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Buena Vista Farms creating resort
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Plans are taking shape to expand a Jacksonville-area banquet and conference center into a resort.
Jacksonville Journal Courier - January 14, 2012.
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Trust those who know...and have proof!
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Teri Gutierrez recently completed a comprehensive course of how to plan the perfect wedding no matter what the budget. From small intimate weddings to elaborate ceremonies and receptions, Teri can make your wedding planning experience effortless.
Teri possesses inside knowledge of how to assist brides and grooms with setting up contracts and agreements with florists, caterers, hotels and entertainment, and effective means resolving disputes that allow the bride and groom to get to the altar as stress-free as possible.
See Teri's certificate of comprehensive Wedding Planning.
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How much is it?
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Right after the "will you marry me" comes the really big question, "how much is it"? Finding out what "IT" is, becomes the difficult part for most consumers. Couple quickly fall prey to the expert marketing of chain stores.
In days gone by, weddings were in churches for free to members, or at court houses, and receptions were in church basements with little cucumber sandwiches, cake and punch. As soon as the cake was cut and eaten, the event was over.
Couples now view reception to include a whole host of printed material from save the date cards to programs, buffet meal, hosted alcoholic beverages, over the top decorations, Disk Jockey entertainment, and one up the last wedding they attended on cute trinkets to send home with the guests. The whole package comes with quite a price tag.
Teriann Gutierrez, owner of Buena Vista Farms, Inc, states that "my personal opinion is that a couple can have the typical wedding and reception for a minimum of about $5000.00 in total, excluding rings. It becomes very easy to spend several times your budget without being aware of it until after the event is finished and the bills come in. Most weddings in our area are significantly more expensive events".
In order to accomplish the feat of staying on budget, no matter what your budget is, you have to become a savvy consumer, and plan well. Teriann Gutierrez offers the following tips to the brides that she assists.
The add on sale: When you shop for the bargain item, that is heavily advertised, you are persuaded that the bargain item is not quite right for you, you need the better brand, then a number of additional items for a complete package. You just blew the budget for that item.
Free: When a chain store offers something for "free with a purchase", someone is paying for it somewhere along the line.
Planning time: Many website guides recommend a year or more for planning. This is of course a plot so that you spend more money. A long planning time means that you are more absorbed in the process and are lured into purchasing additional items to add to your event. Three to four months is adequate, two months planning is possible.
Changing your mind: This costs money, period. For instance, purchasing a few things in a certain shade of blue, then discovering that the bridesmaid's dress is a shade too different, means that money is wasted.
Don't do it yourself: This can cost time, stress and money. Hire professionals you trust, hammer out details and complete costs, communicate your vision and trust them to do the job. They are more efficient, and understand the dynamics of all that goes on behind the scene. Most often you are not aware of the last minute things needed that will cost you dearly (like salt and pepper, ice, tape or scissors).
Week of the wedding: Never think that planning for you and your closest friends to make or complete anything the week of the wedding is going to work out well. You are host to out of town relatives and guests. You need to be rested in order to be kind to each other, your attendants, family and vendors. You will not be the person that you want to be, when you are planning to decorate for the reception the morning of the wedding or for that matter, the week of the wedding.
Credit card on file: This is a great way to add to the cost of an event. You will most likely be charged for things that you requested without fully understanding the additional charges until you get the final bill after the event is long over. Watch out for service charges and gratuities, which may be mentioned only in the fine print of the contract.
Little things add up: Certain things are standard in all weddings, cake knife, votive candles, champagne flutes, vases, table linen, etc. Vendors can provide these items at far less cost then purchasing them yourself and they will be properly sized, pressed, and presented. Spend your money on things that make your event personal, that reflect you as a couple.
In one year, in five years: What will you and your guests remember in a few years about your event? What will you and your guests keep as souvenirs of your special day? Spend your money on those things. The meal is more memorable than the guests favors. Beautiful and delicious cake is more memorable than a higher price brand of beer. Music that you have chosen is more memorable than standard DJ fare. Photos are more memorable than programs. Another coosie sleeve or a votive and napkin with your initials is probably not going to make it to the permanent collection for most guests. Spend your money on things that you and your guests will remember, that set you apart.
Teriann always reminds her brides to have fun with the planning! Allow yourself time to rest and minimize things to do the week prior to your very special day.
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Archers stay on target
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Rinehart Target Company R100 competition at Buena Vista Farms
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July 17, 2011 6:30 AM
JAKE RUSSELL
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Scott Rushton, of Shipman, took his place about 3:30 p.m. Saturday as a finalist in the milk jug competition.
Two milk jugs filled with water hung, balanced, a single piece of rope attached to both of them to keep them in place.
It was a head-to-head challenge. Rushton and his opponent could shoot as many arrows as it took for enough water to leak out of their jug and send their opponent’s to the ground.
His objective was simple: take time.
In spite of being nervous, he took things slowly and smoothly, ensuring that he always got the arrow on without fumbling with the string.
The first shot and the arrow whizzed right through the bottom of the jug, leaking water profusely.
A second arrow put an air hole in the top of the jug, sending the other to the ground.
After five rounds, Rushton won the water jug portion of the Rinehart Target Company R100 competition at Buena Vista Farms, 1630 U.S. 67 in Chapin.
This was the first year the competition has come to Chapin, said Nestor F. Gutierrez, who sent in an application and then spoke with manager Mike Pollard.
Rinehart Target Company manufactures fake animals — from common types like deer, elk, antelope, to the exotic: elephants, zebras, giraffes — and has held competitions for nine years, Gutierrez said.
The animals are made with a dense, high-quality foam that adapts well to arrows. Each animal has a removable insert in the kill zone, indicating if the shot was worth eight, 10 or 12 points.
Fifty animals were scattered through Buena Vista farms — North American on the west side and African on the east — and hunters from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri Ohio and Wisconsin started Saturday, shooting targets and adding their score.
Registration began at 7:30 a.m., but some people came as early as 6 a.m. With the hot temperatures expected, Gutierrez anticipates many already-registered hunters will show up at 6 a.m. when the competition continues today.
Gutierrez isn’t much of an archer; he prefers hunting with a shotgun, he said. His son, Nestor Vincent Gutierrez, has put in the necessary hours to get good at bow hunting.
It’s certainly a time investment and it can also be expensive, said Pollard, who has invested $2,700 into his bow.
Pollard’s passion is really in the competition, though. He has a competitive streak and likes to “know I’m as good as the guys who have been in the Olympics,” he said.
It was hard to say if anybody there on Saturday had participated in the Olympics, but some bore jackets promoting sponsors.
“It’s all about how far you want to get into it,” Pollard said.
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Buena Vista: A farm for all reasons
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Growing venue hosts weddings, parties, sporting events
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April 24, 2011 7:00 AM
GREG OLSON
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From a distance, the 145-acre spread northwest of Jacksonville appears as just another farm.
It’s up close the differences come to life: From a barn that can accommodate 225 people to its large wooden dance floor just right for deejays and dancing.
Nestor and Teriann Gutierrez first envisioned Buena Vista Farms as a small place to host outdoor weddings and small company meetings.
Then word spread. Soon came more weddings, reunions and parties.
The Gutierrezes had earlier lived on a cattle ranch near the small town of Buena Vista, Bolivia, and they chose that village’s name for their rural Morgan County land.
Nestor Gutierrez, a native of Cuba, originally came to the Jacksonville area in 1978 to sell agricultural chemicals. But in 1993, when he turned 40, he decided a career change was in order, packed up the family and headed south.
Real south.
“I had a midlife crisis and went to Central America, then Colombia, then Argentina and ended up in Bolivia because of its central location in South America,” Nestor Gutierrez said.
“I got into the environmental side of the oil field business through what I had learned in the ag chemical business.”
During that period, the Gutierrezes raised beef cattle in Bolivia, but they maintained a home near Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church west of Jacksonville.
In 2000, the Gutierrezes saw a business opportunity in the Jacksonville area when they bought the farm northwest of Jacksonville at auction.
“Knowing that the new highway was going to be built and thinking about our transition back from Bolivia, we purchased the farm,” Nestor Gutierrez said. “We didn’t really know what we were going to do with the property, but we knew it had a lot of potential.”
In 2002, the Gutierrezes began work on the property by digging a 4.5-acre pond. In November 2005, they sold all their holdings in Bolivia and returned to living in the Jacksonville area.
The next year, they started developing Buena Vista Farms, building a cabin and a barn to host events. The first function they hosted was a birthday party in the barn in October 2006.
From there it grew.
Larger groups now meet in the barn, a 104-foot by 36-foot metal building that can accommodate 225 people.
“The barn has a surprising eclectic, chic interior,” she said.
The building has a large wooden dance floor, a setup area for bands and disc jockeys, a buffet section and a bar. The barn is also climate-controlled and handicapped accessible.
“We don’t have full kitchen facilities, but we do grill out here and have hog roasts and things of that nature,” Nestor Gutierrez said.
“The nice thing about Buena Vista is that they really help you. They provide maps, parking and decorations,” said Toni Long of Jacksonville, who has held several parties there. “It’s a great venue for a little more casual approach.”
Long is arranging a 70th birthday party for herself and her friends at Buena Vista Farms this fall.
“We have been saying that we are going to invite 400 of our intimate friends,” she said.
But it is outdoor wedding ceremonies for which Buena Vista Farms is becoming known, according to Teriann Gutierrez.
“We have had couples from North Carolina, Tulsa, Okla., Chicago, St. Louis and Florida. Through Internet marketing, easy interstate access and our central location, we have been successful,” she said.
Since opening in 2006, Buena Vista Farms has averaged about 20 weddings a year.
Theresa Smith of Franklin said it was the ideal setting for her wedding.
“We really liked the grounds and the tent, where our wedding ceremony and reception were held,” said Smith, who married Jared Smith in September. “The tent is so gorgeous. You can do so much with the tent because it is all white. It was nice to be able to have everything all in one place. We had our rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception there.”
Weddings are held in several locations on Buena Vista Farms, including the cabin, the tent, the pergola, the gazebo and the barn.
A billowing white tent has banquet seating for 425 people and cathedral seating for 800.
“We provide everything the bride and groom need, such as linen tablecloths, table decorations in a variety of styles and colors, cake knives and votive candles,” Teriann Gutierrez said. “We try to make it stress-free so the couples can enjoy their special day.”
Buena Vista Farms also offers sporting clay shooting on a 12-station course, a 250-yard rifle and pistol range and a 30-station 3-D archery course.
For parties, conferences and special events, it provides the opportunity to go fishing, canoeing, paddleboating and hiking.
On July 16-17, Buena Vista Farms will host the Rinehart Target R100 archery event in Illinois.
“We are expecting between 500 and 700 archery enthusiasts,” Nestor Gutierrez said. “This is the best-known 3-D target manufacturer, and they will bring full-size, high-density foam targets of North American and African animals. We are honored to host that event. Only one facility is chosen in Illinois each year to host the event.”
The Gutierrezes hope to expand Buena Vista Farms in the future.
“As the expansion of U.S. 67 from St. Louis to the Quad Cities comes to fruition, we plan to invest each year in another part of our business,” Teriann Gutierrez said.
Buena Vista Farms is open April 1 through the Christmas season by appointment.
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