Rental Agreement Questions

When putting together our rental agreement we really tried to think of as many scenarios as possible to outline the guidelines and "what ifs." Our goal is always to be as upfront and transparent as we possibly can about any potential limitations that we have. All of our policies or guidelines are set because of practical and/or logistically necessary factors, or they are included due to advice provided to us by our attorney. Our goal is to make everything as clear as possible, hopefully avoiding any surprises later!

Yes! The person signing the rental agreement is the primary decision-maker and is responsible for providing us with the logistics and details of the event.

However, you may designate someone else—such as your parent, wedding planner, or another trusted person—to make decisions or communicate with us on your behalf.

Once you let us know that someone else is authorized to make decisions, we are happy to follow their direction. We simply ask that you provide this authorization in writing so there are no misunderstandings.

Yes. Anyone may make payments toward your invoice.

However, the person or persons who sign the rental agreement remain ultimately responsible for the rental and all payments due under the agreement.

If you are making a payment by check, please include a note identifying the invoice, event date, or other information that will allow us to apply the payment to the correct account.

The Reservation Fee is the payment that secures your event date.

Once your reservation has been finalized, we remove that date from our availability calendar and reserve it specifically for your event. This means we will no longer offer that date to other couples.

When you reserve your date, we remove it from our calendar and turn away other inquiries for that date.

If you later cancel, we may have already declined other opportunities to book the same date. As the event date gets closer, it also becomes increasingly difficult to rebook the date.

For these reasons, all payments made toward your rental are non-refundable.

We have structured our payment schedule and cancellation policy to balance the potential risk of cancellation between both parties. As the event date approaches, a greater portion of the total rental amount becomes due, reflecting the increasing difficulty of rebooking the date.

When you reserve a date, that date is removed from our availability calendar specifically for you.

Because we want to make sure Sawyers Cove Farm is the right fit for each couple before their date is reserved, payments cannot be transferred to another person.

Payments also cannot be transferred to a different date because the original date was removed from our calendar and other potential bookings may have been declined.

We do not provide early access unless additional rental hours have been added to your reservation.

You may add up to two additional hours to your rental for early access, including additional time for getting ready or allowing vendors to begin setup earlier.

Additional hours may be added when you sign your agreement for $250 per hour or added later for $350 per hour, subject to availability.

To avoid misunderstandings, please make sure you share your contracted rental times with your family, friends, and vendors. They may otherwise assume they can arrive whenever they would like.

Yes! Our Two-Day Rental Package provides the opportunity to hold your wedding rehearsal at Sawyers Cove Farm the day before your wedding.

Yes. Our Two-Day Rental Package allows you to host your rehearsal dinner at Sawyers Cove Farm.

All meals must be provided by a licensed caterer.

If alcohol is served at the rehearsal dinner, the same alcohol policies and bartender requirements outlined in your rental agreement apply.

The first rental day is from 12:00 PM–8:00 PM.

The second rental day is from 8:00 AM–10:00 PM, with the applicable cleanup period included as outlined in your rental agreement.

Everyone must be off the property by 11:00 PM.

The same general guidelines that apply to your wedding rental also apply to rehearsal dinners and other activities held during the rental period.

Meals must be provided by a caterer that is licensed for commercial food service and meets all applicable food-service requirements.

If alcohol is served at a rehearsal dinner, only beer, wine, and two signature cocktails are permitted. A licensed and insured bartender must be hired in accordance with the requirements outlined in your rental agreement.

Self-service alcohol is not permitted at Sawyers Cove Farm.

Overnight parking is not allowed without prior approval.

If someone needs to leave a vehicle overnight, please let us know in advance. We will provide instructions for making the necessary arrangements.

What About Confetti, Bubble Machines, Sparklers, or Sky Lanterns?

To help protect the property and keep it in excellent condition for future weddings, we do not allow items that are difficult to clean up, create potential hazards, or may be prohibited by our insurance carrier.

Items that are not permitted include, but are not limited to:

• Confetti

• Fake snow

• Sand

• Silly String

• Glitter of any kind

• Small gems or jewels

• Rice

• Popcorn

• Artificial flower petals

• Similar loose materials that are difficult to clean up

This is not an exhaustive list. If you are unsure whether an item is permitted, please ask us before purchasing or bringing it to the property.

Fire hazards prohibited by our insurance carrier include:

• Fireworks

• Sky lanterns

• Open-flame candles

• Similar fire-producing items

This is not an exhaustive list. Please have any decorating items, special effects, or send-off items approved by Sawyers Cove Farm in advance.

Items marketed as “biodegradable,” including biodegradable confetti, are also not permitted.

The term “biodegradable” simply means that a product will eventually break down over time. How quickly that happens—and the conditions required for it to happen—vary by product.

Even products marketed as quickly biodegradable may take weeks to break down and may require moisture before decomposition begins.

Once wet, many of these materials can become soft or sticky and difficult to remove from hard surfaces such as sidewalks and landscaped areas.

Because we frequently have weddings scheduled close together, we need to be able to clean and reset the property quickly between events.

This policy helps us keep the property looking beautiful for every couple and ensures that the same standards are applied consistently to everyone.

We have specific guidelines regarding how and where décor may be hung or attached throughout the indoor and outdoor areas of the property.

Anything that needs to be secured, attached, hung, taped, nailed, screwed, or otherwise fastened to a surface must be approved by Sawyers Cove Farm before the event day.

These guidelines are designed to minimize the risk of damage to the property and prevent issues that could affect future events.

Because repairs cannot always be completed between back-to-back weddings, we do everything we can to prevent damage and keep the property looking its best.

We will always do our best to find solutions that work within our guidelines while supporting your vision.

No. Open-flame candles are not permitted, including candles placed inside partially enclosed containers.

Flameless candles are required for décor.

The reason is simple: our catering prep kitchen is not a commercially licensed, full-service food-service kitchen.

Any food preparation or cooking that requires a commercial kitchen must be completed at an appropriately licensed facility.

All items needed for your event must be brought to or delivered to the property during your contracted rental period.

Because of our event and touring schedule, we often have another event or multiple tours scheduled immediately before or after your rental.

For this reason, decorating, deliveries, setup, and removal of personal and rental items must take place during your scheduled rental period.

If you need additional time for deliveries, setup, or decorating, our Two-Day Rental Package may be a good option, subject to availability.

We want everyone to have a wonderful time celebrating, while also taking reasonable steps to reduce the risks associated with alcohol consumption.

Because alcohol is often provided at no cost to guests, some guests may consume more than they otherwise would.

A four-hour alcohol-service limit gives you and your guests plenty of time to celebrate while helping reduce the likelihood of alcohol-related incidents.

Closing the bar 30 minutes before the end of the event gives guests some time to finish their evening and allows the effects of alcohol consumption to begin wearing off before everyone leaves the property.

We do not permit a traditional “last call” announcement.

Announcing last call can create a rush to the bar, potentially resulting in guests consuming additional alcohol immediately before leaving.

The insurance policy carried by your bartending company covers the bartender and their business for their own liability.

Because you are hosting the event and purchasing or providing the alcohol, you may have separate liability exposure.

For this reason, we require the event host to purchase an event-day insurance policy that includes host liquor liability coverage.

This is a common requirement at event venues and is intended to provide an additional layer of protection for the event host.

While the policies may seem to overlap, they serve different purposes.

The event-day policy you purchase does not replace the vendor’s requirement to carry their own liability insurance, and the bartender’s insurance does not provide the same protection for you as the event host.

For alcohol vendors and the event-day insurance policy, the required entities must also be named as additional insureds as outlined in your rental agreement.

Yes. Food and drinks are permitted in the bridal suites, but we ask that food preparation and serving take place in the kitchen.

Drinks may be poured and plates prepared in the kitchen before being brought into the suites. Alternatively, a table may be set up in the main room for the wedding party to use for eating.

Coolers are not permitted in the suites.

Wine and/or beer may be provided to the wedding party during the day only with prior approval and a signed release form.

Champagne bottles may not be opened in the suites.

Please also take care to avoid spills. Red wine and other dark-colored beverages should not be taken into the suites.

Yes.

Sawyers Cove Farm is a beautiful natural setting, and there are areas of the property that can be especially interesting to young children.

Some outdoor areas require additional caution that a child may not recognize or understand. There are also areas inside the venue that are off-limits to guests of all ages.

In addition, Sawyers Cove Farm is a working farm, and electric fencing is used for our animals.

For these reasons, children must remain with a parent or responsible adult at all times while on the property.

This policy is in place for their safety.

Sawyers Cove Farm carries insurance that covers our liability.

Your vendors are responsible for carrying insurance that covers their liability.

As the event host, you are responsible for carrying insurance that covers your liability.

While we wish insurance were not necessary, liability coverage is an important consideration for both event venues and event hosts.

The policies serve different purposes and are designed to protect different parties.

The event policy you purchase does not replace the insurance required of your vendors. Each vendor must maintain their own liability insurance.

If you have questions about why this coverage is required or what it protects, please reach out to us. We are happy to explain our requirements and help you understand what is expected.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept a standard homeowner’s insurance policy in place of the required event-day policy.

Most homeowner’s policies will not add the required additional insureds and may not provide the coverage necessary for an event at Sawyers Cove Farm.

Insurance policies vary significantly in what they cover and what they exclude.

To accept a different type of policy, we would need to review the specific coverage and exclusions to determine whether it meets our requirements. This can involve extensive policy language and may require review by our attorney.

For this reason, we require our couples to purchase an event policy through an insurance provider and policy that we are familiar with.

Our preferred insurance provider offers a broad range of coverage at a competitive price.

Even when using our preferred provider, we recommend speaking with the insurance agent directly so that you fully understand the coverage you are purchasing and any exclusions that may apply.

If you have a question about your rental agreement, our policies, or something specific you are planning for your wedding day, please reach out to us.

We would much rather answer a question ahead of time than have you discover a policy or limitation on your wedding day.

Our goal is to make everything as clear and straightforward as possible so that you can focus on celebrating your beautiful beginning at Sawyers Cove Farm.