Woodend Sanctuary Wedding Cost: How Much Should I Budget? – Updated 2024
How much will my Woodend Sanctuary wedding cost? This is the question at the top of your mind, right? Well, I hope I can help. I’ve been working Woodend weddings since 2004; I’ve probably been there over 30 times. I think I’ve seen dozens of configurations of the space for weddings. I’ve experienced all kinds of weather at Woodend. So here we go, into a deep dive of Woodend Sanctuary wedding costs.
First, know that this Woodend wedding budget does not include any wedding attire, alterations or accessories. There is simply no way for me to predict how much you will spend on those items. I do try to think of and include the costs of all other items you might have at your Woodend wedding. As a wedding planner, it is my job to show you all the things, but I don’t expect you to do all the things.
Second, this budget is going to be based on 170 wedding guests, which is the max capacity from April to November; when the Terrace tent is installed. Without the tent, you are looking at a max wedding guest list of 120. But it is always better to stay under the max capacities. Keep reading for a sample floor plan.
Woodend wedding budget breakdown
Now let’s talk about some of these line items. First, Woodend charges lower rates for non-Saturday and off-season rentals. This will bring your rental fee down. Second, you can also book a longer block at a higher rate. This would bring your rental fee up. Adding time to the standard 8-hour rental block would be necessary if you want to have your wedding ceremony start before 6:30 pm on a Saturday, or if you have a lot of decor to set up and will need more than the typical 2 hours.
Oh, you don’t know what I am talking about? Sorry! Here is the explainer: when you book a wedding venue from 4 pm – 1 am, your team of wedding pros will need exclusive access to the venue for the first 2 hours, and your guests need to depart at least 1 hour before the end of the contract so that your team can clean up and load out. With an 8-hour block, your guests should be on site for 5 of those hours.
Here is where it gets tricky: the start time of your wedding ceremony. If you put 6 pm on your wedding invitation, your guests will start arriving at 5:30 pm. We want to avoid them arriving in the middle of set- up, and seeing the sausage getting made. So it would technically be better to do a 6:30 pm ceremony with a 4 pm load in. This way, the set up can be completed by 6, when your guests start arriving, and we can provide them with excellent hospitality from that moment on.
Even more details on the sample wedding budget…
I estimated $195 per person for catering. This is a healthy budget for my recommended caterers on the required list, and it would include your rentals, as well as your labor and delivery. Certainly, you could spend more.
It is a huge perk to be able to bring your own alcohol to a wedding venue. It can save you thousands of dollars. Wholesalers will often let you return unopened and un-chilled items after the wedding too. Woodend is one of the few venues that may allow you to deliver the alcohol before your wedding day.
You could do ceremony music for less with a solo harpist or guitarist. Some strings groups will also book out a duo or trio for a lower cost than a quartet. If you want a band for your reception, you are looking at $8000 – $15,000 in costs, and you need to consider the space they will take up.
For the flowers line item, you could spend less. You could definitely spend more. Woodend has a lot of guidelines about decor; please make sure you and your team are aware of them.
These stationery budget numbers are a fair estimate for a semi-custom, digitally-printed invitation suite, like from Minted. If you want letterpress or double thick paper, or really any type of enhancement, these costs will go up.
Maryland (and DC) are jurisdictions that are very friendly to “non-professional” wedding officiants. Remember to get a nice gift for your friend or family member who will lead your wedding ceremony. Need to know how to write your own ceremony script? I have you covered.
Woodend doesn’t allow coach buses. Mini buses that seat 36 or fewer are the only buses permitted. I did have a client give their guests an Uber Events code for wedding day transportation. This worked great at the start of the day. Unfortunately, at the end of the night, it took quite a long time to get all the requested drivers out to suburban Maryland at midnight. Just food for thought.
Photography and Videography are wildcards. You can spend less; you can spend a lot more.
With this make-up and hair services (often referred to as ‘MUAH’) budget, one bride can have both services and trials. Do not forget to tip 20-25% of the total bill, just as you would in a regular salon.
The Mini Ultimate Guide to Woodend Weddings
Woodend wedding floor plan
This will be updated when the new tent goes up at Woodend in April 2024.
I put 17 tables in the tent, which is the max amount. It completely fills up the tent. I noted a few other things on the floor plan, like the ideal spot for your wedding entertainment, and the location where almost everyone places the bar. I usually see the wedding cake in the Great Hall, either near the staircase or by the fireplace. The conference room can be used for escort cards or seating chart, stationary hors d’oeuvres, dinner buffets, dessert stations or just casual seating. Don’t forget to make a plan for the two fireplace mantles!
Woodend wedding ceremony
Woodend wedding reception tent
One of the nicest things about Woodend is that there aren’t any hidden fees with regards to the tent. You get heaters and fans, sidewalls and chandeliers all included in the rental. If you want to add the string lights, you have to contact Elegance & Simplicity.
Did you like this information about Woodend Sanctuary wedding costs? Great! You can also check out my other posts on DAR wedding costs and a wedding budget for Meridian House.
You can also fill out this form and I will send you a rough budget custom to your specifications!
