Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Lang.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My path to business ownership started with realizing I was on the wrong career path.
After college, I accepted what I thought was my dream job in the nonprofit sector. While I loved the mission, I quickly realized the role wasn’t the right fit for my strengths or the life I envisioned for myself long term. Around the same time, I began coordinating weddings on the side and immediately fell in love with the wedding industry. What started as a part-time opportunity quickly grew into a full-time career.
As I became more involved in the Kansas City wedding industry, I found myself increasingly interested in the venue side of the business. I was fortunate to connect with people who generously shared their knowledge and helped me better understand the local wedding market. During one of those conversations, I learned that Hawthorne House, a wedding venue in Parkville, Missouri, might be available for purchase.
What followed was an eight-month process of business planning, due diligence, and preparing for ownership. In 2019 we moved forward with the purchase of Hawthorne House. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of leading the business through a season of growth while continuing the incredible legacy established by its founder.
Today, as Co-Owner and General Manager, I oversee the day-to-day operations, marketing, and long-term strategy for Hawthorne House. One of the things I’m most proud of is building a service-centered team and creating systems that allow us to serve couples well while continuing to grow sustainably. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that a side job coordinating weddings ultimately led to owning a wedding venue, but I’m incredibly grateful for the journey.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but most of the challenges haven’t been what people typically expect.
Like many business owners, I’ve navigated staffing changes, economic uncertainty, shifting client expectations, and the countless challenges that come with running a business in the wedding industry. But the struggle that has consistently required the most intentionality is building a business that supports the life I want to live outside of work.
From the beginning, my goal was never simply to grow Hawthorne House into the biggest wedding venue possible. I wanted to build a business that allowed me to be present as a mother, a wife, a friend, and a business owner. That has meant making decisions that aren’t always the obvious choice. Sometimes growth has looked less like saying “yes” to every opportunity and more like staying focused on the opportunities that align with our long-term vision.
As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly presented with exciting new ideas, partnerships, revenue streams, and ways to grow. I’ve learned that not every opportunity is the right opportunity. Some of the most important decisions I’ve made have been deciding what not to pursue.
That doesn’t mean we haven’t evolved. In fact, Hawthorne House has changed significantly since we purchased it in 2019. But those changes have been guided by a clear vision rather than simply chasing what seemed exciting in the moment.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that success isn’t just measured by revenue or bookings. It’s also measured by whether the business you’re building supports the life you want to live. For me, the most rewarding part of this journey has been proving that growth and balance don’t have to be mutually exclusive when you’re intentional about the decisions you make along the way.
As you know, we’re big fans of Hawthorne House. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Hawthorne House is a family-owned wedding venue located in Parkville, Missouri, just outside of Kansas City. We specialize in hosting weddings and have had the privilege of serving hundreds of couples throughout our nearly three decades in business.
While we’re certainly known for our estate-style setting, chapel, and beautiful grounds, I think what truly sets Hawthorne House apart is our commitment to creating an exceptional experience – not just on the wedding day, but throughout the entire planning process.
One of the things we’ve worked hard to cultivate is a service-centered culture. Weddings are deeply personal, and we never want couples to feel like they’re simply moving through a process or checking items off a list. Our goal is for them to feel supported, cared for, and confident from their first tour through their final dance.
We’re also incredibly fortunate to have a team that shares that philosophy. Over the years, we’ve intentionally invested in developing a team of professionals who genuinely love serving couples and collaborating with the talented wedding vendors in our community. I believe that culture is reflected in the experience our couples have and the relationships we’ve built throughout the Kansas City wedding industry.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is that we’ve been able to grow while staying true to who we are. We’ve expanded services, improved the property, and evolved alongside changing client expectations, but we’ve never lost sight of the values that built Hawthorne House in the first place.
If there’s one thing I’d want readers to know about our brand, it’s that we believe weddings are about people first. Beautiful spaces matter, thoughtful details matter, but creating an experience where couples feel genuinely cared for will always be our highest priority.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I think most people are surprised by how much of my job is actually centered around strategy rather than weddings.
Because I work in such a creative industry, people often assume I’m spending my days talking about flowers, color palettes, and design trends. While I certainly enjoy those parts of the business, a much larger portion of my time is spent thinking about systems, long-term goals, team development, and how to build a business that supports the life I want to live.
I’ve always been a very goal-oriented person. When my husband and I graduated college, we set a goal to pay off our student loans in five years and accomplished it in three. When we purchased Hawthorne House, I created a 5-, 10-, and 20-year business plan before we even owned the property. Many of the decisions we make today are still guided by that original vision.
I think people are often surprised to learn that I don’t measure success by how many weddings we host or how busy we are. Instead, I tend to evaluate decisions by asking whether they move us closer to our long-term goals while still allowing me to be present for the people and experiences that matter most outside of work.
At the end of the day, I love weddings, but what truly excites me is building something intentionally. Whether that’s developing a team, improving a process, or planning for the future, I’m probably happiest when I’m working on the strategy behind the scenes that allows everything else to happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thehawthornehouse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehawthornehouse
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehawthornehouse
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizlang
