Questions that you should ask yourself.

Time savings – Fewer appointments, research, less travel time, etc.All-inclusive venues save time. On your wedding day, timing is everything. You want to have time to get dressed, do hair, makeup, and photos, in addition to all the other little things that come up that day. If you choose an all-inclusive venue, you’ll have more time to deal with all the little details. Plus, your guests can go to the ceremony and easily move to the reception because it will be on-site. You won’t have to worry about out-of-town guests getting lost on their way to a different location.

I’m Engaged, What’s Next? Planning & Package The First 10 Steps to Take You from ‘Yes’ to ‘I Do’! When you get engaged, you’re suddenly inundated with detailed questions from well-meaning friends. Here are ten steps to help you prioritize and learn how to have the event of your life. 1. Stop, take a breath, and celebrate.This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Congratulations! 2. Insure your ring!Make sure it’s included in your renters/homeowners insurance policy or take out special insurance. 3. Decide on a location.Now we’re getting into it! There’s a ton to do and you don’t know where to start. We think the first question is easy – do you want to get married locally or have a destination wedding? There are pros and cons to both, but most people get married within 50 miles from home. 4. Pick a style.Do you want an outside ceremony? Do you want the ceremony and reception to take place at the same venue?  When you picture your wedding, what does it look like? 5. Choose a season.Does a winter wedding sound romantic? Do you want spring flowers? Do you want to be married already, or do you think it will take a few years to get organized? Generally people get married about 10 months after they get engaged. Deciding on a time of year can help you narrow down potential venues and it’s worth knowing that many venues and vendors offer off-season discounts. 6. Consider your guest list.Would you like to be surrounded by a cast of hundreds or does an intimate gathering sound great? You don’t need a firm number but a ballpark will help. On average, weddings in the U.S. have around 100 guests and the wedding party includes about eight people. 7. Start your venue research by thinking about your budget.There are a lot of wedding venues to choose from … but you can save yourself time by scrapping the ones too far above your price range and considering what the venue cost includes. At Wedgewood Weddings, we provide the space, the team, the food, drink, cake, centerpieces, vendor connections, invitations, we could go on… but what you really need to know is that we’ve got your back. If you’ll need it for your wedding, we can help you work it out.  8. Schedule venue tours.Great resources for venue hunting are The Knot Weddingwire Most likely you’ll start to see a theme in the type of places you and your significant other are choosing. Some people like to tour upwards of six venues before making a choice but many other couples pick just one or two. Expect tours to last about an hour; use that time to ask questions about all aspects of your wedding planning, as the tour guide will have a wealth of information. 9. Talk to your spouse-to-be.A lot. This sounds obvious and we hope you’ve been talking all the way through the process, but now’s the time to decide where to compromise and where to splurge. Make sure you’re on the same page since the next steps involve spending money! 10. Start looking at outfits! Consider warmth, budget, time of day, how long you plan to wear it, accessories, and how coordinated you want to be with each other and with your wedding party. Usually, once the outfits are planned, you’ll be able to plan the rest of the wedding as you’ll know exactly what look you want.

Texas Wedding Style When it comes to overall wedding style in Texas, everything from groomsmen in boots and jeans to straight up black-tie elegance is appropriate. Most often, our couples choose semi-formal or cocktail attire for their Texas wedding. Nestled right in between traditional and casual, semi-formal is the perfect compromise for Texas Hill Country wedding attire. Think suits with or without ties for men, and cocktail dresses for women. Your guests have extra leeway to dress how they feel most comfortable on your big day. We also like to see Texas style incorporated into the ceremony and reception wherever possible. This is a great opportunity to incorporate the state’s cultural traditions into your celebration. Music is the perfect place to honor the Southern heritage of Texas. Consider having a live Tejano band play at your reception or host fun, traditional reception games like the money dance or a pounding party.

9 Questions to Ask While Touring a Wedding Venue It’s been said that planning your wedding is exciting, magical … and a lot of work. But thankfully, we cut out a lot of the work for you and help you focus on a fun and simple planning process. We hustle to save you the hassle! When it’s time to visit the venues that you and your significant other have narrowed down, there are a few things to keep in mind. Use our list of nine questions to ask when touring a wedding venue. Of course, additional questions will pop up during the visit, but the list below is a great place to start to make sure you get all the essentials answered. *** 1. Why Is This the Right Wedding Venue for Us? What type of venue do you have in mind? Chat with your Significant Other about what you both envision for your big event. Do you want something classic/religious/carefree/BoHo? Does a beach or a restaurant sound right for you or would you love a backyard ceremony and party? Most couples tour a few professionally-run event spaces so they can compare buildings, the teams, and the wedding packages. Pick three venues and set aside a day to really tour each one. Then ask the venue team why they’re a better choice than nearby competitors. Their feedback and attitude will tell you a lot. 2. What Do Others Say About This Wedding Venue? When you’re busy researching online, stop and look at the reviews. People typically give honest feedback after they’ve experienced an event at a local venue. If a site you’re truly interested in has mixed reviews, ask the tour guide for clarification. Find out about specific situations that raised red flags when you were reading about them. Sometimes a problem or two can be easily explained by a staff member and that may put your mind at ease. It also makes sense to ask questions if all the reviews are five stars and glowing. You want to know what makes a venue stand out and why the couples want to give such excellent reviews. Be cautious of a business that rewards clients for great reviews… 3. What Does The Spinelli’s Include? Some banquet halls charge extra for chairs, tables, linens, and clean-up. Others even charge a cake-cutting fee or additional costs for items you’d naturally think are included. Asking in advance will prevent any surprise expenses and will help you know what items or services you need to arrange on your own. 4. What’s the Back-Up Plan if it Pours? If you’re interested in having an outdoor wedding, it makes sense to understand the rain policy. An established venue will have a backup plan in case of inclement weather. Some sites will offer a tent that can be put up to shield your space from water. Other venues have a pretty indoor space that will be just as nice as their outdoor area. Just be sure there is a solid plan in place before booking a venue for an outdoor wedding. 5. Does the Venue Have Alcohol Restrictions? If a full bar is important to you, then ask about your bar options. You might even be able to make special requests for your favorite liquors, wine, or craft beer! Some venues are only permitted to serve beer or wine – not hard liquor. So, if you’re wanting to offer your guests cocktails, double-check the venue’s policy before reserving it. Also, ask what kind of bar services are available: a ‘cash bar’ means your guests pay for the drinks themselves, a ‘California bar’ means you cover the cost but only beer and wine are offered, and a ‘full bar’ means you cover the cost of the drinks with all liquor options included. You might also care to ask whether the bar service includes premium liquors or standard, well-liquors.  At Spinelli’s Weddings, we offer an incredible amount of flexibility with our bar options. Choose from various bar packages, select whether you’d like top-shelf or well liquors, and even request a signature cocktail!6. Is There an On-site Kitchen / Where is Food Prepared? If you’re utilizing an outside caterer for your reception, you’ll need to know what’s available for them to use on your venue’s premises. Is there a full kitchen to prepare the meal? An oven to keep food warm? A sink to wash hands and dishes? These tools are all imperative for catering companies, so it’s a good idea to ask during your tour.7. Are There Any Wedding Decoration Restrictions? There are some common restrictions that most wedding venues have, such as no open-flame candles, no damaging the permanent fixtures, and removing all décor after your event. Before you get your heart set on any dramatic decor ideas or final send-off items (like confetti or sparklers), run these ideas by your venue team first to make sure you’re in the clear. And, speaking of decor, it’s important to know how many hours before your event you’re allowed to be at the venue to set everything up. At Spinelli’s Weddings we take care of all the setup and tear-down for you. So, you can spend more time on your wedding day focusing on the important stuff and soaking in every moment!8. What’s the Parking Situation at the Venue? Is there ample parking for your entire wedding party and guests? How far of a walk is it from the parking lot to your ceremony and reception areas? Is there a valet? Be sure to consider convenience for your friends and family. This is critical for ADA access, but many guests will be wearing heels or nice shoes. Try to save your guests from walking a long-distance or having to find a parking spot off-site. 9. Do You Have to Book The House Band or DJ? Find out about the house entertainment style, how much it will cost, and how many hours it includes. If you want to bring in outside

5 Wedding Trends for 2021 2020 will be a year that goes down in history. However, even throughout all of the craziness that delayed some weddings, couples were still getting married and shaping the trends of the next year. Here’s 5 trends you can expect to see this year: Going virtual. Even with the distribution of the vaccine, weddings will likely change long-term as couples successfully figured out ways to share their special day with friends and family virtually. There are a lot of different factors that can lead to less people being able to attend a wedding: it’s a destination wedding, the couple prefers a small guest list, they have a lot of family out of state/country, etc. Now they can just give links to livestreams so their friends and family can still share this special moment. We expect a lot of wedding videographers will start to include or be able to include that in their wedding services. Wedding videographer. It’s not just about that perfect photo anymore—now, couples like to capture their big day in motion as well. As a wedding venue, we’ve definitely noticed an uptick in videographers at weddings or tagging us in those videos on social media. It allows the couple to have that moment recorded forever so they can look back on it and show their kids. Plus, instead of guests leaving congratulations in a book, they have the opportunity to record it. Eco-friendly weddings. With all the decor, plate ware, and silverware needed at a wedding, it’s no surprise that many couples have tried to be as sustainable as possible on their big day. Switching out plastic items for paper when they can, donating or composting the flowers, going minimal on decor to cut down waste, and renting as much as they can so it’s reusable have all become popular trends when wedding planning. Grazing dessert table. Why stick to one cake when you can bring in a variety of desserts? Traditionally, the couple had to try and fit some different, versatile flavors in their tiered cake to try and make sure there’s something for everyone. Now, the trend leans more towards a small cake for the couple and a variety of desserts (cupcakes, macarons, pies, bunt cakes, etc.) for the guests to enjoy. Plus, it’s less informal in that guests can come up and grab whatever they want instead of requesting a cake flavor to be served. Nostalgic or useful gifts. Related to reduced waste weddings, couples are looking for meaningful and useful gifts to give their guests. For example, if a couple loves to play board games, they have a custom card game set made with their engagement photos or the wedding date inscribed on them. This way their friends and family receive something for them to keep as a memory of the day that they won’t just throw away. Get creative!

Spinelli’s nestled in the Texas Hill country is a beautiful venue surrounded by majestic trees making this property and enchanting wedding venue. the 100 year-old chapel with its beautiful bell tower is the center attraction of this beautiful facility, located in comfort stunning small town minutes from San Antonio surrounded by vineyards and in walking distance from the venue beautiful B&B’s distilleries making this facility perfect for a destination wedding. If you’re ever in comfort it is worthwhile driving by to see the beautiful antiques buildings that makes this venue.