I mentioned this in another thread:
Small Elopements / Wedding / Vow Renewal Packages.
This basic one below runs $139 weekdays; $159 Weekends. Packages can be embellished with all sorts of bells and whistles up to $1000.
Our elegant and affordable ceremony with no overnight stay:
Marriage by the innkeeper in the living room, in the garden or at our beautiful outdoor wedding pavilion
Attendance by up to 10 guests at a fee of $10 per guest
Cake for 2 or to include guests
A pair of crystal champagne flutes and sparkling cider toast
Use of our silk rose bouquet for the ceremony and photographs
Keepsake copy of the marriage vows in gold embossed cover
Digital video recording of ceremonies.
I'm not seeing where this makes the innkeepers any money. Unless they have everything on hand- video recording capability, baking of cake, etc. I guess because I'm not set up for this, I look at it as a lot of work. If I had a separate space where I could host these things I definitely would.
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Weddings are a lot of work. For inns that can book otherwise, I'd rather have my teeth pulled than deal with them.
But for inns that really need the bookings, they're a great avenue to pursue.
I agree, though, that they need to make money, too. To me they make much more sense when it's the whole weekend booked at X price and it includes X, Y, Z. With a couple of different options.
Weddings are expensive. Brides are looking to save money but they still want a nice wedding. If I were doing them at an inn, I would not hesitate to charge a decent price for the whole package.
IMHO.
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Innkeeper To Go said:
Weddings are a lot of work. For inns that can book otherwise, I'd rather have my teeth pulled than deal with them.
But for inns that really need the bookings, they're a great avenue to pursue.
I agree, though, that they need to make money, too. To me they make much more sense when it's the whole weekend booked at X price and it includes X, Y, Z. With a couple of different options.
Weddings are expensive. Brides are looking to save money but they still want a nice wedding. If I were doing them at an inn, I would not hesitate to charge a decent price for the whole package.
IMHO.
I do not plan to do weddings. I plan to do private vineyard wedding ceremonies. They get the inn, location for ceremony, they get the officiant from my list of contact links. I provide a beautiful cake that starts at $30 for a six inch with beautiful marzipan icing with a rose or a grape cluster (I don't plan to tell the bakery it's now a wedding cake from the birthday cake), flowers for bride and groom which will be seasonal and a list of colors from which they pick, bottle of champagne and a gift. Period. No mother of the bride contacting me for anything. I will purchase a good camera and do the photos like a friend of mine does, or I have a local photographer that can come for a good price.
They will pick options off a menu or they will not get married here.
Riki
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egoodell said:
I No mother of the bride contacting me for anything.
Riki, I hope that works out for you. But I just have to say that it is generally not easy to keep the mother of the bride from contacting you. They're going to. In my experience, anyway.
It's an important day. They are going to follow up over and over again on everything.
It's the nature of the beast.
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Innkeeper To Go said:
egoodell said:
I No mother of the bride contacting me for anything.
Riki, I hope that works out for you. But I just have to say that it is generally not easy to keep the mother of the bride from contacting you. They're going to. In my experience, anyway.
It's an important day. They are going to follow up over and over again on everything.
It's the nature of the beast.
You are not understanding me. I am not doing weddings. I am doing affordable vineyard ceremonies.
I am going to do just a bit more than El's friend does in Luray.
I will not be dealing with parents. I have a friend in Maggie Valley NC who started doing the same thing and it has been very sucessful. I will be marrying couples who want a lovely vineyard wedding ceremony, and the majority of the time is is just the two getting married.
I am NOT doing any kind of reception. I am doing champagne, flowers, cake and a gift.
Before you say how do I know this, I know this because I am the only B&B in Charlottesville with a vineyard. The vineyard weddings here are in wineries and the cost STARTS at $30K and goes beyond 90K.
Anyone who wants more than I want to deal with can go to the wineries and pay the $100 - $150 per person for the weddings there.
I am only doing vineyard ceremonies from my menu where all they pick is the color of their flowers, and they will be responsible for picking the officient. Parents and guests may attend, but are not involved with the planning.
I know B&Bs that do weddings here. I will not. We have our hands full doing the tours as it is.
If they don't like sticking to the menu that I will provide, I have no problems letting them go somewhere else.
RIki
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