As you consider choosing an all-inclusive or micro wedding at 48 Fields, you may have questions about the process or how it works having included vendors. Read below for more details and answers to common questions.
Q: When can I have an all-inclusive or micro wedding?
An all-inclusive wedding can be booked on any date at any time. Micro weddings are available for most non-Saturday dates and non-holiday weekends within the next 12 months. However, we can sometimes be flexible to book micro weddings more in advance or for Saturdays in off-peak months if we first check to see if all the vendors are on board for the date.
Q: How much does it cost?
Pricing typically includes the venue rental along with services for officiant, catering, wedding coordinator, florist, DJ, photographer, cake, non-alcoholic beverages, wine, and linens. Costs vary based on your guest count and sample estimates are outlined below. We can adjust estimates for more specific guest count that are not shown in the sample counts below. Virginia’s 6% sales tax is added to all rentals.
| GUESTS | ALL-INCLUSIVE | MICRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 ppl 50 ppl 75 ppl 100 ppl 125 ppl |
$28,590 $33,315 $35,995 $38,525 $41,700 |
$16,805 $19,165 $21,665 $24,460 $27,255 |
Q: Who are your partner vendors?
We work with a vetted team of wedding professionals who excel at what they do and who are all very familiar with working at 48 Fields. They include:
- Caterer – PIGS BBQ (comfort food) or Root and Stem (traditional wedding caterer)
- Wedding Coordinator – White Dress Black Tie
- Officiant – Ron Petrella (alternate: Donna Ruland)
- Photographer – Bakerture
- Florist – Rick’s Flowers (alternate: J. Morris Flowers)
- Bakery – Honey Bee Pastries
- DJ – Digital Sound Services (alternate: Dapper DJs)
Q: How do I pick what I want with each vendor or tell them my preferences?
After booking your wedding, we introduce and connect you with each of our vendor partners. This way we don’t have to be a middleman, and you can discuss all the details and your preferences directly with each vendor. They can further explain the details of what they do and work out the logistics they’ll need to know to provide you a great service.
Q: Is it possible to use my own vendors? Would I save money if I remove some of your vendor services?
Part of the appeal of the all-inclusive or micro wedding is knowing that you don’t have to research and find your own vendors. However, we recognize that there may be times when you want to use a particular or different vendor.
- Officiant – Sometimes couples have a church pastor or family member they want to conduct the ceremony. In such cases, we can remove our officiant and you would save approximately $200. (Note that Virginia is very strict about who they allow to conduct marriage ceremonies if you are not getting married in a house of worship.)
- Photographer – Photography has many different styles and you may have a preference for a style that is different than our vendor partner. In such cases, we can remove our photographer and you would save approximately $2000 (micro) or $4000 (all-inclusive).
- Florist – We can remove our florist and you would save $1500 (on a micro wedding) or $3000 (on an all-inclusive wedding)
- Bakery – If you instead prefer to have donuts or pies or another form of dessert, we can remove our bakery. In such cases you would save approximately $400 – $900 depending on your guest count. (Note that we cannot allow any homemade foods, but we do allow items from stores like Costco, Wegmans, Whole Foods, etc.)
- DJ – We can remove our DJ if you choose to run your own music off a premade playlist using our Bluetooth speakers. In that case, you must designate a friend or family member to cue your music as needed throughout the night. Keep in mind no microphones will be available for the ceremony or toasts if there is no DJ. Removing the DJ’s services will save you approximately $2000. However, if you choose to have any kind of official DJ, then you must use one of our partner vendors. Note that the DJ is already removed from the micro wedding rental. (This is one of the ways we save on the budget for a micro wedding.)
- Caterer – You must use one of our partner vendors
- Wedding Coordinator – You must use our partner vendor
Q: What if your vendors aren’t available?
Luckily we haven’t often run into that issue! Caterers can do multiple events a day or weekend. Same with bakeries. Our wedding coordinator partner has a team, so someone has always been available. Same with our photography partner. For the DJ, we usually book far enough in advance that they’ve always been available too. We have a main vendor and a backup vendor for officiant and florist, so between them we’ve always been able to have a partner available.
Q: What vendors are not included?
We find that some services are less in demand for some couples or are more personal in nature. Therefore, our all-inclusive rental does not include hair and makeup stylists, videography, transportation, accommodations, and anything personal (such as attire, rings, honeymoon, other decor, etc.). You are welcome to book any of these vendors on your own.
Q: Does the catering estimate change based on which caterer I choose or is it a set price?
Catering is definitely a variable cost, although we aim to make our estimates as accurate as possible based on our past experiences. There is a difference in price between the two caterers. PIGS BBQ will likely be a lower cost per person compared to Root and Stem, and we use PIGS BBQ’s pricing in our rental estimate. If you prefer Root and Stem, the cost will likely be $45+ per person more. Pricing for both caterers includes food, staff, and serving equipment (such as plates, cups, utensils, platters, etc.). We have sample menus we can share that show an example of what each caterer can do. After booking your date, you would work directly with whichever caterer you choose so that you can select the menu you want. If the final totals are higher or lower than our estimates (either because of your menu choices or a change in anticipated guest count), we would make any adjustments and settle up any differences before the final payment is due.
Q: Is it possible to do a tasting session with the caterer?
We connect you directly with the caterer so that you can work out what you’d like for your menu and a tasting can be part of that.
Q: Is a buffet less expensive than a plated meal? Would that change our estimate?
It depends. A buffet may be a bit less expensive than a plated meal, but not as much as some might expect. With a buffet you need extra food in case people go back for seconds. With a plated meal, your food portions are more controlled but you need extra staff to help serve plates to guests in a timely manner. It does balance out a bit, so we don’t delineate between buffet or plated in our estimate.
Q: What will the wedding coordinator do for me or the wedding?
Your wedding coordinator will work with you leading up to the wedding and they are also on site the day of the wedding too. They will be able to speak more fully on what their services cover, but you can also see an initial overview on their website.
Q: How much time do I get with the photographer and what do they cover?
The photographer will be available for 8 hours with an all-inclusive wedding and 4 hours with a micro wedding. You can choose when you’d like them to arrive and depart within your timeline. You can also choose to add on extra time for $500 per hour.
Q: How do I pick what I want with the florist? How does the “credit” work?
There is a “credit” or allocation of funds that you can spend with the florist of $1500 for micro weddings and $3000 for all-inclusive weddings. This is included in your rental fees with us. This is an amount of money you have allotted spend with the florist that’s already paid for. You get to work directly with the florist to choose the colors, styles, type of pieces, etc. you need for your day. If you go over your credit amount, that’s fine and some couples do. In that case, we would add any overages above the initial credit amount to your final payment with us to settle up any differences.
Q: How do I pick the flavors or design of my cake?
We include a cake tasting as part of your rental package so you can see what flavors you might like. There is a selection of standard flavors and you can select up to 5 flavors for your tasting. Since your cake will likely be 2-3 tiers, you will be able to have up to 2 flavors in the wedding cake. For the cake design, there are four different standard designs and so far all of our couples have chosen one of the standard designs. You may choose to have something different or more custom, but it would be an extra charge. Such charges would depend on the intricacy of the design.
Q: The cake estimate seems higher than I would have guessed. Can we reduce our cost with the bakery?
We estimate this cost based on your anticipated guest count at the time of booking. The cost may change slightly with a change in guest count, but the estimate is likely to be relatively accurate. Keep in mind that each serving of cake is typically $7 per serving. We also include costs for the cake tasting, delivery, and set up. If you have a larger guest count, there is an option to save some money by having a smaller cake to display/cut and then have a sheet cake in the back that the caterers can cut and serve to the guests. (Your guests won’t know that it didn’t come from the cake on display once it’s cut and it can be the same flavor!)
Q: Do I have to purchase wine from 48 Fields or can I bring my own?
All wine, champagne, and/or hard cider is purchased through 48 Fields. No outside wine, champagne, or hard cider is allowed. Total pricing will depend on your guest count, how many bottles you’d like, the price of the bottles, etc. We have wine tasting events throughout the year for you to attend before making your decisions. The final wine order is typically due 30 days before your wedding. You can bring your own beer and liquor, but you would need to get a one-day banquet license from Virginia ABC.
Q: Do you have minimum wine purchase requirements?
We require that you purchase at least 1 cases of wine, champagne, or hard cider for every 25 people at your wedding. There are 12 bottles per case and bottles typically range in price from $20 – $39.
Q: If we decide not to serve alcohol at our wedding, do we still have minimum wine purchase requirements?
If you opt not to have any alcohol, then we would not require you to purchase wine from us. If you have any alcohol at all, then you would need to purchase per the minimums above.
Q: I see that water and sodas are included. If I don’t want soda, will it lower the cost?
You could choose to only serve water (or swap lemonade and iced tea for the sodas) for example, but the cost would remain the same. The reason is that while we would be eliminating sodas, we would need more of what you do have to make sure we’re covered on quantities throughout the night. For example, using made up numbers for easy math, let’s say normally we have 25 waters, 25 cokes, 25 diet cokes, and 25 sprites. That’s 100 servings. If you opt not to have soda, we’re removing those 75 servings but the remaining 25 water servings wouldn’t be enough for everyone. So we have to have more of what beverages are available, which keeps the cost the same overall.
Q: How is the amount of the gratuities determined?
We allocate a set amount per person on the catering team. We estimate how many people we think the team will be based on past experiences, but sometimes your menu choices impact the amount of staff needed higher or lower. We adjust the gratuity amount we include, if necessary, before the final payment is due once we know the catering team’s final headcount. Gratuities for other vendors are not included and are left up to your discretion.
Q: How much time do I have for everything? What does a timeline for the day look like?
For all-inclusive weddings, the rental period is 12 hours. This time is allocated as 5.5 hours for the wedding party to get ready on site and for vendors to set up (catering especially). Ceremonies are typically allocated as 30 minutes. They don’t usually take that long, but they also typically don’t start exactly on time so it’s nice to have some built-in buffer time. Cocktail hour for 1 hour, reception for 4 hours, and finally vendor load out/clean up for 1 hour. An actual timeline most often looks like:
11:00am – rental begins, vendors arrive, couple gets dressed
2:30pm – pre-ceremony photos
4:00pm – get couple hidden away as guests arrive
4:30pm – ceremony
5:00pm – cocktail hour and photos
6:00pm – reception begins
10:00pm – reception ends, guests depart, vendors begin load out
11:00pm – rental ends
For micro weddings, the rental period is 7 hours. This time is allocated as 2.5 hours of set up needed for vendors (catering especially). You can use this time for setting up your own personal decor, getting dressed, and taking pre-ceremony photos. Hair and make up is done offsite though and should be complete before you arrive to 48 Fields. Like above, ceremonies are typically planned for 30 minutes. Your reception is 3 hours, and vendor load out/clean up is 1 hour. Note there is no “cocktail hour” and that your ceremony transitions directly into your reception. (This is one of the ways we save on the budget for a micro wedding.) An actual timeline looks like:
3:00pm – rental begins, vendors arrive, couple gets dressed
4:00pm – pre-ceremony photos
5:00pm – get couple hidden away as guests arrive
5:30pm – ceremony
6:00pm – reception begins
9:00pm – reception ends, guests depart, vendors begin load out
10:00pm – rental ends
Q: Can I add extra hours?
It is possible to add up to 2 additional hours at a rate of $600 per hour. Half hour increments are also possible.
Q: What if I am getting married off-site in a church?
That is fine! We would remove our officiant’s services from your rental package. Your timeline would remain largely the same since vendors would use the typical “ceremony” time for their continued set up and it would afford you more time for photos before cocktail hour begins. Some caterers would not need the extra 30 minutes for set up and, in that case, we could allocate extra time to the reception if you don’t want more pre-ceremony photo time.
Q: Is time for a rehearsal included? When does that happen?
If your ceremony will be on-site at 48 Fields, then wedding rehearsals happen either on Thursday afternoons or on the day of the wedding during your set up time. For instance, some couples will do a first look before the ceremony and during that time the coordinator will rehearse with the wedding party. Other couples have chosen to rehearse with the coordinator offsite at a time and location of your choosing.
Q: Does the officiant attend the rehearsal?
Typically no, the officiant is not needed at the rehearsal. However, they can attend if you would like but it does require an additional fee of approximately $75.
Q: How do I book my date?
To proceed with officially booking a date, we would need a signed copy of our rental agreement and the first payment. We also collect a $1,000 security deposit at the time of booking.
Q: Is the $1,000 security deposit refundable or non-refundable?
The security deposit is a potentially refundable payment within 30 days after the wedding assuming there is no damage or last minute charges to cover. Fortunately, nearly all our couples end up getting this returned to them.
Q: What is your payment schedule and what forms of payment do you take?
We break our rental payments into thirds. The first 1/3 is due at the time of booking when signing the rental agreement. The second 1/3 is due at the middle point is between booking and the wedding date. The final 1/3 is due 10 days before the wedding so that we can wait for your final guest count in case any adjustments need to be made up or down. We take check, bank transfer, or credit card. All payments are non-refundable.
Q: Is there parking available for all guests if they decide to drive on their own?
Yes, we have a parking lot that holds approximately 90 people. We also have an overflow area where we as staff and vendors park that can offer additional extra spaces for guest parking too.
You can always reach out to us at hello@48fields.com if you have more questions!
