Guidelines
Bliss Ridge is a boutique wedding venue booking no more than 20 unforgettable events per year. Our mission is to facilitate custom weddings and the unique character of our 88-acre, organic, wilderness-surrounded farm, provides a stunning backdrop for events ranging in style from elegant, seven course gastronomic affairs for 200, to intimate elopements, to relaxed pig roast-square dances.
**Bliss Ridge is a private home; please call ahead to schedule a site visit**
Unlike most venues which bind the client to use all of their in-house or chosen vendors, we allow the freedom for each client to hire their own vendors and thus do as much or as little DIY as they choose to. Clients can fashion Bliss Ridge to their liking in several different ways:
- Plan a magical event in one of our secluded meadows, implementing a catering tent...
- Choose to hold the ceremony in our wedding meadow and use the historic dairy barn for the reception, opting to utilize the outdoor green and/or the barn itself for cocktail hour, and dancing.
- Rent our ceremony meadow & hold the reception elsewhere...
- The options are endless.
Event Guidelines:
- The property must be left in tidy and good condition, with all rental/personal items and garbage removed the following day. We will provide recycling bins, and organic compost receptacles as well as trash cans however you or your caterer is reponsible for removal of trash.
- Clients must comply with all provisions and limitations specified in the rental contract.
- It is the responsibility of the caterer to leave the area in the same condition as upon their arrival.
- Keep in mind that our barn floor is more "authentically "farmy" than some other event barns ie: not glossy and not perfectly flat.
- Rental items and vendors are the responsibility of the client, however Jordan is a very experienced wedding planner and can assist in a turn-key event, or merely advise a DIY couple.
- As required by the town of Moretown, guests must depart by 12:00am. At 10pm amplified music must be turned off (music can still be played and the party can continue but as a courtesy to our distant neighbors that like their quietude, the loud music will need to be quieted to an unobtrusive level.)
- There is no flame allowed in the barn or immediately surrounding area - ie: NO smoking or candles (closed lanterns on wedding green are permitted and smoking is permitted in adequate distance from the barn).
- Most vendors are left to the choices of the client, however we handle the bar service in-house, as Vermont's prohibition-era laws are extremely strict and we also believe we can offer the best bar experience possible!
- Parking is limited to 75 cars. (We recommend using a bus service is alcohol is part of the wedding plan).
FAQ's
Can we bring our own "stuff" if we choose?
Absolutely! You are allowed to bring your own décor!
Do I really need to rent a water, wine, beer and cocktail glass for each person?
No! A creative way to handle the “glass dilemma” is to provide name tags with a colored rubber-band for each guest, alongside a table of different glasses and allow each guest to choose their own - this way they will be in charge of their own glass throughout the night and can switch between beverages as they please.
Is there a dance floor in the barn or would we need to rent one?
Some couples opt to rent parquet squares to fashion up a smooth dance floor in whatever size they prefer, others opt to dance on the barn floor...
Why do we need to take out extra insurance for the day? Isn't that going to be expensive?
Because it is the smart thing to do! Wedding insurance covers you - the client, all or your guests and family businesses, as well as Bliss Ridge Farm and its owners in the event of anything unfortunate happening. The bride & groom are responsible for taking out their own wedding insurance, which is less than $200 for a one-day, $1mill policy (which must cover liquor liability). Check with your homeowners insurance as well, as it may offer a “rider” for the day.
What is the "caterers staging area" like?
Some caterers bring their own fully outfitted tent, some don’t... we have caterers staging tables here for your use (one of them is a beautiful harvest table) as well as a refrigerator and a “backstage” entrance to the barn for dish-transfer and server traffic thus completely eliminating any bussing traffic from the dining experience.
What if we have 200 or more guests? Will everyone be able to hear the ceremony?
The natural acoustics at the ceremony site (slight hill) make it possible to seat nearly the entirety of a 200 guest party and even those in the very back will be able hear the ceremony (provided the speakers don’t whisper and the weather cooperates) without the officiants needing to yell or be amplified. If you have a larger party and/or desire to be amplified, a classy, quiet generator (and electrician) can be hired.
Why can't we just hire a friend to bar-tend and buy all of our own alcohol?
Unfortunately the laws in America are such that you as the client and we as the property owner, would be putting our entire livelihoods, businesses and homes at risk if we allowed this. Believe me, I’ve done the research and there is just no way around it, a licensed firm must serve. Plus, you will not have to stress about details like ice and running out of anything, etc. And, contrary to popular belief, you wouldn’t actually be saving much if you self-catered.