Private Estate Weddings: Do you need a Wedding Planner? / by Laurie Cohen

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In recent years, the wedding industry has grown exponentially creative and strayed from tradition in many ways.  One of the ways we, at Sip and Twirl are most excited about is the choice to host weddings at a wide range of non-traditional wedding venues.   What do we mean by "non-traditional", you ask?  Well, resorts and golf courses are far from the church and synagogue settings of every wedding back in the day.  Other fun options we are seeing: ranches, art galleries, warehouses, and private estates.  It should be noted that many of our couples still choose to hold their ceremony in a church, and are now hosting their receptions elsewhere. 

What is the root of this shift?  It may be that individual expression has been encouraged in recent generations, or the result of the "Pinterest revolution," but couples are opting for a variety of new choices in ceremony and reception venues and the wedding planning playing field has changed.

So what are the benefits of a private estate wedding? 

  • Couple and friends/family may be able to stay onsite.
  • Creates a wedding celebration week(end)  vacation.
  • Unique and non traditional wedding venue.
  • Provides potential rehearsal dinner site.
  • May allow the couple to have more control over the food and beverage choices and budget.
  • Can be very authentic to the couple's tastes and personality. 
  • Intimate .

So there are quite a few benefits.  But you will notice that we did not include: will save you a ton on your wedding.  While it is possible to save using a private residence for your wedding, it is not guaranteed and sometimes, it can increase the wedding budget.  

Consider too,  a few of the challenges of a private estate wedding:

  • Minimal to No staff onsite. (Just who we hire and bring in).
  • Very common to have to rent tables, chairs, lighting, generator, etc.
  • Rental costs vary considerably.  Many rentals include event fee.
  • Not all catering companies are equipped for private estate service.  Additional equipment may need to be rented and staffing must be carefully arranged.
  • Neighbors.
  • Event Insurance required/recommended.  
  • If couple stays onsite, privacy is limited and they risk feeling like "hosts" all week/end long. 
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Having summarized some of the ins and outs of private estate weddings, you may have already guessed our position on the necessity of Wedding Planner for your private residence wedding. 
YES! One thousand times YES!  A strong, experienced estate wedding wedding coordination team (at a minimum) is crucial to a carefree wedding celebration at any private estate.  There are so many moving parts to a wedding held on a private property, and you will truly benefit from the expertise of a team that knows the ropes. 

From attending site tours with your catering team or photographers to evaluating power and lighting requirements, a great wedding planner will make sure that all of your vendors are duly prepared for a fabulously successful wedding celebration.  

Sip and Twirl offers specialized teams dedicated to planning and coordinating your estate wedding.  If you are considering a private residence wedding in Arizona, send us an email and we will set up a consultation to discuss your needs!