Today we’d like to introduce you to James Kimball.
Hi James, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up as a gamer kid, interested in fantasy and Lord of the Rings. Academics was never really a strong skill of mine and my grades in school were average or below. When given the chance to go to college, I went only for a year before talking to my parents about dropping out and starting a business. Thankfully my father seemed supportive of the idea of me using the money he saved for my college for starting a business instead. When I did, it was instantly a success story and the business flourished, growing stronger every year. It was a LARP, and I was making good money from running basically a monthly live dungeons and dragons game for hundreds of people. After almost two decades of this, I had made enough money to purchase a 200 acre campground in which to permanently run the business. A half a decade later we opened the Sparta NJ Renaissance Festival on the site in September and that has grown into a successful three week long faire. A little after that Covid hit and threatened my business and all the businesses around us. We pivoted to focus on Weddings and weddings instantly became a huge hit and a huge money maker. About six years later we are at current day and weddings have become 90% of our business, filling up dates quickly and easily and booking couples about 2 years in advance,
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle was Covid. Like many businesses we had to shut down temporarily, and rely on the generosity of loyal customers to keep us going as a community. The pivot into weddings was a huge risk. At a time where I had little money and little prospects, I spent a lot of my savings on advertising for weddings, and thankfully it instantly paid off. We came out of covid 5 times stronger than we went into it.
We’ve been impressed with Camp Sacajawea Wedding Venue, 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?
We specialize in laid back and low stress weddings. We give the couple the whole 200 acre site for three days for one fixed price that is much lower than holding weddings at more traditional wedding venues. One of the things we offer that others do not is true transparency. All of our pricing and availability information can be figured out in full detail prior to showing. This is generally unheard of in the wedding venue business. Our couples already know if we are in their budget and if we have availability they would like before coming in for a showing. We also emphasize our laid back atmosphere and a key selling point that couples find refreshing. Lastly we have a build in renaissance look, so many of our couples are gamers and fantasy enthusiasts and fall in love instantly. Those who are not into fantasy, love our outdoor beauty.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Im turning 50 in a few months. As time goes by I realize that family and happiness matter more than sweating the small stuff.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.camp-sacajawea..com
