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After outgrowing her two Beautiful Beginnings venue locations on Hill Street and Whitesville Road, Shemeka Moody packed up and moved to a bigger location down the road.

“I knew then it was time to go [when I grew out of that space],” Moody said. “I said to God, ‘if you can just give me a space that will fit 150 people, that would be great.’ So, the fire marshal gave me 188 people. If I ever grow out of this space, I believe it will be because I’ll have my own space and not be renting from somebody else.”

Moody celebrated the opening of her new location on the Vernon Plaza on Vernon Road last Sunday for family and friends and had an official ribbon cutting ceremony with the Troup County Chamber of Commerce Wednesday as a welcome to the public.

Moody started Beautiful Beginnings six years ago at her Hill Street location, which she grew out of in only a few years, she said.

“I started getting a lot of inventory … so I started moving to Whitesville Road, and I was there three years and grew out of that, and that led me here,” she said.

Beautiful Beginnings hosts a variety of events including weddings, birthday parties and reunions, and due to the venue’s size, is less expensive than other event venues in the area, Moody said.

“We offer a clean environment … and clients get to choose silver or gold Chiavari chairs, which comes with the rental of the building,” Moody said.

Moody also has a background in outside decorating and hair styling, she said, a service that is optional to her clients whenever they rent out the space.

Moody said her family is her biggest supporter and sometimes helps her with the business. She strives to be a tiptop example to all three of her children, especially her youngest son.

“I am training all of them to be independent and teach them that they don’t always have to work for someone and establish their own business,” she said.

Beautiful Beginnings already has several events planned over the next few weeks, Moody said, and her ultimate goal is to have the space rented out every weekend as she continues to establish herself in the community.

“I want to have a good environment that is open to everyone…” Moody said. “My main goal was that when people first walk in, I want them to feel welcome. I want them to say, ‘I want this building.’ I don’t know what God has in store, but I’m very well known in this community, so I get a lot of support.”