Sweet Celebrations at Strawberry Manor

Story by Betsy O'Leary | Photos by Riyen Helg

Brittany Howes and Amy Smith, owners of Strawberry Manor in Ponchatoula, share a passion for serving people and their community. Their love of bringing friends and family together through entertainment refined a hobby of hosting dinners, birthday parties, and wedding planning into a successful business serving the public.

They began designing, decorating, and coordinating logistics for private parties, weddings, and corporate functions. Before long this involved traveling throughout neighboring parishes, transforming backyards and private venues into their clients’ dream events. Brittany and Amy soon realized the next step for maximizing their capability to achieve the vision of each event requires the freedom and flexibility of owning one’s own venue.

This aspiration began the hopes and dreams to find their own event space. It was love at first sight the moment they saw the 80-year-old home named Florescence. “We love everything about Ponchatoula; what it stands for, the strong family bonds and the focus on growth without losing your values.” This is more than just another wedding venue. This is a place where people will grow with us, make it a part of their family traditions, and experience a place where our community can come together. Our mission is to create the florescence of events – an event in full bloom,” said Amy.

Strawberry Manor offers a breathtaking atmosphere that includes scenic views no one knew existed in Tangipahoa Parish. The grounds and gardens are home to 100-year-old azaleas, whimsical wisteria, and majestic magnolia trees providing a story book feel. The structure started with great bones, and the partners improved on them by adding features such as turning the former sunroom into the main ballroom, building a warming kitchen for caterers, and creating an expansive bridal suite. They’ve also added

balconies and completely renovated the master bedroom and bath into a romantic haven for newlyweds to spend their wedding night.

Strawberry Manor can comfortably accommodate 300 guests for outdoor functions and up to 125 guests for indoor events. The ladies are already planning on-site expansions for larger weddings and events. Although Strawberry Manor’s gorgeous grounds are perfect for weddings year-round, Brittany and Amy welcome celebrations, such as birthdays, anniversary, engagements, and more. Because of its convenient location, the venue is perfect for corporate events and business meetings of all sizes.

Strawberry Manor is a family affair with both families involved. Their husbands, Bobby and Justin, help with maintenance of the property as well as all the “honey-doos” that come up. Amy’s daughter Chelsea manages security and her son Blaine and Brittany’s Daughter Layla, help with setup and teardown of events, and Brittany’s sons Caleb, 4, and Conner, 6, are the on-site mischief-makers!

Amy’s organizational and management skills combined with Brittany’s creative thinking and design skills, have made

Strawberry Manor Tangipahoa’s premier event venue. Together they create beautiful events in a breathtaking space while making the execution of the event feel effortless. Through collaboration with local vendors, Strawberry Manor also offers inclusive packages with services including floral arrangements, transportation, bed-and-breakfasts, photo booths, cakes, decorations and more.

“We want our clients to trust us to handle everything,” said Amy. “Each event will have an assigned event planner who will be able to manage every detail and plan the perfect event.”

To book your event, go to strawberrymanorevents.com or connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.