Hello to all our 2022 clients, your families and guests! We are excited about this upcoming wedding season and suspect that you are as well! We are sure that most of you have been doing some serious planning over the winter months – lining up dresses, caterers, DJ’s, florists, creating guest lists and working on endless details that go into a successful and memorable wedding. Together, we will make your dreams come true!
We have been working hard as well at the Wolf Creek Retreat. We started HUGE projects starting at the end of the October wedding season. We started renovations on our new Bridal Suite which will be available as a separate investment to our Brides beginning in May 2022. Two modern restrooms, a complete prep kitchen for caterers, mirrors, makeup area and rack for hanging dresses. New HVAC completes a comfortable area for your special day!
Our responsibilities to you are to deliver a beautiful event setting for your photos, memories, and guests. That includes the lighting, tables and chairs. We will guide your vendors to the Pavilion and get them settled. We also are responsible for parking and placing your guests into spots where they are never blocked in, in the event they need to leave. We will be responsible for removing any food, plates, utensils, etc. after your caterer has left. Your caterer will remove the same while they are on our premises and we will continue after they leave. We will be available if needed for any emergencies or situations you need support in handling or that comes to our attention. We will give your coordinator/planner or your “Person in Charge”our contact information so we can be reached immediately before, during, and after your event. If you have issues or questions about any aspect of your wedding, we ask that you contact us as soon as possible so we have an opportunity to address these concerns in advance and not after the fact.
Now is a good time to review your contracts and refresh your memory concerning start and end times that you have contracted for. We highly recommend that you plan for enough help from friends, family, or contracted help to accomplish your setup within those times. This information needs to be communicated to your “Person in Charge” and vendors as well.
It’s our commitment to be the most professional and economical venue in the area and deliver the most beautiful backdrop for all your important photos and memories! If – as you are getting closer to your wedding date – you believe you have miscalculated the amount of time it will require for you to accomplish your goals, extra time can be purchased at $150.00 an hour or any portion thereof. We ask that you communicate this need at least two weeks in advance accompanied by a check or cash at that time. This charge is necessary for us to compensate the staff and security who must be in place when there are guests on the premises pursuant to our insurance requirements. While our lake is a stunning backdrop for photos, it is s serious liability and we are required to exercise the utmost care in monitoring activity around it.
All deliveries (ice, beer, decorations, etc.) must be scheduled during the period of time you have contracted for.
This is the time to communicate to your vendors that they are asked to arrive a half hour before general parking starts. General parking starts an hour before your ceremony. Vendors also need to know that they must “wrap it up” and be able to leave by 10:30 P.M. at the very latest. D. J.’s in particular need to insure they bring the amount of equipment that can be packed up and removed in this period of time. We ask that you communicate to your vendors that they must call us at 937.307.6533 when they are 10 minutes away so we can meet them in the driveway and take them to the Pavilion, answer any questions, and help them get situated.
We also ask that you communicate to your disabled guests to arrive a half hour before general parking so we can get them parked and situated. So, if your ceremony is at 5, general parking starts at 4, and vendors and disabled need to arrive at 3:30.
Let’s talk about child wranglers. We highly recommend that you have an individual in place who is responsible for making sure that children don’t get hurt by playing too close to the lake or by the creek, which is steep and dangerous. Why a “wrangler?” It’s been our experience that parents don’t keep their children within eyesight and may be distracted with visiting old friends and relatives. Children also – by virtue of “being children” – do things they feel are innocent, which may in fact cause significant financial damage. Climbing through open concession stand windows, breaking window molding, picking blooms off flowers and running through gardens flattening plants are some historical examples. The clients arriving a few days after your wedding want the landscaping and gardens to be perfect for their event as well. We truly appreciate your attention to these details, and your fellow clients will appreciate it as well!
You will find a portion of your contract which speaks to the fact that you are responsible for your guests. We have some time-tested ways to support you in keeping hundreds of people safe. When it comes to the alcohol rules, there will be signs that state that “Wedding guests shall not bring alcohol onto the premises.” That means no car bars, coolers, and flasks, and no bottles, cups or cans carried in. The only alcohol that can be served is that which your family has purchased and provided a bartender for. Alcohol also can only be consumed during a 4.5 period of time, usually beginning after the ceremony. We recommend a handout to your DJ who can gently and courteously communicate the rules a couple times throughout the evening. We will show you an example of this handout when we meet in person a couple weeks before your event.
As you discuss the responsibilities of your bartender with them, it’s important to remind him or her that their job is not just to hand out drinks, but to monitor the guests and offer soda or water if someone is showing signs of intoxication. They must carry insurance - as all vendors must - as they may bear responsibility for intoxicated guests and possibly any accidents these guests may have after they leave the event if they are intoxicated. We always hope an accident never occurs, but we must all be prepared for the unforeseen. If your vendors need help finding event insurance, please don’t hesitate to ask us. We can refer them to several providers.
We hope these tips will help you have – as much as possible – a stress-free and enjoyable wedding event! We thank you again for being a client of the Wolf Creek Retreat!
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