So of course I will take into consideration what the person that’s paying, what they think, but ultimately my goal is to make sure my couple is happy. And I think at the end of the day, everybody wants a couple to be happy. So I like to make sure it’s like, Hey, if you want it a certain way, don’t shrink back. So I would say the cringiest thing, but it’s not really cringy. It’s very common.
Do not compromise on what you want. This is your day. So. Take it.
Felix And Fingers (10:04)
Agreed.
Agreed. Absolutely agreed. You know, what is like the most unique, fun idea that you’ve seen recently? Any like something I know a lot of people nowadays are bringing like photo booth or they have the photo app sharing app, you know, they’re just using it and guests are actually helping out and just taking photos. Actually witnessed. Have you witnessed anything like it or anything else that pops in your head like, this is actually really fun or super unique?
Toni (10:25)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I see a lot of that too. And like each guest can have like a little Polaroid so they can capture the day for the couple too. I’ve seen a lot of that. I think the most exciting thing that I had, well, we’re talking about it hasn’t happened yet, but we’re talking about it is one of the grooms is an avid skateboarder. So we’re trying to figure out how we can add a half pike somewhere during the ceremonies that he can show off his skills. So we’re talking about that. I think that’s pretty unique.
The other unique thing was a helicopter landing? That was pretty cool. Yeah.
Felix And Fingers (11:04)
Wow!
Okay, I’ve never heard that! Okay, like, I the horses. This is whole different thing right now. Okay. I love the horses. It’s more of like a James Bond.
Toni (11:08)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I’m right by helicopter.
It
was pretty neat. It was pretty neat. It was pretty neat.
Felix And Fingers (11:19)
Wow, wow, this is amazing. You know, I’m curious, is there any advice you can offer, you know, for someone just starting on their planning journey? Because it is a lot.
Toni (11:29)
Yeah, it can get very overwhelming. mean, I kind of preach this is like, I know a lot of people don’t like to this, but I would suggest getting a wedding planner. I know, know, know. Weddings are expensive, but just having that person in your corner to coordinate with all the different vendors on your behalf, to be there on the day, to know that you can just go and relax and enjoy your day. I really think putting an investment into a wedding planner is my number one.
that I would suggest. Even if it’s just a day-of coordinator at least a day-of coordinator.
Felix And Fingers (12:05)
Absolutely, there’s already so many things going on like in terms of that. I got it right, you know, you have entertainment You have a caterer you have flower girl. I sorry, the flower team everything else is going so many vendors are involved Yeah, definitely don’t try to do it on your own. It’s yes. It’s absolutely expensive But it’s just part of the wedding and you just want that peace of mind because this day’s already already going to be so overwhelming and maybe stressful in a way
Toni (12:08)
Okay.
Yeah.
Felix And Fingers (12:32)
So yeah, probably just trying to make your life a little easier. ⁓
Toni (12:35)
a little bit
easier. And I would also say like, really make sure that you’re jiving with your wedding planner, your photographer too, like you have to have a really good rapport with them, you know, so on the day like you feel comfortable. And then most importantly, your venue team has to be somebody that you drive with too. You’re going to probably be talking to your venue team the most. Usually people book your venue first. I have people booking out almost two years in advance. So that’s two years of communication.
with this team. you know, you want to make sure that it is a team that’s in your corner rooting for you. I am my couple’s biggest cheerleaders. I am their biggest fans. I love to serve them. So make sure when you’re choosing a venue, the venue team, like the venue can look amazing. It can look beautiful. But if the venue team just isn’t like as communicative as you want or not your biggest fans, you know, I would say find another one.
Felix And Fingers (13:29)
Absolutely, and you know, it’s actually, I feel like it’s such a great piece of mind for the listeners as well, you know, to understand it’s not about just getting the venue. It’s also about having like an A-Team that actually stands, not just to host the wedding, to be there to support you with every need and just, you know, it’s a team effort game, you know, between the venue and the vendors and everybody else who is involved. So yeah, that’s actually such a great reassurance to hear that.
Toni (13:37)
Thank
Yeah.
Felix And Fingers (13:55)
You guys are all into, just like, let’s make this work. Let’s be there. I will make sure you guys will have a wonderful wedding. So yeah, that’s a great piece of mine. I’m sure everybody can hear that.
Toni (14:04)
Yeah.
I know it’s kind of cringy, but vibes are important. Make sure the vibes are right.
Felix And Fingers (14:10)
It’s fair that’s fair that’s very fair So, you know, I was actually and again I was exposed, you know to defend you to the photos to the website to the social media and obviously it’s a beautiful piece of land just talking about Acres of just nature so that’s amazing. But can you tell us like what what makes your venue or services, you know unique different than the others?
Toni (14:23)
in.
Well, a lot of people tell me when they walk on to Mill Pond, it doesn’t really feel like Florida. It feels like somewhere else. Like there’s plenty of places where you can go and see oak trees and gardens and stuff like that. I really think that what we did was elevate it to a different level. Again, none of these things were built with a venue in mind. They really were just something in my head that I thought would be nice for myself.
Felix And Fingers (14:36)
Thank
Toni (15:00)
So I think there’s a lot of unique touches and we also took our time with it. Everything, every space that is on the venue has been thoughtfully put in. It’s just like, we need restrooms. Put a restroom there. Actually take my time and think about what would I want out of a outdoor wedding bathrooms. Like people are under asking me this. If you’re in an outdoor, make sure the bathrooms are good. Okay. Just because we’re outdoor doesn’t mean that we’re just going to do porta potties. Okay. Get an outdoor wedding with nice bathrooms.
So yeah, everything that I’ve designed was very thoughtfully crafted to also enhance and not take away from the natural beauty because that’s why we’re here. So every deck, every tile, every paper I put in was thoughtfully placed to make sure I’m enhancing nature and not taking away from it. So I would say that’s pretty unique. My other thing is like me and my team, we’re over-communicated. Like we’re going to send you an email every month.
Do you need with anything? A lot of people will have a venue and because we have such long lead times, you’re not going to hear from them for like six months, eight months. No, you’re going to hear from us every month. So make sure you like it because you’re going to be hearing from us. And we’re just so service oriented. Like we just want to serve our couples to the best of our ability 100 % of the time. Like that is our main goal and focus here is to make sure that they are accommodated.
and happy and feel loved and appreciated and listened to.
Felix And Fingers (16:30)
love that. you know, it’s like two things you just said. I was actually, you know what? I actually didn’t think about it. And it’s actually, it makes a lot of sense. First of all, it’s the layout. Nobody ever talks about that. You know, your outdoor wedding and sometimes you’re like, me, where’s like the nearest restroom? And then you just find out it’s like 10 miles away from your actually at. So I love that layout, you know, means a lot, especially, you know, if it makes sense. And just like you said, even though it’s outdoors, it could still be a nice restroom.
Toni (16:48)
Yeah.
Make it cute. Make it cute.
Felix And Fingers (17:01)
There we
go. Gotta make it cute. Yeah, and communication. Yeah, it’s so important, so spot on. know, things change, life happens, people are busy, but yeah, as long as you are like on top of things, and I feel like every couple, know, at end of the day, they will be really appreciative towards the fact like they are really on top of it. They actually wanna make sure that everything is okay.
Toni (17:23)
Absolutely.
It’s part about also just providing a luxury service. Like I don’t want them to have a question that I have not answered for them before they have even thought about. I don’t want them to be chasing me down like, I don’t know what to do. I’m going to lay it all out for you. You don’t have to worry about it. And I just think that’s part of being a luxury service is making sure that they have the answers to questions they didn’t even think they needed.
Felix And Fingers (17:46)
Absolutely, absolutely. I love that All right, Toni . So I’ll tell you what and now I got some questions and I’m sure I’ll listen actually a really good order here This is more about booking with your venue. So we’re just gonna talk, you know a more like rapid questions Just talk about your availability and flexibility How’s your current availability like how far in advance are you booked right in?
Toni (17:51)
Okay.
Yeah, so we haven’t opened our 2027 books yet, so right now we are currently still booking for 2026 in the fall.
Felix And Fingers (18:13)
Perfect. What kind of flexibility do you have with guest count in case it changes? I know the venue updates up to 150 people, is that right?
Toni (18:21)
It is. So we don’t price with guest count in mind. It’s more like your add-ons or whatever. there’s the same price regardless of how many guests that you’re going to have.
Felix And Fingers (18:31)
Okay, very cool. Now, can you give us an average event size and cost and revenue? It doesn’t have to be obviously on the dot, something more like average, more general.
Toni (18:44)
Absolutely, I even actually offer if you go to my website under pricing I actually have a sample budget on there for couples to look at because I know that’s the biggest thing is like, okay you see Sometimes they don’t even show you the numbers I do but sometimes like okay, what does that actually mean? I say on average My couples spend with just a venue alone. This is excluding, you know Like your officiant if you go with the outdoor floor, it’s and stuff like that. I would say that
On average, they’ll spend about 15, 18 with me just alone and then the rest will be out there.
Felix And Fingers (19:17)
Got it, absolutely. I love what you just mentioned actually. I see it’s actually really trending right now. A lot of venues today, have some of them, they call it like the calculator or anything on the website. ⁓ Yeah, because couples are actually, and it makes sense, weddings are expensive and couples are trying to somehow.
Toni (19:28)
Calculate, yeah.
Felix And Fingers (19:35)
know, stretch a budget or make something happen. So I love the fact and that’s actually really true. I actually came across it on your website as well. So there will be pricing available. You will have, you know, an idea of what’s going on for any kind of services. So that’s beautiful. That’s awesome to have it out there. Super helpful.
Toni (19:50)
Another thing
that we do is once if you do book with us we have an itemized invoice so you’re gonna see everything even down to like okay I ordered chargers like everything is itemized everything is a line item all the fees are all outlined there so there’s not gonna be any surprises because nobody wants surprises.
Felix And Fingers (20:10)
That’s right. I love that. Can you just give me like an estimate? What is your deposit amount usually for the event?
Toni (20:16)
Yeah.
Okay. So I know that we just recently changed it. So I apologize. Amber is also one of my venue coordinators. So I think it’s just a deposit of I could be, I think it’s about 2000 and that’s just to hold your date and that will go towards your actual end of total. It’s not like an extra fee on top of that, but it’s just 2000, I believe. It’s either 1500 or 2000. Sorry, Amber.
and then that will hold your fee for you, your date for you, sorry.
Felix And Fingers (20:47)
Got it, got it, perfect. What is the cancellation policy?
Toni (20:51)
cancellation policy. well, luckily, we haven’t had to use that very much. But basically,
Felix And Fingers (20:56)
That’s good. That’s awesome. Yeah.
Toni (20:59)
So basically you can cancel obviously would be very very sad if what happens is like We’ll send you a cancellation contract. So Depending on what you paid through the date we are going to keep Anything else that you would have been liable for for the rest of time you don’t owe us anymore
Felix And Fingers (21:16)
Got it. Awesome. You know, it takes me to another topic here, which is like the catering and the vendors. Do you have an in-house catering service or do couples need to provide their own caterer?
Toni (21:27)
Yeah, okay, so we do have preferred caterers that we work with a lot. So we prefer, obviously prefer that you go with them just because we work really well together. They know how to work in an outdoor venue and stuff like that. You’re totally fine to bring in whatever caterer you are. There’s just a buyout fee that you would need to purchase at that.
Felix And Fingers (21:48)
Got it, got it. That’s perfect. And the other.
Toni (21:50)
Let’s
go back to cancellations really quick.
Felix And Fingers (21:53)
Yeah, absolutely.
Toni (21:55)
Another thing that
I would urge couples to do is to look into cancellation insurance. It’s something that we’re really pushing now. It’s a good way to like, and it covers much more than just you’re canceling your event. It can help you with like rings, covering the cost of rings, dresses, even if a dress got stained or something like that. It covers a wide thing with that. I vendors that didn’t show up for you. So I really encourage people to look into cancellation insurance. Sorry.
Back to what you were saying.
Felix And Fingers (22:25)
Actually, it’s a great point. It’s very smart because just like we said life happens You never know what’s gonna happen. So it’s best to be covered and especially when you’re already so much invested into your wedding You never know. Hopefully you’ll never have to use that but just to have it like, know, just as a peace of mind That’s actually a great tip. Yeah, I thought everybody can agree on that. So yeah
And you know, there was another thing I wanted to ask, which is like, are there any preferred vendors you recommend? And I know that you said that you do, because you have a lot of vendors you work with, and obviously, no one knows the venue better than they do, because they’ve been there. my, actually the second part of the question, are the couples required to use them?
Toni (23:07)
No, the only vendor you’re required to use is our bar service. That has to do with liquor liability and how much they cover us for. But other than that, you’re free to use whatever vendors you want. Our preferred vendors have been with us from the start. I’m talking the start-start. As in before I even built some of the structures on there, I invited them out and be like, what are your pain points with other venues? What do you need from us to do your job well?
And we’ve actually taken their feedback like we had an idea for the bar. We talked to our preferred bar partner and they’re like, hey, can you actually add shelves here? Can you do this here? We’re like, absolutely. We talked to the caterers like we’re an outdoor venue. What can we do while you need outlets here, here, here, here? You know, so the reason why there are preferred is because they’ve helped us build this so that they can do their job.
Felix And Fingers (23:59)
And that’s totally fair, totally fair, and they’ve been there all along. So it makes total sense to me. And now I just want to discuss a little bit about the venue capacity and layout. And now I know that your maximum capacity of the venue is about 150 people. Is this for both the ceremony and the reception? OK. All right, perfect. Is there a designated bridal suite or changing area?
Toni (24:18)
Yes.
So actually, I’m coming from you live from our bridal suite. It is actually a three bedroom house. And the counter that I’m on right now is a huge counter for makeup and stuff. And then also, we have another getting ready suite. It’s called the barn cottage. And that also has a giant lanai that you can relax with. You get a little bit of a better view of the animals investor thing from that one. So yes, we have two dedicated getting ready spots.
Felix And Fingers (24:33)
Wow!
Yay, that sounds fun and super stable too. I love that. Okay, I’m like, let’s just, for the couples out there, just get married to enjoy that sweet. Like don’t even worry about that. Go get married. That’s it. I love that. Is there an ample parking available at the venue for the guests and is it complimentary?
Toni (24:53)
Yep.
Yeah.
It’s complimentary and we also have parking assistance to help your guests park because as much as we all think that we’re good at parking, being in this industry is like no we’re not. No we’re not. None of us are. We’re gonna have somebody to help you.
Felix And Fingers (25:24)
Now I know that we are technically out, you know, in the nature, but are there any like curfews or like noise like ordinances like people should be aware of like say like okay music cannot be played past 10 or 11 p.m.
Toni (25:29)
Hmm.
So our property is zoned agriculture and we’re actually an agritourism operation. So there is no noise ordinance, there is no deadline, there’s no cutoff. I mean, I like to go to bed around 1 a.m. so sometimes like, but there’s actually no hard fast rule. Also, I bribe all my neighbors with fresh eggs for my chickens so we should be good to go.
Felix And Fingers (26:04)
Yay! I love it. So technically they could be partying all night long. Okay, that’s cool. I love that. I love that. All right, for the party people, yeah, definitely Mill Pond is your venue. You can party all night with the horses and everybody and all the beautiful other creatures out there. and I bet you guys, you know, you have probably so many like, I don’t know if like wildlife, but you probably have a lot of animals like, you know, just wandering around because this is their home like before.
an actual venue, so it must be really exciting.
Toni (26:35)
Yeah, so we actually have a resident horn owl. Her name is Willow. This is the first year she actually had a baby. His name was Hubert. So we have a bunch of pictures and stories of them on our Instagram if you want to check that out. But yeah, we do get a variety of wildlife. Obviously we have the cranes that come. They love to come and show up during wedding days. So they’re like paid actors. So you’ll have beautiful cranes in your backdrop and stuff like that.
Obviously, butterflies galore
Felix And Fingers (27:03)
I really love that and you know I feel like it’s just a beauty of it you’re just gonna have some more guests you know at the wedding at your wedding you never show up I you got your yeah
Toni (27:10)
There you go. More cool guests. Yeah.
She likes to call out during, because most of the ceremonies are in the afternoon. That’s when she likes to do her call. So maybe if you’re a guest here or you have a wedding here, you’ll hear Willa go, and that’s just carrying you on for your next stage.
Felix And Fingers (27:27)
You know, I’m just trying to picture it because I was actually, again, I was looking at a website and I know that you have the broken oak, which is actually sort of it takes place and it’s beautiful. You have the moss tree, you know, right behind the couple. And it almost seems to me like it’s out of the movies, honestly. So it’s really beautiful and I can just, I cannot stop like right now picturing just a horse coming out behind me.
Toni (27:43)
Yeah.
All right,
the next couple of lives. Sorry, Manny wants a horse. We’re putting a horse in your wedding. It’s happening.
Felix And Fingers (27:55)
Yeah, I gotta do it. I have to now. Okay, this is too good, honestly. You guys have like so many beautiful estates like at a venue and I know you have the flower garden, which is, you know, looks gorgeous. Also the lily pot.
Toni (28:08)
here.
Felix And Fingers (28:09)
The little waterfall going on a little lake view I like that and you have the ground meadow Which is actually where the reception and the ceremony takes place. It’s just a huge covered area, which is great You know, it actually takes me Toni to another question that I have and you know, we live in Florida and with You never know because the weather is this not really stable. That’s understated You know one day it could be really sunny and then out of nowhere
Huge rain showers going on to go like maybe 20 minutes and then boom it’s like never happened Yeah, and the Sun goes out which actually, you know, it takes me to another question Do you have a backup plan for the outdoor weddings in case of Ben Webber?
Toni (28:40)
Yeah, yeah.
Yes.
Yeah, so because we are primarily outdoor, I knew it was important to get the best tent I could find. So we have a huge sail cove tent and we actually have a little bump out tent next to it. So all of our tents have clear walls. So if in case that we’re getting really torrential rains, we can pull those walls down and you’ll still be able to see all of the surroundings around you because it’s clear. So you’ll still see the landscape. So your backyard plan is going to be that little bump out area next to the main tent. And that way we can flip.
the main tent if we need to. So your tent is going to be a backup.
Felix And Fingers (29:29)
Perfect, perfect. So you definitely got it covered. So plan B is definitely available. ⁓ Any additional costs associated with using the backspace? No.
Toni (29:33)
Yeah.
Absolutely not. All the actions that because it is sometimes consuming to put the panels up. We’ll talk with the couple like a week, we get up to like, hey, we’re just gonna have them there in case and then you make the call about 8 a.m. if we’re gonna take them, roll them all down. And trust me, like me and my staff, we work outdoors throughout the whole season. So we know what it feels like to be out here. So we’ve made every accommodation we can to make it comfortable.
We have heaters when it’s cold. We have a fire pit. We have fans. So we have all of that for your guests to feel comfortable.
Felix And Fingers (30:12)
You’re definitely preferred for any type of weather, any type, and I love it. It sounds just…
Toni (30:17)
Well, we also don’t
do it during hurricane season because the tent will end up in Orlando. So we do close down.
Felix And Fingers (30:28)
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean that’s true it could happen But yeah, that’s fair. I get that yet. We got hurricane season. Unfortunately here in Florida. It’s probably wise, you know, just you
Toni (30:30)
Yeah.
I mean,
I do get occasionally people like, hey, can I have my wedding in August? I’m like, you totally can. It won’t be here.
Felix And Fingers (30:47)
You might wind up in Tallahassee, we can start in Tampa, but you never know how well it’s gonna end up. Oh my God, this is too good.
Toni (30:51)
Yeah. ⁓
Felix And Fingers (30:55)
But okay, perfect. See definitely I see you got it covered you got you know, everything like to accommodate Honestly, I like a perfect event. So for all of our listeners definitely check out the website There is so much going on there. Not just the pricing and everything else. Just check out the photos just fall in love with a venue That’s what I was doing So yeah, definitely check it out. And once again, we will make sure to actually attach over here I’ll link to your Facebook page Instagram tick tock whatnot so people can actually check out Mill Pond and
And just enjoy this and definitely consider it for your next wedding or any kind of event you guys are envisioning. So that’s always great to keep in mind. I’m gonna talk about just a few questions about more of like the timing and the setup. How early can vendors access the venue for a setup like on the wedding day?
Toni (31:42)
Yeah, so depending on if we have a wedding the day before your vendors can come and drop off what they need the day before. If we do have a wedding the day before, then vendors can come on at 9 AM.
Felix And Fingers (31:54)
Perfect, that sounds like a lot of time and that’s great. And yeah, you never know, you might have to use it all. So it’s really safe. And is there like an event coordinator? And I know you’re obviously on site. So I would assume you’re gonna be on site. Are you on site for every wedding? And is there anybody else who’s working alongside you? Like the day off, more of like.
Toni (32:13)
Sure,
now I get to shout out my team. So I have the wonderful Amber Miller, we’re like sisters. So she’s gonna be your main venue contact. I’m also there all the time because I live on site. So there will be somebody on site for your wedding. And literally, those are the two people that you’re gonna be talking to me, you’re gonna be talking to Amber majority of the time, you’re not gonna have like somebody that you don’t know the day of, you’re like, what’s happening and they don’t know anything about what’s going on. We are literally with you.
Felix And Fingers (32:16)
Thanks
Toni (32:41)
from the time you book to you say your ideas to you say your exit. It’s going to be awesome.
Felix And Fingers (32:48)
Yes, and I love it. You know, it was just I was just about to ask like how involved are you in the planning process? And you’re 100% out there, know with amber or you like, you know, it’s just like and every you know, once again It’s such great reassurance like for any couples, know starting to plan like their journey together and the wedding to know that their venue They are on top of everything and they will be out there, you know Helping them out as much as possible to make sure that their perfect day will be a perfect day
Toni (33:17)
That’s
our goal.
Felix And Fingers (33:18)
So I love that. know, Toni , before I let go, I’m just curious because it seems like it’s really, it’s really convenient for you because you actually live on site. So can you actually, you don’t have to like enjoy the amazing traffic in Florida. It’s just, right? Heading to work. I love that. So, you know, I’m just curious. Can you just picture us like, how is like a typical day of yours looks like?
Toni (33:44)
event day or just a regular day?
Felix And Fingers (33:46)
You know what? Let’s go with a regular date for now, okay?
Toni (33:51)
Okay, so regular day, I’ll wake up around, I do like to sleep in, that’s why I have staff that will take care of all the animals so I can sleep in now, which was good. But if I don’t have them, typically I’ll have to get up around 8 a.m. and start getting all the animals out. During the summer, my horses are indoors because it’s really, really hot for them. So then I’m switching them back and forth to the different paddocks and I have to let the chickens out.
And then I might go for a quick walk around the property just check things like fence lines like if was there a storm last night were there any limbs down any plants that need addressing I’ll do all that and then I typically sit down and start my day at the computer around 11 And I typically just go from 11 to like 5 I’m typically just working a teeny bit of a workaholic ⁓
Felix And Fingers (34:39)
Yeah, I
Toni (34:40)
But on
Felix And Fingers (34:40)
hear you.
Toni (34:41)
the grant days, actually, because the getting ready suites are actually where we live, we make sure that all of our stuff is put away and everything’s clean and ready for our guests to come. We’ll put out like towels, we’ll light a candle, we’ll set the mood. And then we’re just kind of running around helping vendors that have come in early with their loading set up and stuff like that. If I’m doing florals, because we do offer in-house florals now, that is a whole other ball game. Usually I’m starting that.
from the night before, just getting everything ready. And then we have like our whole staging floral place where I’m like, okay, these centerpieces go here and there. So I would say that every day is different. I mean, cause I’m dealing with, I’m dealing with couples, I’m dealing with events, I’m dealing with animals. So every day is kind of a new adventure. Milk Lime, truly.
Felix And Fingers (35:32)
Toni , I love that so much. You got so many things going on. So you’re definitely a very busy woman, but I can tell you know that you are definitely, you know, on top of everything when it comes to the venue. And I’m sure to any couples listening to this podcast right now.
Check it out. I feel like Toni is gonna be probably your best address, you know, to host your beautiful wedding. So check it out. He’s gonna be right there for you. And, you know, before we’re gonna wrap it up here, once again, folks, if you’re listening and tuning in right now, check out Milpona State, located in a beautiful Tampa Bay area. Just go on our website, check it out. We’re gonna make sure also find it out here. We have some links for you for their tech talk.
Facebook and Instagram. And wow, I mean, I had such a great time, Toni . Tell me, I mean, know, tell me. Yeah, it was so much fun. And before I let you go, can you tell us like one more thing that you believe couples
Toni (36:18)
Yeah, that was fun.
Felix And Fingers (36:30)
should probably think about when they start planning their journey. Another one thing they should have in mind, but the venue and a wedding coordinator, obviously a necessity. Anything that comes up to your head, that hey guys, keep that in mind.
Toni (36:46)
The day is going to go really, really fast. I would talk to your wedding planner and see if you can put into a timeline just 10 minutes for you and your partner to just take it all in. You’ve done all the planning. Everybody’s here. Everybody’s having a good time. Take those 10 minutes to just look at what you’ve accomplished and look towards your future and just be like, wow, we did it.
Felix And Fingers (37:13)
We made it through. I love that. I love that. Well, once again, Toni Miller, the owner and venue manager of Mill Pond Estate Thank you so much for being here today. I really appreciate that.
Toni (37:26)
I had so much
fun. Thank you for having me.
Felix And Fingers (37:29)
Of course, of course. once again, guys, until next time, this was our today’s episode for Eventful Endeavors. Until next time, happy Wednesday, everybody. Thank you so much.
Toni (37:40)
Bye bye.
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