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You may have been browsing our website for quite some time, reading about the different estate venues that we have all over the United States and the world.
What is the next step?
1. Contact us
Whether you prefer to call us or email us, the first step is to get in touch! If there are a couple venues that you find intriguing, you can “request more information” on each estate page. If you have a general question for us, or if you aren’t sure which direction to go, you can fill out our “contact us” form.
If you’re contacting us online, be sure to include all the information you have about your event. If you have any specific details that are relevant to your search, add them to the comments section. If you have a specific budget in mind, we can recommend estates that may be the best fit for you.
Usually clients contact us about a year out from their wedding date.
2. Estate Information
After you’ve spoken with us on the phone, or sent in your estate request, we will send you over an information packet or two on the estates you liked or ones we recommend. These packets have everything you will need to know about the location. The packet covers everything including capacity, pricing, menus, tenting packages, frequently asked questions, links to past events, pictures and more.
We also have a sample proposal included with the packet (usually for 100 guests) which will give you a great idea of what is included in our package and how much an estate wedding will cost.
Take your time to review the information thoroughly, and give us a call if you have any questions about it. Most clients take a week or two to review the information and then schedule a visit!
3. Plan a site visit
We get calls all the time asking if a client can just swing on by the estate and take a peek, but unfortunately it doesn’t quite work that way.
The estates are all private properties, so all visits are by appointment only.
In general, each appointment can take anywhere from a week or more to schedule, so it is important to contact us well in advance of your desired appointment date so we can make arrangements for you.
Remember, these are people’s homes, not public venues, so the owners have personal schedules just like everyone else. Some estates may only have certain days available for visits, so keep in mind that may have to be a weekday.
A local representative will take you on a tour of the property, showing you all around the venue and will go over the estate information with you and find out more about what you are looking for so that they may create a customized proposal for you.
4. Customized proposal
After your visit, your representative will create a customized quote for you based on your estimated guest count, menu selections, rental items, and more. Our packages have flexibility, so if you would like a customized menu or you have certain types of lounge furniture we’ll get this ready for you within a couple of days from your site visit.
Once a customized proposal has been created for you, we will send you a copy of it for you to look over. If you’d like to move forward with booking the estate, but you’d like some time to review the proposal, you will have a temporary hold on the venue for one week from the date of your proposal. During this time, no one else can book the venue for the date you have selected.
5. Book the Estate
If you’re ready to say “yes” to the estate, your representative will send you the proposal and contract to sign. Once your deposit is received, you’re official!
Your Turn…
Let us know if you have any questions…we are here to help!
About the Author
Claire is the Director of Client Relations for Estate Weddings and Events and will often be the first person to greet you and answer any questions you may have about planning your estate event. In her free time, she loves to make succulent arrangements, homebrew craft beers and put her love for crafts to work! You can follow her here Linkedin or Google+.
