Planning a Private Residence Wedding

So you’ve made the decision to get married at home! Whether it’s yours or your fiancé’s family home or another private residence, you’ll want to keep these FIVE things in mind.

Greenhouse Creative Studios

Guest access & parking

Most private residences can easily accommodate 2-6 vehicles in their private drive. Some more, some less. When you’re planning for 25 people or more, that amount of parking spaces simply won’t work. Unless guest transportation is provided. Not to mention vendor access & parking. I highly recommend my couples ask their guests to park in a large, local public parking lot (hotel, mall, casino, ski resort, etc…) and provide transportation to & from the home and grounds.

Bathrooms

They’re a fact of life. Throw in a mix of boozy drinks, plated dinners, and dozens of bladders and they’re an unsavory yet critical component to yours and your guests’ experience. I suggest keeping the inside restrooms available to a limited number of guests. Typically, those living & staying there. For all other friends & family, I recommend luxury trailers with hand washing stations.

Power

Love all of those outdoor string lights you see on Pinterest? And the amazingly romantic dance parties with a beautiful amber lit home in the background? DJs and bands rocking the house? That all requires power. Instead of pulling power from every 20amp outlet inside and using a bazillion extension cords, renting a couple of whisper generators should do the trick.

LIghting

The sun will eventually go down on your wedding day. And that’s when the fun really begins! When daylight disappears, you want to make sure there’s ample lighting on your guests’ tables, above their heads, and along all walkways. This will also help your vendor team at the end of the night as they load up and head out.

sound restrictions

Most residential neighborhoods have quiet hours. It’s important to consider the parameters in the city or county where you’re hosting. Some cities require a special event permit with detailed descriptions of your music, sound plans, and timeline. As well as restricting your band or DJ to particular decibel levels. While I’ve been known to keep a cop or two at bay from busting up a killer wedding reception, it’s not my favorite thing to do!

8 Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Wedding Venue

Selecting a venue for your big day is one of the first steps to planning your wedding. There are many different aspects that play a pivotal role when choosing the perfect host for your soiree. From budgeting to parking to vendor selection, you want to know what to look for. The following eight tips are some of the most important aspects to consider when assessing your options.

View fullsize

Devil’s Thumb Ranch by Jessica Christie Photography

1.  Availability  

This is a BIG one. Are they available on your desired date? Venues book fast (up to two years in advance), so when you find THE ONE, you want to secure the spot as soon as possible. If your preferred venue isn't available on the date you set, is your date flexible? If it is, you can have the venue of your dreams just on a different day.  If it's not, time to keep shopping!

2. Price

Does your preferred venue fit within the budget you've set? On average, venues that do not provide food and beverage on site can cost up to thirty-five percent of your total budget. On the opposite end, venues that do provide in-house f&b options, such as hotels, resorts, and country clubs, can run up to sixty percent of your budget or more.

3. Capacity

You want to ask the on site contact what the maximum occupancy is for your desired service style (ie cocktail reception, dinner, dancing, etc.) Having this information can guide you in creating your guest list. You don’t want guests to be crowded, but you also don’t want a venue that will make your party feel sparse.  A good rule of thumb is to never invite more people than the maximum capacity allows. 

4. Parking

Experiences in Colorado have taught us that there are several venues that don't have ample on-site parking (ahem, mountain top locales). Therefore, couples are forced to provide transportation for their guests to and from the venue.  If you procure a venue that does not provide an adequate parking solution for your guests, this will have a significant impact on your budget.  

View fullsize

Dunton Hot Springs by Laura Murray Photography

5.  Preferred vs. Exclusive Vendors

It is important to know what vendors are recommended or even allowed at your chosen venue. Many places have a preferred list of professional vendors with whom they have worked and built relationships with. Some of those vendors are exclusive to the venue (you are required to use that vendor).  A venue's preferred/exclusive vendor list is generally well vetted but you need to make sure those companies listed also fit within your budget.  

6. Plan B

Very important! It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have a backup plan for your special day - especially in Colorado. When you are touring different venues, make sure their backup plan can accommodate ALL of your guests for unforeseen circumstances, such as adverse weather conditions. Whether it means setting up a tent for an outdoor ceremony or moving the ceremony inside to the reception room, it is vital to have worst-case scenario plans in place. You don’t want your festivities to be ruined due to poor planning. 

7.  Cancellation/Postponement Policy

You may not think to ask your venue about their cancellation policy, but you can never be too sure! Knowing what the cancellation policy is for your venue and your vendors is essential. If the wedding has to be canceled/postponed due to force majeure events (like a pandemic or act of God) or personal circumstances, you want and need to be well informed of the venue’s policies. 

8. Special Provisions

Most Colorado venues have special provisions listed in their contracts regarding the dos and don'ts of your celebration. These can range from requiring a professional wedding day management coordinator, to private event and vendor insurance, to flameless candles. Some venues even restrict flower petals down the aisle and the throwing of confetti or rice at the ceremony or grand exit. It's important to ask about any special provisions, for each specific venue, during your initial site visit.  

While the above tips are great to reference when selecting a venue you can never ask too many questions or be too thorough. Each wedding and couple is unique and it's important that your selected venue is the perfect fit for your celebration.   

Until next time,

Cheers!

6 Key Considerations for Potential Caterers

When it comes to your wedding day, or any special occasion for that matter, food & beverage is one of the most important elements. While several wedding & event venues in Colorado have their own in-house catering team, this post is specific to those that do not. The considerations below are certainly not the only ones you should contemplate, but they will assist in jump starting a productive and informative conversation with any off-site caterer. Catering friends: would love your special insight + input! Leave a comment with your thoughts at the bottom of this post.

Photo by Sarah Porter Photography

 1. Full- Service or Limited. This is probably one of the biggest considerations when it comes to researching potential caterers. Full service caterers are on site a couple of hours, pre-ceremony, to assist with setting up tables, linens, folding napkins, placing menus, etc… A full-service caterer also provides bussing, tear down, clean up, and trash removal services. Whereas a limited service caterer is responsible solely for food service. They arrive shortly before the ceremony starts, get food out for guests to enjoy during cocktail hour, serve dinner, clean up the kitchen, then they’re out. Which, if you don’t have a wedding planner and service team, means you (or your guests) are throwing away table scraps, removing trash, sticking around after your reception to clean up, and breaking down tables.

2. Bar & Alcohol Services. If they can supply bar & alcohol provisions & staff, your interview process just got a whole lot simpler! By combining food and beverage service together, it is one less vendor to be procure & manage. Not to mention how much time it will save you with regard to computing the quantity
& types of alcohol needed.

3. Average Staff to Guest Ratio. How does that change based on service style (i.e. buffet, plated, family style, French style, etc…)? When chatting with the event designer, ask if staff costs will be broken down by line-item or grouped together. If staff is itemized, it makes it easier to determine appropriate tipping protocol.

4. In-House Pastry Chef(s). Often times if there is an in-house pastry chef, that team is also able to provide dessert service. But, make sure you’re aksing what their dessert capabilities are. They may specialize in bite-sized desserts such as cheesecake bites, tiramisu bites, cake pops, cupcakes, etc…not necessarily a full blown, intricately detailed wedding cake.

5. Sharing your Event Designer. On peak wedding & event weekends, it isn't uncommon for larger catering crews to work more than one wedding per day. However, it is important to ask if your sales representative/event designer is committed to another event the same day as your wedding. If he/she is committed to multiple events on a single day, it doesn’t spell disaster. It simply means that proactive communication, ahead of your big day, is all the more important. Avoid last minute changes to catering & rental orders and allow some grace in their response time in the days leading up to your soiree.

6. Average Price per Person. Again, there are varying inclusions among all companies. For instance, one caterer's price per person also includes rentals such as; silverware, china, glassware, linens, etc. Whereas, another caterer may not include those items in their per person price. When comparing costs, it is important that it's apple-to-apples. Along those same lines, ask if they provide complimentary tastings or if they charge for the initial tasting and place that amount towards your final invoice if you book with them.

The above considerations are a short sampling of things to keep in mind when researching & interviewing potential caterers. If you’ve already been through this process OR are a vendor in the events industry, I’d love to know what YOU think is important to consider with regard to food & beverage service!

Until next time,

Cheers!

Why "Day-Of" Wedding Coordination Is Anything But

Okay planning couples, let's have a serious chat about "day-of" wedding coordination and why it can't ever be "just the wedding day."  Don't get me wrong, the presence of a good professional coordinator, on the actual day, is included in the namesake and is utterly priceless. However, every couple and every wedding is completely different! It takes time for said coordinator to truly understand your expectations and seamlessly execute YOUR vision and plans, with YOUR vendor team.

Dawn Sparks Photography

You've, no doubt, spent several months, and in some cases 1 year+, planning your big celebration.  The main reason (or hopefully) for hiring a coordinator for your wedding day is so that you can enjoy the beginning of your marriage with those closest to you! Would you honestly trust someone who has NO idea what you've put in place, to execute your vision to perfection, while you sit back and sip champagne? Without first communicating with you about every aspect of the day? I'm willing to bet the answer is, "NO." In order to do that you have to establish a rapport and have a trusting relationship with a procured professional. THAT TAKES TIME! Even professionals who offer their services as hourly labor need to have some sort of pre-communication and "big picture" idea to work with. 

In addition to communicating with everyone involved, beforehand, it's important for your coordinator to be included at the venue's final walk through (typically 30-45 days prior to your wedding day). Not only to fully understand how you expect the room to be set, but to clearly communicate that expectation to your vendors, well in advance of showtime. It is also at this point, that any changes to a standing rental order (i.e. tables, linens, chairs, centerpieces, etc...) are recognized, allowing plenty of time for those changes to take effect. 

 A professional coordinator needs to be fully informed, in advance, of any and all important times (i.e. ceremony start, reception start, venue access, etc...). You may have developed an extremely detailed timeline and shared it with vendors, friends, & family. Can you imagine if you didn't discuss any of that with your coordinator before the actual wedding day? He/she probably wouldn't arrive at the right time and/or be able to know if any of your vendors arrived at the right time. And, as detailed as your timeline may be, chances are, there are some "little" items missing that need to be vetted for your vendors to execute their individual responsibilities. For instance, what time should everyone line up for the ceremony? Who is cuing the musicians for song changes during the processional? Who is performing the welcome/blessing upon your introduction into the reception? When are you doing your first dance? Is it before or after you cut the cake? When is the band eating and taking a break? And on and on and on...

While I could talk for literal hours about why a "day-of" coordinator's responsibility really encompasses the month (or more!) before the wedding, I think you get the picture. As a side note to all of the above, I also highly recommend that you don't sacrifice the thousands of dollars you've spent thus far by skimping on the wedding day management of those dollars.

In an attempt to change the stigma and misconceptions of this commonly known service, when you contact Pink Champagne Events, you'll receive information about our "Wedding Day Planning + Coordination" services. I trust, based on several conversations with colleagues, that my fellow planners have already or will soon, change their service wording.

For more helpful hints to seamlessly communicate and transition your plans to your wedding day coordinator, check out this post. 

Until next time,

Cheers!