Here are some questions we have often received.  This information is available on other pages of our website, but we thought we would put them here altogether! (Go here for more details about responsibilities).

What does the Wedding Package fee cover?

The more complete answer can be found here.  It includes the facility; parking; access to gardens; arbors for ceremony; reception and wedding location; tables and chairs for reception; table linens;  chairs for ceremony; choice of locations for ceremony; fresh flowers from the gardens (in limited amounts and those available in season);  access to prep kitchen; serving dishes; bride dressing area; dance floor; bar area; use of our decorations (including vases, pots, candleholders, lanterns, mirrors and much more); tubs and containers for icing drinks, and other incidental items.  We also provide staff onsite throughout the event, to oversee and facilitate meeting your needs.  Additional staff to help with other functions is also available at an hourly rate. See responsibilities page for more details.

What sizes are your tables?

We have an eclectic table collection!  Currently, for inside seating, we are using:

(6) 36" x 36" squares which seat 4.  We typically combine them into two (seating 6-8) and three (seating 8-10)
(4) 27" x 43" wooden rectangular tables seating 4
(1) 40" x 60" seating 6
(1) 42" x 60" octagon seating 6
(1) 54" round seating 5-6
Numerous 30" x 72" folding banquet tables used as needed
Several 30" x 96" folding banquet tables

If you are making fabric table toppers, we suggest you use a 2' square fabric which can then be used on any of the tables, and perhaps 2 for the larger tables.

How late can we stay on the night of the event?

Events must close by midnight.  The location of the farm is near other homes in our rural area, and we want to be courteous and respectful to our neighbors.  It is important that we discontinue activities at  this specified time.  In many cases, guests have already been attending the event for 7+ hours, and that is a long time!  Please let your guests know so that they can plan accordingly. 

You can easily reduce the costs of your event by planning to end in the 10:00-11:00 time range.  If saves you money with food and alcohol consumption as well as vendor related expenses.

When should we begin our wedding ceremony?

We suggest that for events from May, ceremonies should be between 6:00-6:30. In June, the best range is 6:30-7:00. In July and August, 6:30-7:30 is a good time frame.   In September, 6:300-6:30 is a good time and in early October around 6:00 is generally a good time frame and by mid-late October, 4:30-5:00.  It can still be very sunny many days before 6 PM (and sometimes even at that time) most of the spring and summer.  It can be uncomfortable for your guests to sit under the sun for a period of time, so a later time is more considerate for your guests' comfort.  This still gives plenty of time for pictures and time for your guests to enjoy the gardens without the heat of the day.  Consider providing hand fans and suggesting sunglasses if you want your ceremony to be held earlier in the day.

The later time frame also means there will be fewer insect issues such as flies.  Flies typically are most active during the heat of the day and slow down considerably in the evenings.  They love day time picnics!  We typically have very few mosquitoes (thanks to our resident barn swallows!), so late night insects generally aren't an issue.

We want to encourage guests to consider sponsoring your tree plantings, how do we do that?

You can simply add a link from your website to our tree page.  A logical place would be the page where you have gift registry information.  We will then let you know when anything is received.

Who arranges the chairs for the ceremony?

The client is responsible for setting up the chairs for the ceremony.  We provide them to the desired location, but the client's designated people will arrange them.  This is often something handled by the groom's attendants.  Sometimes, depending on weather or other influences, it might be necessary for the client's setup crew to wipe down the chairs prior to use.  We provide  cleaning materials if necessary.

Who is responsible for clearing the tables?

Tables are cleared with dirty dishes taken to the kitchen by your caterer or other people you designate, or our staff if you have arranged in advance for that. The cleanup staff needs to stay until all guests leave to complete clearing all dishes from the tables and putting bottles or cans into the recycling areas and trash into trash receptacles.  If catering staff leaves before the reception ends, hourly staff charges will apply for cleanup if dishes/glasses/trash remain on the tables.  Generally this is the lowest cost option for the client as the caterers would need to charge to have several people available for clearing tables throughout the evening.  Once the caterer has cleared the plates and other food service items, they usually leave the remainder of the glassware/bottles/cans/plates that are used later in the evening.  Since clearing these at the end of the reception is a responsibility of the client, the clients generally prefer for Khimaira staff to  handle this function, and an hourly staff charge will apply. 

Khimaira will remove the table linens.

What table linens are included with the wedding package?

We have tablecloths to cover all inside tables.  Depending on the number of tables in use, and the weather,  we may also be able to place cloths on some outside tables as well.  We have white, ivory, red checkered and a selection of jewel-tone colors such as gold, russet, red and burgundy.  We also have a variety of other colors to use on food or guestbook tables to coordinate with your color theme (please inquire about specific colors). Napkins are not included.  Please ask your caterer to provide your choice of napkin, or otherwise plan to purchase or rent them.  Sometimes guests request extra table linens to cover vendor tables, dessert stations and other uses.  Depending on what is requested, client may be charged for use of these extra linens.

Do we need a bartender?

We ask that you have an experienced bartender if more than 25 people will be in attendance.  The bartender performs important functions that will make your guests feel more comfortable and 'cared for' throughout the evening.  The bartender will keep the drinks properly iced; keep the bar area cleared of trash and make sure clean glassware is available for your guests.  He/she will also open and pour wines and mix drinks as needed and help reduce the possibility of alcohol related accidents during the event.   We can provide  trained bartenders.

The bar should close at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled event ending.  The bartender should remain through the closing time. Having friends 'tend bar' after the bartender leaves is not a good plan.

Do we need an ABC license if we serve alcohol?

No, according to the Virginia ABC,  a license is not necessary since it is a private party and no alcohol is being sold.  You can save money by purchasing your own alcoholic beverages to use for your event.  You can save even more by serving only beer and wine.  Having mixed drinks increases your cost considerably.  Alcohol liability needs to be included in your insurance liability policy.

Do you have child care/baby sitters available?

With advance arrangements, we can provide childcare for your event.

We always welcome children at our events, but please inform your guests that they will need to provide total supervision unless you have arranged for child care.  For safety, guests (including children) are not allowed in  buildings or animal housing areas, other than designated areas, such as the Event Barn and adjoining gardens and garden structures.  We have a 'kid barn' play area with toys and activities for younger children, but it is only open if childcare services are requested through Khimaira.

Can Khimaira provide staff for setting up the chairs, clearing the tables and other functions that are the responsibility of the client?

Yes, we can, with advance arrangement. Current price is $20/hour. These individuals can perform a range of functions including the setup/table clearing/picking up ice, and other errands. Bartenders are $30/hour with a minimum of 4 hours. Bartenders will ice down the drinks and setup the bar and keep everything stocked and cleaned at the bar.

Can Khimaira provide a projector and screen for our slideshow to be shown during the reception?

Yes, we have high quality equipment available for you.  The fee includes onsite setup, the projector and the screen.  Please provide DVD or CD in advance so that we can make sure it is properly functioning.  Go Here for more info.  For all 2012 rate contracts, there is no additional fee for this service.

Can we have a band?

We have found that DJs can better work in our setting. If you really want to have a band, then we'll do our best to help accommodate the band's needs.  We recommend that you use a smaller band, so that you don't lose a lot of dance area.  Bands and their equipment can often take up large amounts of space, and if you have larger number of guests, this reduces available floor space significantly. Also, sometimes bands (especially larger ones) have significant electricity requirements, and we may not be able to meet their needs.  It is important to discuss this with us before you book a band.  Also, the barn really 'contains' sound, so large bands can really blast people!  We may need to ask you to reduce the music volume if we deem it to be too loud and a possible disturbance for neighbors.  We have decibel limits in place.

We very much suggest you consider having a DJ to serve your music needs, if you expect to have guests dancing. This gives you the most flexibility to have the music you want, at a lower cost and no logistical issues.

Can Khimaira provide a DJ?

We highly recommend that you consider DJ Josh Nicol for your DJ services.  He provides discounts to our clients, and guests always tell us how pleased they are with his services.  The majority of our clients use his services and appreciate the simplicity of having a vendor who is here regularly and knows everything to anticipate for a successful event.  That avoids a lot of headaches!  We're proud to also now have Josh a part of our family!  We also now provide a $50 reduction in your Khimaira Farm wedding package fee, if you use DJJosh!  He also offers a $50 discount if you contract with him within 60 days of signing a contract with Khimaira Farm, so can save $100!

How should we decorate the arbor?

Many of our clients use silk flowers and/or silk ivy garlands to decorate the arbors in their color choices.  We also have sheer curtain scarves that can be draped over the arbor (including white and a variety of other colors - ask us about your chosen color to see if we have it available).  If you are purchasing a curtain valance scarf to match your color theme, we suggest the 244" designs.

What flowers can you provide for our tables?

We are happy to share flowers from our gardens, but have to take care not to remove large numbers as we need to have them available for the next weddings!   If the year has provided sufficient rainfall, we have cutting gardens with a  variety of annuals (with more selection as the season progresses), and we also can cut some greenery from various shrubs.  This makes a nice filler.  If you have a particular flower or color theme, let us know.  We can tell you if you will need to purchase flowers from a florist, or if we will have them available for your event.  We generally just cut a variety of flowers that can be displayed in the vases we have available.   We will provide them to the folks creating your table displays, which are often the bride's attendants or family. Another easy way to add flowers is to simply float the heads in a small bowl.  Here are some ideas of plants that might be in bloom, depending on the time of year and weather.

Can Khimaira provide ice water for guests?

We're happy to provide our tasty well water and carafes and pitchers for serving your guests at no charge.  The client or caterer would provide the ice.  The caterers can place these on the tables or we can place them at a drink station alongside your other drinks.  Bartenders can also keep a supply available at the bar station.
 

Does Khimaira recycle? Absolutely!  We recycle everything we can.  We have containers for aluminum (a can crushing station), glass and plastic.  Additionally, we recycle cardboard and paper, and will take those items for you.  We also recycle food waste.  Meat and dairy scraps will be saved for the pets, and other waste will be composted onsite.  We have signage for reminders, and we appreciate your help in informing your guests! We also recycle any decorations you want to leave.  We make them available for future guests.  We've even melted down and recycled candle remnants and repoured into containers for use on outside tables.

We can also recycle your flowers!  We often take leftover flower arrangements to our local nursing home or hospital.  They are very much appreciated!