VENUE MANAGEMENT & what is included with your rivercrest event

Prior to wedding:

• We will meet with you for a detail meeting closer to the date and nail down a table layout for setup crew.

• Any setup instructions with detailed question prompts such as: Is caterer cutting your cake? Do you have a plan for coffee? How would you like your napkins folded?

Setup on day of:

• Rivercrest staff will set up tables, chairs, put out your rental linens, place settings (fold napkins, plates, silverware, glassware).

• Furniture and high top cocktail tables moved into place and unwanted items removed.

• Lights and chandeliers turned on.

• Ceremony chairs will be setup and any whiskey barrels, tables needed, put in place.

• Welcome vendors (florist, caterer, music, photographer) as they arrive and check that they have everything they need to do their job. (i.e. florist needs a ladder for the hilltop arbor, caterer needs another 8’ table, photographer would like to go up to the hilltop before ceremony to get some early photos).

Ceremony:

• Rivercrest parking attendant will show guests where to park and encourage guests to head to ceremony site.

• Transport any guests that would prefer golf cart transportation to the ceremony.

• Hilltop ceremony: Rivercrest staff will encourage guests to head to the wagon ride or golf carts for transport to the hilltop. Before the start of the ceremony, staff will double check the grounds and inside the barn for any stragglers. Staff will transport wedding party, family and couple to hilltop. After ceremony, staff will transport guests and wedding party back to barn by wagon ride, vehicle, or golf carts.

Reception

• Rivercrest staff will periodically check in on vendors that they’re doing ok and if they need anything (bartenders need trash taken out, photographer would like to set up a drone outside the barn, DJ would like the lights dimmed on the dance floor, etc).

• Check and tidy bathrooms and handle any issues around the venue.

• Guide you and your photographer to sunset hilltop photos.

• Help transport any elderly guests downstairs to main level if not parked in handicap spots.

End of the Night

• Rivercrest staff will begin cleanup at 11pm, when the bar and music close.

• All dishes, silverware and glassware should be in kitchen (caterer’s responsibility), rinsed and free of food, and our cleaning staff will take it from there.

• Staff will gather Rivercrest items (party closet décor) and separate from your personal décor.

• Gather all trash and take to dumpster.

• Break down tables and chairs.

• Bag your rental linens and place near the doors for either you to take that evening or to await pickup from rental company.

• Rivercrest Farm bartenders will pack and clean up all leftover alcohol.

• Turn off all lights and lock up.

Your Responsibility (or Other Vendor’s)

Setup on day of:

• Setting up any decorative personal items. This includes things like flowers, centerpieces, guest book, candles, photographs of you two, memory table pictures, seating chart/name cards, decorating arbors, putting flowers on the cake, etc. 

Rehearsal/Ceremony:

• At our final detail meeting, we can absolutely offer opinions or suggestions on how a ceremony is best run or what we’ve seen, but ultimately the run of the ceremony is up to you. We will not run the rehearsal or ceremony (lining up, cueing music, etc).

• It’s up to the couple, DJ, and/or officiate to run through the ceremony and processional/recessional (timing of the songs, what is said, how and when each person is walking).

 Reception:

• Running of the timeline during reception, releasing tables, plating food, cutting cake, restocking cupcakes. All of these would fall under the scope of work of other vendors (DJ, caterer, photographer, day-of coordinator). 

End of the night and cleanup:

• Packing up items to be taken that night: all leftover food and alcohol, gathering and packing all decor items, any personal items in the bridal suite or cowboy room, and cards/gifts.

• Making sure all guests are accounted for, have a way to get home, and everyone has departed by midnight.

• Any outstanding payments to vendors settled.

So what about a wedding or day-of coordinator?

This is someone hired by you to manage the details of the day. Their job is to know exactly how you want the day run, to the specifics, and have an answer to any questions that pop up (i.e. Where are the flower girl’s baskets? Where is grandma’s special gluten free cupcake? Why isn’t the shuttle here yet? What’s the song to be played during the father/daughter dance? How are we lining up for the introductions? Who is giving the first speech? Why isn’t coffee made yet and where is the hazlenut creamer?)

This is who we would go to if we had any questions, rather than to you. Some issues I’ve either asked couples or coordinators in the past: “the 6’ wood slab guestbook doesn’t fit on the table we discussed at the meeting last month, would she prefer it on a different table? Which table”?  Or “the second shuttle isn’t here yet and the ceremony is supposed to start in five minutes. Should we take the bridal party up to the hilltop or wait for shuttle?”

While I can’t speak to all coordinators, below is a general idea of what they’ll take care of.                                                     

Prior to wedding:

• Work directly with your vendors prior to the day and reach out to them with your instructions. This includes things like: specific songs to be played by the DJ, preparing a shot list with you and your photographer, double checking contracts, running the rehearsal, chatting through all detailed logistics.

Day of the wedding:

• Check that all members of your bridal party are accounted for, tracking down any stragglers.

• Setting up any personal items and decor.

• Manage timeline and the running of the ceremony and reception (i.e. lining people up, cueing to the specific song, letting you know when it’s time to cut the cake, time for a sparkler sendoff).

End of the Night

• Handle any outstanding vendor payments.

• Packing up and labeling of all personal items.

One fine day helpers

Sometimes you may just need some extra helping hands to keep things from falling through the cracks and keep your family focused on enjoying themselves. That’s where our One Fine Day helpers can step in. They are available through Rivercrest Farm and paid directly on the day of, $25 per hour per helper.

An idea of tasks that may fall to them:

• Set up personal decorations.

• Man a Polaroid photo booth.

• Clear dishes and fill water glasses at the table (especially important if your caterer is a food truck!).

• Set up and clean up appetizers (if caterer is not providing).

• Set up coffee bar.

• Cut cake, set up and restock dessert or cookie table.

• Help photographer organize guests during sparkler sendoff.

Really, the sky is the limit. Let us know if you are interested in hiring One Fine Day helpers and we can help give you a good idea of how long and for what time works best for your event.