Today we’d like to introduce you to Wade Heninger
Hi Wade, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve spent the better part of three decades in the tech industry, with roles as a design leader at notable companies like Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft. It was a enjoyable career, but after 30 years wanted to branch out and do something new.
On the side, I worked as a professional photographer, shooting ballet, portraits, and street work. It dovetailed nicely with my work on photography products like Lightroom, Photoshop, and SmugMug. These roles led me to shoot weddings in order to understand the world of a wedding photographer, and I was hooked by what I saw and experienced. I loved documenting these special days and fell in love with the broader wedding industry. About this time, my two older kids got married, and I got to see the planning process up close. I realized that much could be done to make the process easier for couples just starting on their wedding planning journey.
My daughter and I have talked off and on about starting a wedding venue for years. We’d watch renovation shows, comment on interior design, and appreciate the hard work of renovating old buildings as part of that dream. I’d renovated our first home, a small house built by a Swedish millworker in 1908, and I loved building real things with my hands after creating so many notable digital products.
Last year, we decided it was time to launch what would become La Fête.
We had three requirements: 1) find a beautiful, historic building, 2) locate it in downtown Provo (the city where I was born), and 3) have ample parking for our guests. Those three are often mutually exclusive, especially in a downtown environment, until we found the old Goldsmith building.
It took us about a year to plan, permit, and complete the interior renovation of our building, which began its life as a car dealership in 1928. We finished the renovation in September of this year and opened our doors for business in October. My daughter served as the aesthetic consultant and I sourced and built to her vision, My son, a local restaurateur, helps with the business side of things.
La Fête is the result. The name is French for “the party,” and we felt it was just the right vibe for what we’ve created—an elegant, bright, updated venue with just the right aesthetic and amenities for Utah Valley’s brides.
We are now in the thick of it, booking weddings (and corporate events) for 2025 while simultaneously working with the city and the historical society to finalize our façade that we expect that to be done by early January.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Complex renovations of historical buildings are never easy—and doubly so with over 10,000 sq. ft. of space of old bilding work with. The last serious renovations of the Goldsmith building were decades ago, and it showed. Furthermore, we had to completely re-engineer much of the support structure of the building to open up our ballroom, demo huge swaths of the old interior, and replace most of the outdated systems in the building. We reworked everything – new heating/cooling, new electrical system, updated plumbing, and a complete re-envisioning of all spaces to support the needs of our wedding and corporate clients.
Getting the business up and running has actually been the easier part, and coming from the tech world has made adopting new cloud-based systems to support our work a piece of cake comparatively.
We’ve been impressed with La Fête, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Looking at the event spaces in Utah County, we saw the need for an more modern, simple aesthetic for today’s brides.
We didn’t want to be just another space with an industrial or barn-esque vibe. Instead, we wanted something simple, clean, and elegant with a certain French-inspired charm. After months of agonizing over every detail, we feel like we’ve nailed the sweet spot between giving our clients a canvas on which to tell their story and still setting ourselves apart with a carefully curated, unique space.
You won’t find concrete, metal, brick, or other industrial-area aesthetics at La Fête. Our ballroom walls are off-white, appointed with elegant molding work, all enhanced by a warm herringbone floor. We wanted our brides to see multiple signature moments (double french door entryway, arched bookcases etc.) as they entered, which would inspire them as they evaluated where to celebrate their special day.
Furthermore, we offer solutions to take as much of the work out of wedding planning as possible. While not a restrictive, all-inclusive venue, we do offer in-house planning/coordination, florals, and catering that make the process a bit easier. Brides tell us that they are often overwhelmed with the sheer number of options for their event, so we focused on ensuring that the big stuff can be taken care of in one place.
Finally, as a wedding photographer, we focused on creating a space that will show well in your photographs. We have great options for a wide variety of photo opportunities, flicker-free lighting, and flash-friendly ceilings. Finally, as we face west, beautiful golden light spills in the front of the venue in the evenings, making for an unforgettable photographic experience. We even built a wall of coat hooks so that we can keep coats/bags out of the ballroom and consequently, out of your photos.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We’re open for tours and booking – browse our website for more information on all that we offer.
Finally, we’d love for you to follow us on our socials and website – we continually post photos of the space in action and informative articles on our blog for young brides as they begin their wedding planning journey.
Pricing:
- Pricing starts at $2000 and goes up to $3975, depending on day of the week and length of the event.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://lafetevenue.com
- Instagram: @lafetevenue
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/La-F%C3%AAte-Wedding-Event-Venue/61567094765284/
