Let's talk venues! Meet Rillhurst Farms!
The very first thing you should begin researching after setting your budget is venues. Virginia is a beautiful state to get married with all kinda of offerings for scenic views for venues. This week I had the chance to ask Delanie, the owner of a new venue in Culpeper, VA about the ins and outs of venue hunting that couples should be aware of.
Some background about Rillhurst Farms…
“It is a completely family owned and operated company. Our farm has been in our family 11 generations and is still a fully functional cattle farm in addition to being a venue. It all started in 2016 when I actually got married on the farm and everyone realized how wonderful the property was for weddings! It is seriously such a beautiful piece of land!! After the passing of my grandparents in 2017, the farmhouse was empty and we realized that we couldn't let the gorgeous, historic house sit there unused. We took the plunge and renovated the 5 bedroom farmhouse and antique hay barn and established our business in 2019. Our first wedding was in 2020...it was a tough year to really get started as a wedding venue!” Delanie runs and operates the venue with her father and cousin. It is truly a family business which we LOVE.
The venue is gorgeous
Oh man, we LOVE sharing our treasured land to make a couple's dream wedding come true. I have yet to meet someone who has not been blown away by how peaceful, beautiful, and unique our farm is. It really is the ultimate spot to get married. I love seeing how couples set up different ceremony sites-- there's never two weddings alike! We have 4 main ceremony locations; two garden/ tree options and two lakefront options. And with 550 acres the photo opportunities are endless!!”
One thing to be aware of at Rillhurst Farms (and most any rural venue) is transportation. Delanie explained this is a cost couples sometimes forget. “Getting their guests safely to and from the venue to their hotels/ homes! Our venue is luckily only about 15 min outside of downtown culpeper, but still back country roads can be dangerous if couples don't offer any transportation option for their guests.”
We asked Delanie what couples should keep in mind when looking at venues while COVID is still part of our lives- “Look for a venue with outdoor ceremony and reception options!!! Our venue has several options that allow both the ceremony and reception to be open air to make everyone as safe as possible. This really allows couples to avoid cutting their guest lists down as much.”
Venues are typically the most expensive part of a wedding. Often couples spend around 50% of their budget on their venue. There are some behind the scenes costs that get factored into venue prices.
For us, a HUGE chunk of our costs go into keeping our property well looking as beautiful as possible-- hiring cleaners after each event to clean/ disinfect and launder all of the bed linens and towels for a 5 bedroom house, gardeners to mow the beautiful lawn and fields, and lots of regular maintenance work to keep our antique barn safe and rustic at the same time!
Rillhurst has packages that are super inclusive! “In our largest package, it includes a 2 night stay in our 5 bedroom (sleeps 12) farmhouse, a tented reception at our Mountain View Ceremony site, luxury restroom trailer rental, access to our antique event barn for reception or rehearsal dinner, tables and chairs from up to 175 guests, on site parking, and access to the property for engagement photos.”
An inclusive venue can really make planning a lot easier and less stressful.
Delanie shared her advice to couples getting started with planning their day-
“My number one advice to couples is to choose vendors who are excellent at communication!! If your point of contact from a venue or any other vendor is not extremely responsive to your questions, know that this is only going to get worse if you book them! There is nothing worse than stressing over not being able to get in touch with your planner or florist in the weeks leading up to your wedding. I say this from experience from my own wedding!”
If you’re interested in checking out Rillhurst Farm, fill out their contact form!
