STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (EYT) – A Clarion native is making a name for herself in the wedding planning business while also making it much easier on couples to plan their dream wedding.
In May, Clarion Area High School graduate and State College resident Hannah Wolf will be launching a website that will accompany her new business, PA Wedding Venues.
The business, based out of State College, is an online venue directory platform that connects couples to their desirable wedding venues across Pennsylvania while making it easier to find prices, vendors, and more.
Wolf, a graduate of Penn State University, is just following in her family’s footsteps. Wolf’s grandfather, George Wolf Jr., was a notable figure in the Clarion business district. He established three successful businesses in Clarion County, including The Wolf’s Den Restaurant in Knox, George W. Wolf Jr., Inc. (a Pennzoil distributor) in Sligo, and Wolf’s Camping Resort, also in Knox. He was also named Citizen of the Year by the Clarion Chamber of Commerce in 1992.
Additionally, her great-grandfather, George W. Wolf Sr., owned and operated Wolf Contracting and Mining Company while her uncle, Joe Wolf, owned Wolf’s Auto Outlet in Shippenville.
Along with the family aspect, Hannah Wolf gained experience through an internship with BEvents Planning, a wedding planning consultation company based out of State College, as well as her time as a Director of Operations & Marketing for Arrow Hotel, in Broken Bow, Nebraska.
So, needless to say, Wolf has been well-prepared for this business venture.
It all started when Wolf was asked by a friend to help plan their wedding. She began searching for venues and vendors online and quickly became overwhelmed by hopping all over the internet to find the information she needed.
“Everything I was finding wasn’t always transparent when it came to pricing and small details that would be important to couples,” Wolf said. “It was rather frustrating not having everything in one area, and that is when this idea came to mind.”
The first step to starting the business for Wolf was to apply to Penn State’s Happy Valley LaunchBox FastTrack Accelerator, a program that helps startup businesses “avoid common startup mistakes, build an actionable plan to launch your business, test the market quickly with ‘smokescreens,’ and build a solution based on real customer feedback.”
“This program has helped me really think outside the box, gain a large network of resources, and really pulled me outside of my comfort zone,” Wolf said.
“I found that about 50% of the wedding planning process is consumed by finding that perfect wedding venue,” she added. “Not only that – but about 50% of the couple’s budget is spent on the venue. So, it’s really important all the details are there (in one place).”
Wolf is quite aware she has competition in the market, but she is sure that she has the advantage.
“There are a lot of other websites out there that do the same thing,” she said. “However, they’re not very focused on just Pennsylvania and what Pennsylvania has to offer.”
Wolf wants to help not only the couples in their wedding planning process but also to give the small businesses and venues a platform to show all they have to offer at an affordable price.
In the future, Wolf plans to build the business and website to help represent all markets, but more specifically, showcase the “hidden gems” in rural communities like those sprawled amongst Pennsylvania.
Those interested can visit www.pa-weddingvenues.com and can subscribe to be notified when the official website launches.
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