I need help making my venue work!!! eeek

laciloo

I'm running into a unique situation and no amount of googling has provided me with a solution.

I just found out that I get to have my wedding at the location of my dream (mind you its probably not most people's dream). The Lumberjack Saloon is a little log bar out in the middle of the woods with a beautiful lawn, gazebo, and its where my fiance and I met. To boot, my mother who passed away last year used to be logger and her name is carved in one of the logs.

Soooo... we want to get married on the sunday of labor day weekend (Sept 5th). We don't want to serve a full meal, so we would like to have a dessert reception only. Now here's where things get tricky. Because sunday is a holiday, the "Jack" will most likely have a band there. Thus.... outside people will show up.  On one hand, we can have an evening ceremony, dessert reception and everyone can head into the bar to dance (for free) to the band and get drinks. However eventually during the night, other people will start to show up. This isn't the biggest concern however, it matters.

Any ideas on maybe we could pay the band to come a littler earlier and serve hors d'oeuvres to tie guests over? Or something else we can do!

This is the venue of my dreams, and unfortunately we can't afford to to just rent out the whole shebang for 24 hours. And anyother sunday night would just suck because everyone wouldhave to work the next morning and so it would be a waste to hire a band and what not.

I have to make this work! $300 for my dream venue... it has to work!

danieliza1127

On one hand, we can have an evening ceremony, dessert reception and everyone can head into the bar to dance (for free) to the band and get drinks. However eventually during the night, other people will start to show up.

I don't really see a problem with that.  I mean, it's kind of the way it goes with the venue you've chosen.  I'm not really sure what else you could do.  Have your ceremony and dessert reception before the band gets there, before the bar opens to the general public, then everyone goes inside for the band and bar.  It's like you get a wedding band at your wedding without having to pay them.  You do need to cover the bar expenses for your guests though, so talk to the saloon about how to arrange that or have them run a tab that you pay at the end of the night.

pulga131

Can you rent the location for a certain amount of time?  Like can you reserve it long enough to have your ceremony, maybe hour derves and cake, and then the bar can be open to public and everyone can dance?  I think you need to serve something to eat other than dessert.  People will be hungry pretty much at any time of the day and you dont want drinking on only dessert (makes for lotsa puking) I do agree that you would need to pay for your guests bar tab.  Also maybe you can pay the band a little extra to have your special dance even though others would be there too.  I think having the dancing part of your wedding open to public is no big deal at all.