Meet Jennifer Gray | Caterer, Venue Owner & Flower Farmer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Gray and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, how do you think about risk?
Taking risks has been the golden thread throughout my life and career. I’ve always had a passion for learning and experiencing new adventures. Personally, I have enjoyed travel, art classes, upcycling projects, construction, and even farming. Professionally, I feel challenged by taking a new idea, developing a step by step plan, and seeing an idea come to life. In the words of Ray Bradbury, “You have to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” It’s totally exhilarating!! I’ve been an entrepreneur my whole life but this recent adventure has been my favorite. Viennese Hour was originally developed after reading about the European tradition of celebrating weddings with an extravagant display of beautiful gourmet desserts as a guest experience. After owning a venue and flower farming for years, I recognized that couples are wanting to entertain and thank guests with more interactive activities. It occurred to me that the traditional wedding cake was less popular with modern couples and guests evident by hosts exploring alternatives to cake. How could we continue to engage guests throughout the celebration and send them off at the end with a lasting impression of an exceptional and unique experience? The Viennese Hour display would be the perfect ending with hand selected small bites of desserts and treats that guests could explore punctuated by beautiful floral displays and a truly engaging conversation piece. It turns out, the risk was worth taking! The Viennese Hour has been a huge hit for guests at weddings, celebrations, and corporate events. It is the perfect conversation piece that compliments every event and communicates something special about the host.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Coming from a large family in the south, I know what it means to both host and attend special events. It includes close friends and family, joy, laughter, and a memorable day. Little did I know that I would take a 30 year detour as a psychologist before I would return to my roots as a professional event host. My work as a child psychologist allowed me to walk through life events with families while offering encouragement and support. I’m proud of my career and it’s impact on families but I was confined in an office all day. Although I began dabbling in art classes at the Denver Botanic Gardens, my creative side could no longer be contained. We moved to a farm to indulge my love for gardening and became inspired to turn our property into an outdoor event venue. I was self-taught and was immediately challenged by government rules and regulations. I would never have imagined the complexity of getting zoned as a business property while navigating the complicated government red tape. Nonetheless, I forged ahead without the thought of failure as an option. Approval was finally granted with the understanding that events were an accessory to some time of farming. Eventually, my dream to bring people together in a relaxed and comfortable space came to life as Pine Cone Avenue Social. I became a flower farmer, created interesting gathering spaces, and honed my business skills as a venue owner. Anyone living in Colorado knows the challenges of gardening in a dry and hot climate and I’ve lost more plants than I care to admit. I invested hours into learning my craft and continue to read and educate myself. Connecting with people to join them on their life journey was the easy part for me and my true joy! The extreme physicality of farming and property management was my biggest challenge. Yet, I never want to get comfortable. I’m a lifelong learner and, for me, failure is not trying. Failure is letting fear hold you back from all the adventures and new experiences in life. Yes, I get discouraged and overwhelmed at times, but I keep moving forward, and trust that there is something to be learned along the way. In the end, I’m finding joy in my day to day life and sharing it with others.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Day 1 starts with a tour of beautiful Denver. Breakfast is at The Lobby, a little outdoor space reminiscent of New Orleans with great food and bottomless Mimosas. We head over to The Denver Botanic Gardens and follow-up with shopping in the outdoor Cherry Creek area. We head back to downtown and swing by the funky shoe shop Fluevog. Lunch is at Denver Central Market where we stay and people watch. Happy Hour is at Avanti for great views of the city. Dinner is anywhere in downtown.

We stay at a boutique hotel near Union Station and rise early to visit Red Rocks. This is my favorite tourist destination!! It leads to a drive up to Vail. After a few days in the cool mountains, we head south to Colorado Springs. Staying at the Broadmoor we explore the Garden of the Gods and the funky Mexican Market to buy cool garden art.

Boulder is our next stop up North. Shopping on Pearl Street with outdoor music and street performers entertains us for hours. Happy hour at the Boulderado, popping into Peppercorn to buy gifts, Ben and Jerrys and Bar Taco are on the agenda.

We have to hit Lucille’s for brunch on our trip. And a drive up to Estes Park and The Stanley Hotel is a must before wrapping up our trip in lovely downtown Fort Collins, The Elizabeth Hotel and rafting on the Poudre Canyon.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My journey would not be complete without my friend and Viennese Hour partner, Madison Livingston, by my side. The moment we met at a networking event, I knew we shared the same positivity and energy. Both working in the wedding industry, we immediately connected with a genuine spirit of care for others and family. We realized we weren’t comfortable with the big business aspect of weddings and generating wealth. We truly enjoyed meeting couples and creating joyful celebrations without all the stress. Our personalities reflected calm reassurance which couples needed. We also shared an enthusiasm for taking risks and exploring ways to improve the event experience. So when I brought the Viennese Hour concept to Madison, the perfect partnership was formed. Her incredible experience with larger event management, computer savvy, vendor relationships and a keen eye for beauty, complimented my artistic interests, flower arranging and love for entertaining. Together, we are able to connect with clients with a genuine attitude of kindness and enthusiasm for expressing a personal message of love!

Website: https://Viennesehour.com

Instagram: @theviennesehour

Image Credits
Lara Photography
Ash Photo and Film