CAPACITY
How many guests does the Event Center fit?
The Event Center can seat up to 160 guests at tables inside the reception space and seat another 120 guests at tables outside on the uncovered and covered patios - for a total of 280 guestsÂ
The inside the Event Center, you can seat up to 130 people for a ceremony.
The amphitheater can seat 300 guests in chairs.
Can I have my wedding ceremony inside if the weather is rainy or cold?
Our Event Center has interior ceremony space for up to 130 guests only. If you are planning a wedding with more than 130 guests, it would be good to plan on having tents available that can be placed on our patios in case of inclement weather. We do not have tents available. You would need to rent tents from a third-party vendor.
Can I use the Tasting Room or Tasting Room Patio for my wedding or event?
The Tasting Room is available for exclusive rental use only when it is not open to the public. That means it is only available for private paries on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You can also rent the Tasting Room in the mornings before we open at noon.
The Tasting Room seats up to 45 guests inside. The Patio can seat up to 60 guests outside.
ALCOHOL
What alcohol are we allowed to serve at our wedding or event?
You can serve wine, beer, cider, or hard alcohol at events. If you only serve wine, beer and cider, the Aurora Vineyards staff can serve your alcohol.
If you choose to serve hard alcohol, you will have to hire a licensed and insured third-party bartending service to serve all the alcohol because Aurora Vineyards' servers are only licensed to serve wine, beer and cider.
IMPORTANT - we are implementing a new policy regarding hard alcohol service during events. While we will continue to allow hard alcohol to be served during events, we now limit that service to a maximum of 4 hours.
We believe that for the safety and well-being of you, your guests and our staff, a four-hour liquor service is in everyone's best interest. This only applies to hard alcohol. Wine, beer, cider and seltzers can continue to be served throughout your reception. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please let the venue manager know.
Is there a minimum amount of wine that must be purchased if I have my wedding here?
No. You are not required to serve wine if you rent our event venue for your wedding or event. If you do choose to serve wine, however, it must be our wine. No outside wine (except for sparkling wine) is allowed.
You may purchase any amount of wine that you would like. We do charge a 20% gratuity on all wine that is purchased for your wedding. This gratuity is then given to the bartending staff at your wedding.
For venue rental contracts signed after 1/10/24, all wine, beer and cider purchases will go toward the food & beverage minimum requirement.
Do I have to purchase other alcohol through you?
Clients who book our venues after May 1, 2023, are required to purchase their wine, beer and cider through Aurora Vineyards. We offer our estate wine plus 10 Barrel Brewing and pFriem Family Brewing beer and cider. A 20% gratuity is charged on all alcohol purchased through us. This gratuity is then given to the bartenders at your wedding. Our servers can serve wine, beer and cider to your guests.
If you choose to serve hard alcohol, you will have to hire a licensed and insured third-party bartending service to serve all the alcohol because Aurora Vineyards is only licensed to serve wine, beer and cider.
Who can bartend at my wedding?
Aurora Vineyards offers bartending services if you are serving beer, wine, cider, and seltzers only.
If you wish to serve hard alcohol or just wish to have a non-winery bartender, a licensed AND insured bartending service must be hired. If you would like a list of recommended bartending services, please ask the Venue Manager.
Many people ask if they can have their friends who are OLCC-licensed bartend at their wedding. The answer is no, unless that friend has proof of liability insurance. It is important that all bartenders have liability insurance in the unfortunate event that a guest causes an accident or injury after the wedding. The liability insurance that we require for our events covers the host of the event, not the bartender.
If you have questions about bartending, please ask the Venue Manager.
CATERING
What are our catering options?
One of the most important meals you will ever serve is the one you share with your wedding guests. For that reason, all catering is provided exclusively by Aurora Colony's culinary team. Our chef partners with couples to create a menu that showcases local ingredients while celebrating their style. We are happy to accommodate special dietary requests.Â
Check out our in-house catering menu HERE, and contact our Venue Sales Manager for details.
Outside catering is not permitted for contracts signed after 1/10/24.
Do you allow mobile bars?
Yes! We have the perfect spot right outside the event venue for mobile bars to park.Â
We have one 50-amp outlet and one 30-amp outlet for them to use.
MUSIC & SOUND
Does the Event Center and Amphitheater have sound equipment available for use?
No. All sound equipment would need to be brought by a DJ or rented from a third-party vendor. There are many power outlets inside and outside the Event Center as well as power near the Amphitheater.
What time does music need to end?
All venue rentals must be end by 11pm.
Generally, music ends by 10pm so you have one hour to clean up before the site is closed at 11pm.
All DJs must have their equipment packed up and ready to depart the venue by 11pm.
If all clean-up is not finished by 11pm, you may be charged for extra rental time.
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COST & FEES
What is included when I rent the Event Center and Amphitheater?
Your rental includes 12 hours of use of the Event Center, Amphitheater and Get-Ready Suites (which are located in our winery building).
In the Event Center, it includes 5-foot round guest tables, chairs, 6-foot & 4-foot rectangle tables, cocktail-height tables, and two movable bars.
In the Amphitheater, it includes guest chairs and a metal ceremony arch/arbor.
We do a one-time set up and takedown of all your tables and chairs in both the Event Center and Amphitheater.
How much does it cost to rent the Event Center?
It depends on the day of the week and the time of the year. Click HERE to see our current Event Center rate sheet.
For rental rates for our Tasting Room, please email events@acvwine.com.
How much does it cost to secure a date?
The secure your date, a $500 refundable security deposit and 50% of the site fee be paid. The remaining 50% of the site fee is due 90 days before your wedding date.
If you are booking a wedding 90 days or less in advance, the entire site fee and security deposit is due upon booking.
If your rental requires a food & beverage minimum, that cost is not due until approximately 2 weeks before your wedding date.
Are there any other fees associated with renting the venue?
In-House Catering & Food & Beverage Minimum
For wedding rental contracts signed after 1/10/24, there is a $2,000 food and beverage minimum required for all wedding rentals, and IN-HOUSE CATERING MUST BE USED. Click HERE for our catering options.
Additional Rental Hours
The allotted timeline for all contracts is 12 hours (11am - 11pm). If you wish to access the Event Center/Amphitheater earlier than the allotted time of 11am, the earliest time available is 9am and the rate is $350 for two hours. No exceptions. Â
Bartenders
If you purchase wine to be served at your event, we will provide one server for free for your first 100 guests. If you have more than 100 guests, you may need a second server, for which we charge $45/hour.
Holiday Premium
If you would like to schedule an event on a holiday, there is a $500 fee added to the rental price. Holidays include: New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. No events will be scheduled on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Eve.
Early Bird Entry
We have an Early Bird Entry fee of $100 for rental which begin before 10am. This fee covers our cost having the venue cleaning done earlier in the day.
After Event Extension
If clean-up extends beyond your stated rental time, you may be assessed an additional hourly fee that is stated in your contract.
Do I need event insurance?
Yes. We require a Certificate of Insurance (COI) for events. This COI is for liability purposes and will cost you between $50-120 depending upon what insurance company you purchase it thorugh. Event insurance protects you if you or your guests damage the property or gets injured on site. You can get this insurance through your insurance agent or an online agent like Event Helper or eWed Insurance.
WHAT ELSE?
Do you require a day-of coordinator?
We do not require you to hire a wedding coordinator or a day-of coordinator; however, we will ask you for the name of a person who will be your point person on the day of your wedding.
This person should have knowledge of your plan for the day and be available if there are questions about decorating, vendors, etc. and be available at the end of the evening to ensure that the venue is properly cleaned up.
When a coordinator is not hired, we've often had couples assign this role to a close friend, aunt or mother-of-the-bride or -groom.Â
This is reassurance that your wedding day goes off without a hitch, and you have someone you trust available when you are getting ready and shouldn't be bothered with questions.
Are you pet friendly?
With prior approval, yes! Our concrete floors and grassy amphitheater are pet-friendly, we just ask that any messes are cleaned up. Dogs also need to be on leashes for the duration of the event.
Dogs are not to be kenneled in the get-ready suites under any circumstances.
What kind of decorations are allowed - and not allowed?
ALLOWED
- Real candles are allowed as long as they are in a glass container that is taller than the candle flame.
- Real flower petals must be used in the amphitheater if they will be spread or tossed by a flower girl. Faux flowers and greenery are fine inside the reception space.
- You can hang flowers and greenery from the beams using twine, string or fishing line.
- You can wrap the beams with twinkle lights.
NOT ALLOWED
- No nails or tacks in the walls. Command Strips are OK.
- No tape or hot glue on any chairs inside or in the amphitheater. If you would like to hang items on chairs, please use string, fishing line or ribbon.
- No sparklers.
- No fiber optic light wands (they are a mess to clean up).
- No confetti of any kind. Rice paper confetti does not dissolve in water as easily as they say, and all confetti is difficult to clean up.
If you have ideas for other decorations and you aren't sure if they are allowed, please ask the Venue Manager.
If extra cleaning needs to be done by our staff to clean up because you used one of the not-allowed decorations or the venue is left overly messy (i.e. frosting smeared on the floors or patio, grease on the floors left by the caterer), you will be charged $45/hour for clean-up as determined by our facilities manager.
Is smoking or vaping allowed on the property?
Smoking is only allowed in the "Designated Smoking Area" which is located next to the venue restrooms. Anyone smoking or vaping in or around the venue or amphitheater will be asked to move to this area if they wish to continue smoking or vaping.