Fairytale weddings in a private estate are among the most romantic wedding dreams in the world. Below are our top ten considerations when booking a private estate wedding:
1. Hire a professional wedding planner in the area who can walk you through all the legalities of getting married in their country and county and who also knows the minutiae of the private estate in which you will be getting married.
2. Before booking your private estate wedding, know what is included for your site fee. Is it exclusively yours? Are there restrictions to areas you and your guests and vendors can use or is the entire private estate and its grounds yours to use as you wish? Will your vendors have unlimited access for set up in the days preceding the wedding or are there limitations?
3. How will guest parking be handled? Are guests to arrive via shuttle service only or is valet required?
4. What kind of liability insurance must you carry?
5. Are you required to use the vendors recommended by the private estate or may you bring in your own? Note: it is highly recommended to use a Full Service Caterer already experienced with planning the logistics and service necessary at your chosen private estate wedding or event.
6. Are there event time restrictions that require you to stop music and have all guests departed by a certain time?
7. If the private estate sleeps guests, find out if housekeeping and cooking services are provided and included in the site fee or cost extra. If no overnight accommodations are included, find out the nearest town and recommended accommodations for you and your guests and make sure you budget the travel time for guests to get from the town to the private estate on your wedding day timeline .
8. Are there ample restrooms for your sized wedding group? Many older private estates do not have the plumbing demands for larger weddings. Ask if VIP portarestrooms may be a good option and recommended.
9. What kind of lighting is at the private estate (for events that go past dark) and is a generator needed to help with the extra power and lighting demands? Don’t forget guest areas that were light before the event that will become dark after the event as guests make their way around (parking areas, etc).
10. If traveling internationally, plan on arriving at least a week before your wedding day to allow time to overcome jet lag, re-hydrate and tie up any last minute details.
Knowing the answers to these questions in advance can help ensure your wedding in a private estate is a fairytale dream come true.
Need help finding the perfect Santa Barbara private estate for your special celebration? Contact us for an immediate referral and catering proposal.
