Over the decades, the home grew to include two greenhouses, multiple stone towers, a pool and a deck with a view.
“They’re very creative people,” said Dave Connell, the couple’s son. “So that definitely comes through in what they were able to do. They were very fortunate to be able to have ... the time, energy and resources to create this place for sure.”
Sometime around 2012, the couple realized what they had built—including tropical and desert greenhouses, which Dave said his parents built as “empty nest” project when he and his sister left the family home—and decided to downsize.
At the same time, Dave and his wife, Harper, were looking to get out of 9-to-5 jobs. Don was a land manager who conducted prescribed burns, and Harper worked in communications for a conservation nonprofit.
Rather than see his parents sell their home, he broached the idea of turning it into a wedding venue.
“We got married and started a family, and [running this venue] is more our style,” Dave said. “We don’t have to run around the country doing things; everybody just comes to us.”
The venue includes multiple ceremony sites—including the greenhouse, which can be used at a limited capacity. The three-story tropical greenhouses include a catwalk and spiral staircase and feature hundreds of plants that blanket the floor and climb to the top of the glass ceilings.
Elopements, parties of under 10 people, start at $2,000 for two hours. Small ceremonies, under 40 guests, start at $3,000. Full-size weddings, up to 250 guests, range from $12,000-$20,000 depending on the day of the week. Bookings are accepted about a year in advance. The Connells also offer public tours. Interested individuals can reach out for more information.
“I like to bring two families together,” Dave said. “I like the buzz in the air, you know, but my main passion about weddings has been able to work on the weekends and play with my kids during the week.”
Growing the greenhouses
The venue features two greenhouses. Don Connell began the greenhouses as a hobby and does much of the work tending to them.
The Tropical Greenhouse: In the larger greenhouse, plants reach up to three stories. It includes species such as cycads—known as “living fossils”—because they have been relatively unchanged for hundreds of millions of years.
The Desert Greenhouse: This secondary greenhouse features a range of cacti. Don sources many of his plants from New Mexico and Arizona. The cacti include saguaro and golden barrel cacti.
The Greenhouse at Driftwood
850 Darden Hill Road, Driftwood
512-239-9187 | www.thegreenhousedriftwood.com
Hours: by appointment
