About Us

Nancy Jarvis-Vogel is the proud owner of Meadowview Gardens. After dreaming of owning a wedding and event venue for many years, her dreams finally came true on June 7, 2003, when the first wedding took place. In the intervening 3 years, Nancy has helped nearly 200 couples tie the knot!

Nancy McMichael was born in South Haven, Michigan, and moved to Creston, Iowa, at the age of eight. She had begun taking piano lessons at the age of 4, and became an organist in her church as a teen-ager. Later, in college she had one semester of formal organ lessons while pursuing a music minor. More than 35 years ago she regularly played the organ for weddings. At every wedding rehearsal it always seemed someone would ask, "What do we do next?" It didn't take long to know what came next. As years went by and Nancy became more involved in many aspects of weddings for friends and relatives, her knowledge of weddings and the desire to be a part of the wedding business increased.

While continuing her 30-year-career as an elementary school teacher (6th, 5th, 3rd, grades & K-5 music), not only did she constantly upgrade her teaching credentials from BS, to MA, and finally Education Specialist Degree, but she also increased her knowledge of the wedding industry.

During the summers of 1996 and 1997 she was a student at the Los Angeles Floral Career Center, where her instructor, Ray Tucker passed along his most extensive knowledge of and experience in the floral industry, especially in regard to weddings. As Ray's student, she had the opportunity to help with floral arrangements for several upscale California weddings, even one at Sony Picture Studios.

During the summer of 1997, Nancy became a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants. Being a member of this worldwide organization with its on-going educational program has been an enormous help in furthering Nancy's knowledge in the wedding industry. She became acquainted with and helped ABC Master Bridal Consultants, Mimi Doke of AZ and Jean Picard of CA with weddings they were in charge of, to learn their methods of consulting and coordinating weddings.

In 1999, shortly after retiring from her teaching career, Nancy spent a week in Valparaiso, Indiana, working with another ABC member Dena Fyock, who had built a 10,000 sq. ft. wedding and event facility. Nancy has taken classes in every aspect of the wedding business from cake decorating to wedding etiquette. She has attended all but one of the annual ABC international conventions, where she has been privileged to be educated by such wedding professionals as ABC member Colin Cowie and Carla Roney, editor of The Knot magazine. Along with this, she has traveled to all 50 states and several foreign countries to check out other wedding businesses so that she could incorporate the best of each into her own business.

In November of 2003, the Association of Bridal Consultants annual international convention was held in Kansas City. Nancy and Meadowview Gardens were pleased to host an off-site activity called "Goin' to the Chapel". The rave reviews about her venue from her fellow bridal consultants were very appreciated.

"The Examiner", a newspaper serving eastern Jackson County, MO, for their bridal show special edition in January of 2005, featured Nancy's new business, Meadowview Gardens, in a story. She is a member of the Blue Springs and Warrensburg, MO, Chambers of Commerce.

Nancy eagerly looks forward to helping you plan and execute a perfect, stress free wedding while at the same time she is realizing her passion and dream that has become a reality.