Frequently Asked Questions

And General Information about Over The Vines Vineyard and Barn Wedding Venue

Below are some of the main questions we get regarding Over The Vines. If you have any questions not covered here, please contact us at info@overthevines.com

General Information and Guidelines

Over The Vines provides you the opportunity to choose your own vendors with many area businesses to help make your event a success. Below are suggested sources for services in the area:

  • We want your Over the Vines experience as reminiscent of nature as our guests desire, therefore our facility is not heated or air-conditioned.
  • We hope you have a great time with us so electricity is available for use at your own discretion (200 amp service). We are not responsible for circumstances beyond our control.
  • Restrooms are provided.
  • Please be advised to prepare for inclement weather. We are unable to control naturally occurring events. Therefore, you agree that we are not responsible for unexpected changes in weather.
  • To avoid fire hazards, candles and open flames are not permitted and LED lights are preferred.
  • We are a non-smoking facility. However, an outdoor ashtray is provided at a designated smoking area.
  • Over the Vines is not liable for lost or stolen items.
  • Guests are welcome to decorate the Wine Barn and outside areas. Please be advised that we prefer that no staples or nails are used. Have fun!

What is the building and parking capacity?

200 total on property.

Our parking lot can accommodate up to 138 vehicles.

We have also had many couples shuttle guests to/from the property renting vans, limos and buses.

We also have parking space available for your shuttle service to stay on site.

Catering

  • All caterers must be on the Over The Vines Approved Caterers list (found here-PDF).
  • Over The Vines does not supply glasses, plates, or utensils.

Alcohol

Over the Vines is a fully licensed venue, for beer, wine and liquor.
All alcohol must be purchased from and served by Over the Vines and its licensed bartenders (in compliance with Wisconsin State Laws and Regulations, alcohol cannot be served to minors, etc).

Guests are responsible for all consequences of alcohol consumption.

Over the Vines does not allow alcohol beverages to be brought onto the property.

Please contact us for more information.drinking-signs

Property Preparations

  • You agree that it is your responsibility to return the site to its original state (i.e. how you found it). Over The Vines will take care of all trash removal, set up and take down of chairs, tables, and cleaning.
  • You may access the space on an agreed upon time for decorating dependent on availability.
  • You are responsible for any and all damage of Over the Vines facility and property during their event, so please be careful during your time with us.

Local Vendors and Services

Our many options of vendors can be found on our Vendors Page.

Where is Over The Vines located?

Over the Vines is the bellybutton between Madison, Milwaukee, & Chicago areas. Conveniently located just off the I94/I39 interstate, but far enough away for a very private and quiet one-of-a-kind experience on our 80+ acre farm.

Our physical address is: 1242 State Road 73, Edgerton, WI.
For a marriage license, we are located in the county of Dane, Town of Albion.

What is the Facility Rental fee for Over The Vines and what does it include?

You can find our Facility Rental pricing HERE.

We did not want our couples to feel nickel and dimed as we did on our own wedding day, so Over the Vines has always included a lot in our Facility Rental, which you can find HERE.

What dates are available?

Please click HERE for a list of our available dates.

Do you charge a booking fee or deposit?  When is the balance due? Do you offer a payment plan?

Yes, Over the Vines charges a 50% booking fee, and a completed, signed rental agreement to book a date. The balance of the rental is not due until 90-days prior to wedding day.

However, after booking a date, you are always welcome to send smaller, partial payments for any balances due, before your actual due date. In essence, this makes your own smaller payment plan along the way.

WI Sales tax of 5.5% is applied to all payments.

Full payment is due by the specified due date outlined on your rental agreement.

Over the Vines reserves the right to request a credit card on file prior to wedding day, for any damages to the facility or grounds.

How do I reserve a date?

Over the Vines does not tentatively hold dates. We hope you are able to come and tour our property in-person prior to booking your date. You can request a tour HERE, but an in-person tour is not required prior to booking.

To book your date with Over the Vines, just email us confirming you want to book xyz date, and to confirm if your desired date is still available.

Since Over the Vines does not tentatively hold dates, the first to provide a completed rental agreement and booking fee secures the date (i.e., have confirmed via email and in the process of completing the agreement).

Do I need to schedule a tour or can I just stop by?

All tours are by appointment only, as this is a private farm and operating vineyard. You can request a tour HERE.

What is the average budget for a couple getting married
at Over the Vines?

We believe that the average budget for a couple getting married on a prime Saturday date at Over the Vines is around $18,000-$22,000 for all wedding expenses (venue, food, beverage, dress, DJ, photographer, invitations, cake/sweets, etc).

We have had some very clever and savvy couples host beautiful weddings in the $15,000 range. We have also had some very elegant events that spent significantly more than the average.

Do we have to utilize your caterers and bar service?

Yes. Over the Vines allowed any caterers in our first few years, and honestly, we didn’t understand why most venues did not.

However, after a few years of allowing any caterer to come through our doors, we quickly realized that quality of food and quality of experience is important to our couples, their families, and their guests.

Most of the caterers were amazing, but some clearly did not care about the couple, their service on wedding day, or the safety of our true 1800’s barn.

Once you get to know us, you will see that we are always looking out for our couples best interest and your guests’ experience.

We had issues with caterers showing up late, unprepared, run out of food (multiple times), damage our property and equipment, and who were continuously understaffed.

We also had great experiences with other caterers, and who were new to us, but when the experience was bad, it was bad for us, the couple, and their guests.

We found over the years that some caterers do not provide the level of service to our couples that we hold ourselves and our staff to on your day.

That is why Over the Vines has our pre-Approved list of over 18+ approved Caterers to choose from.

Is there a food minimum?

No. Many venues charge food minimums because they make 10%-15% commission from the caterer, and others charge the couple a 10% catering fee for bringing an outside caterer.

Over the Vines chooses to NOT make any money off catering because we want your food options to be as affordable or elegant as you desire.

Over the Vines does have an approved list of over 18+ pre-approved Caterers, to fit your desired pallet and budget.

Is there a beverage minimum?

Yes, for Saturday events. We do have a bar minimum of $1,000 in product for parties over 100 persons total.

For parties under 100 persons total, the bar minimum is $500 in bar product. Bar minimum in product + bar fees & tax.

Friday and Sunday events have a bar minimum of $500.

Is there a guest count minimum?

No, we do not have a guest count minimum. We have hosted parties as small as 25 total.

Will there be another wedding the same day?

Over the Vines hosts only one event per day, so couples get our teams full attention on their special day.

Are there overnight accommodations nearby?

Yes! Located only 6-miles away is a Quality-Inn, next to a gas station, restaurants and Lake, right off Interstate I94/I39.

There are also quite a few VRBO & AirBNB properties on the local lakes for guests to enjoy lake living.

Janesville has many hotels right off the Interstate, and is only a 10-12 minute drive from Over the Vines.

East Madison also has hotels right off the Interstate, and is just a 20-minute drive.

If your guests are coming from Milwaukee, there are hotels located in Jefferson/Fort Atkinson area, just a 15-minute drive to our venue.

Do you offer straight tables instead of round? 

We include a total of (25) rectangle 8-ft long tables and (4) smaller 6-ft tables to be used for your guests dinner seating, gift table, head table, and dessert table.

We also include (1) sweetheart table set.

Also, our team handles the setup/tear down of these tables for your event.

Do you provide the ceremony & dinner chairs?

Over the Vines provides white padded ceremony chairs for the ceremony area, as well as the same style of white padded chairs for dinner. These items are included in the rental of the property.

Our team will also handle the setup/tear down of these chairs for your event.
You are also welcome to bring in your own chairs if you desire another style of chair.

Do you provide any outdoor furniture?

Over the Vines provides wrought iron patio sets with chairs and umbrellas on patio and back deck.

We also provide wine barrel cocktail tables onsite.

These items are included in the rental of the property.

Our team will also handle the setup/tear down of these items for your event.

Do you provide items for the dinner tables, such as table linens, cups or glassware, silverware, etc.? 

No. We provide a beautiful venue, the tables & chairs, patio furniture, and LOTS of equipment and décor items to use during your event.

You are welcome to rent linens, glassware & silverware from local vendors in Janesville or Madison, or bring them in yourself.

Do you provide the glassware for bar drinks? 

We do not provide any glassware.

However, we do provide clear plastic 16 oz. beer cups and clear plastic 8-oz. one-piece wine stem cups for the bar drinks at no additional charge.

You are also welcome to rent or bring in your own glassware for the bar drinks if you choose.

We also have the option to purchase Over the Vines signature wine glasses for guests to use all event and take home afterwards.

What happens in case of rain?

Over the Vines recently expanded the patio adding a large clear span tent for providing additional options, such as hosting a ceremony under the tent, or dinner reception.

Ceremonies are truly beautiful no matter if outside in front of our mature vineyard, under the tent facing the hillside, or inside our romantic, old barn with amazing crystal chandeliers.

Do you provide any tent options?

Over the Vines recently expanded the patio adding a large clear span tent for providing additional options, such as hosting a ceremony under the tent, or dinner reception.

This tent stays up all season long in the same location. It has clear sides, keeping your view of the beautiful outdoors!

This tent is included in the rental of the property. However, additional fees apply if you choose to host ceremony and reception in the same space, requiring a flip of the space, such as hosting both ceremony and reception under the tent, or ceremony and reception inside the 1800’s barn.

We only want to have a reception at Over the Vines. We plan to have our ceremony off-site. Does your fee change?

Over the Vines only hosts one event per day, so that our couples don’t have to share with another party and so they get our full attention.

Thus, our fee structure remains the same, whether you have both ceremony and reception on site, or just host the reception or just host the ceremony at Over the Vines.

Do you allow our dogs to play a part in our wedding day?

We want our client’s dogs to be part of their day, yes!

However, due to past guest experiences, we have some stipulations.

Dogs are only allowed for ceremony and photos afterwards, and with pre-approval by Ryan & Billie in writing.

Dogs are not allowed inside any buildings onsite (including the getting ready rooms) or near food.

Our client’s dogs must be on a leash at all times, and someone (other than our client, wedding party or immediate family members) must be responsible for them.

All other animals, other than service animals, are NOT allowed.

We do have several excellent kennels located within a few miles of our property, and would be happy to provide their information to you or your guests!

What form of payment does Over the Vines accept?

We accept cash, check or charge.

My preferred dates are unavailable. Do you have a cancellation waiting list?

Cancellations are so unpredictable, so we do not keep a list.

If we have a date become available, we will post it HERE.

Where can I find pictures of the decor available?

We have an Equipment & Props list, which contains photos of each item, dimensions and the quantity available.

We provide this list to our couples at booking, but you can also find it on our Inventory page HERE.

What time will I have access to the venue to decorate?

Our rental packages accommodate for plenty of time on the property to decorate, so all decorating must happen within the designated time as specified on your rental agreement.

We do not allow early access, so please share this information with your decorators, immediate family, and vendors.

After hosting hundreds of weddings, we know what is possible, and want to set you up for success.

Do you include a "wedding day coordinator"?

We feel this can be a great question, but also a tricky question at times, especially if you are trying to compare “apples to apples” with venues.

It’s possible that the job duties of a “day-of coordinator” mean something totally different to each couple, and to us.

We don’t want any miscommunication with our couples, so our answer is no.

However, we do have a team leader here when you arrive onsite, who stays throughout the duration of your big day.

We do not decorate or handle food, but this member of the Over the Vines team is here to answer questions and direct vendors if needed.

They also use our golf cart to help any guests needing assistance getting around on our property.

Their goal is to make sure that your day is as stress-free as possible and a success!

Catering Questions

What are our catering Options at Over the Vines?

We have an Approved list of pre-approved Caterers, to fit your desired pallet and budget.

Over the Vines chooses to NOT make any money off catering because we want your food options to be as affordable or elegant as you desire, but you do have to choose a caterer from our Approved list found HERE.

How much should we estimate spending on catering and bar combined for approximately 150 people total?

Our list of caterers provide plates as low as $14.59 and up.

We feel it is possible to have an open bar for beer/wine only and a delicious meal, for 150 people, for around $6,000, choosing between several of the caterers on our Approved list, when you make careful food and beverage decisions.

(Note: you could spend more than this of course, but if you are looking for budget-friendly options, they definitely exist within our Approved caterers).

The average bar bill at Over the Vines for 150 guests can be as low as $1,500 (based on covering the bar minimum in product only), up to $5,300 for a full open bar for 150 guests.

Both estimates include two-bartenders, bar setup, alcohol, soda & bottled water, ice and plastic cups for bar drinks, as well as bar fruit and condiments.

Does Over the Vines handle the catering orders for these caterers, or do I work with the caterer directly?

We feel it is more efficient for our couples to work directly with their caterer.

After booking with us, we suggest you reach out to at least 2-3 caterers from our Approved catering list.

Contact information for our Approved caterers can be found HERE.

Planning Questions

When is the next open house?

We usually hold one open house each year, in early May.

Our open house events are held for couples who have already booked with Over the Vines, or are looking to book with us at that time.

We welcome our couples and their parents to our open house events in hopes they can get some planning done together, questions answered, see the property once more, and look at all our props and bar selections.

Email invites are sent out after the New Year.

What time do you suggest we start the ceremony?

For a Friday or Saturday event, ceremony can start at 4:00 pm or later.

For a Sunday event, the ceremony can start at 3:00 pm or later, as the party also ends one hour earlier than a Friday or Saturday.

Due to the many photo backdrops found on our property - between the vineyards, rolling hills, 1800’s old barn & stone buildings, and colorful gardens, many of our couples choose to do a first look prior to ceremony, so that they have additional time after ceremony for multiple photos at separate areas onsite.

There is no need to leave for taking photos at other locations when you choose Over the Vines, our property provides you with so many beautiful options!

Do you have only one ceremony location, or do you offer multiple locations for ceremony onsite?

One of the great things about Over the Vines is that we have beautiful views no matter where or what direction you face on our property!

You can choose to have your ceremony facing our rolling hillside, or let our mature vineyard be your backdrop, or even have it inside our old romantic barn with amazing crystal chandeliers.

Do you help me determine the best setup options for my sized event? Will the tables & chairs be arranged when I arrive?

After booking with Over the Vines, we provide you with sample ceremony and reception diagram options.

We also reach out to you prior to your big day to determine your preferred setup.

Also, when you arrive on wedding day, you will find the ceremony chairs already in place where you requested.

You will also find the reception table and chair setup already in place for you.

We do the heavy lifting for you, so that you get a jump on your decorating and can enjoy more time with the ones you love!

If we choose the one-day option, will we be able to access the location early to rehearse our ceremony? 

If you choose the one-day option, our venue will likely be rented by another couple the day before your event.

For this reason, Over the Vines will schedule with you for one-hour onsite to rehearse your ceremony; however, it will be scheduled around other events booked at that time.

You can also choose to hold your ceremony rehearsal off-site instead.

Another option would be to practice the day of your wedding, once everyone is ready onsite, just without the bride, which we have seen couples do successfully.

We have seen some savvy couples use our open house event to do their run through of ceremony, bring their planner or attendant with them to the open house event, and figure out/rehearse their ceremony at that time.

Can we have fireworks on the property?

We are sorry, but fireworks and sparklers are not permitted at Over the Vines.

We do not want to scare our dear neighbors, or burn down our original 1800’s old barn, or vineyard.

Can we come back the next morning to clean up, or leave any items overnight?

Our rental package accommodates for plenty of time on the property to gather personal belongings after the reception ends, so all personal items must be removed from all buildings at the end of your event, within the designated time as specified on your rental agreement.

We do not allow next day cleanup or pickup of any items, so please share this information with your decorators, immediate family, and vendors.

Can our guests vehicles be left overnight?

We do not want anyone drinking and driving, so if a guest needs to catch a safe ride and leave their car overnight, they can, but it MUST be picked up by 10:00 am the next morning, or it will be towed at your expense.

We recommend that you advise your guests of our policy, so that you do not incur any additional charges.

A lot of couples provide us with their cell numbers or parents numbers so that we can call in the morning to provide information on vehicles still on the property before 10:00 am.

What time does the music need to end?

For Friday & Saturday events, the music must stop by 11:00 pm, to make ensure all guests, all vendors, and all of your personal items are off-property by midnight.

For Sunday events, music must stop by 10:00 pm and everyone off property by 11:00 pm.

We are using a rental company. Can they drop items off or pick them up outside of the rental period?

Over the Vines is a private property and working vineyard with locked gates.

All deliveries & pickups must happen during the standard rental period.

Please let your vendors know that they must drop off and pick up the day of your event, as outlined in your rental agreement.

Are flame candles allowed?

We are sorry, but no.

To preserve and protect our original 1800’s barn and mature vineyard, we do not allow open flame candles.

LED candles are permitted, and do an amazing job!

Is it possible to seat 9 to a table?

It really depends on your total party size, and the location & layout you choose for dinner seating.

Usually, our tables seat 8 persons comfortably, but up to 9-10 is possible with some setups if your party numbers allow it.

How far in advance do you need our final headcount?

Two weeks prior to wedding day.

How do I obtain a marriage license?

Go to the Dane County courthouse, located in Madison, WI.

You must apply for your marriage license at least 6-full days before your wedding day, but not more than 30-days prior.

The current fee is $120.00, you both must attend and have your driver’s license and your social security numbers ready.

You can find information at www.countyofdane.com

Over the Vines physical address is: 1242 State Road 73, Edgerton, WI.

However, for your marriage license, we are located in the county of Dane, Town of Albion.

Setup and Day-of Event Questions

Are outside snacks and trays permitted?

You may bring in food and snacks to both getting ready suites, while you all get ready prior to ceremony.

Outside food (other than through your caterer) is not allowed after the start of ceremony.

All food must go through your caterer at that time.

Is outside alcohol permitted?

No.

Over the Vines is a licensed venue.

Carry-ins are not allowed.

All alcohol must be purchased from Over the Vines and served by our team of bartenders.

We do accommodate our couples alcohol requests while getting ready in the suites before the ceremony, through our bar services.

What is the event clean-up process?

Our team handles all the heavy lifting for you! We breakdown our tables, chairs and equipment.

We take out the trash, and our team will also go around with our prop list and gather all our décor used.

You are responsible for only your personal items, including any extra
food.

Vendor rental items must be picked up that night.

Can we take photos around the farm on our wedding day?

Yes, we hope you go all over the property, for sure!

If you would like some recommendations just let us know!

Can we nail decorations to the walls or hang things like streamers or lanterns from the beams?

This is a working vineyard and farm, with an original 1800’s barn and outbuildings, so no holes can be placed in any walls.

We do have areas where hooks are already in place for you to use and hang decorations.

The old wood beams at Over the Vines are very tall and only reachable with a very tall ladder.

For this reason, we do not allow just anything to be hung from the wood beams, without prior permission.

We hope you find them beautiful without any extra work, but if you have a special request, please talk with Ryan & Billie at least 90-days in advance of wedding day to discuss if it’s something we can accommodate.

Interested in learning more?