Blog » Henrietta Reade

Henrietta Reade

22nd May 2013

Role: Owner/Manager

Company: Breckenhill

Track Record: Henrietta runs Breckenhill, a wedding/outdoor pursuits/corporate function venue in Co Antrim, with her husband David.

7.45 AM

One of the great advantages of working from home is not having to get up and face the rush hour.

If there is no event in the barn, the alarm goes at 7.45 and I open the curtains onto a wonderful view to the south, from our vantage point in the Antrim hills north of Ballyclare.

If we have something going on in our venue, I will get up earlier to make sure everything is ready, and check the weather forecast.

After letting the dogs out, feeding the puppy and the cat, and some toast and coffee for me, I head over to the office which is in our restored stone barn, to see what needs to be done.

9.30 AM

If there is a wedding coming up, or even happening that day, I will be madly rushing around checking the windows are clean, tidying up the flower pots and garden, doing a final check on the cloakrooms, and making sure the kitchen is ready for the caterer.

We also set out the tables and chairs for the meal, or even put chairs out on the lawn for an outdoor ceremony (weather permitting!) Our own marquee is often required for weddings, so we organise a team to put this up the day before so that it can be decorated.

We may on the other hand have a teambuilding group, or people in for training or a meeting, so I could be serving up the coffee and scones (usually made by me the day before) and then getting on with the soup and sandwiches, or lasagne or chicken and broccoli bake, depending on what they have ordered from the menu for lunch.

On a Tuesday or Wednesday, if there isn’t an event going on here, I escape for an hour of Pilates or a round of golf (weekends are often working days, especially in the summer wedding season, so I have to take the opportunity when I can!)

11.30 AM

On a quiet day, I may be replying to e-mails from prospective brides and grooms, preparing brochures, and going through running orders for the next event.

If this is a wedding there are caterers, decorators, florists, photographers and others to co-ordinate. We are in a wedding package, The Complete Wedding Package, with other local suppliers, and I help to run this too.

If there are people doing team-building my husband David and our three instructors Paddy, Cathy and Phil will co-ordinate the activities which include archery, orienteering, a variety of teambuilding tasks, plus our Earthball – a giant 6ft diameter ball that is like a giant beachball.

There are various exercises with it, and a very energetic game with teams trying to heave the ball into the opposing team’s goal.

We also enjoy devising our own silly games, often involving water, blindfolds and people getting wet!

I am currently working on our new activities for next year – we are installing a traversing wall, mainly for kids activities, and our new big excitement – canoeing and kayaking on the neighbouring lake.

It is currently a fishery, and we have been invited to join forces with the leaseholder, and introduce some other activities.

There are 16 acres of water, so plenty of room for lots of water activities.

I am contacting local schools, canoe clubs and other groups who may be interested.

1.00 PM

Lunch is a moveable feast and I could be serving it up to a group using our facilities, and grabbing my own on the run.

2.00PM

Wedding ceremonies usually happen early to mid-afternoon, so we may have guests arriving to be greeted and shown where to go.

Once everyone has arrived, including the bride, I try and maintain a discreet distance, but keep an eye out for anything that needs done, or if anyone needs help. The party usually goes on till midnight or later, so it can be a long and tiring day.

Meeting or conference guests or a teambuilding group will generally leave around 5pm after some last refreshments, and we can put away all the “toys” and make sure they are clean and ready for next time.

If there is an evening function like a barbecue or birthday party, our day is not yet over!

6.00PM

We often have wedding viewings in the evenings or at weekends when people aren’t at work, so I am constantly making sure the garden and the yard are tidy (we have a wonderful part-time gardener, Ian, who blitzes the lawns and hedges into shape) and that the barn is looking its best.

After checking there is nothing else in the office that needs immediate attention I might spend an hour or two in our vegetable garden.

7.00PM

I try to keep up with our social media and post photos on Facebook of the latest event or relevant articles etc.

I am involved in the local networking group, Open Coffee Ballyclare, and occasionally the meeting is here especially if there is a presentation, otherwise it is in a café in Ballyclare.

I enjoy meeting other local business people and entrepreneurs and exchanging our news and ideas, or learning new business skills.

No two days are the same at Breckenhill, but it is always interesting and I meet some wonderful people and love welcoming them here.

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