Congrats on your recent engagement! Fiancé is a pretty precious title, but we also know that planning a wedding can be a little stressful at times too… (trust us, we’ve done this a few times, we know!) So to relieve a little bit of those common planning stressors, we have created a quick and easy 5-step process for you to book The Barn as your wedding venue! And you can do it all from your couch if you want to :)
STEP 1: INQUIRE
The first step to booking with The Barn is to inquire with us through our contact us form on our website. This is a short inquiry for us to get a feel for what you are looking for in a venue! It doesn’t take long, we just need a couple of things from you—both of your names, preferred contact methods, the kind of event you’re looking to host, the time of year or specific date you’re hoping for, and your venue budget range. After we receive your inquiry, we will look it over and contact you via email with more information as soon as we can! You can expect a response in 24-48 hours. (If you don’t, check your spam!)
STEP 2: BROCHURE SELECTIONS
The first email from us will contain our package overview brochure! Our prices differ depending on the time of year you want to book our venue (peak season or out-of-season) so the information you receive will be tailored to your expressed desires. Pretty much everything you will need to know about booking and pricing at The Barn is in this brochure! We have all our building features highlighted for you, and our different day packages are laid out in deep detail with prices, so you can be well-informed for every decision you need to make. The first selection you’ll be prompted to make, is your day package—the time of week you want this event to happen! Fridays and Saturdays are our most popular booking dates, but you are more than welcome to book during the week as well! After reading through the features of each package, select the one that best fits the wants and needs of your event. You can make your selections by clicking the box on the left-hand side of the screen.
After you select your day package, you will see a list of all the different add-ons we offer. This is just a preliminary overview of the services we can provide if you choose. There are small descriptions under each offered add-on, but if you want a more detailed and in-depth information regarding these options, you can check out our previous blog, Our Favorite Wedding Day Add-ons, for additional details. After our physical add-ons, we have our different service-based package options. Each one of these packages offers a different level of post-event cleaning. If you are using your own dishes, you can opt out of our cleaning services and clean the venue on your own after your event has ended. Please note, these are just a rough estimate of desired add-on’s and nothing is finalized until you sign a proposal.
After your brochure has been submitted, your browser will bring you to the home project screen of your event. At this time, you will see that your date is TBD, since we haven’t sent you a formal proposal. Under the “Files” tab, you can access your completed brochure at any time. The activity tab is where we will contact and communicate with you! Every update to your event page or message we send you will also be sent to your email.
STEP 3: TOUR THE BARN
After you submit your brochure, you will receive another email within 24-48 hours about setting up a tour. We offer FaceTime and Zoom tours if you are unable to meet with us in person. When you receive this email, click the link provided to schedule a tour. Select the date and time that works best for you, and then click "CONTINUE" to officially reserve that time slot. Tours usually last about 45 minutes. We will also use this same scheduling system when the time comes for us to have your pre-event meeting.
After your tour, we will give you guys a couple of days to think over decisions before emailing you, asking if you want a proposal sent over. Once you receive that email, respond to us with your decision about booking The Barn for your event, and we will start preparing a formal contract/proposal for you.
STEP 4: BOOKING
We will then send you your proposal! This is a formal contract laying out all the details regarding booking us as a venue. House rules, amenities, and a beverage menu will be attached for you as well. Click on the box that says, “PROJECT PROPOSAL” and then “CONTINUE TO CONTRACT.” Make sure to read all the details of the contract so you know the exact amount you will be charged, when payments are due, our cancellation policy, and other house rules/regulations you will want to be aware of. You will also need to fill out all the blanks highlighted in blue.
After you have read the proposal in its entirety and filled out all the necessary information, you will “CLICK TO SIGN" right above your name, and then click the “SIGN CONTRACT” button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to submit the form. This electronic signature serves as a final step in reserving your date.
STEP 5: PAYMENT
After you have signed the contract, your HoneyBook homepage will look a little different. The date of your event will now be visible to you, your contract, and all other files/invoices we send you will be found under the “FILES” tab, and you will have gained a “PAYMENTS” tab. This new tab is where you can view your payment schedule, invoices, remaining amounts due, and payment status.
We strongly prefer you to mail us a check for your payments. Bank transfers and credit card payments require a processing fee, which will be added into your next invoice. Your first payment/deposit is due one week after you sign this contract to officially reserve the date of your event. The second payment is due 6 months prior to your event, and the last payment is due 90 days before the event. You can track these due dates on your HoneyBook page. Please email events@blackhillsbarn.com when you mail your checks out to us so we can know to expect them and mark them paid. When we receive your payment, you will see the STATUS bar on your payments changed to PAID, and we will countersign your contract to finalize your booking. Payment reminders will also appear on your dashboard when due dates are coming up.
And that’s just about it! We will contact you as your date comes closer to set up a pre-event meeting to iron out some small remaining details, and confirm your add-on selections, but until that time, sit back and take a deep breath—your venue has been booked! We can’t wait to celebrate with you :)
Cheers,
The Barn at Aspen Acres
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