Wade Heninger and his daughter Chloe Greenburg have renovated a historic downtown Provo building into a French-inspired wedding venue.
They named their family business "La Fête," meaning "The Celebration" in French.
The building was originally a Ford dealership and later a jewelry shop.
“I really fell in love with the whole concept of providing a venue and a place for people to tell their story when they get married," Heninger said. "My daughter showed up one day and she said, ‘I found our building.’ And I said, ‘What do you mean?’ She goes, ‘I found our venue building.’ And so we came down and we looked at it."
Greenburg said she grew up watching home renovation shows with her dad. The pair decided that, one day, they'd make their renovation dreams a reality.
“It's been really fun. For the most part, we've gotten along well and been on the same page," Greenburg said.
The renovation took just over one year, Heninger said. Greenburg led the design while Heninger used his self-taught construction skills to bring his daughter's vision to life.
The two said they chose a French-inspired style for their venue as a nod to their Canadian roots and ties to ballet. Heninger's parents are from Canada, and he speaks French. Greenburg learned many French terms during her time as a ballerina.
“I mean, it's Provo. It's not Paris. I get that, but at the same time, you know, there's a lot of people and activity that goes on downtown here,” Heninger said.
Heninger's son is an investor in the business. Greenburg's three-year-old daughter visits the venue often and loves dancing in the ballroom, after which she walks with Heninger to get ice cream.
La Fête is the family's first business venture. Heninger spent most of his career in the tech industry, and Greenburg is a working on her master's degree in physical therapy at BYU.
“It's been fun watching it come to life; you know, from a Pinterest board to real life," Greenburg said.
The business reflects the family's values and taps into Provo's "ring by spring" culture, they said.
“I get a lot of joy out of just seeing these young couples who are so in love," Heninger said. "They're so ready to take this next step and I just think it's fantastic, and I enjoy being a part of it."