If you’ve ever visited Bull & Bones on Main St. in Blacksburg, you already know the food and craft beer is amazing. But once you take that idea and move it to a setting overlooking the New River you get an ideal venue for your wedding. I sat down with Jim Elliot, manager at the Bull & Bones on the river and got to talk about his venue, catering service, and tips he has for brides.

Q: So, tell me a little about your location.

A: We are located in the Williams Clubhouse of the Pete Dye River Course. We offer the same items as the Bull & Bones in Blacksburg just at a new location. Our venue seats up to 150 people for a wedding. Your rental also includes the use of the patio off the dinning room and with tables there we can seat up to 200. However, since this is weather dependent we do recommend brides have a tent on hand in case it rains.

Q: What else does booking with you include, besides the use of the patio?

A: It includes all of your linen and china. There are two rental companies we work with, one is included and the other which is a little higher-end can be used for a slight up-charge. We charge less fees than some other venues and caterers because we are already here on site and open, so to use us a wedding venue is a great option.

Q: Do you ever allow outside caterers or do you require the use of the Bull & Bones restaurant?

A: Yes, but most opt not too for a couple different reasons. First it makes the room rental higher. Second, it is much more convenient for them because all the food is cooked closer to the time the guests eat it and on-site, instead of cooked somewhere else and transported in. Also this way if there is something we need to change or fix we are right here with all our kitchen equipment ready to do that. Lastly, we have very competitive pricing so it makes sense just to work with us.

Q: What type of menus do you offer? Can you choose items that aren’t on the restaurant’s menu?

A: We have some basic menus we send to couples for ideas, but they can choose almost anything. We just like to have some things up front for ideas but then we work together to adjust and customize those for each couple. We are in the “yes” business so you can have stations, plated dinners, buffets, all Hors d’oeuvres, whatever you like. We are happy to build on any ideas your have. We also offer all of our craft beers or you can choose outside beer as well, the price just differs. And since we are a restaurant we can also do bulk sale of alcohol. So there are lots of options. However, the one thing we do not provide is the cake. We can do cupcakes and some custom desserts but it is better to book an outside vendor for the wedding cake.

Q: How soon in advance to you recommend brides or couples book with you?

A: It varies. Sometimes we have availability 6 months before but I always say the earlier the better. And once you book the room mostly people book our catering services at that time as well. We can also do some off site catering events, but normally those are run out of the Blacksburg store so if you just wanted us for a caterer at a different venue we offer that as well, but that event would be coordinated at our Blacksburg site.

Q: What does the process look like for someone who is ready to book with you?

A: They send me an email and we work together to secure the room on their date. At that point I’ll send them some menu ideas to get them started. After that we can schedule a complementary tasting if they like, for up to 4 people if they’ve booked the venue. I’ll have them pick 4 or 5 items from each section of the menu. Then during the tasting we also discuss the details of their day – colors, number of guests, set up, etc. so that it is all covered and decided.

Q: Do you host ceremonies here as well?

A: Yes, we normally use the front lawn for ceremonies and will set up chairs out there. The cost of the wedding is include in the venue rental, and it also includes our shuttle service from our top parking lot down to the clubhouse.

Q: What are some of your favorite things you’ve seen a bride do with this space?

A: Some have draped the room with lights in satin fabric, but it really doesn’t need much since we have such an incredible view. A lot of brides will wrap lights around the banister edge and that is really pretty and helps with lighting once it gets a little darker.

Q: Lastly, what are some tips you have for brides to make this whole process of finding a venue and caterer easier?

A: We are pretty open and flexible to let you do what you like. One of my biggest recommendations is to have help decorating, but not too much help. You will get so much more done if you have 6 people helping you instead of 20. If you have too many people not everyone will have something to do and organizing all your help will take twice as long. But do not try to do it all yourself. I allow people to come in the night before and decorate if we are not booked. Or alternately, you can opt to have your rehearsal dinner here and that guarantees you the decoration time. Also, I mentioned renting a tent for the patio above, but I like to tell brides most places give you 10 days to cancel your rental, and you can see the forecast 10 days out so always rent one and you can cancel it if you think you won’t need it. It’s better to have on hand in case and using the patio space is so helpful to make things seem more open.

I had so much fun visiting this venue. I love Bull & Bones’ food and have eaten there since it opened, so it was fun to see their other location. If you want a wedding venue that has huge windows and a beautiful view you could not pick a better location. Thanks to the staff at Bull & Bones at the river for letting me stop by and I hope this info helps all you brides start to narrow down places to have your reception! If you missed the post on the Inn at Virginia Tech check that out by clicking this link. And don’t miss any of our other Wedding Wednesday posts!