Your Wedding or Rehearsal Dinner at the Mélange
Typical Charges and Payment Schedule:
At the Mélange, our goal is to provide you with a cost layout that is transparent and complete.
Three cost components will determine your wedding costs:
1. Site Rental Charge for the exclusive use of all venues, facilities and amenities,
2. Catering and Beverage Services,
3. Weekend Accommodations in our five guest rooms that the bridal party and their guests are expected to rent.
These are outlined below:
1. Site Rental Charge:
- The Site Rental Charge for a weekend wedding in season (April through December) is $2000. Customized fees may be available for small weddings with less than 30 guests, during the week and during off-season.
Included in the Site Rental Charge:
* Exclusive use of all grounds for the ceremony and reception.
* Chairs for the ceremony, PA System, unity candle, pedestals for flower display and podium, shepherd hooks for flower baskets, easels, ornate cage for monetary gifts, candelabra stands, table set-up for programs, ....
* Tables and chairs for the reception, wonderful china, silverware, linens and napkins, table top decorations and glass and stemware, .....
* Cake cutting service, formal displays with linens and skirt, ornate champagne flutes for the bride and groom
* Sound System to play CD’s or Ipod, electrical hook-up for a DJ
* Wedding rehearsal and pre-wedding bridal photography privileges
* Services of our event manager
* Set-up and break down of chairs and tables and clean –up
Related Events: There is no duplicity of Site Rental Charge for a rehearsal dinner or for a bridal brunch if the wedding is also hosted at the Mélange. Otherwise, charges for a rehearsal dinner (or brunch) will be similarly handled as a reception
Duration of the Event: Total time on the facilities for the wedding ceremony and reception is 5 hours. ($300 per extra hour). Small weddings with less than 30 guests, a rehearsal dinner or a brunch have 3 hours on the venue.
* Live music, dancing and all beverage services are concluded by 9:30 PM. Reception ends by 10 PM. Guests of the wedding who stay at the Mélange and the bridal couple may move indoors or to East Porch to socialize for another hour. There are also pubs and sport bars available on the Main Street that are open late into the night.
2. Catering and Beverage Services:
2a. Food Cost:
At the Mélange, we are equally at home with formal buffet set-ups manned by the chef and the staff or with exquisitely plated, banquet services to seated guests. Although dedicated buffet and plated dinner menus are available, catering may also be customized to your individual wishes or around a regional or an international theme. The bridal party may order from packaged menus or a la carte. Vegetarian dishes, separate dessert or grooms’ cake table set-ups and menus for children are available.
* Food Cost per guest will vary with the menu, with the number of guests and with the type of service (hors d'oeuvre only, buffet or formally plated). For weddings on weekends with 50 or more guests, a $3000 minimum food and beverage total applies.
* Custom set-ups for a social hour or interlude between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception upon request.
2b. Stemware Charge for Serving Alcoholic Beverages:
If alcoholic beverages are also to be served, the bridal party may supply their own wine, champagne and beer to the reception. These, however, are subject to Stemware Charge.
The Stemware Charge includes all fine glassware, i.e., dedicated wine glasses and flutes, other beverage glasses, mugs, napkins, ice, coolers and disposal of bottles. Un-opened bottles may be taken back.
* The cost breakdown is: $5 per std. size, 0.75-liter bottle of wine and champagne; larger bottles are charged at $10. Beer is charged at $25 per case or $90 for party size (sixth barrel) or $160 for pony (quarter barrel) kegs.
Please note:
* For events of up to 40 guests, the minimum Stemware Charge is $125; above that, the minimum charge is $200. The event holder pays whichever the higher amount is, i.e. Stemware Charge based on actual consumption or the minimum.
* If cocktails and mixed drinks are also to be served, these, too, may be brought in. There will be an additional charge of $5 per attendee across the board in addition to corkage from beer, wine and champagne consumption. Dedicated cordials, mixes and glassware are included.
* Services of one bartender average $125 per (for about seven hours).
2c. Service Charge and Taxes:
Food Cost is subject to 20% Service Charge (staff gratuity). N.C. state tax is 7.75% and is assessed on Site Rental Charge and on the Food Cost.
Please note:
* Events with less than 50 guests or where the 20% service charge on the food cost would not cover the actual staff costs, the event holder may have to pay an additional flat service charge to cover the difference.
3. Weekend Accommodations:
Our forte at the Mélange is that we provide privacy and intimacy to the bride and groom and their guests. To facilitate this goal, no other special event will be scheduled nor would we accept reservations for guestrooms from parties not related to the wedding. In turn, the bridal party guaranties the rental of all 5 guestrooms for a minimum of 2 nights (3 on holiday weekends and during first three weekends in October). Individual guests may pay for guestrooms. The total for five rooms for two nights in the season is $1790 plus 12.75% tax.
Exceptions to this policy are small weddings with less than 30 guests, a rehearsal-dinner-only event or weddings on Sundays or during the week.
* Guests who travel from far and wish to stay longer, enjoy a 20% rate reduction for an extra night beyond the 2 (3) nights
* Room rates are based on double occupancy. $35 surcharge is applied for each additional person in the room per night. $25 is charged for house cleaning if guests in the room change on consecutive nights.
Deposits and Payment Schedule:
A first payment of $1000 is required when an event contract is signed and the all important date is booked at the Mélange. A second payment of $2000 is due latest 12 weeks in advance of this date, when menu selection should be completed and finalized. The remaining balance is to be paid 2 weeks before when a minimum number of attendees is guaranteed to the Mélange.
* The higher number either guaranteed or present during the reception would be the basis for the final calculation. Children aged 3-6 count as half and 7 and above as a full paying guest.
Please note:
* A cancellation will result in forfeiture of all deposit(s). Postponement to another date is subject to availability; all out-of-pocket costs of the inn and/or would-be-lost-income from accommodations need to be reimbursed.
