A Brief History of Events by Jess & The Avery Burns Building

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We are a three-generation team of creative women, inspired by our heritage of hospitality and turning special occasions into memorable events. 

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As a young woman, Jess looked to her caterer grandmother, Eleanor Burns Avery, to teach her how to cook and bake. She later worked as a floral designer in Ellicottville, NY learning all aspects of the floral industry. It was during this time, that she developed not only her skills, but her love of the excitement surrounding celebrations and events. 

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Jess added flower design to her skills set by working in a flower shop in Ellicottville, a business she eventually purchased and ran for several years. Fast forward to the summer of 2015, when Jess and her mother, Jan, developed an idea for affordable event planning, catering, flowers etc. The new business venture was named Events by Jess. We worked out of Jan’s basement and a rented church kitchen until February 2023, when our business outgrew that space. At that point, we negotiated to take over that entire church building, moving our flower shop to that location. We purchased the 1853 building that same year and have renovated it while preserving most of its historic features. Some of the purchase and renovation funding came from the estate of the aforementioned catering grandmother and her husband, Norman Avery, so we lovingly refer to the former church as the Avery Burns Building. 

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Since purchasing the Avery Burns Building, Jess’ daughter, Emma, has become an important addition to the team. She brings a fresh, young, perspective and knowledge of social media to our enterprise. We feel very blessed to all be working together in this venture and have hope for a bright future for Events by Jess.