Shirley Acres

What Shirley Acres does

Shirley Acres is a family-owned, full-service outdoor wedding and event venue operating on a 21-acre property in North Houston, Texas. Founded in 1971 by Ralph and Lou Shirley from their original 13-acre family home and currently run by Bob and Karla Shirley, the venue offers five distinct event spaces—the outdoor Courtyard, the indoor Garden Room ballroom, the rustic Pavilion, a Bridal Suite, and a four-bedroom Guest House—accommodating up to 350 guests. Its core product is an all-inclusive wedding package that bundles venue access, catering, beverages, floral design, coordination, and DJ services into a single contract, with average wedding pricing between $10,000 and $25,000.

The business model is event-driven, with revenue generated primarily through per-event packages and ancillary fees such as $600-per-hour extensions. Discovery is driven by listing on The Knot, WeddingWire, and Venues by Tripleseat, supported by organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) and SEO. Conversion occurs through direct venue tours, with coordinators (Stacie, Marissa) acting as the primary sales interface. The in-house team includes Chef Felipe (culinary, 30+ years) and on-site florist Margaret (30+ years), creating vertical integration that the venue uses as a key differentiator. No proprietary technology platform, app, or AI systems are part of the operating model; the moat is built on physical asset, brand heritage, and service execution.

Name

Shirley Acres

Legal name

Shirley Acres

Website

https://shirleyacres.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shirley Acres is a family-owned, all-inclusive wedding and event venue in North Houston, Texas, operating on a 21-acre property with five event spaces and bundled catering, floral, beverage, and coordination services for couples and private event hosts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wedding & Event Venue Services

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (722310), Florists (45931)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Wedding Planning (HSACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wedding & Reception Catering (HSACAGAD), Wedding Design, Decor & Floral Planning (HSACABAH), Reception Planning & Guest Experience (Seating, Favors, Hospitality) (HSACABAM)

Keywords

• Outdoor wedding venue
• Wedding catering services
• Event coordination services
• All-inclusive event packages
• Bridal event spaces

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Hosting Services: All-inclusive wedding and event hosting services bundled into custom packages. Revenue is generated through per-event package pricing that includes venue access, catering, beverages, floral design, coordination, and music services. Additional hours can be purchased for $600 per hour. Average wedding costs range from $10,000 to $25,000 depending on guest count, services selected, and time of year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shirley Acres operates a 21-acre all-inclusive outdoor wedding and event venue in North Houston, Texas, bundling use of its ceremony and reception spaces (The Courtyard, The Garden Room, The Pavilion), on-site catering, full bar service, floral design, event coordination, and DJ/music into customizable packages. It serves primarily couples planning weddings as well as rehearsal dinners, engagement parties, and other private events for groups up to 350 guests, with average wedding packages priced between $10,000 and $25,000.

Product overview

Shirley Acres is a single-location, all-inclusive outdoor wedding and event venue offering 21 acres of picturesque grounds in North Houston. The venue operates as a unified service offering rather than a modular software platform. Its core product is the physical venue providing space rental combined with comprehensive event services. The venue features five distinct spaces: The Courtyard (outdoor ceremony), The Garden Room (elegant ballroom), The Pavilion (rustic reception), The Bridal Suite (preparation space), and The Guest House (overnight accommodation). These spaces are bundled with four integrated service modules: Event Coordination, Catering (Chef Felipe), Beverage Services, On-Site Floral Design, and DJ/Music Services. All services are provided in-house, making it a fully customizable all-inclusive package rather than separate modular products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• All-Inclusive Wedding & Event Venue Package Customizable all-inclusive wedding and event package that bundles use of the 21-acre North Houston property (The Courtyard, The Garden Room, The Pavilion, Bridal Suite, and Guest House), catering, beverages, floral design, event coordination, and DJ/music services for ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal dinners, and engagement parties of up to 350 guests. Average wedding packages are priced between $10,000 and $25,000, with additional event time available at $600 per hour.
• Event Coordination Services Dedicated in-house wedding coordination guiding couples through the entire planning process from initial consultation through rehearsal, setup, and day-of execution, including timeline management and day-of coordination by team members such as Stacie and Marissa.
• Catering Services On-site culinary service led by Chef Felipe with 30+ years of experience, providing buffet, plated meal, or hors d'oeuvres options such as carved roast and chicken breast, Italian pasta, fajitas, and BBQ buffets for wedding and event guests.
• Beverage Services Fully stocked bar with consumption-based pricing providing coffee, tea, unlimited sodas, beer, wine, frozen cocktails, and hard liquor, supported by TABC-certified bartending service.
• On-Site Floral Design In-house floral design service led by on-site florist Margaret with 30+ years of experience, producing fresh centerpieces, bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres tailored to the couple's vision.
• DJ & Music Services Music services featuring partner DJ Sound Connections, with both event rooms and the courtyard equipped with sound systems for ceremony and reception.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average wedding package ranges from $10,000 to $25,000, making premium all-inclusive weddings accessible
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MEB CakesminorOthersExternal cake vendor that supplies wedding cakes at Shirley Acres events. Referenced in client testimonials as part of the all-inclusive service experience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• The Knot Worldwide: Largest U.S. wedding marketplace where Shirley Acres is listed; not a venue operator but the dominant discovery and lead-generation channel for the entire industry.
• WeddingWire: Major U.S. wedding vendor marketplace where Shirley Acres holds a 5.0 rating — comparable in that it controls the buyer-funnel infrastructure the venue depends on, though not a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• The Hess Club: Houston-area private event and wedding venue with multiple event spaces, on-site culinary team, and bundled coordination services — comparable operating model and customer segment.
• Hotel ZaZa Houston: Houston boutique hotel with dedicated wedding and event spaces, in-house catering, and full planning services — targets a similar couple demographic at a slightly higher price point with hotel overnight accommodations.
• Briscoe Manor: Houston-area estate wedding venue with multiple event spaces, on-site catering, and all-inclusive packages — directly comparable in customer base, pricing, and bundled service model.
• Iron Manor: Houston-area full-service wedding venue with indoor and outdoor spaces, in-house catering, and bundled packages — competes for the same Houston couples with a similar all-inclusive value proposition.
• The Bell Tower on 34th: Houston-based all-inclusive wedding and event venue offering multiple indoor/outdoor ceremony and reception spaces with on-site catering and coordination — directly comparable in scale, all-inclusive model, and target customer.
• The Sanctuary at High Marsh: Texas wedding and event venue offering indoor/outdoor ceremony spaces with bundled services — competes in the same Texas all-inclusive wedding market with comparable package pricing.

Regional players

• The Ashton Depot: Texas (Fort Worth) all-inclusive wedding and event venue with similar bundled service model and historic property positioning — comparable operating approach but in a different Texas metro.

Emerging players

• Pine Lake Ranch: Smaller Texas outdoor wedding and event venue with comparable outdoor-ceremony positioning and bundled services — niche competitor with partial overlap in target customer and service model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ShirleyAcresEvents
• Instagraminstagram.com/shirleyacresevents
• Pinterestpinterest.com/shirleyacrestx
• Xx.com/shirley_acres
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shirley-acres-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shirley Acres