Perks of Hosting a Friday Wedding

Long ago we learned the best secret of a Friday wedding, and surprise - it’s because they are just as awesome as any Saturday wedding you may have originally set your sights on! Let’s break down why a Friday wedding might be the one thing you haven’t considered, but absolutely should.

Pro #1 - Venue Pricing

Here at Rustic Manor 1848, we’ll be honest - we are happy to plan a wedding at a moment’s notice (ask us about our Quick Hitched or Intimate Ceremony options!) and we are happy to be your first big planning decision: the venue! Picking a Friday date, for many couples, often means the rental price is a bit less. For us, our Friday venue rental is $300 less than Saturdays in peak season, and $200 less than Saturdays in off season. That’s a lot of extra desserts for your dessert bar!

Pro #2 - Vendor Options, and Lots of Them!

The truth is, Saturday weddings do come at a premium. This is true in how quickly they book and even truer in how far out they get reserved. If you have your heart set on a certain venue or vendor that’s booked up for Saturdays, ask about their Friday availability while doing your research. Many venues and vendors are absolutely able to more than one wedding in a weekend, making them available again for your Friday inquiry. Similar to venues, overall pricing for other vendors may be less on a Friday too! The perks and the savings are adding up!

Pro #3 - A Magical Wedding Night

The timeline of your wedding day is key to keeping things running smoothly! Consider starting the ceremony after “work hours” (think 5PM or later) - cue the sun slowly setting as you say ‘I do!’. This allows for local guests to comfortably make it to your ceremony, even if they were stuck working earlier that day. Additionally, any out of town guests can have plenty of time to get settled or sight-see before the festivities begin. Talk with your photography team about all the pictures that can be done before the ceremony. Take your time getting hair and makeup done. Schedule in plenty of time for a first look. Even better, you can sleep in (well maybe depending on your excitement level) on the morning of your wedding day! You also have more control in the pace of your timeline meaning, if your ceremony and reception are at the same location, do not leave large gaps of time between the evening’s events. No one likes a drawn out wedding timeline and the more drawn out, the more guests drink and trust us when we say, that’s not always the best option. Cocktail “hour” is that for a reason so a later ceremony means you keep your timeline flowing at a healthy pace without a ton of down time.

Pro #4 - Hello, Three Day Weekend

Personally, a three day weekend is music to my ears, and I’m sure your guests would be willing to say the same! A fun perk to your three day weekend: you can tailor a list of events or activities to do on Saturday and Sunday. Gift opening and an afternoon cookout on Saturday, maybe? A mimosa bar and brunch on Sunday? Sounds fun! Heck, take Saturday for just you and your new spouse to let the fact that you’re finally married really sink in before meeting up with friends and family again. This gives a great opportunity to catch up with out of town family and guests at a relaxing pace after your special day. Lastly, if you’re open to having your ceremony start a bit later on a Friday night, that gives you and your wedding party ALL day to relax and prepare for the special night ahead.

Pro #5 - Rehearsal & Set Up

At Rustic Manor 1848, we offer rehearsal time to be booked at your One Month Meeting - happening four weeks prior to your big day. With Friday typically being the first wedding of our weekends, you’ve got dibs to book rehearsal time on a Thursday night. Rehearsals are great to incorporate into your wedding weekend as it allows your wedding party to know where to stand, in what order and to practice any special talking points throughout the ceremony. A great bonus to booking a rehearsal is you can use part of that time to get a jump on bringing in decorations and actual set up. If you need a rehearsal dinner suggestion, let us know - we love to share our favorites! Rehearsals can be secured for $150 an hour based on how much time you need.

We hope you consider us for your wedding here at Rustic Manor 1848. Our Availability Calendar is always up to date for you to take a peek at our current available Fridays! TGIF is about to be even more exciting with your wedding to look forward to!

Plan an Epic Sunday Wedding

With Saturday weddings already at a premium, and Fridays following close behind, Sundays seem like a great natural alternative. It’s not too popular of a choice - yet…cause with COVID-19 putting a wrench in the plans of so many 2020 weddings, let’s look at the positives of hosting your big day on Sunday!

Make the Timeline Your Own

With a Sunday wedding, you have way more leeway on an unconventional timeline. Let’s face it, not everyone is going to close down the bar with you at your wedding. In fact, when planning late night snacks on Friday and Saturday evenings, we only recommend ordering food to feed 40-50% of the number that attended dinner. Why? Cause people tend to head out by 9pm. Don’t panic all you Friday and Saturday couples. Not everyone bails early but you will see a lot of older couples and families with children leave after first dances.

What’s that got to do with planning a Sunday wedding? Loads! You have way more flexibility in planning your timeline if you don’t have to worry about making the party go until midnight. You also are more likely to have plenty of time to plan into your day that coveted time block for sunset photos; something many couples have to rush to get or don’t get at all! Earlier ceremonies and meal service is something everyone can get behind! When planning your timeline, we always recommend starting with your meal service time first and work backward in the day from there to determine the best ceremony start time. Want to shift everything up and get everyone home by 9pm? Do it! Want to keep it traditional because you know your core group will still be cutting it up on the dance floor far after the sun goes down? Right on! Know your guests and their travel schedules and, at the end of the day, do what feels right for you and your crew. Sunday rentals at RM are from 10am-11pm (13 hours total) so consider shifting your reservation to something that works better for you, say 8am-9pm instead!

Um Hello? BRUNCH!

What a glorious excuse for a brunch buffet! Some of our all-time favorite wedding menus have been served up on Sundays. We’re BIG fans of brunch so undoubtedly, our favorite Sunday menu is brunch themed. Biscuit & Bagel Station? Check. Yogurt & Granola Bar? Done. Waffle & Pancake Station. SOLD!

But let’s not forget about bar the menus! We’re talking DIY Bloody Mary Bars, Mimosa Bars and even Sangria Bars are just a few amazing ways to make your cocktail hour one to remember. DIY bars are a great way to get everyone really socializing with one another. Create an excited buzz about the room by showing your guests a drink station they’ll never forget!

Make a Weekend Out of It

Feel like you may be missing out on a day-after brunch or gift opening? Shift it up the festivities! Have a welcome happy hour on Friday or rehearsal dinner on Saturday. If you do have an earlier day-of timeline, host an after party at the hotel with snacks and drinks. Keeping the fun going will make it a memorable weekend for everyone. For those traveling from out of town, they’ll appreciate the variety of times they can get to mingle with you an other friends/family instead of trying to cram all their socializing into one afternoon.

Reap the Rewards

While Friday weddings aren’t deeply discounted compared to Saturdays anymore, Sundays still pack less of a price punch. And who doesn’t love a good discount? Sunday weddings will likely have the best rates when you’re looking at a venue. You could save hundreds if not thousands right off the bat by selecting a Sunday over a Friday or Saturday. We think that cash could go towards a killer honeymoon, sweet open bar package or maybe a unique food station…so many options!

Holiday Weekends

Weekends like Memorial Day and Labor Day can play in major favor for a Sunday wedding. If you’re confident your guests are ready to partake in holiday travel to get you, and would love to celebrate you on an extended weekend, the stars align for a perfect plan. They won’t have to fly in on a Thursday or Friday, they can arrive anytime on Saturday and leave on Monday instead. These can be way better travel dates than the more popular Friday leave and Sunday depart options.

Sunday weddings may not be conventional, but we’re guessing anyone that matters won’t mind shaking things up a little to celebrate your love!

Sweating for the Wedding During COVID-19

With mandatory shutdowns of area gyms, forced and self quarantines, and the current necessity for social distancing, working out may be last on your list of concerns. BUT you may want to move it up a bit. If you’ve been working out for your wedding for months, you don’t want to lose your progress just because the snack pantry keeps calling your name while you’re working from home. We all have more downtime right now which means more snacking, more lounging and less movement. 

Working out and getting your blood pumping could be just what you need to boost your mood and make these dreary days a bit brighter. Taking some “you” time in the form of physical activity is an important addition to your self care routine while at home. Not to mention, it’s a perfect time to rope your significant other into some quality fitness time together since they likely don’t have a good excuse as to why they can’t join you…

Fitness apps and gyms have stepped up in a big way to help you get your fix at home. Inject your working remote schedule with some endorphin-rushing routines courtesy of these free at-home workout options.

Gym Resources 

• CrossFit: Free at-home workout videos, including single exercises and drills

• Planet Fitness: Streaming free 20-minute workouts. daily Facebook Live events start at 6 p.m. CST on Planet Fitness’ Facebook page

• Orange Theory: Orange Theory at Home, completely free 30 minute workout videos 

• Xperience Fitness: #XFhomeworkouts Live streamed HIIT classes daily, posted on their youtube channel 

Cardio and Strength Workouts

• Fitness Blender: Free cardio, strength and stretch workout videos

• Beachbody: Online classes with a 14-day free trial

• BodyBoss: Set of guides and challenges designed to help you get fit in 12 weeks. Offering 50% off sitewide with the code HIIT50

• Tone It Up: Daily online workouts with a 7-day free trial

• Daily Burn: Live fitness classes offering a 60-day free trial with Premium access to all new members 

• ObéFitness: Live fitness classes with a 30-day free trial (use code ATHOME)

• The Sculpt Society: Online cardio and sculpting workouts with a 14-day free trial

• NEOU: Various live, on-demand workouts with a 30-day free trial

• P.volve: Streamed functional movement workouts with a 30-day free trial (use code ONEPVOLVE)

• Fhitting Room: On demand HIIT and strength workouts with a 30-day free trial

Yoga:

• YogaWorks: Online yoga classes with a 14-day free trial

• Down Dog App: Free yoga, HIIT and barre classes until April 1, 2020, In response to the many school closures taking place, also offering free access until July 1st for all students and teachers (K-12 and college)

• SkyTing: Online yoga classes with a free 7-day trial

Barre:

• The Bar Method: Online barre classes with a 14-day free trial, plus some free workouts via Instagram

• Physique 57: Online barre classes with a 7-day free trial

• Barre3: Online barre classes with a 15-day free trial

Pilates:

• Blogilates: Free workout videos, challenges and plans

• Pilates Anytime: Access to over 3,000 Pilates classes with 15-day free trial

Wisconsin Liquor Laws Threatening Wedding Barns

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Haase Photography

Hosting a wedding in a beautiful Wisconsin barn has been an up-swinging trend for the past 5 years. We believe that barn weddings are so popular because setting a tone for your wedding day is just as important as selecting a theme. The atmosphere that surrounds a barn wedding is comforting and inviting. With all the stress that goes into planning a wedding to begin with, couples see a barn as a kind of sanctuary where they can embrace their roots, showcase their creativity and encompass all the beauty that Wisconsin has to offer into their big day. 

But recent legislative discussions surrounding whether wedding barns fall under the category as a “Public Place” has many barn venue owners and couples planning a barn wedding very concerned. The debate stems from the idea that any “public place” must have a liquor license or permit in order to serve alcoholic beverages. Many wedding barns came about almost by accident, as “mom and pop” farms began offering underutilized barns to couples dreaming of a rustic barn wedding.

Rustic Manor 1848 is unique in the sense that we're not your average Wisconsin barn. We may look like an 1848 barn on the inside but we're fully equipped with all of today modern amenities such as heating, cooling, 3 indoor restrooms, bridal quarters, AV equipment and a full Class B Liquor Licence. Our property features indoor and outdoor ceremony locations allowing couples to spend the entire day with us with no need to commute from ceremony to reception. 12 acres of country grounds offer endless photography backdrops where guests enjoy strolling along our walking paths that wind from wooded hideaways to a private area along the Bark River. What truly makes us stand out is that couples enjoy the evening of their wedding in our on-site Bed & Breakfast, eliminating the need for travel after a long day of celebrating. My husband and I met in Culinary School so breakfast is pretty delicious; or so we've been told. 

But not all wedding barns were designed in such a unique way. Unlike Rustic Manor 1848, many barns do not have a license to serve alcohol (beer, wine or even liquor) so many couples can currently bring their own alcohol to be served to guests on their wedding day. Legislation wants to change that, requiring all wedding barns to obtain a licence in order for alcoholic beverages to be served on their grounds. Passing of this law would certainly change wedding plans for couples across Wisconsin. If laws change it would force the venue to obtain a liquor licence before continuing operation. If they cannot afford a licence or if none are available in that municipality, all scheduled events would be prohibited to serve alcohol. Essentially, couples would be forced to host a “dry” wedding. Thankfully, Rustic Manor 1848 couples have nothing to worry about as we’ve been fully licensed since opening in 2015.

Couples want to feel taken care of, not just on their wedding day, but during the entire planning process. I believe that couples value our knowledge and attention to their details the most; the beautiful backdrop is an added bonus. If couples don't feel at ease with the team they've hired to bring their wedding to life, then it'll be impossible for them to truly enjoy their big day. Handling the safe service of alcoholic beverages is an important part of how we care for our guests. That's where Rustic Manor 1848 stands out among the rest. 

To review Wisconsin Alcohol Polices in relation to our beverage services, please click HERE.
To read a recent article on this topic published by the Journal Sentinel, please click HERE.