Handbook
Handbook
Apart from this guide, you will receive the official Rixey Manor Handbook/Contract which outlines important policies and FAQs. Here are some key points from those policies:
Noise Curfew: Loud outdoor music must end by 10:00 PM due to county regulations. Indoor reception dancing can continue until midnight, but after midnight we wrap things up. This ensures we stay neighborly and legal!
Alcohol Rules: You are allowed to bring your own alcohol (which can save money), but licensed bartenders are required to serve it – no self-serve bars or BYOB by guests. We mandate at least one bartender per ~50 guests for safety and efficiency. No outside alcohol should be brought in by individual guests (anyone who looks under 30 will be carded, of course).
Catering & Food: We do not have in-house catering, so you’re free to choose your own caterer. Food trucks are allowed with advance approval (see the Food Truck Weddings section of the handbook for guidelines). Just ensure your caterer provides sufficient staff for service and cleanup. We require that our staff and vendors be fed as well, so plan vendor meals in your catering count.
Décor Restrictions: We have a few rules to protect the historic house and make cleanup easy. No nails, tacks, or adhesive on the walls or floors – use freestanding decor or hooks we provide. Open-flame candles are fine indoors in containers (like votives or hurricanes), but no oil lamps or uncontained flames. Only natural flower petals or biodegradable materials can be used outdoors for things like a flower toss – no silk petals or plastic confetti outside. (Real petals are prettier and they biodegrade.)
Fireworks/Sparklers: Fireworks are not allowed (we’re in a rural area and have to be careful of fire risk and noise). The one exception is sparklers – we do allow wedding-safe sparklers for your send-off, as long as our staff is present to supervise. If you plan to do a sparkler exit, we’ll coordinate with you on the when/where to do it safely (see “Sprinkles” section for tips on this!).
Guest & Child Safety: We ask that you communicate basic rules to your guests – for example, children must be supervised by an adult at all times (no wandering the grounds alone), and guests shouldn’t enter any areas that are indicated as off-limits. Rixey Manor is also a working farm with friendly animals; we just require that anyone who visits the animals does so safely and at their own risk. Common sense stuff, mostly.
Client Responsibilities: As part of the contract, you as the client are responsible for providing required info and documents on time (like filling out planning worksheets, vendor list, etc.). You’re also responsible for making sure your guests are aware of any pertinent rules (we’ll give you a cheat-sheet to email them). And remember to feed your vendors – our staff, and your other vendors working 5+ hours, should get a meal during dinner.
These are just highlights – the full handbook will have additional details (like inclement weather plans, damage deposit info, etc.). We know it’s a lot of fine print, but it’s all there to ensure everyone has a safe, amazing time at your wedding. We will review all these during your final walkthrough to make sure no questions are left unanswered.