Helpful Hints + FAQ's
A Note from Our Planners
The staff at Ceresville Mansion would like to extend a warm welcome to you and your families. We look forward to working with you in the coming months in preparation for your special event. For your planning purposes we have compiled a list of helpful hints and frequently asked questions to ensure that your event is a successful one.
If you have any additional questions do not hesitate to email or call your experienced event planner at (301) 694-5111.
Booking
To book an event with us the planner you have been contacting will provide you with a contract as well as a deposit amount. The contract can be signed electronically and the deposit paid in cash, check, or credit card. Once those two steps have been completed your date is officially booked.
Our payments consist of the initial deposit, a 9 month deposit, and a 6 month deposit. Your final balance is due one week prior to your wedding to ensure that any changes to guest counts or upgrades are accurate.
No. Once you have reserved our services for your event, we no longer offer the date to other guests and therefore, we may not resell the date if your event is canceled.
Planning
Your event planner works with you from the day you book to ensure your event is everything you imagined. She will create and finalize your sequence of events including the rehearsal, ceremony, cake cutting, first dance, toasts, your send off, as well as scheduling tastings, creating floor plans, and supplying you with planning documents to help you stay organized!
Yes! At your Ceremony rehearsal your day-of coordinator will step in to make sure your day goes exactly as planned. She will be running your event from start to finish, including your ceremony.
For outdoor events your event planner will have helped you decide on a rain plan. A ceremony or outdoor reception would be relocated to our Grand Ballroom
When you have a ceremony here at The Mansion, we include an hour long rehearsal for you a day or two before your wedding. This will be scheduled by your event planner and run by your coordinator to ensure your ceremony is conducted smoothly and to your satisfaction. At this time you may bring all customer items for your event as well.
The labor cost is not a gratuity. It is used to pay salaries and wages. Any voluntary tips you choose to offer in addition to the labor cost are very much appreciated.
Venue
For events with a dance floor our grand ballroom can seat up to 150 guests.
For events without a dance floor our grand ballroom can seat up to 200 guests.
For events with a dance floor our terrace can seat up to 200 guests.
For events without a dance floor our terrace can seat up to 230 guests.
Our couples can access our suites up to 6 hours before their ceremony. For earlier weddings, the earliest access begins at 9am.
Yes, we have ample parking for our guests. There is also room for shuttle services, limos, or specialty cars that you may wish to rent.
Catering
The Frederick County Department of Health requires that any leftover food be handled only by Ceresville Mansion, the licensed food service facility.
Ceresville Mansion provides full service food and beverage catering to our guests. Aside from your wedding cake, no other food or beverages may be supplied by outside vendors.
Ceresville Mansion owns the liquor license for the property. Therefore, if your event is held at our pro[erty, you may not bring your own alcohol. If outside alcohol is brought onto the premises our staff will require it to immediately be disposed of.
Decor
Ceresville Mansion permits each client to provide their own unique flowers and centerpieces.
We have a variety of table sizes that can be used to create an ideal floor plan with your planner. Gold ballroom chairs are used for the reception and we have white folding chairs for the ceremony and/or outdoor cocktail tables. We also have a variety of linens and napkins in an array of colors
Our staff will be available to help place and direct certain decor, but we require a point of contact that is responsible for gathering and taking all customer items at the end of the night. Your event planner will assist you in organizing items that can be placed by our staff and what will need to be assigned to your point of contact. This ensures that all of your items get safely gathered and taken care of.
Yes, you will work with your planner to make your final selections. If you would like outside rentals they will help coordinate with the vendor to make your vision a reality.