We were lucky enough to play a wedding at a private estate this fall and we are definitely big fans of these types of venues for weddings in the Phoenix area. We found this setting to be perfect for couples who are looking for a more unique, personalized feel. While many brides are unfamiliar with the idea of renting out a private estate for their special day, these venues are becoming more popular in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Sedona and Tucson.
If you’re not familiar with private estates for weddings, here are a few things we noticed when playing wedding music at private estates.
Location
One of the best parts about getting married at a private estate is that you will have a wide range of locations available to choose from. Private estates come in a variety of options:
• Barns
• Mansions
• Penthouses
• Plantation style properties
• Villas
Privacy
If privacy is your top priority for your wedding venue, private estates ensure you and your guests will not be disturbed by outsiders. You definitely won’t be interrupted by hotel guests trying to get a peek, people walking their dogs or foursomes teeing off on the green. Most estates give 12 hours of property access on the day of your event, so the property will be exclusively yours. Private estates only rent out the property to several events each month so your estate manager will be totally focused on you and your guests.
Unlimited Customization Potential
Hotels can be somewhat limiting with décor, but for those who know exactly what they want and are willing to do it themselves, private estates offer a lot of flexibility. At a hotel or resort, you can’t alter main entrance or public spaces, but at private estates, you can add or adjust pretty much anything within the property. This gives you the freedom to hang lights, set candles, add decorations, etc. This means that if you choose a private estate for your wedding, you are guaranteed to have a wedding that looks unlike any other.
Cost
If you’re looking for a “budget” venues, private estates are probably not the right choice for you, but if you’re planning a luxury wedding, a private estate might be just what you’re looking for. Some considerations that may affect cost for weddings at private estates are:
- While standard venues often have full catering kitchens, at a private estate, your caterer will probably have access to the kitchen but your caterer will probably also need to set up an auxiliary field kitchen. This may add additional cost.
- You will need to bring and remove everything to and from the property that you want for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. This means you may have extra fees for hauling trash from the event.
- You might have to leave room in the budget to bring in tents to keep your guests cool, warm or dry for outdoor weddings.
- There may be permit/insurance fee, cleaning and/or staffing fees.
Wedding Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music
At a private estate, you will have plenty of flexibility for having live music. The grounds should be spacious enough for a larger ensemble or a small soloist or duo. This will allow you to decide where to place your musicians for the prelude music (before the wedding begins) as well as the ceremony music. Ceremony musicians can be placed either behind the guests or in the front so they are facing the guests.
At a private estate, you will also be able to choose to have your cocktail hour outdoors by your ceremony or indoors. Your musicians can then either remain seated where they were for the ceremony or move them to another location nearby for the cocktail hour.
At some private estates, we have also played live music for the dinner and first dance. This adds a very special touch that many couples don’t always consider.
SoSco Duo has lots of experience performing at all sorts of venues including private events, so we hope you will consider us for your wedding day!
