Hotels and lodges are great for weddings but often a couple is looking for something a little more customizable, special and outside of the box. We love working at private homes, bed and breakfasts, ranches, historical sites, museums, art galleries, inns and golf courses but it takes a knowledgeable and experiences planner to pull it off properly. Typically, with these unique venues you are going to need a lot more rentals that would otherwise be included at your hotel or lodge. Having a wedding in a distinctive locale isn’t necessarily cheaper make sure you understand all the cost involved and what needs to be rented. You many need to rent:
– Tables
– Chairs
– Linens
– Lighting
– Tent
– Heaters or AC
– Generator
– Restrooms
– Valet
Also, there may not be a full event staff on hand like there is at a hotel. Make sure you have enough personnel to take care of the restrooms, refuse, parking and event management. Having a 20 people over for Thanksgiving is not the same as having 200 people over for a wedding.
Confirm that all of the vendors have walked through the venue to ensure everyone has enough space and enough power to properly execute their job. You don’t want to find out on the wedding day that the DJ and the lighting are allocated to the same circuit.
What about rain? Is there enough space to move your group indoors if summer showers are upon you? Make sure you have a tent on hold in case of inclement weather.
It’s wonderful to have a different feel to your event than the same old ballroom. Do your research and hire a great planner to ensure all the bases are covered.