Most of what couples want to know.

The property, the spaces, the rain plan.

Q1 How many guests can Wintergreen Woods host? –

All three ceremony settings — the Garden, the Covered Veranda, and the Lawn — comfortably accommodate up to 150 guests. The reception hall is built to host the same count for dinner and dancing, with the patio and outdoor spaces giving guests room to move between courses. Smaller weddings work just as well; many of our most memorable celebrations have been intimate gatherings of 50 to 75. The capacity is the same in every season — the venue is climate-controlled, so July and December feel the same to your guests.

Q2 What are the three ceremony settings? +

You'll choose between the Garden (open sky and bloom-framed aisles), the Covered Veranda (warmth, shelter, and an open view of the grounds), and the Lawn (a wide-open ceremony space with room for every guest). Each setting holds up to 150 guests, each is included in every package, and the choice is yours — no upcharge for any option. If the weather shifts on your wedding day, our crew can move a ceremony from one setting to another in under ten minutes. Most couples decide which to use during their tour; some keep two in mind right up until the morning of.

Q3 What happens if it rains on our wedding day? +

The Covered Veranda is built for exactly this — a fully protected ceremony space with the same garden view as the open settings. If a ceremony has to move under cover, the team can transition the setup in under ten minutes. Most couples never know we made the call until they're already saying their vows. The reception hall is fully indoor and climate-controlled, so dinner and dancing are weatherproof regardless of the forecast. The Lexington weather won't change your day — only where you stand for the ceremony.

Q4 Is the venue accessible for elderly or mobility-limited guests? +

The property is fully accessible for guests with mobility needs — parking, all three ceremony settings, and the reception hall. The Veranda is reached without stairs. The Garden and Lawn are on level ground that accommodates wheelchairs and walkers. Inside, the reception hall, restrooms, and dressing room are all on the main level. If a guest has specific accommodation needs — designated seating, a quiet space, or assistance from the parking area — let us know in advance and we'll have it ready before they arrive.

The package, the timing, and what to bring.

Q5 Can we customize the package or add things? +

Yes. The package is built so most couples won't need to add much, but if you want fresh flowers from a particular florist, extra hours at the end of the night, a specialty bar item, or your own preferred vendor for something specific, we can work it in. Customization is a conversation, not a checkbox — bring what you want, and we'll talk through how to make it fit. Outside vendors typically cost 25–30% more than the all-inclusive option, which is part of why most couples land on the package as written.

Q6 How long do we have the venue, and can we add extra hours? +

Your wedding package includes a five-hour event window from ceremony through reception. The team handles setup before you arrive and breakdown after the night ends, so the five hours are entirely yours and your guests'. If you'd like more time on either end of the evening, additional hours can be added at booking or in the planning period. Most weddings find five hours is the right length; if yours wants more, just say so during planning and we'll build it into your contract.

Q7 What do we need to bring or provide? +

For most couples, the answer is: yourselves, your guests, your outfits, and the day's small personal items — rings, vows, gifts for the wedding party, anything sentimental. Everything operational (chairs, tables, linens, décor, food, cake, sound, coordination) is handled by us. The specific things you bring are usually limited to your alcohol (the venue is BYO for spirits, beer, and wine, with our team behind the bar serving), and anything custom to your wedding — favors, programs, a special memorial display, photos for the welcome table. We'll walk through the full list at your planning meetings.

Q8 Is a bridal dressing room or getting-ready space included? +

Yes. Just off the main reception hall is the bride's dressing room — fully appointed and mirror-lit, available throughout your wedding for getting changed, taking a quiet moment between greeting guests, or setting down personal items between ceremony and reception. The room becomes the bride's home base for the night. If you'd like the room earlier in the day for getting ready in the morning, we can talk through what fits your timing during your planning meetings.

The food, the cake, the bar.

Q9 Do you handle catering, or do we bring our own? +

We handle it. Every wedding includes a heavy hors d'oeuvres buffet built around your selections — meats, sides, cheeses, sandwiches, dips, and beverages — all prepared in-house and served by our team. The menu is built to feed every guest well, not just a token preview before the cake. If you want to bring in a specific outside item (a family recipe, a specialty dish, a vendor you're committed to), we can talk through how to work it in alongside the in-house catering. The kitchen also keeps a meal set aside for the bride and groom so you actually get to eat on your wedding day.

Q10 Can you accommodate dietary restrictions or allergies? +

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and most common allergies are accommodated as part of menu planning — let us know during your planning meetings and the kitchen builds the menu around it. For more complex needs (severe allergies, medical dietary requirements, religious dietary law), we can usually work with you, but the more notice we have the better the result. If a single guest has a need the standard menu won't cover, the kitchen can usually prepare an alternative plate. Just tell us early — same-day requests we can sometimes handle, but planned-in is always better.

Q11 Tell us about the alcohol policy — can we bring our own? +

Yes — Wintergreen Woods is a BYO venue. You provide the beer, wine, and spirits; our team serves it. The bar setup, glassware, mixers, garnishes, and bartender are all included in your package. Most couples find this works in their favor — they can stock to their guests' actual preferences without paying venue markup. We can help you estimate quantities based on your guest count, and you'll handle event liability coverage on your end (which is standard for BYO weddings anywhere). The team has worked with local distributors enough to know which ones accept unopened returns if you over-order.

Q12 Is the wedding cake included? +

Yes — a custom wedding cake is included in every wedding package. You'll work with our team on the design (flavor, size, frosting style, decoration) during planning, and it's prepared in-house and displayed at the reception. Most couples are surprised that the cake doesn't come from an outside bakery — many of our reviews mention the cake by name. If you'd prefer a specific outside baker for cultural, dietary, or personal reasons, we can work that in too, but it's not required. The cake table also includes a complimentary bottle of champagne for the bride and groom.

Q13 What happens to leftover food? +

It goes home. Our team packages leftover food in to-go containers at the end of the night — typically for the families, the wedding party, and anyone who didn't get a chance to eat (which happens more often than couples realize on their own wedding day). Couples often ask for a basket prepared specifically for them; we're glad to do that as part of the meal setup. The point is no food gets thrown out unless it has to be — what you paid for goes to people, not to the trash.

Parking, hotels, timing.

Q14 Where do guests park? +

On-site, free, no parking fee to add to your day. The venue has its own parking large enough for a full guest count, including overflow for larger weddings. There's no parallel street parking to communicate to guests, and no separate vendor parking arrangement to manage. Guests staying at either of our partnered Marriott hotels also have a shuttle option to and from the venue — see the hotel partnership question below for details. Mobility-limited guests can be dropped off directly at the entrance with parking continuing on from there.

Q15 Do you have a hotel partnership for out-of-town guests? +

Yes. Wintergreen Woods has a corporate booking partnership with two Marriott properties about 10–15 minutes from the venue: Residence Inn by Marriott Columbia West/Lexington and TownePlace Suites by Marriott Columbia West/Lexington. Both are extended-stay suite hotels with kitchenettes, suite layouts, and rooms suited for wedding party stays. The booking page is co-branded with Wintergreen Woods, no deposit is required, and rooms can be cancelled up to 48 hours before arrival. A shuttle runs between both partnered Marriott properties (which sit next door to each other) and the venue — so guests staying at either hotel can travel to and from your wedding without needing a car. For group blocks (typically 10+ rooms), reach out to Marriott's group booking team through the reservation contact on the co-branded booking page.

Q16 What time should guests arrive, and when does the wedding end? +

Your package includes a five-hour event window. Most weddings have guests arriving 30 to 45 minutes before the ceremony, then ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing within the five-hour total — so a 5:00 PM ceremony typically has guests arriving around 4:30 PM and the reception wrapping by 10:00 PM. The team handles setup before guests arrive and breakdown after they leave. Your specific schedule is built during planning based on what fits your wedding — earlier ceremonies for sunset receptions, later ones for evening weddings, and everything in between.

How the year between booking and wedding day works.

Q17 Who runs our wedding day? +

A day-of coordinator from our team — typically one of the owners or someone they've personally trained, depending on the day. The same person you work with through planning is on the property the day of your wedding. The coordinator handles timeline, vendor arrival, the ceremony cue, dinner service flow, dancing transitions, and anything that comes up that needs a decision — so you don't have to. Most couples don't see the coordinator working; they just notice that things keep happening on time.

Q18 How far in advance should we book? +

Most weddings here are booked 8 to 14 months in advance, with peak Saturday dates (spring and fall, late afternoon ceremonies) typically going first. We've hosted weddings booked as far out as two years and as close as three months — both work, with the obvious caveat that closer-in bookings have fewer date options. Tours are usually available within the week. The actual booking process is straightforward: tour, choose a date, sign, and the date is yours.

Q19 Who will we work with from booking through the wedding? +

The family that owns the venue, directly. The people who handle your inquiry, run your tour, and walk you through planning are the same people who'll be present on your wedding day. The team you meet at the tour is the team that runs your wedding — no revolving event managers, no case transfers, no assistant of an assistant of a sales director. Most of what bigger venues coordinate by memo, we coordinate by conversation, because we've been talking to you the whole time.

Pricing, deposits, and the cancellation policy.

Q20 How does pricing work? +

Pricing is all-inclusive — one package price covers ceremony, reception, catering, cake, coordination, sound, climate-controlled spaces, setup, breakdown, and the dozen small items that often add up at other venues. There are no hidden fees, no per-head surcharges added at the end, and taxes and gratuity are included in the package pricing. Specific package pricing is shared during your tour, when we can talk through which package matches your guest count and the date you're considering. We don't publish pricing online because the right answer depends on your wedding — and it's better to talk it through in person than guess at it through a calculator.

Q21 What's the payment schedule? +

A booking deposit reserves your date — the dollar amount is shared at your tour. The remaining balance is paid in installments through the planning period, with the final payment due before the wedding day. We've kept the schedule straightforward; no surprise charges in the final month, no escalating fees. The full payment schedule is laid out in the contract you'll sign at booking.

Q22 What if we need to cancel or change our date? +

Date changes and cancellations are handled case-by-case under the cancellation policy in your contract — which is reviewed with you in detail before you sign. We've worked with couples through pandemics, family emergencies, and military deployments; the policy has flex built in for things you can't control. The full terms live on our Terms & Conditions page, and we'll walk through them with you on the tour so you understand the policy before you book — not after.

★★★★★

"We toured four venues. This was the only one where the price they quoted was the price we paid."

Aaron & Kate B. · The Knot · 2026

★★★★★

"Five hours flew by and we never once worried about logistics. Somebody else was already on it, every time."

Marcus H. · Facebook · 2024

★★★★★

"We had 63 guests and it felt intimate, not empty. They set the room for the wedding we actually had."

Chris & Amanda D. · The Knot · 2024

★★★★★

"The bartender kept my grandfather's sweet tea coming all night like it was a cocktail order."

Renee C. · Facebook · 2023

★★★★★

"Our reunion had four generations on the property and every one of them found their spot."

The Caldwell Family · Google · 2024

★★★★★

"We added an extra hour at booking and it was the best decision — nobody wanted to leave."

Sam & Jordan K. · WeddingWire · 2024

★★★★★

"They returned our unopened wine cases for a refund. Who does that? Wintergreen Woods does."

Nate & Sophie R. · Google · 2025

★★★★★

"We toured four venues. This was the only one where the price they quoted was the price we paid."

Aaron & Kate B. · The Knot · 2026

★★★★★

"Five hours flew by and we never once worried about logistics. Somebody else was already on it, every time."

Marcus H. · Facebook · 2024

★★★★★

"We had 63 guests and it felt intimate, not empty. They set the room for the wedding we actually had."

Chris & Amanda D. · The Knot · 2024

★★★★★

"The bartender kept my grandfather's sweet tea coming all night like it was a cocktail order."

Renee C. · Facebook · 2023

★★★★★

"Our reunion had four generations on the property and every one of them found their spot."

The Caldwell Family · Google · 2024

★★★★★

"We added an extra hour at booking and it was the best decision — nobody wanted to leave."

Sam & Jordan K. · WeddingWire · 2024

★★★★★

"They returned our unopened wine cases for a refund. Who does that? Wintergreen Woods does."

Nate & Sophie R. · Google · 2025