Introduction - Cottage Weddings There are some real advantages to having your wedding at your cottage.
It can be a very special and significant day for friends and family who have a life-time of memories to draw on.
However, there are some interesting and special differences that need to be considered as you plan your wedding day.
Outdoor Elegance The beauty and relaxed setting of a cottage wedding contributeto a more romantic ambience than a banquet hall or hotel function room.
Some irrestible features will be the wind rustling in the trees and watching the moon rise over the lake.
The flicker of the torches and the glitter of the silverware will all combine for a memorable evening.
There are two weddings that stand out in my memory because of their special features.
At the beginning of the first wedding, a bride and groom were driven across Lake Temiskaming in a vintage Italian speed-boat.
They were met at the dock by the ushers, who were dressed in tuxedos.
There were flowers decorating the rocks and the dock, creating a beautiful setting for the arrival..
At a water-front wedding on Toronto Island, the guests arrived by chartered yacht and were greeted by the bride and groom.
The reception was held before the ceremony (a reverse wedding) so that the couple could be married as the sun was setting over the lake.
The guests were crying as they watched the bride and groom under the wedding arch, with the lake and the city in the background.
Ceremony An integral part of the wedding is the ceremony itself.
At least 6 to 8 months before your wedding, you shoulddecide who will be conducting your wedding ceremony.
Ministers, and others who perform wedding ceremonies, will have to be available to travel the extra distance to a cottage.
You may find that those who travel to perform ceremonies are booked up well in advance, so don't leave this important job to the last minute.
Available Space A typical cottage wedding has 75 to 150 guests and that number probably won't fit in your cottage.
You will have to plan on using a tent, and there are several important measurements and details that have to be considered.
You will need to calulate your tent size based on at least 15 square feet per seated guest.
For example, 100 guests would need a tent that was1500 square feet.
There are several ways the tent could be configured, for instance, 30' x 50'.
An extra 10 feet all around is also required for the tent support ropes.
Your tent must be away from overhanging branches, wires, and eaves troughs.
The ground should be level, and free of rocks, shrubs, and planters.
You may want to provide a separate tent for a bar and one for a staff changing area.
Don't forget to allow for space near the tent for food preparation, portable washrooms, and parking for delivery vehicles.
Bathrooms There are very few cottage septic systems that will accommodate the demands of 100 guests or more.
You can easily solve this problem by renting a washroom trailer.
These trailers are hotel quality, with running water for sinks and toilets, electric lights, and stairs.
A washroom trailer must be parked on level ground near, but not too near, the reception tent.
The path from the reception tent to the washroom trailer must be level and have good lighting.
Accommodation and Transportation Since most of your guests will be travelling some distance, overnight accommodation close to the cottage is essential.
You or your guests should book your rooms in early April to findmotels and hotels that are close to your cottage.
If you don't, you may end up staying in accommodations that are less than suitable.
It may be necessary to plan to transport your guests to and from the cottage location, in mini-vans or buses.
Most cottages have very limited parking and can be difficult to find on a map.
Your first plan could be to ask your cottage neighbours if guests may park on their property,You could also reserve 2 mini-vans from a local taxi company to take guests from the wedding later at night, allowing guests to leave more or less as they wish.
As well, during the afternoon, when all guests need to be on site at approximately the same time, you could rent a bus to pick up guests at their hotels.
As an alternative to hotel rooms, guests could rent motor homes for the weekend of the wedding.
You would have to make sure that a camping area, or suitable parking, was available.
If you provide your guests with comfortable sleeping accommodation near the wedding, it is remarkably convenient for everyone.
Parking In order to determine how much parking space you will need, first estimate the number of cars you can expect.
You can expect roughly 2.
25 guests per car, so that you will require parking spaces for 40 cars, if you have100 guests.
Don't forget to ask your cottage neighbors for permission to park on their properties.
It is also important to designate a separate parking area for the caterer, cake supplier, florist, or anyone else that might have to leave before many of your guests.
It is difficult to get guests to move their cars when they are busy having a good time.
If your main parking is some distance from the reception area, you could use a valet parking service.
The service typically carries insurance, in case a car is scratched in the parking lot.
As an alternative, you could rent one or two golf carts for a shuttle service.
Insects It is a good idea to be prepared for mosquitos and black flies, by having sufficient insect repellent on hand for all of your guests.
You should check the container to make sure that the repellant does not stain clothing.
You can also pay a local landscaper, or pest control company, to lay down a fog of insect repellent on the morning of the wedding.
Lighting A major part of planning your wedding will be the provision of adequate lighting.
All the paths that your guests will use at night to get to parking, washrooms, or a neighbour's cottage should be very well lit.
If you want to avoid the risk of an accident, especially to the elderly or tipsy, you should take special care to light the area surrounding your wedding.
You should give special attention to the lighting of rocks and tree roots that are visible in daylight, but may be invisible at night.
There are several attractive and effective ways to do outdoor lighting, including rope lights and railway-type lanterns.
You should always avoid the use of open flames.
Electricity The wedding will require between 7 and 10 independent circuits, and each circuit should be15 amps.
This will provide for tent lighting, sound systems, additional refrigeration brought by the caterer, as well as coffee brewing and other appliance needs.
If your neighbours are close enough, you may be able to draw a few circuits from them.
If not, you may wish to consult with an electrician about increasing your electrical supply.
Most generators, unless they are of the silent variety used on a movie set, are too noisy.
Refrigeration Your caterer will need to be equipped with sufficient portable refrigeration to safely store all foods that need to be kept cold.
Certain foods, such as shrimp, are especially fragile in hot weather.
You should ask specifically about the caterer's plans for cold storage.
Insurance It is always a good idea to notify your insurance company, at least 4 months in advance, that you are planning a liquor-related event on your property.
You may be advised to add a rider to your homeowner's policy.
Your caterer should provide written confirmation that they have a PLPD policy in the amount of at least five million dollars, that covers the service of alcohol, among other risks (see Bar Service).
Bar Service You will need to see evidence that everyone serving alcoholhas Smart Serve certification.
If bartenders are not certified, your insurance coverage is voidable.
You do not need a Special Occasion permit if alcohol is not being sold separately, for example, at a cash bar.
This does not relieve you, or your bartenders, from the responsibility to manage your guests' consumption of alcohol.
Even if your guests aren't driving, they can suffer an alcohol-related accident, by tripping on a tree root, or falling into the water.
It is your duty to make sure that all guests get home safely.
You can divide your beverage service into four time periods.
Before the ceremony serve real fruit punch, frozen fruit drinks and lemon or lime-flavored water, with no alcohol.
After the ceremony, begin to celebrate with a toast to the bride and groom, with champagne or sparkling wine.
Henkell Trochen or Frexeinet are medium-priced sparkling wines, that have the cachet of French champagne without the expense.
Women will cling to a champagne flute, as a stylish fashion accessory, long after their glass is empty.
This helps minimize alcohol consumption when guests have not yet had anything substantial to eat.
During dinner, wine is served at each table.
Opened bottles may be placed on the table for guests to share, or servers can pour for each guest.
The bar should be closed during dinner, except for the service of non-alcoholic drinks to children.
After dinner, the service of hard liquor may begin.
Make sure to close the bar at least 30 minutes before guest departure.
You should always discourage guests from drinking and driving.
You may want to offer coffee and tea throughout the evening.
Menu Planning - Dining Alfresco At the risk of stating the obvious, a cottage wedding menu recognizes that guests are dining during a Canadian summer, in the outdoors.
This is not a setting for roast beef and mashed potatoes.
The menu should draw on local produce that is fresh from the garden.
The menu should sparkle with fresh fruit and vegetables that can be used generously in appetizers, salads, side-dishes, and desserts.
It is always better to cook on-site, rather than at a base kitchen that is hours away.
Few foods survive the trip without losing taste, texture, and color.
You may find that cooking on site is also interesting for your guests.
Frequently, our chefs have an attentive audience as steak or lobster or stuffed tomatoes meet the grill.
Steak Diane always produces a chorus of "Ooohs" and "Aaahs" as the cognac is lit.
Since some dishes are more difficult than others, you should try to avoid anything with ice cream, or freshly-whipped cream.
Hot weather can be a real challenge for such delicate foods.
After dinner It is after the ceremony, dinner, and speeches, that your event becomes a party.
The urge to break loose needs to be tempered by the ease with which noise travels across the water.
Unless you simply cannot be heard by neighbours, start to turn down the music by 11:00 p.
m.
A great way to continue your celebration is to start a camp-fire.
By using guitar music, a sing-along, hot buttered rum, mulled wine, and roasted marshmallows and chestnuts, you can evoke past cottage experiences.
You can add a touch of nostalgia with torch-lit canoes on the water, beyond the lights of the cottage.
We have also seen a romantic scene, with the bride and groom paddling off into the dark on their honeymoon.
Neighbours If you value good neighbours, you will notify them three months before the wedding that you are having a party.
You could mail them a note, to their home address in the city, and leave a copy in their mailbox at the cottage.
If possible, you could consider inviting them to the wedding.
It may turn out that you would like their help with parking, refrigerator/kitchen space, bedrooms, and extra electrical capacity.
You should be careful not to let guests' cars block the access road, or driveway, to a neighbour's cottage.
You may want to make sure that childern are supervised adequately, so that they don't wander onto a neighbour's property, or feed or annoy their pets, or play with their toys.
Your celebration should not become someone else's headache.
Supervision of Children.
Young children at a cottage wedding require extra supervision, especially around water, poison ivy, beehives, pets, and other animals.
It is essential that supervision be assigned to someone who is not part of the wedding celebration, and who is competent to deal with problems.
If you hire a life guard, ask for someone with a Bronze Medallion.
You should have one supervisor for every 12 children.
You could hire a games supervisor to prepare a program for young guests, with the opportunity to explore, play games, burn off energy, and have fun.
You may want to set aside a room with kids' videos, story books, pillows, and blankets.
Older kids can enjoy a camp-fire, complete with a marshmallow roast, stories, or songs.
The camp-fire will be a great focal point for everyone throughout the evening.
Weather While you can always hope for good weather, you should always plan for bad weather.
You may want to suggest that guests bring an umbrella and you can provide extras at the entrance to the tent and near the parking area.
If rain prevents an outdoor ceremony, the dance floor inside the tent is an effective alternative.
If the weather is unusually hot, you can rent extra-large floor fans that provide a refreshing breeze.
If the weather is unusually cool, you can rent propane-powered tent heaters.
Your guests may need to be tactfully reminded to dress for the weather and the surroundings.
Although it would be difficult to persuade the ladies to avoid high heels and floor-length gowns, you could insert a suggestion in your invitation to bring along a pair of flat shoes or sandals.
Women and men should be encouraged to wear a hat, which can be both fashionable and practical.
No matter what the time of year, a sweater, shawl or jacket willprobably be needed once the sun goes down..
Conclusion I was once contacted by a prospective client, who said she relied on karma to take care of her wedding and, therefore, she had no need to pay attention to detail.
She thought that using a tape measure to determine the space available for a tent was too fussy.
Cottage weddings will provide a lifetime of beautiful memories, but they do require planning.
It can be a very special and significant day for friends and family who have a life-time of memories to draw on.
However, there are some interesting and special differences that need to be considered as you plan your wedding day.
Outdoor Elegance The beauty and relaxed setting of a cottage wedding contributeto a more romantic ambience than a banquet hall or hotel function room.
Some irrestible features will be the wind rustling in the trees and watching the moon rise over the lake.
The flicker of the torches and the glitter of the silverware will all combine for a memorable evening.
There are two weddings that stand out in my memory because of their special features.
At the beginning of the first wedding, a bride and groom were driven across Lake Temiskaming in a vintage Italian speed-boat.
They were met at the dock by the ushers, who were dressed in tuxedos.
There were flowers decorating the rocks and the dock, creating a beautiful setting for the arrival..
At a water-front wedding on Toronto Island, the guests arrived by chartered yacht and were greeted by the bride and groom.
The reception was held before the ceremony (a reverse wedding) so that the couple could be married as the sun was setting over the lake.
The guests were crying as they watched the bride and groom under the wedding arch, with the lake and the city in the background.
Ceremony An integral part of the wedding is the ceremony itself.
At least 6 to 8 months before your wedding, you shoulddecide who will be conducting your wedding ceremony.
Ministers, and others who perform wedding ceremonies, will have to be available to travel the extra distance to a cottage.
You may find that those who travel to perform ceremonies are booked up well in advance, so don't leave this important job to the last minute.
Available Space A typical cottage wedding has 75 to 150 guests and that number probably won't fit in your cottage.
You will have to plan on using a tent, and there are several important measurements and details that have to be considered.
You will need to calulate your tent size based on at least 15 square feet per seated guest.
For example, 100 guests would need a tent that was1500 square feet.
There are several ways the tent could be configured, for instance, 30' x 50'.
An extra 10 feet all around is also required for the tent support ropes.
Your tent must be away from overhanging branches, wires, and eaves troughs.
The ground should be level, and free of rocks, shrubs, and planters.
You may want to provide a separate tent for a bar and one for a staff changing area.
Don't forget to allow for space near the tent for food preparation, portable washrooms, and parking for delivery vehicles.
Bathrooms There are very few cottage septic systems that will accommodate the demands of 100 guests or more.
You can easily solve this problem by renting a washroom trailer.
These trailers are hotel quality, with running water for sinks and toilets, electric lights, and stairs.
A washroom trailer must be parked on level ground near, but not too near, the reception tent.
The path from the reception tent to the washroom trailer must be level and have good lighting.
Accommodation and Transportation Since most of your guests will be travelling some distance, overnight accommodation close to the cottage is essential.
You or your guests should book your rooms in early April to findmotels and hotels that are close to your cottage.
If you don't, you may end up staying in accommodations that are less than suitable.
It may be necessary to plan to transport your guests to and from the cottage location, in mini-vans or buses.
Most cottages have very limited parking and can be difficult to find on a map.
Your first plan could be to ask your cottage neighbours if guests may park on their property,You could also reserve 2 mini-vans from a local taxi company to take guests from the wedding later at night, allowing guests to leave more or less as they wish.
As well, during the afternoon, when all guests need to be on site at approximately the same time, you could rent a bus to pick up guests at their hotels.
As an alternative to hotel rooms, guests could rent motor homes for the weekend of the wedding.
You would have to make sure that a camping area, or suitable parking, was available.
If you provide your guests with comfortable sleeping accommodation near the wedding, it is remarkably convenient for everyone.
Parking In order to determine how much parking space you will need, first estimate the number of cars you can expect.
You can expect roughly 2.
25 guests per car, so that you will require parking spaces for 40 cars, if you have100 guests.
Don't forget to ask your cottage neighbors for permission to park on their properties.
It is also important to designate a separate parking area for the caterer, cake supplier, florist, or anyone else that might have to leave before many of your guests.
It is difficult to get guests to move their cars when they are busy having a good time.
If your main parking is some distance from the reception area, you could use a valet parking service.
The service typically carries insurance, in case a car is scratched in the parking lot.
As an alternative, you could rent one or two golf carts for a shuttle service.
Insects It is a good idea to be prepared for mosquitos and black flies, by having sufficient insect repellent on hand for all of your guests.
You should check the container to make sure that the repellant does not stain clothing.
You can also pay a local landscaper, or pest control company, to lay down a fog of insect repellent on the morning of the wedding.
Lighting A major part of planning your wedding will be the provision of adequate lighting.
All the paths that your guests will use at night to get to parking, washrooms, or a neighbour's cottage should be very well lit.
If you want to avoid the risk of an accident, especially to the elderly or tipsy, you should take special care to light the area surrounding your wedding.
You should give special attention to the lighting of rocks and tree roots that are visible in daylight, but may be invisible at night.
There are several attractive and effective ways to do outdoor lighting, including rope lights and railway-type lanterns.
You should always avoid the use of open flames.
Electricity The wedding will require between 7 and 10 independent circuits, and each circuit should be15 amps.
This will provide for tent lighting, sound systems, additional refrigeration brought by the caterer, as well as coffee brewing and other appliance needs.
If your neighbours are close enough, you may be able to draw a few circuits from them.
If not, you may wish to consult with an electrician about increasing your electrical supply.
Most generators, unless they are of the silent variety used on a movie set, are too noisy.
Refrigeration Your caterer will need to be equipped with sufficient portable refrigeration to safely store all foods that need to be kept cold.
Certain foods, such as shrimp, are especially fragile in hot weather.
You should ask specifically about the caterer's plans for cold storage.
Insurance It is always a good idea to notify your insurance company, at least 4 months in advance, that you are planning a liquor-related event on your property.
You may be advised to add a rider to your homeowner's policy.
Your caterer should provide written confirmation that they have a PLPD policy in the amount of at least five million dollars, that covers the service of alcohol, among other risks (see Bar Service).
Bar Service You will need to see evidence that everyone serving alcoholhas Smart Serve certification.
If bartenders are not certified, your insurance coverage is voidable.
You do not need a Special Occasion permit if alcohol is not being sold separately, for example, at a cash bar.
This does not relieve you, or your bartenders, from the responsibility to manage your guests' consumption of alcohol.
Even if your guests aren't driving, they can suffer an alcohol-related accident, by tripping on a tree root, or falling into the water.
It is your duty to make sure that all guests get home safely.
You can divide your beverage service into four time periods.
Before the ceremony serve real fruit punch, frozen fruit drinks and lemon or lime-flavored water, with no alcohol.
After the ceremony, begin to celebrate with a toast to the bride and groom, with champagne or sparkling wine.
Henkell Trochen or Frexeinet are medium-priced sparkling wines, that have the cachet of French champagne without the expense.
Women will cling to a champagne flute, as a stylish fashion accessory, long after their glass is empty.
This helps minimize alcohol consumption when guests have not yet had anything substantial to eat.
During dinner, wine is served at each table.
Opened bottles may be placed on the table for guests to share, or servers can pour for each guest.
The bar should be closed during dinner, except for the service of non-alcoholic drinks to children.
After dinner, the service of hard liquor may begin.
Make sure to close the bar at least 30 minutes before guest departure.
You should always discourage guests from drinking and driving.
You may want to offer coffee and tea throughout the evening.
Menu Planning - Dining Alfresco At the risk of stating the obvious, a cottage wedding menu recognizes that guests are dining during a Canadian summer, in the outdoors.
This is not a setting for roast beef and mashed potatoes.
The menu should draw on local produce that is fresh from the garden.
The menu should sparkle with fresh fruit and vegetables that can be used generously in appetizers, salads, side-dishes, and desserts.
It is always better to cook on-site, rather than at a base kitchen that is hours away.
Few foods survive the trip without losing taste, texture, and color.
You may find that cooking on site is also interesting for your guests.
Frequently, our chefs have an attentive audience as steak or lobster or stuffed tomatoes meet the grill.
Steak Diane always produces a chorus of "Ooohs" and "Aaahs" as the cognac is lit.
Since some dishes are more difficult than others, you should try to avoid anything with ice cream, or freshly-whipped cream.
Hot weather can be a real challenge for such delicate foods.
After dinner It is after the ceremony, dinner, and speeches, that your event becomes a party.
The urge to break loose needs to be tempered by the ease with which noise travels across the water.
Unless you simply cannot be heard by neighbours, start to turn down the music by 11:00 p.
m.
A great way to continue your celebration is to start a camp-fire.
By using guitar music, a sing-along, hot buttered rum, mulled wine, and roasted marshmallows and chestnuts, you can evoke past cottage experiences.
You can add a touch of nostalgia with torch-lit canoes on the water, beyond the lights of the cottage.
We have also seen a romantic scene, with the bride and groom paddling off into the dark on their honeymoon.
Neighbours If you value good neighbours, you will notify them three months before the wedding that you are having a party.
You could mail them a note, to their home address in the city, and leave a copy in their mailbox at the cottage.
If possible, you could consider inviting them to the wedding.
It may turn out that you would like their help with parking, refrigerator/kitchen space, bedrooms, and extra electrical capacity.
You should be careful not to let guests' cars block the access road, or driveway, to a neighbour's cottage.
You may want to make sure that childern are supervised adequately, so that they don't wander onto a neighbour's property, or feed or annoy their pets, or play with their toys.
Your celebration should not become someone else's headache.
Supervision of Children.
Young children at a cottage wedding require extra supervision, especially around water, poison ivy, beehives, pets, and other animals.
It is essential that supervision be assigned to someone who is not part of the wedding celebration, and who is competent to deal with problems.
If you hire a life guard, ask for someone with a Bronze Medallion.
You should have one supervisor for every 12 children.
You could hire a games supervisor to prepare a program for young guests, with the opportunity to explore, play games, burn off energy, and have fun.
You may want to set aside a room with kids' videos, story books, pillows, and blankets.
Older kids can enjoy a camp-fire, complete with a marshmallow roast, stories, or songs.
The camp-fire will be a great focal point for everyone throughout the evening.
Weather While you can always hope for good weather, you should always plan for bad weather.
You may want to suggest that guests bring an umbrella and you can provide extras at the entrance to the tent and near the parking area.
If rain prevents an outdoor ceremony, the dance floor inside the tent is an effective alternative.
If the weather is unusually hot, you can rent extra-large floor fans that provide a refreshing breeze.
If the weather is unusually cool, you can rent propane-powered tent heaters.
Your guests may need to be tactfully reminded to dress for the weather and the surroundings.
Although it would be difficult to persuade the ladies to avoid high heels and floor-length gowns, you could insert a suggestion in your invitation to bring along a pair of flat shoes or sandals.
Women and men should be encouraged to wear a hat, which can be both fashionable and practical.
No matter what the time of year, a sweater, shawl or jacket willprobably be needed once the sun goes down..
Conclusion I was once contacted by a prospective client, who said she relied on karma to take care of her wedding and, therefore, she had no need to pay attention to detail.
She thought that using a tape measure to determine the space available for a tent was too fussy.
Cottage weddings will provide a lifetime of beautiful memories, but they do require planning.