“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

We (Linds + Nat) have been best friends since FOREVER…literally went to preschool together! After college, we both ended up teaching and coaching junior high in our home town. We needed a creative outlet so we started collecting furniture and props for photos for our kids. After our collection grew, we decided it would be fun to actually rent it out. Coral Lane Event Rentals launched March 2016! We loved creating memorable spaces for people to share sweet moments, and knew that our next dream was to open a venue that was modern and beautiful, but also a blank canvas. After praying and hearing “not yet” so many times, we purchased The Emerson in December of 2017. We started renovating in March 2018 and never looked back!

How did Leanne Ford from HGTV get involved?!

Once renovations started we started looking for inspo and came across Leanne Ford’s show ( check her out HERE ). Nat had the idea to reach out via instagram and we almost passed out when she actually responded! We sent her the cheesiest video EVER on the project and she agreed to consult on the chapel. She is insanely talented and her vision for the chapel truly makes The Emerson ONE-OF-A-KIND. Not only is her creativity endless, but she pushed us to not settle for ordinary and is the kindest human ever! Want to see the reno??

Why the name THE EMERSON?

True Story. We were going to name the venue…wait for it… THE VENUE (at Coral Lane). After realizing that just wouldn’t do, we knew we wanted a venue name that had purpose and meaning. The quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson about following where there is no path, really stood out. It was everything we had focused our brand around in the rental world – just being US. The next day, Nat met a guy named Emerson and the day after that, Lindsey met a little girl named Emerson. FATE RIGHT?!? Has it been easy trying to be different? Not at all! But, it has been extremely rewarding and something that we are still working towards daily.

A word about Nat + Linds from our team

Words truly fall short when it comes to describing the impact that Natalie + Lindsey have had in our lives - both professionally and personally. We couldn’t imagine one without the other. They are fearless dreamers and are passionate about serving our clients + community with transparency + integrity. They’ve done such a beautiful job curating The Emerson into such a timeless and unique venue, but more than that, they have gone above and beyond in creating a culture in this space where everybody who walks through our door feels loved and welcome. We’re so grateful for their sacrifice and their leadership. We are better because of them!

*They are also total goofballs. Don’t believe us? Be sure to follow us on instagram @theemersonhq for all the behind the scenes at the office!