You’ve probably heard of Prairie Berry Winery near Hill City, South Dakota. If you love wine you probably have even drunk some of theirs, but did you know they host weddings and events? With over 2,800 square feet inside the Homestead, they can easily accommodate indoor weddings and events of up to 150 seated guests. Outdoors offer several different ceremonies and reception locations with a covered porch, tented patio, and beautiful lawns.
Prairie Berry Winery | Black Hills Weddings
Traditionally, in the Midwest when you think of wineries, you might think of summertime and warm temperatures. Complete Weddings and Events has been apart of dozens of weddings and events at Prairie Berry Winery year-round, not just in the summer! One of the benefits of having your event or wedding in the Black Hills is the natural-born beauty of all four seasons. Centrally located in the Black Hills, their campus not only offers wine but also brews beer! If you are an avid outdoor enthusiast you can find plenty of activates nearby such as the breathtaking views from the top of Black Elk Peak, off-roading trails that start from their parking lot, and even coffee across the street. If you love fishing or boating, be sure to make the quick jaunt down from Sheridan Lake or Pactola to enjoy their tasty food after a long day on the water.
We had the pleasure of chatting with their senior events associate, Colby Loftus, in our studio on a podcast episode of The Complete Report.
Reed: Okay, so how long have you been there now?
Colby: Just over six years.
Reed: Wow! That’s awesome! Colby based on every events and wedding venue that I am in contact with. I would say that as an associate, well… you’re pretty much a manager.
Colby: I’m not but well yeah, I get to oversee, but yeah, the events department.
Reed: Right, but in my eyes you are. So if I were to take a survey, I would say that the majority of managers or associates are not sticking around as long as you have. I would say like two to three years is the average. That is just me guesstimating, but I really do think analytically I would find that out, so that’s that’s awesome! Not only does that show commitment to where you’re at, but it also shows that you’re worth it to clients! So that’s awesome that that you’ve been there six years.
Reed: So Colby, we know how you got to Prairie Berry, but what do you if you don’t mind like just unpacking that for us?
Colby: Yes, so I am the only person who is full-time in events right now with us, so I’m the one answering inquiries. You know, talking to people about what we offer, doing any of the client meetings so people want to come see the venue. I give tours, food tastings, working with our booked clients and then behind the scenes planning part of things, and then I actually get to work the event as well, so I get to help out with the bar and coordinating the food. We do all of the catering onsite too, so. Which is amazing, Jen and Jen’s mom. They do an outstanding job.
Reed: Okay you get to be part of it from pretty much the start to finish is what it sounds like.
Colby: Yes, yeah.
Reed: What would be something that comes to mind that is your favorite part from the start to the finish? Is there anything in between those that like something that you just genuinely enjoy the most about what you do at work?
Colby: I would say Event Day is my favorite. Getting to see all of the work that has gone into it leading up to that day by everybody. All the other vendors, all of the family members. Everybody who’s made that date comes together and then just getting to see people celebrate and actually enjoy all of the hard work that has gone into it.
Reed: Yeah, I would agree. That’s the fun part about being at weddings. It might look like a job sometimes to us, but ultimately it’s a celebration. We are involved in a celebration of an awesome thing called marriage. So I would agree with on that.
Colby: Absolutely.
If you would like to listen to the entire podcast episode you can find The Complete Report on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, and SoundCloud. If you would like more information on Complete Weddings and Events, give us a call today! 605-348-8869
