Planning & Booking Your Wedding

Click here to Visit the Hitching Post

If a particular date is important to you, book your venue as soon as you are sure of the date. Couples who want a popular Saturday date tend to book 12 to 18 months in advance. Elopements and Sunday weddings often book just a few months before the event. The most popular months for weddings at the 1812 Hitching Post are April, May, October, and November.

We recommend having a rehearsal before your wedding if you will have a wedding party. We include the rehearsal in the Classic Wedding Package. It would typically be on the Friday evening before the wedding. TIP: Plan your rehearsal for the same time as your ceremony, if possible — it helps everyone remember where to be, when to be there, and lets you see what the lighting might be like at the time of your ceremony. Less confusion, more confidence!

Here is a typical timeline for a a 5 p.m. ceremony (choose any time for your ceremony):
Friday – rehearsal at time you reserve. Bring your alcohol and anything else you want us to set up for you the night before
Saturday – arrive at 1 p.m. or afterward to get ready and have pre-wedding photos
5 p.m. Ceremony
5:20 Ceremony ends – group photo afterward
guests go to cocktail hour; couple and family/wedding party have photos
6:30 announce to reception and have formal dances (first dance, father/daughter, mother/son)
prayer or couple announcement if desired
6:45 dinner buffet
7:45 cut cake if you have one and do toasts if you have them
8 Party dancing and any other special moments
9:30 Last call
9:45 begin send-off or last dance
10 pm. music and event ends

Anyone who needs an assigned seat should be included in your guest count. This includes adults, children who need their own seats, and members of your wedding party as well as the two of you. Babies and children ages two and under who will sit on a parent’s lap and do not need their own seat or place setting generally do not need to be counted as a separate seat. However, children may still need to be included in catering or attendance totals, depending on your arrangements. When in doubt, let us know how many little ones will be attending so we can plan appropriately.

Babies and toddlers who will sit on a parent’s lap and do not need their own chair or place setting generally do not count toward the seating total. If a child needs a highchair, their own chair, or a meal, please let us know.

Yes! Children who need their own seats should be included in your guest count. Even if a child will receive a children’s meal rather than the adult menu, they still need a place at the reception. Please include children in your RSVP process so we can plan the seating and catering.

Yes. For seating and catering purposes, you should plan for yourselves just as you would for any other people attending. We want to make sure there’s a place for you to sit and enjoy your own wedding!

Yes, members of the wedding party should be included if they will be seated or eating at the reception. Bridesmaids, groomsmen, attendants, and other members of the wedding party need seating and may need meals, even if they stand with you during the ceremony.

Vendors who will be eating at your reception may need to be included in your catering count, even if they aren’t included in your regular guest total. This can include your photographer, videographer, limo driver, or other vendors who will be working at the wedding who will be present at the reception. Ask about vendor meal requirements when finalizing your catering arrangements.

We provide meals & catering for all vendors and staff who are provided by the 1812 Hitching Post.

Your officiant should be included in your attendance plans if they will remain for the reception. Whether they need a meal or count toward a particular package limit depends on your arrangements. Be sure to discuss this when you finalize your numbers.

tart with the people you truly want to celebrate with, then make a list of everyone you plan to invite. Remember that inviting someone doesn’t guarantee they will attend. It’s helpful to keep an invitation list separate from your confirmed RSVP count so you can track responses without confusing the two.

One trick that is helpful is to put a number next to the person’s name when you estimate whether or not they may come. For your mom, for instance, if the chance is high they will attend, give them a “1.” If it’s your uncle Phil and it’s a 50/50 chance he will make it, give him a .5. Then add up those numbers and you’ll have a number of those likely to attend. It might look like this:

Me – 1
Fiance – 1
Maid of honor – 1
Best man – 1
Flower girl – 1
Flower girl’s mom – 1
Uncle Fred – .5
Uncle Phil – .5
Uncle Phil’s girlfriend – .5
Aunt Elsie – .75 (she can probably come but not sure)
Farmer Bob – .25 (probably won’t come)
Farmer Bob’s son – 0 (we are inviting him but pretty sure he won’t come)

Total – 12 people on the list; numbers add up to 8.5 – estimate 9 of the above will be coming

Our venue is flexible and can accommodate from 2 to 150 guests. With the elopement and Simply Sweet Package options, our staffing is limited to keep prices lower for you. Please do not exceed the venue limits without considering adding more time and services. We want to make sure your wedding plan will be successful. Take with your venue coordinator at the 1812 Hitching Post if you’d like to add more guests than in your initial contract.

Every couple who books with the 1812 Hitching Post receives a complimentary wedding website and online RSVP system through The Peak Venue. Your guests can respond online, and you can use the system to keep track of who’s attending without having to sort through a stack of paper response cards.

Depending on how you set up your RSVP form, you can collect guest counts, meal selections, dietary information, and other details you need for planning. Your wedding website also gives guests one convenient place to find directions, parking information, the wedding schedule, lodging suggestions, and other important details.

It’s one more way we help make wedding planning easier, whether you’re inviting 20 people or 150!

Learn more about your free wedding website and online RSVP system.

Yes. Your online RSVP system makes it easier to keep track of responses, but you may still need to contact guests who haven’t replied by your deadline. We recommend setting an RSVP deadline early enough to give you time to follow up and finalize your guest count before your venue and catering deadlines.

For weddings at the 1812 Hitching Post, I’d recommend setting the RSVP deadline six weeks before the wedding date. No matter what size of wedding, the 1812 Hitching Post needs your final guest count 4 weeks before the wedding. If you allow six weeks, that gives you two weeks to follow up with people who haven’t responded.

One month before the wedding, we will ask you to give us your final guest count and pay for any guests above the contracted amount who will be attending your wedding.

Absolutely! It’s your wedding, so you get to decide who you’d like to invite. When deciding about plus-ones, think about your guests and the kind of celebration you’re planning. You might want to include a date for guests who won’t know many other people at the wedding, while inviting couples you already know as a pair. Some couples choose to offer plus-ones to everyone, while others reserve them for established partners or guests who would otherwise be coming alone.

Keep your budget and guest count in mind, too. Every additional person needs a place at the reception and may add to your catering costs. With a little thought before the invitations go out, you can make your guests feel welcome while keeping your wedding plans on track!