Meet Laurel Loew | Venue Owner/Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laurel Loew and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laurel, what do you attribute your success to?
Our business is family run on property that has been in my husband’s family since the 1950’s. As a wedding venue, the product IS the location and having such a love and appreciation of the space itself is obvious to our clients when they tour our farm and this is key to our success. My mother-in-law’s passion for gardening, my husband’s love of the land and his gift with sound/music (he is the DJ for our weddings and sound engineer for live bands) and my talent for creating memorable events provides our clients with “hands on” owners who are personally invested in the success of each event. (BTW, the images I am sending you are by my daughter, Jasmine!) Well before offering the venue to “strangers”, we have been celebrating the good fortune of living here. My husband and I have hosted large family gatherings, circus style children’s parties for our kids, an annual weekend long camping event for our best friends and family and got our start in the wedding business by hosting weddings for our family and friends. As a team, our family has cared for the land, hosted harvest festivals, farm dinners and live concert events. Moving to offering the property for private events was a natural evolution for us and our combined talents and passions. We are genuinely excited about people making important memories here and it shows.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Agua Linda Farm is a 63 acre ranch in Southern Arizona. My husband, Stewart and I run an event venue on the property where we also live. Stewart’s first love was music and it looked like we would be living in Las Angeles or another big city for him to pursue a career in sound production. I could teach anywhere! One day, (we were 18/20 years old), Stewart told me that he wanted to farm his father’s land. He recalled the days when it was being farmed when he was a kid and wanted to bring it back. So, the ranch started to be called a “farm” and we fired up the old agricultural well. We grew and raised food for the community, had you-pick gardens, a farm store, a pumpkin festival, farm dinners and more. Customers who came to our events started asking if they could have their wedding or other celebration here. Eventually, the weddings took over and we “hung up the pitch fork”. This has been a perfect transition for us. Honestly, the farming was VERY hard work. Weddings are, too, but but in shorter spurts – farming was a marathon – weddings are sprints. The transition was gradual and, actually, unintentional, so it was relatively painless. Over time, we expanded what our offerings were – mostly because we wanted a baseline quality standard (no plastic tablecloths or aluminum chairs!). The property flowed in a way that could not have been better if we had designed it!
Our venue appeals to clients who love the outdoors and love the climate of Arizona but prefer a lush, green landscape. Our spacious grounds with HUGE shade trees really make us unique in Arizona. The adobe architecture is authentic, 1940’s Arizona. People also appreciate that even though we are only 30 minutes from Tucson, it feels a world a way – we have no neighbors (no noise ordinances), and or starlit night views and a moon rise over the mountain are unobstructed by city lights.
When there is an event here, our clients and their guests feel like it is their place for the day – there are no other businesses here – it is a private ranch for them to enjoy all to themselves.
We offer a few packages – including one for non-wedding events. Weddings are our “bread and butter” but we are also a great spot for corporate events, family reunions, concerts, charity fundraisers…
For weddings, we have a base package that appeals to the DIY couple OR to the “grand event” couple who have a team of high-end vendors and recently we added a more inclusive package and a fabulous Micro-Wedding package.
I feel that our venue and what we offer is really a lifestyle of celebration, making memories and creating events that are unique and personal to each couple. There is a “vibe” here that you can’t help but feel – an appreciation of life and joy of sharing with others.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a great question – in fact, I am soon to be launching a new instagram/blog promoting our area which is so special with so much to offer! First of all, their are many GREAT lodging options! My friend would probably stay here with me, but maybe we would have a group of friends and book a weekend at our neighbors, The Shankle Ranch! This AMAZING old ranch has always been a private home but was recently opened for lodging. The ranch is a gorgeous, sprawling property with a pond and shares our mountain view. The hacienda is made of thick adobe and each room is large and tastefully decorated with handsome antiques and can sleep up to 17! It also has a custom luxury tree house (featured now in Arizona Highways!) that sleeps two.
An early morning walk on the Anza Trail is a must! The section of the trail that starts in the Tubac village is like a jungle with well maintained pathways and the Santa Cruz River runs through it just about year ’round! Birders love this walk! If we are up for it, the trail will take us to the Tumacacori Mission, a few miles south. The mission is a state park and is hauntingly beautiful – plus, you get a little bit if history while you are there!
Then, we would call Stewart to meet us across the street at the best bar in Santa Cruz County, Abes Old Tumacacori bar. This bar has been owned and operated by the same family since before prohibition. I used to love to go and listen to Abe tell stories. Now the bar is run by his granddaughter. We would play some pool and have some tequila and listen to the Juke Box! (If is is a big celebration, my husband would set up and DJ).
Before we leave Tumacacori, we would pop into the Santa Cruz Chili and Spice Company. The chilis used to be grown in field in Amado, close to our farm and are now grown in Pierce, Arizona and the family has been growing and producing product for over 80 years! I always need a few spice packs and a tub of chili powder and my friends can purchase gifts to take home.
At some point, we might get hungry, so I would suggest lunch at Wisdoms in Carmen, between Tumacacori and Tubac, (all along the same stretch of road). Here we need to pre-order their famous fruit burritos – apple for me!
Or, we may want to head back towards the farm and hit the iconic Longhorn Grill – even if we just get a picture of us out front under the famous giant steer skull entrance – this spot is REQUIRED!
We would probably hit a few shops in Tubac and some of the art galleries. The Karen Newby Gallery has a fun outdoor sculpture garden and I love to hit Old Presidio Traders. Gary Hembry has a lot of fun touristy buys but I go there at least once a year (husband in tow around Christmas or our anniversary) to buy some Native American silver jewelry!
We would also visit the Munger family at the Country Shop where you can get the best prices on Mexican imports in one of Tubac’s oldest family run stores.
After a rest, dinner would be at Elviras Restaurant where the atmosphere alone will BLOW YOU AWAY! The decor and color, furnishings and lighting are pure ARTISTRY, thanks to owner and award winning chef, Ruben Monroy, whoes mother ran Elivas restaurant in Nogales Sonora, Mexico. Be sure to get a mango margarita with tajin, and we will share a mole dish and the cabrilla (sea bass) which is TO DIE FOR!
We would probably spend the evening in the jacuzzi here at the farm or in our own private cantina IF we had any energy left!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It may sound cliché, but our parents have played the most important part in our success in many ways. We were both lucky to have fun, supportive parents who nurtured our creativity. My parents knew how to turn any event – even yard work – into a fun time. My mother’s creative and artistic side was passed down to me. My father was a teacher and administrator and I originally followed in his footsteps and taught 2nd grade for 10 years. The planning and creativity, and management of twenty five 8 year-olds all day taught me skills I draw upon everyday. Stewart’s father was a movie producer who grew up during Hollywood’s heyday. His mother was a Broadway dancer – entertaining is in his blood. AND – most importantly, it was Stewart’s father who purchased Agua Linda in the 50’s and his mother who encourages our endeavors here.

Website: agualindafarm.com

Instagram: @agualindafarm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeddingsAguaLindaFarm

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNMIiqCtBLS4kuPGrLI9DA

Image Credits
Jasmine Loew of The Loew Light, @the_loew_light www.theloewlight.com a couple of shots by me