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sample wedding weekend timeline
At the First & Main Estate we want you to enjoy your time, so why plan just one day when you can plan an entire weekend at the estate with your closest family and friends. We offer a verity in packages from single day rentals, one night rentals, and two night rentals allowing you to fully enjoy your wedding weekend and host a multitude of special events. Host your rehearsal, rehearsal dinner and welcome party the night before your big day. Enjoy waking up with your family and friends at the Palazzo and have a nice breakfast together in the formal dinning room before getting ready the morning of your wedding. No need to travel the night of your wedding when the luxurious Benjamin Calvin Honeymoon suite awaits you. Host a farewell brunch the next morning to enjoy some extra time with family and friends before departing the estate. The possibilites are endless and we cant wait to host you.
Friday
9:00 am
Check in to Estate
When you book the Grandioso package you have access to the Estate beginning at 9am Friday morning. This allows you to get settled and start welcoming your friends and family who may be staying in the palazzo with you. With early access Friday this also allows ample time to sit back, relax and truly enjoy the estate before your wedding festivities begin.
Friday
5:00 pm
Ceremony Rehearsal
Have your wedding party and family meet at the estate to go over your ceremony rehearsal. This gives you time to go over all of your ceremony details and practice a run through before the big day. It's good to plan on an hour for this so you can run through it a couple of times. Rehearsals are a great way for anyone in the wedding party or family who hasn't met yet, get a chance to meet as well.
Friday
6:00 pm
Rehearsal Dinner
Friday
7:30 pm
Welcome Party
Host a nice sit down dinner for your family and wedding party to enjoy. This can be hosted in a number of areas. Choose to have an intimate family style dinner in the Palazzo, Dine al fresco in the estates courtyard, have it on the Elmer E. Cocktail lounge rooftop patio, or the beautiful open air Foltz Carriage House.
The estate is your why not use it to the fullest? If you have a lot of guests coming in from out of town, host a welcome party to greet them and enjoy time with them prior the your wedding day. A welcome party is a great way to visit with guests making the journey to celebrate with you and not have to feel rushed to mingle with each and every guest on your wedding day. Host your welcome party in the Elmer E. cocktail lounge and rooftop patio, or have it in the Foltz Carriage House. We advise that you save the heavy partying for your wedding night. Having the welcome party last for a few hours is good and having the evening wrap up around 10 pm is suggested.
Saturday
Between 8 am-9 am
Breakfast
Satrurday
Between 9 am-10 am
Get Ready
Enjoy a nice sit down breakfast in the Palazzo before starting to get ready. With the breakfast nook, large kitchen space and formal dinning area everyone staying in the palazzo can enjoy a nice meal to start the day.
Head upstairs to the Griswald Get Ready Room to begin hair and makeup. Groom and Groomsmen can play a round of golf nearby and then head to the Emmett Den to start getting ready.
Saturday
3 pm
First Look
Share an intimate moment with your soon to be husband/wife and have time for photos before the ceremony so that you are able to enjoy cocktail hour and not have to rush through photos to start the reception. Having a first look allows you to get those bride/groom portraits, family photos, as well as wedding party photos done before the ceremony.
Saturday
3:30 pm
Photos
Have all immediate family and wedding party ready for photos. There are a multitude of beautiful spots around the estate to have photos taken. Also venture around Main Street for additional unique photo opportunities. Some of our favorite photo areas include;
- Fountain and Unity Garden
- Courtyard
- Edison Parlor
- Elmer E. Cocktail Lounge
- Peacock Palazzo landscaped yard
- Rooftop patio
- Behind the estate with the wildflowers, trees and railroad tracks
- Front of VanAntwerp Hall
- Peacock Palazzo Front Porch
- Main Street
Saturday
4:30 pm
Pre- Ceremony
Saturday
5 pm
Ceremony
Guests will begin arriving about 30 minutes prior to ceremony start time. Guests will be directed to the courtyard to make their way to your selected ceremony site. Choose to have a bar set up near your ceremony space to allow guests to enjoy pre-ceremony cocktails if you wish.
It's time to make it official. Tie the knot in one of our beautiful ceremony spaces. The Foltz Carriage House allows you to have the best of both worlds with a climate controlled covered space that allows for all doors to be open exposing the landscaped courtyard and unity garden and give you and your guests the open air feel while staying cool/warm and dry regardless of weather.
Saturday
5:30 pm
Cocktail Hour
Guests can roam around the estate and enjoy cocktail hour. Have lawn games set up on the open lawn area. Guests can head straight up to the Elmer E. Cocktail Lounge to grab a cocktail and enjoy appetizers. Guests are able to grab a seat on the Rooftop patio and mingle before heading down to find their seat in VanAntwerp Hall.
Saturday
6:30 pm
Reception
It's time to get the party started. Begin to transition the party to VanAntwerp hall. The downstairs bar will open and become the main bar for the rest of the evening. Enjoy Drinks, Dinner and Dessert in VanAntwerp Hall before getting the dance floor going. Host your Toasts, and first dances in VanAntwerp as well.
Saturday
8 pm
Dancing
Time to kick up your dancing shoes. The party starts in the Foltz Carriage House. With the open air feel and wide open space, this makes for the perfect dance floor. Guests are able to enjoy the estates grounds and courtyard while still feeling like they are a part of the party. The main bar in VanAntwerp Hall stays open with guests having quick access from the bar to the dance floor using the backdoor to VanAntwerp Hall.Guests who may need a quieter space to mingle are able to stay in VanAntwerp Hall or enjoy one of the many other areas in the estate.
Saturday
11 pm or Midnight
Wedding End Time
It's time to say farewell to guests, but the fun doesn't have to end there. Bar will close 1 hour prior to end time. Music must end by midnight. Head into the Palazzo to enjoy time with your family and friends and end the night relaxing in the Benjamin Calvin Honeymoon Suite.
Sunday
Morning
Farewell Breakfast
Host a farewell breakfast Sunday morning. Reflect on the weekends festivities with a post wedding farewell brunch. Have the breakfast catered in by one of our preferred vendors for an easy and enjoyable meal.
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