Weed-Friendly Weddings Are Just Part of the Fun at This Longmont Farm Venue

Thirty years ago, Jennifer Gray bought a how-to book on event organization, a career dream she put on hold while working for 25 years as a psychologist and raising a family. After sending her children to college, though, Gray decided it was time to turn her delayed dream into a reality.

Gray and her husband, Dan, purchased a piece of farmland in Longmont and officially opened Pine Cone Avenue Social last summer. The couple has hosted over twenty weddings and events since, five of them "infused" with marijuana. Although public pot use is banned in Colorado, private venues can allow adult guests to do what they please. Still, it's not an easy party to plan.

We caught up with Gray to find out how she's able to allow owner cannabis consumption, and how she ensures that each gathering is as special as the last.

Westword: What makes Pine Cone Avenue stand out from other Colorado venues?

Jennifer Gray: It’s definitely a unique outdoor setting. It’s not a barn. It’s not a public park. It’s an interesting outdoor setting that has these unique little gathering spaces. We have a capacity of fifty, which is really a nice sweet spot where we can provide everything for that intimate size. One unique feature is that after [guests] have picked their date and we’re moving forward with an event, they get to come into our decor room and hand-pick the things they like. Nothing is the same. There’s no table setting that is the same as the next, so they really get to come in and say, "I love this, I don't like that, this is great...." They have unlimited choices.

We also have an old train boxcar on the property that is such a cool part of history. It’s a backdrop for amazing pictures and is very interesting for guests to come out and explore. We also have a renovated RV; they’re just really fun for people to check out. We renovated and decorated them in really cool ways. So people get to wander the property and explore these little areas. It creates conversation in the group. We also have different garden areas, a perennial garden and a cut-flower garden. We have a solar greenhouse that’s really awesome, because it doesn’t operate off of any electricity. It's temperature-controlled by barrels of water. ... We have chickens walking around, and people can check out the donkey.

What does hosting a cannabis-friendly gathering look like?

I think people would be surprised. It’s very much like having a bar: You have a budtender, and you have products on a bar-like setting. [Guests] get to come up and discuss with their budtender what their preferences are, and then they’re served. I think that people would be surprised at how professional it looks. It really is like going to a very high-class bar where [bartenders] are educating you on cocktails and different types of crafted cocktails, but in this case it's cannabis. I think it's very professionally done and very educational. You just walk up like any other bar and have someone educate you on some things you might like.

What are the most important things to remember, as the venue owner, in order to successfully host an infused wedding or event?

It’s paramount to control consumption as much as possible. You have to make sure you're following the law, so people are carded. Also, being careful about overconsumption and making sure people have safe rides home. We cut off serving products and cannabis after a certain point so that people have time to come down before they have to find safe ways home. [Guests] stay in certain designated areas if [they] do not want to be in an area where there’s smoking or consumption. We want everybody to be safe, but also comfortable. If guests choose not to partake, there are still other options for everybody.

Other than the use of cannabis, which rising matrimonial trends are you most excited to see in 2022?

The trend I love is [groups] becoming smaller and more intimate. Couples are very concerned about budget, but because the groups are getting smaller, they’re looking to entertain their guests more with special entertainment like mixology or food pairings — food and alcohol or food and cannabis. There are even circus performers. I just love that the groups are getting smaller and we’re spending more on each guest to enhance their experience.

We’re an outdoor space, so we try to keep music lively enough that people can dance, but still be respectful of the community. We've had string quartets, we’ve had some amazing live bands and guitar players, and we also have pre-recorded music. In fact, last summer it was really popular to have live music, and we brought in food trucks once a month. It was a great way for the community to get to know us and come out and explore the property. We plan on doing that again.

What is the most rewarding part of organizing and hosting these weddings and events?

I love the feeling I get when couples and families see their event set up for the first time and it reflects their vision. I work hard to understand their vision and values and create a personalized guest experience. We spend time before an event sharing Pinterest boards and collaborating in our decor room to pick out colors and decorations that set a theme and tone. Once I understand a vision, I can make the process easier and less stressful for individuals planning an event. I really want them to enjoy the planning process without feeling overwhelmed by the little details. That's my favorite part of party and wedding planning: the little details that make an event special.

How are you preparing for the upcoming wedding season?

We are still working through the winter on projects. We are hoping to build a dock at our pond to make it accessible for pictures. We are building a pergola for shade. We’ve learned a lot from our last season. It can get very warm in the summer, so we’re having more shaded areas for people. We’re always increasing our inventory. My favorite part of this is buying throughout the winter so that we have really beautiful decor. We want to have decor for every type of couple, no matter what their style or niche is. We really want to be open to everybody, so we build up all of our supplies.