Austinite finds career she loves in weddings

Diana Barron and her husband, Mike, opened La Paloma Event Center out of necessity.

After purchasing land in Lakeway in 2004 and building a home in place of the farmhouse that came with it, the economy slowed down, affecting their business, Southstar Custom Homes.

The couple decided that if they were going to stay on the lot, they needed to find a new source of income.

With that in mind, they built a climate-controlled pavilion.

"We had an acre with nothing on it," Diana recalled.

The pavilion seats 200 people for events such as weddings, fundraisers and corporate parties—or 150 people if the event includes a dance floor. Or, when the weather is nice, a wedding with a capacity of about 300 can take place on the expansive lawn.

Diana said three things led to the event center.

The first was the economy, but the second was she had just learned how expensive weddings could be when her daughters were married one after the other in 2007.

But the third reason was that Diana realized she loves weddings.

"Maybe it's because I'm just such a romantic, but I still tell brides, 'You look beautiful,' because they are. It's the glow—every bride just glows, and you can't help but cry. It's so joyful," Diana said. "You get to be so involved in the emotion of the day."

After the pavilion was completed in 2010, the venue was ready for the 2011 wedding season. Last year, Diana spent a lot of time with different event planners and coordinators coming to the event center for different occasions, but in March, she decided to partner with DNA Events, an Austin events company owned by Frank and Kathryn Albarado.

"It was kind of a no-brainer for us to be able to come to a beautiful venue like this," Frank said.

Diana said that while she knows how to run a business, she was new to the wedding industry and willing to ask questions.

"It's very collaborative and hands on for both of us," Frank added.

When DNA Events joined the event center, Frank helped Diana come up with a list of preferred vendors.

"Having been in the industry for so many years, we've had the opportunity to look at these vendors and choose who to work with based on professionalism and consistency," Frank said. "In general, the vendors we've gone with have a good reputation."

Diana said that having a list ensures that her customers get the most out of what they pay.

"The reason that's such a big deal is the average person has never thrown a party for 200 people," Diana said.

She said when she planned one of her daughter's weddings, before she opened the center, she spent a lot of unnecessary money.

"When you walk away, I want you to feel like you walked away with something," she said.

Plan an event

Pricing for La Paloma Event Center is between $3,960 and $5,400, depending on the day of the week and availability. It includes the venue and rentals, including tables, chairs and linens.

14913 Murfin Road, Austin, [email protected], 423-0372, www.lapalomaevents.com