Quick Note On Children
*We love children! - We really do, that’s why we want them SAFE*
It seems strange to have to say this, but it is the responsibility of the PARENTS to watch their own children and ensure that they are not causing damage to the venue or playing in an unsafe area or manner, not the scheduled staff members. It’s an odd thing, but somehow parents tend to believe wedding venues have a built-in babysitter or they think enough guests know them/their child and assume others will join in the responsibilities to help watch their child. Heck, sometimes they act like they forgot their child(ren) came with! Put simply, in our experience, guests often don’t watch their children. Whom we then find playing in an unsafe manner (like jumping from one bench to another) running through and ripping up our beautiful landscaping, playing hide-n-seek in the parking area between cars, (that are constantly coming & going) taking pocket knives and cutting off tree branches and carving their names in the benches, etc.
When we notice any of the previously mentioned issues+, we will directly and nicely ask the children to stop. If the behavior and incidences continue, we will get the decision maker for the day involved. If that is still not effective in controlling the situation, the DJ will make an announcement.
If you have children ages 3 - 16 (especially a lot of them) attending the wedding, please make sure their parents know that they do need to be supervised and that vandalism is not tolerated. Again, we have already had more than one instance where an ambulance needed to be called due to a child left unsupervised and “messing around.” –The couple’s day was directly impacted/interrupted because of the added commotion and needing to personally answer certain liability questions to the EMTs due to holding the Special Event's Insurance policy. One wedding turned into an hour SEARCH PARTY for a “missing child” age 5, who actually was playing in the cornfield, got turned around, then didn't reply when people were calling for him because he thought he was in trouble. Another time a stranger who was driving by pulled in to let us know a 3yr old was up by the road, the parents were on the back patio. Things happen. *Although we are appreciative of all police, firefighters, EMTs, etc. we of course hope they are never needed onsite.
“I don’t want to invite certain children, how could I word that on my Wedding Website?”— This is a question we are asked WEEKLY! The following has seemed to work well.
“While we love ALL children, we really do. Due to space & numbers we sadly have had to limit children to immediate family; and/or it has been indicated on invitations/RSVP form. This has been done by either writing your child(s) name or using the word FAMILY on the invite. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience. We hope you take this as an opportunity for probably a much needed DATE NIGHT to kick back and relax!”
Thank you for helping us keep your guests safe and the property beautiful.
Rehearsals
Having a great outcome for your ceremony is dependent on SO MUCH MORE than where it was that you practiced it at. It’s about having a qualified officiant and qualified DJ. In our opinion, (not only after hosting weddings at Oehme Oasis, but also photographing 15+ years of weddings) it doesn’t matter where you practice. It is only important that you DO practice and that you have a competent DJ and officiant. —As you know, if you have reserved the day prior to your wedding as well, you are welcome to do your rehearsal and decorate the night before. If you have booked one day at the venue, your rehearsal may take place at an open house, offsite at a location of your choosing, or onsite the day of your wedding. *ProTip: If rehearsing the day-of, the bride doesn't actually need to practice, her spot/job is the easy one.
Knowing when to walk is pretty simple. As soon as the person ahead of you gets half way down the aisle, the next person starts walking. *ProTip: Remember to pause ¾ of the way down the aisle, look at your photographer, and SMILE:)
Make sure EVERYONE in your ceremony knows when to walk and in what order. This is most critical with parents and grandparents. They are so cute & seem to get more nervous than the bridal party! *Note: Not all weddings are the same, some are missing a loved one, some have extra loved ones, etc. Make sure to build your ceremony how it fits YOUR wedding, don’t feel pressured to go by a setup someone sends you from online. If you want help or suggestions, simply send us a message on WEVEN.
It is the responsibility of your officiant to organize the ceremony and bridal party. If you have asked a friend to officiate, (we love that!) please make sure it’s a friend or family member who will take the job seriously. Not all of us are ceremony experts and therefore can’t tell you “how to do it.” –That is the responsibility of your officiant and planner. *Unless you have added Oehme Oasis’ in-house Day of Task Management to your package.*
If rehearsing the night before, we suggest rehearsing before dinner, whether you have added eating onsite at Oehme Oasis, or are having your dinner elsewhere. By doing this, it seems easier to get (and keep) everyone’s attention for the rehearsal. (Since they want to finish so they can go eat! Ha) 🙂
90% of our couples have only rented a “day-of” package & generally practiced at their home or ON wedding day, with or without the bride.
Ceremony
Make sure you look at the time of sunset, understand guests staying at hotels can't check-in until after 3pm (sometimes 4pm) and we suggest talking to Oehme Oasis prior to confirming your ceremony start time.
We do not have any kind of heating or cooling in our ceremony spaces. If you elect to have an outdoor ceremony, it will be at the temperature outdoors. 🙂
We suggest moving your ceremony indoors at less than 50 degrees. If you want to be outdoors between 32 and 50 degrees, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU TELL YOUR GUESTS REPEATEDLY TO DRESS FOR THE WEATHER.
We’ll want to make the indoor/outdoor rain decision 30 minutes before your wedding. As guests start to arrive 30-60 minutes prior to ceremony start time.
Consider taking 5-10 minutes immediately after the ceremony together, alone. We’ve seen this work well when the couple exits the ceremony area and walks straight to the getting ready building. If you don’t do it right away (and want to) a SEA of people will be waiting for you. *Note: Unless you personally make the effort, you will not have 5 minutes alone all day. If this is important to you, you’ll simply need to plan for it. :)
Your ceremony rain plan: In the case of rain, your ceremony will likely take place underneath the barn, in our Country Chic Chapel. If this is not something you would want in the case of rain, your ceremony would then take place in the reception area, with guests seated at their table spot. Oehme Oasis Wedding & Events does NOT flip the venue. (Due to this, we have worked very hard to create the indoor Chapel.)
Aisle Measurements
Outdoor
7ft is the width of the aisle
58 ft, first to last pew
18 ft from pew to arbor (when facing AWAY from the venue)
30 ft from pew to arbor (when facing TOWARDS the venue)
47 ft from venue basement doors to first pews
123 ft approximately from venue basement doors to arbor by the field
3 ft between each pew
Indoor
7ft is the width of the aisle
50 ft from first t to last pew
106 ft from entrance door to arbor (length of the venue is 114ft)
2.5 ft between pews
Tables
Head Table: The quantity of tables needed will depend on your wedding party size.
Guest Tables: 8’ x 30” Rectangles & 60” Rounds, both seat 8 guests.
Don’t worry!— Oehme Oasis will determine the amount of tables & their placement/setup design once a final guest count is received.
Caterer: Under 150 guests= (2) 6ft tables / 150+ guests we suggest booking a caterer that can accommodate a double set up, AKA FOUR lines, which would be (4) 6ft tables.
Sweet Treat/ Cards & Gifts: (1) 8ft rectangle & (1) 8ft rectangle
Reception Planning
We generally don’t think assigned seating is necessary or worth the effort/possible headache.. Assigning seats is something you can’t do until right before the wedding, and honestly it’s a lot of added stress when you may already be feeling plenty. If it’s important to you, of course still do it. We only say this because in our experience, the cons outweigh the pros. Even previous couples who have done them, have stated they wish they hadn't, or a week or two before, changed their minds and opt against it. Instead of doing assigned seating, we recommend you add an additional 1-2 guest tables and let your guests choose their own seats. Then set aside 2-4 reserved tables near wherever you will be sitting for immediate family, extra special guests, and in some cases the bridal party. Just make sure those individuals know to sit at their specific reserved table.
If you do have assigned seating, please make sure you don’t use individual name cards for each guest. Instead, have one card per table. *Example: Table 7- Guest XYZ, Guest 123, etc. Here’s why- individual cards can easily blow all over the venue, it’s happened & it wasn't fun. *Note: You will also need to have assigned seats for your vendors/a vendor table if assigning seats.
Plan to have the bar open immediately following the ceremony. Your guests will expect it. If you are not doing a first-look & therefore are doing your photos immediately following the ceremony, or you have more than 45 minutes cocktail hour, you will need to provide a catered appetizer in the buffet area for your guests. We are not allowed to serve alcoholic beverages for more than 45minutes without offering food.
If you plan to rent linens through Oehme Oasis it is very important to get your planner in on time. That is how we make sure we order linens correctly through our provider.
Party Time/Dance
If you have added shuttle services, let your DJ know the times they will need to announce. {Example: If the bus is set to leave at 10pm, have them announce at 9:45pm and 9:55pm}
Red wine service will stop once the dance begins.
Once the ‘special dances’ are completed, if you have added the PhotoBooth, it will be then be OPEN! :)
During the dance (with the lights dimmed) if you have added the tear down package, they will discreetly start removing certain items so they are not misplaced.
Everyone {including vendors} are packed up & offsite by:
Friday & Saturday: Midnight
Sundays: 11pm
On occasion couples choose to continue the party after the reception. This is done several different ways, but a few of the main ones we have seen are:
Everyone goes back to the hotel, picks a room, and parties!
You may add a package to keep the party going until 2:00am, ONsite.
If available/reserved in advance, couples book the Party Bus and bar hop around afterwards with their wedding party, guests who aren't ready to be done, etc!
Sometimes couples who live in close proximity to the venue, simply continue at their own house.
Others have discreetly asked the DJ to be done at an earlier time because they were wiped out and wanted to go home—- NO judgment!
