Planner Policies
· At Ravenswod Mansion, we require a minimum of a month of event planner or event management company for all wedding rentals, regardless of wedding size. Having an industry professional handle the final details before your event, as well as be on site that day, not only ensures that our policies are followed to prevent the additional fees, but also helps your event run smoothly and be as enjoyable as possible for you.
When hiring your planner, we have two requirements:
You must sign a contract with a professional wedding planner or coordinator, as we will not accept an inexperienced friend or family member stepping in for the role.
Your planner must fill out and sign our Planner Agreement Form for every event. This form also provides a place for your planner to upload a copy of your signed contract for us to keep on file.
Once your planner or coordinator has been booked, please be sure to send us their name and email address either via email or Honeybook.
Ravenswood Mansion Planner Policies
Planner On Site: At Ravenswood, we require planners to be present beginning at first vendor load-in, or first guest/client arrival, whichever occurs first. Planner may not leave until the end of all mansion load-out AND the last guest has departed. Exceptions may be made for planners to leave the property for off-site ceremonies.
Planner Responsibilities: All activities surrounding the wedding at Ravenswood Mansion must be managed by the planner, including creating and managing all timelines, guests, vendors, and clients on the day of the event.
Timeline/floorplan: If you have created one for the client, we ask that you provide us with an event timeline and floorplan no later than two weeks prior to the event.
Start Time: Please refer to the client contract for the start time of the rental period. No house access is allowed until the rental period begins. Unless prior arrangements have been made with the Event Venue Manager, we do not allow any tent, rental, and/or decor deliveries to begin prior to the client’s contracted start time. We suggest communicating with your tent and rental vendors to make sure you have a clear delivery plan.
Rental Items: Ravenswood Mansion currently has a limited number of rental items for clients use. (For a list of available rental items and quantities, see our Rentals Inventory Page.) If a client has more than 50 guests, we require that our clients contract a licensed and insured industry professional vendor to do all set up and tear down of the City’s rental items. It is the planner's responsibility to oversee set up and tear down and ensure rental items are returned to their proper places in the carriage house at the end of the night, unless prior arrangements have been made for items to be left out. Clients who improperly sets up or tears down the City’s rental items will be billed $200 to account for additional required labor in correcting set up or tear down. Any damage found to the City’s rentals will be billed to the Client.
Tent set up/teardown: Tent set up may begin at at the client’s contracted start time on the day of your client's event. Tents must be off property no later than the contracted start time of the event the following day. Client will be billed $500 when rentals/tent remain on property past their designated time. All exceptions MUST be approved by the Event Venue Manager. Please note: the Ravenswood team is not responsible for any vendor delays. For more information about tenting, see our Tenting FAQ.
Tent sharing: If your client is tent sharing with another event, please provide us with a detailed sharing plan that includes drop off and pick up times.
Trash: Planners are responsible for overseeing trash removal from the house and grounds. All trash must be removed by planners, caterers, bartenders, and/or a designated party at the conclusion of the event. Trash bags must be tied and placed in the trash cans provided in the black fenced area at the rear of the house. Ravenswood Mansion provides trash bags, 8 indoor trash cans for client use, as well as 5 large barrel trash cans in the black fenced area for outside use. Client will be billed $100 in the event that they fail to properly dispose of their trash both inside or outside.
Grass: Driving and/or parking on the grass is strictly prohibited. Please communicate this strict policy with all vendors during load in/load out as well as clients and guests to prevent damage to the grass and/or irrigation. No exceptions will be made. Any damage caused by vehicles will be billed to the client in the amount of the City’s cost to repair.
Stairs: No more than two people at a time are allowed on the front staircase for any reason. The staircase shall be blocked off at the start of the event and all guests and/or clients will be required to use the back staircase.
Furniture: Movement of furniture must be kept to a minimum. If two or more people are required to lift a piece of furniture, it may not be moved by Client or Client representatives. Any furniture moved for an event must be returned to its original placement before the conclusion of the event. Inside furniture may not be brought outside under any circumstance. Any damage to the furniture or floors from Client event will be billed to the Client. Please refer to our Furniture Placement Guide for reference.
Decorations: No candles or open flame of any kind are allowed inside the house or on the porches. Decorations may not be attached to the property with any type of adhesive (tape, command hooks, etc) and/or anything that will create a hole (nails, tacks, etc). Any damage to the mansion due to improper decorating will be billed to the client.
Catering: Planners are required to oversee all catering activity. Catering must be provided by a licensed and insured vendor. Drop catering is not allowed; a minimum of one catering staff member must remain on site at all times during food service. Caterers are required to check out with the Ravenswood Mansion Event Rep before departure.
Alcohol: If your client is having alcohol at their event, consumption in the dressing quarters MUST cease after the ceremony begins. If clients or their bridal parties want to continue drinking any alcoholic beverages they have brought, it must be placed behind the bar and served by the bartender.
Music: The City of Brentwood requires all music to end promptly at 10pm. Additionally, due to the historic nature of the floors, no dancing or bands are allowed inside the house.
Approved Send Off Methods: Bubbles, glow sticks, ribbon wands, and/or pom poms. Any other items not listed here must receive prior approval by the Event Venue Director.
Prohibited Send Off Methods: Sparklers, confetti, rice, bird seed, real or fake flower petals, floating lanterns, fireworks, and balloons, are strictly prohibited. For more information about send off methods, see our Send Off FAQ.
Exit: Clients must be out of the mansion no later than the end of their contracted rental time. There will be no grace period for remaining inside. Clients will be billed $100 for every five minutes that they remain inside the mansion past their contract. Cameras may be used to settle any disputes of clients' exit time.
Tear Down: All rental items, catering and food items, trash, personal items, and/or decor must be out of the house promptly by the end of the rental period. The planner will be required to do a venue walk through with the Ravenswood Event Rep prior to departure. We suggest beginning clean up with the dressing quarters upstairs and working your way down a few hours before the departure time in order to allow plenty of time for exiting. The client will be billed $200 for any personal items remaining on property past the rental period.
Tent/Rental Strike: All tents and outside rental items must be completely off property no later than the contracted start time of the event the day following the event. Exceptions can be made when there is no event the following day. Please communicate with your tent and/or rental vendors to confirm pick up times. Client will be billed $500 when rentals/tent remain on property past their designated time.
Additional Charges: Clients may be subject to additional fees for remaining inside the mansion past their contracted time, improper set up or tear down of the Ravenswood rental items, and/or damage to Ravenswood rental items, furniture, or property. It is the planner's responsibility to give every effort possible to avoid such things happening.
Helpful Information: We have provided an inside and outside floorplan as well as a FAQ page in our Client Planning area (Password: rwdclient). You may also see a complete copy of our full policies signed by your client at booking here as well as a condensed outline of client requirements here.