Frequently Asked Questions
(a) Information on the Mélange and its Facilities
Q: Are you open throughout the year for special events?
A: Yes. Traditionally, outdoor events are hosted between April and November when there is most color in the gardens. Indoor events are hosted throughout the year; most popular period being during the Holidays when the historic home gets its festive decoration.
Q: How many guests can your facilities accommodate?
A: 2 to 200 on outdoor and 2 to 40 on indoor venues.
Q: What special events do you host?
A: All special events including the weddings, rehearsal dinners and brunches, dessert outings and so on.
Q: What is the layout of the grounds for a large outdoor wedding ceremony and reception?
A: Our forte is that we offer a variety of venues that merge into one another and where we can customize your wedding flow. There are two distinct ceremony sites surrounded in lush greenery: the park-like setting of the Matisse Fountain Lawn or the charmingly intimate setting of the Pan Fountain Lawn. The reception is traditionally hosted in the covered Tile Pavilion. One of many typical wedding scenarios will be to have the ceremony on the Matisse Fountain Lawn followed by a social hour with food and beverage service on the Pan Fountain Lawn and Patio to the guests while bridal pictures are being made followed by the reception in the Tile Pavilion. Guests love to stroll around and discover.
Q: What happens in case there is rain during an outdoor event? Do I need to rent a tent?
A: In case of inclement weather, you can move into the Tile Pavilion to hold the ceremony and the reception.
Q: How are smaller weddings staged?
A: Here again, the availability of different venues would give you many flow options. The Mediterranean Court, for example, has a nostalgic appeal as a ceremony site. Likewise you can be married on the Pan Fountain Lawn and move into the Mediterranean Court for a receiving line or for a social hour afterwards onto the East Porch. Indoor weddings may make use of the full first floor of the historic home including the Master Living and Formal Dining and the Greenhouse Rooms. Small and intimate weddings may use the large marble fireplace as a background for the ceremony.
Q: May we bring our own decorations? Any guidelines?
A: Yes, but only with our advance approval so that no physical damage is done to the facilities and as long as you take them down at the end of your event. You are welcome to review decorations put by others in the past from our photo albums.
Q: Do you have free parking?
A: Yes. There are up to 12 spaces on the premises. Further parking for 25-35 cars is along the property curb side of Blythe Street and property curbside along 5th Avenue. Overflow parking for big weddings is about 0.6 mile away. You can rent a van or limousine to shuttle your guests from this parking lot or from nearby hotels.
Q: Can I bring a band or a DJ for dancing?
A: Yes - as long as the music is not too loud to disturb the tranquility and peace of the neighborhood.
Q: Do you have a sound system?
A: There is outdoor and indoor systems that can play your CD's and iPod. A large collection of CD’s including wedding music is available for you -complementary. We can feed this music over the Pan Fountain Lawn and on the Mediterranean Court. The Tile Pavilion has a separate system.
Q: Is there a time that music must be turned off for "quiet time”?
A: Live music and dancing are concluded by 9:30 PM.
Q: Can I bring my own photographer, florist, officiate, cake maker, and so on or do I have to work with yours?
A: You can choose any provider and vendor of such services. We also have a complementary list of wonderful people recommended based on their previous performances and work at Mélange.
Q: Do you have separate set-ups for program handouts, wedding gifts, favors, pictures and registry? An easel for my portrait? A birdcage for my gifts in envelopes? Unity Candle?Shepherd Hooks?
A: Yes. Complementary.
Q: Do you allow smoking?
A: Smoking is allowed at designated areas and niches, no smoking is allowed inside the historic home.
(b) Rental of the Grounds and Facilities
Q: What is included in the site rental charge for receptions?
A: Included in the site rental charge is the exclusive use of all grounds and facilities, rehearsing of the bridal party, pre-ceremony or bridal photography privileges. Also included are: tables and chairs for the reception, bone china plates (several patterns to choose from), dedicated glass and stemware for all beverages, all table linens and napkins, (two colors for table and four for napkins to choose from), table top decorations like mirrors, tea candle arrangements, several sizes of small vases for you to use in your flower arrangements, floating candle bowls, table numbers, and table skirts and matching toppers. Formal display of the wedding cake or desserts with fine linens and skirt, cake servers, ornate flutes for the bride and groom for a toast and candle stands are also complementary.
Q: What is not included?
A: Depending on guest size, you may have to rent chairs for the ceremony chairs (since our wrought iron chairs will be too heavy for the grass).
Q: Do you accept children on the premises? How are children billed?
A: Yes, children are welcome. Children aged 3-5 count as half and of 6 years and above as a full paying guest.
Q: How long can I rent your facility? Is there a fee if we stay longer?
A: You have one hour for the wedding ceremony (with the guest arrival) and 4 hrs for the reception allocated. If you wish to have more time with your guests, you can start early. Extra $200/hour will be charged to benefit the staff for receptions lasting more than 4 hours. However, live music and dispensing of alcoholic beverages positively end at 9:30 PM. All events end at 10 PM. Bridal couple and their guests staying at the inn may retire into the East Porch to celebrate and socialize privately for an extra hour- provided that the peace of the house and that of the neighborhood are attended to and preserved.
Q: What if I just want to rent the grounds for the ceremony and want to have my reception somewhere else?
A: Site rental fee for a wedding ceremony-only special event will depend on the guest size, usually in the order of $$750 to 1000.
(c) Food and Beverage
Q: Do you have an in-house caterer or can we choose to use an outside caterer of our choice?
A: All food is cooked and catered from our own commercial kitchen. No exceptions due to sanitation issues except for the wedding cake. Mélange routinely receives one of the highest sanitation grades as a restaurant from county inspection.
Q: Do you have suggested menus? What if I want service style and food choices around my theme?
A: Your wedding and reception may be as structured or laid-back as you want. There are menus on the web site for buffet and sit-down service. Brunch and dessert only menus are available on demand. Our chef and event manager will work with you and cater to your wishes. We at the Mélange are very passionate about food. Several theme-based events in the past have been performed including Spanish, Brazilian, Turkish, German, Eastern Carolina Bar-b-cue, 50's Black-tie and so on.
Q: Do you have a food manager? A buffet decorator if I choose buffet style serving for the reception?
A: Yes, the catering cost will include these services. Front side team captain will decorate the buffet and the bar. Our staff will serve you and your guests from ornate copper and silver plated platters and exquisite dishes.
Q: How is the food price calculated? What is the price range I shall budget for?
A: Menu cost will depend on your selections, on the service style and naturally on the number of attendees and will be established once you finalize your choices. Relative range for 2009 menus were $30’s to$50’s per person for buffets and $40's to $60's for plated dinners.
Q: How is the serving of alcoholic beverages handled? Can we bring our own wine, champagne and beer?
A: You can provide your own champagne, wine and beer. They are subject to Stemware Charge (Corkage)(Please visit web link on Rental Fees). This is calculated by actual consumption and you can take back unopened bottles. We will help hire experienced bar person(s) to work for you to serve alcoholic beverages whose hourly wages you would be responsible. The host of the event is legally responsible for its guests and liquor related liabilities.
Q: Is it possible to have a full bar? Cash bar?
A: Yes. There will be $5 per person charge across the board and in addition to corkage from wine and beer. We will provide dedicated glassware and cordials. You (or we for you) would also need to get a temporary permit. Cash Bar is discouraged because of lack of control..
Q: Do you also cater to off-site events?
A: Yes. Mélange is still the only small inn in town with off-site catering permit.
Q: Are there nearby venues or pubs that the party may move to after the reception?
A: Main Street and nearby motels have venues. Hendersonville Travel and Tourism Bureau will have all the recommendations.
Q: There may be relatives and friends who are not going to stay in your inn. Can I invite them to join breakfast if I pay for it?
A: Yes. You can invite relatives or friends you wish to spend more time with to join others who are staying at Mélange. The all-inclusive price for a 2 to 3-course menu is $17 per person. (Including tax and service)
(d) Other
Q: Do you have a minimum nights stay policy?
A: Yes. We want your big day to truly be an intimate affair and will not schedule another event nor would accept guestroom reservations from parties not related to the wedding. In turn, and if the wedding is on a Saturday, the bridal party agrees to rent (or designate their guests to stay in and pay individually) all 5 guestrooms for a minimum of 2 nights on a weekend (3 on holiday weekends and during October).
For guests from out of town and who wish to stay longer, there will be a 20% reduction in room rate beyond the required minimum stay.
Q: For how many can you provide accommodations for?
A: Of the 5 guestrooms, 1 is a suite with 2 bedrooms (1 king and 2 double beds hence ideal for bridesmaids/groomsmen or for a family). In addition, there are 3 king size guestrooms and 1 queen. Rollaway beds may be placed in two king size rooms. Total capacity with children is about 14-15. The bride may also select to stay with the bridesmaids in the Suite for the first night.
Q: Are there nearby inns and motels for my other guests?
A: Yes. There are other bed and breakfasts within less than 1 mile and all the usual motels plus cottages and suites within 3 miles.
Q: What is your cancellation policy?
A: A cancellation will result in forfeiture of all deposit(s). Postponement to another date is subject to availability; All out-of-pocket costs, would be lost income from accommodations need to be reimbursed to Mélange. A new contract will be signed if the wedding is postponed for the following year.