Before getting married in 2004, he thought planning weddings was as simple as calling a country club two months in advance. Alphonso said he soon learned there are not many options for venues.
With a background in construction, Alphonso started crunching the numbers for building his own venue. Now, Alphonso owns four venues across the metroplex: Colleyville’s Montclair along with The Windsor at Hebron Park in Carrollton, and Century Hall and Dalmore in Fort Worth.
Alphonso and business partner, Drew Van Brunt, opened Montclair in October 2019. Designed in a French chateau style, the venue hosts a variety of events, including corporate seminars and banquets as well as galas and weddings. The venue offers a chapel, bridal and groom suites, a balcony and a ballroom that can hold up to 275 guests.
Ceremony and reception rates for weddings start at $4,750 on Monday through Thursday; $6,450 for Friday and Sunday; and $7,495 for Saturday, according to the website.
“We’re not really limited on anything we do,” said Allison McDonald, Montclair’s director of sales and marketing. “We’re not just weddings.”
McDonald joined Montclair earlier this year. She said her favorite part of working at Montclair is connecting with clients. McDonald said she watches them through the whole process, including building the floor plan and choosing catering options.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Alphonso said weddings and events were initially pushed out two weeks but then kept getting rescheduled over and over. During the constant pushbacks, he said staying positive was the main goal.
“Everybody be honest and share your thoughts, and work for the same purpose of having a great event,” Alphonso said.
Montclair’s promise of transparency and honesty is key to the business, McDonald said.
For Alphonso, he said opening the door for a bride before she walks down the aisle is one of his favorite aspects.
“If we’ve had 2,000 weddings, [then] that is 2,000 lives that we’ve made an effect on,” he said.
Montclair, 6504 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville. 682-800-6780. www.montclairdfw.com Hours: tours available by appointment.
