Anyone have experience with Kumler Chapel? (oxford)

smittojess88

Here's our situation:

I grew up in Oxford, will be a MIami grad in a few weeks and have always loved Kumler Chapel. Took my Fiance in there about a month ago and he fell in love with it. Only problem is their booking process. They make you call 12 months ahead at midnight, leave a voicemail of your date choice, and whoever calls first, gets it first. To make it more frustrating, "miami mergers" (couples who met at miami, grads of miami) call 13 months ahead. We are really trying to book a photographer because all the ones in our budget I like are booking up and I keep telling them "tentative date in June 2012".. but I'm wondering if anyone booked at Kumler and got their first choice??

I'm a little OCD about numbers and really want a specific date so I'm turning into a nervous wreck. Thanks!

Mieka&Jon

If I remember correctly, mergers can book Kumler on the first day of the month, 13 months ahead of time (May 1st for you). If that's the case, then you only have a few weeks to go! If your FI isn't a Miami grad, you may want to consider choosing a reception venue that has enough room to be a ceremony back-up space (in case you're unable to get Kumler). I'm getting married in Formal Gardens and was originally going to use Marcum (same 13 month booking policy) as my reception venue. I found this wait to be very stressful because, like you, I was eager to book vendors. Fortunately, during this wait, I stumbled upon a better reception venue (IMO), the Oxford Community Arts Center, that I could book immediately!

If you're really set on Kumler, maybe you could ask Jane if other brides have inquired about your date? Goodluck!

smittojess88

Yea Mergers can book in a few weeks. The tricky part is although I love the community Arts center the price is outside of our budget. My dad is willing to pay a large portion of the reception but can't afford to do the arts center with the $1800 rental fee plus catered food. We can feed 100 people for around 3000 total at marcum center and that's a seated served meal. I just wonder if anyone has ever had luck getting their date and If they really book up so fast at Kumler. I've been emailing with Jane pretty frequently but I'm just nervous. Thanks for the info!

weishasl

My brother actually got married there. He is a Miami grad, his wife is not. They weren't the norm though. They got engaged in October. When my sister-in-law called there had been a cancellation on 7/25, a Saturday. So they grabbed that date. The reception was at Holiday Inn on S. Main right off of High St.

smittojess88

Oo I didn't think about the holiday inn!! Thanks I grew up in Oxford but keep forgetting the places up there.

lamar0607

$1800 for OCAC? We got it for $1000 for just the Ballroom and are using that for both the ceremony AND reception!

My fiance is a wedding videographer on the side and has done a few at Kumler...it is beautiful! We also toured Vinoklet Winery- it was beautiful as well.

Good luck- and definitely just start thinking about a back-up plan if you can't get Kumler.  We didn't start booking venue/vendors until about 10 months out from the wedding and had no problem getting all the vendors we wanted.

txin1_19759230

We got lucky when we called and they had a cancellation.  Unfortunately, we had to cancel as well so hopefully someone got the 6/25 date we gave up.  I'd say keep calling.

skippylouwho

OX arts didn't cost that much for DD's wedding reception in September - we used the ballroom for the reception (dinner & dance) and the south parlor for the cocktail hour and had the bar & wedding cake in there.  **I just looked at their rental rates - I think they must have gone up because I don't remember DD and DSIL paying that much but maybe they did:  http://www.oxarts.org/pdf/OCAC%20Rental%20Information.pdf

We actually found it easier to book Kumler than we'd thought it would be and with 8 bridesmaids, 11 groomsmen and 2 ushers - we were scheduling around a lot of schedules. You don't have to call after midnight, you could but we didn't need to and September is one of the busiest months to try to schedule a wedding for.  I called around 9 AM on the first date we could call and was able to get the date we wanted, in fact I had my choice of a couple dates.   Mergers can book 13 months ahead of the month they want, non-mergers can book 12 months ahead. I found the people at Miami that do the scheduling extremely nice to work with. 

As far as Ox Arts, they were really, really great to work with. We did not use the north parlor.  We had 180 guests and use the ballroom and South Parlor.  DD & DSIL chose to have their "head table" down the center of the room and the bridal party sat on both sides of the table. After dinner their table was rmoved, the tables at the South end (French doors) were moved in to the spot vacated by the "head" table which left room for the dance floor.

We put the bar across the South end of the South parlor (blue room across from the Ballrom).  THere were tables on either sides of the South parlor where the appetizers were place. the wedding cake was in the NE corner of the South parlor. Ox Arts has several "high top" tables that we placed around the South parlor and the wide hallway between for guests to use during cocktail hour. The doors to the ballroom were also open and they could go ahead and sit at their tables if they wanted.

The doorway to the ballroom is wide enough that we put long tables on either side. One table was for gifts guests brought, the other was for escort cards. (Bottles of wine made by my husband with custom labels).

One thing to think about - for a summer wedding - Ox Arts is not air conditioned. It wasn't a problem for us, it was cool enough in the evening with all the French doors open to let air circulate but it could get very hot in there.

I hope this information is helpful. Good luck - Kumler is a beautiful place to hold a wedding.

Ames5730

FYI - for those looking at the Oxford Community Arts Center, it is now fully air conditiioned.  The ballroom was beautifully renovated in summer 2011 and the entire 1st floor has new windows.

jaimiedear

I called at midnight as crazy as it seems and got my first choice. I'm getting married in December and I didn't think there would be a lot of people to call, but Jane (the lady who takes the calls) said four people called after me!

So I would definetly call right at 12:01