If you haven’t been to the Inn at Virginia Tech before, it is worth stopping by. With its unique Hokie Stone and tall columns the outside itself is beautiful. Once you pass through the double doors the lobby greets you with a warm fire place and the delicious smells of Preston’s wafting towards you. I love shooting weddings here; the ballroom is beautifully customizable, the large staircase invokes visions of Cinderella, and the expansive grounds make for the most gorgeous photographs. And while the venue in and of itself is gorgeous the Director of Catering, Bianca Norton makes this venue an even better choice for your big day. I have worked with her on events before and she is friendly, helpful, and makes sure everything goes perfectly. I got to pick her brain in this weeks “Wedding Wednesday” post. ( If you missed Gobble Cakes or the planning calendar week make sure you go back and check them out!)

Question: So Bianca, now that I’ve told them how ideal your venue is, how many people can your ballrooms hold?

Answer: Well I have 3 large ballrooms and 3 small ballrooms with a lower ceiling. Total they are 8,000 square feet and can hold up to 500 if they are all open. We have done weddings of anywhere from 50 guests to 400. The ballrooms have divider walls as well, so if you have a smaller wedding then we can make the space the right size for your event.

Q: When people book with you what does that include?

A: With each space you reserve there is a room rental fee however we waive this if they reach a room minimum cost. This is achieved by your food and beverage costs, linens, dance floor, etc. Most people reach this with a wedding. We do not charge a catering fee on top of these costs though. Also, with each booking they get me as the dedicated event planner. I am at all the events start to finish to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Q: Do you ever have more than one event in a day?

A: Sometimes we will book more than one if we have the ballrooms to accommodate it, but we stagger them so that they stay separate. For example, we would have one start later so the guests aren’t all in the hall for cocktail hour at the same time, we run them as separate as possible, and I always make both parties aware so they know what is going on.

Q: Do you only work with in house caterers or can they book outside vendors?

A: For dinner we require that they use our banquet kitchen and chef. He does not work at Preston’s, but runs all our catering events instead. However, for the cake they will need to book outside of our kitchen, as well as for any sweets or specialty desserts.

Q: What does the process look like for the catering side of things?

A: When they book with us as a venue we also give them some sample menu’s. These are only for inspiration but the couple can customize to whatever they like. We then schedule a complementary tasting with the chef. It is for up to four people and I attend as well. We present them with the food as it would look and take pictures and notes as well as get feedback from the couple so we can make sure everything is they way they envisioned it.

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

A: We recommend twelve months out, with one exception. Since we are part of Virginia Tech we have to wait to schedule things from the end of August through December until the football schedule is released. This can be tricky – so the best rule of thumb is book as soon as possible.

Q: What is the process to book the Inn as your venue?

A: They can contact me (Bianca) in a number of different ways, phone, email, the website, Facebook, even Twitter. If they aren’t sure they want the Inn yet, but want to see options they can also go through a Request For Price (RFP) process in order to receive a bid on the cost. Once they submit a request, I’ll send them the info they need and then we walk through everything.

Q: Have you done both ceremonies and receptions here?

A: Both. We have people use the ballrooms for ceremonies, or at the top of the stairs there is a beautiful space for a smaller ceremony of 50 people. Of course we also have had outdoor ceremonies on the lawn as well. We do not have an officiant on staff however, you will have to provide your own.

Q: What are some of the best things you have seen brides do with this space?

A: I had one bride hire a company out of Lynchburg that draped the ceiling with satin and lights and it was beautiful. We’ve also had some really fun themed weddings, Star Wars, Dance Dance Revolution where they built their own set, and of course the Hokie bird shows up to quite a few weddings here. We are pretty open about how people are allowed to decorate just don’t damage the floors, walls or ceiling and let me know what you are planning on so we can help make it work. Also, I ask people not use glitter as it gets everywhere and is hard to get out of the carpet. We are pretty open to most things though.

 

Q: And lastly, what are some tips for brides that would help make the process of booking your venue easier?

A: It makes things a little easier if brides have an idea of what they are looking for, if they want an oppulant and grand wedding or comfortable and beautiful. Knowing a theme or feeling upfront is helpful. Also, if they have an idea of the flow of the reception. We’ll talk about details but to have an idea about cocktail hour, sit down or buffet dinner, etc. Lastly, to have a general idea of guest count. It’s easier to plan and reserve the rooms if they know if it will be a 50 person event or a 400 person event. It doesn’t have to be exact but an estimate is helpful as we go through everything.

Thanks Bianca! This is such great information and so helpful in planning any reception, not just at the Inn. I look forward to shooting many more weddings in your beautiful ballrooms!