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Wedding Venue: Blackberry Farm

by on September 7, 2011

Blackberry Farm

1471 West Millers Cove Road
Walland, Tennessee 37886
(865) 380-2260
View their website

Average Cost: $78,000

*Average cost for THIS venue is calculated by figuring a 78-person guest list for a Saturday night ceremony/reception in Mid-Season using the venue’s Main House wedding package and charging your guests $350/night for two nights in 39 rooms. Transportation to venue, entertainment, additional decorations, and flowers are not included. Average price includes gratuity and state sales tax on meals and guest rooms. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.

How it breaks down:

There are several packages you can choose from, listed below. They all include two-nights accommodations for you and your guests, as well as all their meals and non-alcoholic beverages for the entire stay (including the reception dinner and morning after brunch), and event coordination by Blackberry Farm. Since all package prices already include two-nights of accommodations for your guests, what you would do is have guests write you a check for their rooms (Guests cannot pay the hotel separately–packages must be paid by you to Blackberry Farm). The exact rate you choose to charge guests per night is up to you…the Farm suggest somewhere around $300 as an example, though typically rooms at the resort for hotel guests start at $395 – $445/night without the meal package, and $745/night for the traditional “full American plan,” which includes meals, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages for hotel guests. So, to figure out how much the package would end up costing you, deduct the price for the guest rooms. For example, the Farmstead wedding option, below, includes 20 guest rooms. If you charge $350/night per room for two nights, that would make the Mid Season package $56,000 instead of $70,000. With that said, it’s kind of a pain in the butt to have guests pay you, and be out of pocket all that money. Also keep in mind you’d be paying for guests’ arrival night dinner, next-day lunch, snacks, and morning-after brunch in addition to the wedding ceremony and reception. Sure, you love your guests, but that breaks down to a whopping $1,400/person!

 

NOTE: Low Season is January-March, Mid Season is April-September, and High Season is October-December. 

Wedding Packages at Blackberry Farm

A Farmstead Wedding:

  • Up to 40 guests
  • 20 guest rooms
  • Exclusive use of Heirloom Garden and The Barn for wedding ceremony and reception
  • $65,000/$70,000/$150,000 (low/mid/high seasons)

A Main House Wedding:

  • Up to 78 guests
  • 39 guest rooms
  • Exclusive use of Main House and Main House Lawn and Veranda for wedding ceremony and reception
  • $90,000/$105,000/$200,000 (low/mid/high seasons)

Full Property Wedding:

  • Up to 124 guests
  • 62 guest rooms
  • Choice of wedding ceremony and reception sites
  • $140,000/$163,000/$355,000 (low/mid/high seasons)

Food: Every meal for you and your guests staying at the hotel is included in the package price (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, morning after brunch). For the reception, a seated, pre-selected four course menu is included and can be customized with the culinary team, based on seasonal and available ingredients. Offsite guests not staying at Blackberry Farm are welcome to eat for the following additional price:

Meal
Price
Breakfast
$25
Lunch
$25
Dinner
$125
Brunch
$45

 

Important Note: Alcohol and additional wedding vendors (photography, floral, live entertainment, etc.) are not included in the package price. The package price DOES  include tax and service charge on the guestrooms and meals.

More Stats:

Space Type: Inside/Outside options. Location options (depending on package) include Main House, Main House Lawn, Veranda, Heirloom Garden, and Barn.

Size: Up to 124 guests. For parties over 124, they also offer a sister property, Dancing Bear Lodge.

Food Service Type: Buffet/seated options

How Will Grandma Get There? Ideally Grandma would get to stay in one of the guest rooms assigned to your package. For guests not able to stay on property, other cute inns are available nearby, such as the Butterfly Gap Retreat (hey, wasn’t that a bad movie with Ashton Kutcher?) and the Richmont Inn.

The Report:

Blackberry Farm is indeed a farm, with their own heirloom produce , honey, farm-fresh eggs, and artisan cheeses culled right from the property. But make no doubt about it, there’s nothing rustic about it. Located in Walland, TN, Blackberry Farm and it’s 4,200 acres in the Smoky Mountains was recently rated the Number 1 Resort in the Continental U.S. and Canada for 2011 by Travel + Leisure magazine. That’s quite a feat.

Woman Getting Married Says:

This place is gorgeous. I mean, look at it. It’s the perfect posh country retreat. And of course it’s going to be expensive, considering how pricey their regular hotel rates are. HOWEVER, I really think they are doing themselves an injustice by making you pay for not only the guest rooms, but also every guest meal. Unless you’re Kim Kardashian and you can afford to fly in your whole family AND pay for their rooms AND every meal, this is out of reach for most of us. Since they’ve recently introduced a ‘Build Your Own Experience’ pricing option for regular hotel guests, where you can just pay the room’s base price and add-on dining options, activities and events as you see fit, maybe they’ll eventually do the same for wedding guests as well. Otherwise, I don’t know any bride who wants to pay that much per person.

For more images of Blackberry Farm, click here.

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Wedding Venue: Belle Meade Plantation

by on May 20, 2010

Belle Meade Plantation

5025 Harding Pike
Nashville, TN 37205
www.BelleMeadePlantation.com
 
Average Cost: $16,500
*Average cost for THIS venue, including tax and gratuity, is calculated by figuring a 125-person guest list for a 6-hour reception on a Saturday night using the least expensive menu and bar options, as well as the venue’s tables and chairs. They do not include transportation to/from the venue, or any optional fees such as tents or decorations such as flowers and table linens. Numbers are rounded up to the nearest hundred.

How it breaks down:

Facility Rental Fee: $5,000 for use of the property from 3 p.m. on. For brides (and wedding planners) wishing to start setting up by 8 a.m., it jumps to $6,000.

Food: A licensed caterer must be used. Assume the going rate is anywhere between $50-$100/pp. Using the least expensive option, it would be $6,250.

Bar: BYOB (you’ll just have to supply bartenders and setups, which can also be arranged via the caterers). You can assume a generous $20/pp cost for alcohol, plus up to $500 for servers. $3,000

Tax and Service: This will be unique to your chosen caterer, but plan for a 18% service charge and 9.25% sales tax on food, beverage, and any rented equipment.

Party On! Events can start anytime after 5 p.m. Music in the interior of the Carriage House must stop at 11:00 p.m. Music in any other area must stop at 10:00 p.m.

What’s Included? 250 natural wood folding chairs, 25 sixty-inch round tables, 10 eight foot tables, and 10 six foot tables. You’ll have to bring in everything else.

More Stats:

Space Type: Inside/Outside

Size: If not tenting, the interior(s) and covered exterior can comfortably hold between 175-200.

Food Service Type: Caterers can arrange for formal seated or buffet. However, a buffet would open up a lot more space

Dressing Rooms Available: Bridal room available

Elevator: N/A

Security Provided: No

Valet: No.

How Will Grandma Get There? The plantation is approximately 15-20 mins from downtown Nashville. Out-of-town guests would have to be shuttled to the plantation. This cost can be anywhere from $2-4,000.

Things To Remember:

-The event location is not in the actual mansion, but in the covered Carriage House, Stables, and Boxwood Garden. You can also opt to have a tent in their Paddock Area, however there is no covered walkway between the Paddock and the other areas.

-If you’re planning to have the ceremony in the Boxwood Garden (which most brides using this facility do) there is a Plan B if it rains. The Stables has a long walkway which can hold up to 120-125 chairs. However, the aisle would be a bit narrow.

-The on-site kitchen is very small and no cooking is allowed, so the caterer will have to bring in the food already prepared.

The Report:

The Belle Meade plantation is located in Belle Meade, an upscale part of town with huge houses and a lot of history. The plantation is a historic site that is situated on 30-acres of land and used to be a famous stud farm (hence the stables). The drive into the plantation is gorgeous…you cross an old bridge that brings you onto the main property, which is surrounded by patches of sunflowers and boxwood trees. The grounds are expansive, with old slave houses (this is the South, after all) and even a working winery. The Boxwood Garden, where the ceremony would take place, is a shady garden with a stone aisle for the bride to walk down. What’s unique about the garden setup is that guests can be faced towards the bride as she walks down the aisle, with the musicians behind them or to the side. Guests can then walk over to the reception area, either the Carriage House and Stables, or a tented Paddock Area, which is basically a giant lawn. The Carriage House and Stables are covered and have giant wooden doors, and there is a covered walkway in between and around them that can be used for either a food station area or additional seating and bars. In the winter, you can install plastic drop-downs on the covered walkway to insulate the area and keep it warm.

Woman Getting Married Says:

While the grounds are very nice and the Carriage House and Stables are unique, if you want to have a somewhat formal wedding here, there is quite a bit that has to be done to spruce it up. The space seems better suited for a themed rehearsal dinner or casual wedding. As you can see from the pictures below, there are a lot of things you can do to dress the place up. From flowing curtains and hanging lanterns, you can make the space look great. But if you’re going to attempt to make it look like you’re somewhere else, why get married there? Also, while the rental fee includes tables and chairs, a formal event would require something fancier than what they offer (you can see their folding wooden chairs in the second picture, below). Considering everything that would have to be done to make this place look great, you’re looking at at least another $3-5,000. Given all of that, I thought it was definitely a good option, but it didn’t WOW me.

In the Stables. The carriages are moved out prior to the event. This area is also the rain option for the ceremony.

The area alongside the Carriage House.

In the Carriage House. Recangular tables such as this one would not allow for a large dance floor/band area.

In the Boxwood Garden.

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Wedding Venue: Wolf Den Farm

by on May 16, 2010

Wolf Den Farm

Neighborhood: Brentwood

*NOTE: Since the owners of this farm do not have a large # of events here, there is no formal way to get in touch with the owners of this farm. The best way to contact them is to go through one of the caterers that do events there, Miel restaurant.
 
Average Cost: $25,000
*Average cost for THIS venue, including tax and gratuity, is calculated by figuring a 125-person guest list for a 6-hour reception on a Saturday night using the least expensive menu and bar options. They do not include transportation to/from the venue, or any optional fees such as tents. Numbers are rounded up to the nearest hundred.
 
 
How it breaks down:
 
Facility Rental Fee: $1,500 for ceremony/reception.

Food: Using Miel’s catering service, menu options will range from $50-$100/pp. Assuming you go with the least expensive option, it would be $6,250.

Kitchen Setup: Because this venue does not have a kitchen, the catering company has to literally build one outside. Up to $4,000.

Bar: BYOB (you’ll just have to supply bartenders and setups, which can also be arranged via the caterers). You can assume a $20/pp cost for alcohol, plus up to $500 for servers. $3,000

What’s Included? What you see is what you get. All tables, linens, serviceware, lighting, etc. has to be brought in. Up to $7,000 (lighting can get pricey).

Tax and Service: 18% service charge and 9.25% sales tax on food, beverage, and any rented equipment

More Stats:

 

Space Type: Inside/Outside

Size: 50 people seated comfortably inside the barn; with tenting you can go up to 125 using the inside/outside space.

Food Service Type: Caterers can arrange for formal seated or buffet.

Dressing Rooms Available: No

Elevator: N/A

Security Provided: No

Valet: No.

How Will Grandma Get There? Out of town guests staying in downtown Nashville would have to be shuttled to the farm, which is approx. 35 minutes away. You can arrange to have an early and late shuttle leaving the event, so older guests can choose how late they want to stay. A wedding planner I spoke to said shuttles for 125 people could run you up to $4,000!

Things To Remember:

-This is an actual working barn, which means you or your wedding planners (which I highly recommend for this venue) need to “romanticize” the air beforehand, if you know what I mean.

-While the barn is covered, if it rains and you decide not to tent, it’s going to be very claustrophobic if everybody is forced to stay inside. The smaller the event here, the better.

-Bathrooms are limited (I saw one when I was there)

The Report: Wolf Den Farm is an actual horse farm in Brentwood, TN, a ritzy suburb of Nashville. Lots of celebs/country singers live in or around this neighborhood, and it’s beautiful. Events are held in the small barn and the green acreage that surrounds it, where you’ll see several llamas along with horses. The barn is modern and updated with recessed track lighting and giant iron chandeliers, and has lots of unique details, like wooden mirrors on the wall, an old carriage, and a blue claw-foot tub under a chalkboard you can personalize with your names. While the barn is somewhat narrow and the ceilings are relatively short, the entrance has 25-foot ceilings and would be good for a band/dance floor area.

Woman Getting Married Says: As a Nashville resident, I’ve been dying to see this venue ever since I saw pictures from the wedding of drummer Nathan Followill (Kings of Leon) and singer Jessie Baylin. While I knew it was called Wolf Den Farm, I could not find any contact info. I finally found out who the caterer was, and since I loved their food I decided to contact them for my own wedding search. I told the caterer what I was looking for and that I loved that venue, so she was able to contact the owners and we made the drive out there. The owners were EXTREMELY nice (as is the caterer), and their farm was gorgeous. I loved how updated their barn was, and I loved the possibility of what you could do to it. However, the barn really is on the small side. I wouldn’t feel comfortable having more than 50 people seated inside, especially if I was going to utilize the entrance for a band/dance floor. If you’re interested in an outside wedding with a tent, this would be beautiful. If that was the case I would then utilize the barn purely for a bar/dance floor. The rental fee is extremely low, but considering all the things you have to bring in it’s not going to be cheap to do a formal affair here, especially if you have a lot of out-of-town guests you’ll need to shuttle. I think this venue works best for a small, daytime, casual event.

 

Comments { 3 }

Wedding Venue: Dixon Gallery and Gardens

by on January 27, 2010

Venue: Dixon Gallery and Gardens

Where: Memphis, TN (about a 15-20 minute drive from downtown)

Rental Rates: A Saturday night facility rental will run you $1,500, plus you have to become a member (which, if I’m not mistaken, will run you around $1,000).

Notes: The Hughes Pavilion is used for weddings, and it has indoor space (which accommodates up to 75 for a seated dinner, 100 standing), plus outdoor space for it to flow into as well as to have the ceremony in. You can bring in outside caterers and alcohol. Tables/chairs provided. Music allowed inside and outside. Unless you want to chance it, you’ll need a tent for the outside area.

WGM SAYS: We looked at nearly all the possible wedding venues in Memphis, and this is the only one I would have considered. The event coordinator was extremely nice, which I think is important since you’ll be dealing with them so much. The grounds are very pretty, and the indoor event space was definitely workable. The size was a problem for us, however, since we want to have over 100 people seated. If you’re looking for a venue in Memphis, and the size works for you, I definitely recommend this place!

RATING:

*NOTE: Ratings are 1-4 rings, with 4 being the best.

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