Canvas Paint & Sip
Details for 2022 coming soon!
Join Castle Farms and Cottage Pottery for a firefly-themed paint and sip!
Tickets are $35 and include canvas, art supplies and one glass of 1918 Cellars wine.
Tag: 1918 Cellars Wine
Wine & Yoga
More Dates and Details for 2022 Coming Soon!
Includes a 1-1.5 hour yoga session. After your session, continue the relaxation with a glass of wine in the 1918 Cellars Wine Tasting Room.
Event is $20 per person, and includes the yoga session and one glass of wine. Bring your own yoga mat – yoga mats are available in limited quantity and must be requested in advance.
Payment is due upon arrival.
Pottery & Wine
Dates and Details for 2022 Coming Soon!
Join us for an evening of wine and paint-your-own-pottery!
Cottage Pottery is extending their painting studio to the 1918 Cellars Wine Tasting Room at Castle Farms for this unique experience in a one-of-a-kind setting. Guests can choose from different pieces of pottery to paint with any design you feel inspired by! For August, each guest’s options are a gnome, wine planter, or margarita glass.
All paints, supplies and artist guidance included. Once you have completed your pieces, they will be transported to the Cottage Pottery studio for professional glazing and firing. After completion, they will be ready for you to pick up at your convenience. Choose your pick-up location, Castle Farms or Cottage Pottery (downtown Charlevoix). Also included in your ticket: a glass of 1918 Cellars wine to inspire your artistic senses!
Pottery & Wine
More Dates for 2022 Coming Soon!
Join us for an evening of wine and paint-your-own-pottery!
Cottage Pottery is extending their painting studio to the 1918 Cellars Wine Tasting Room at Castle Farms for this unique experience in a one-of-a-kind setting. Guests can choose from different pieces of pottery to paint with any design you feel inspired by! For October, each guest’s options are a “Happy Place” plate, donut mug, or pumpkin cookie jar.
All paints, supplies and artist guidance included. Once you have completed your pieces, they will be transported to the Cottage Pottery studio for professional glazing and firing. After completion, they will be ready for you to pick up at your convenience. Choose your pick-up location, Castle Farms or Cottage Pottery (downtown Charlevoix). Also included in your $35 ticket: a glass of 1918 Cellars wine to inspire your artistic senses!
Your End of the Night Plan
There’s always such anticipation when it comes to your wedding day. Getting ready, riding to the venue, taking photos, enjoying some cocktails, and of course, saying “I do!” What a lot of couples tend to overlook is the end of the night clean-up plan. Luckily, Castle Farms has thought of it all.
Firstly, we recommend designating someone to be in charge of getting your cards to a safe place. Most card boxes do not come with locks. Mid-evening, during dinner time, have that designated person(s) take your card box full of cards (or empty the cards into a bag if you’re using a Castle card box) and store them safely in a locked car. Most groups will have dropped their gifts and cards off when they enter into the reception! The remaining gifts can be taken at the end of the evening.
When it comes to closing down your event, the Assistant Venue Coordinator will be your best friend. They, with the help of your caterers and bartenders, will handle wine returns, clear tables of empties, and take out the trash. Assistant Coordinators will also remove our table linen, stack our included chairs, clean up the restrooms and close down the building.
At the end of the night, it’s important that you take everything you want to keep with you when you go. We recommend making a list of everything that needs to be taken and designating a parent, relative, or member of the wedding party to handle gathering these items. With that being said, make sure there is a vehicle that can carry those personal items, especially if you are using a shuttle service. The guest(s) you’ve delegated this task to may need to drive a separate vehicle, ready to pack your decorations in.
You can easily store labeled totes and boxes out of site under cake tables or gift tables so they are nearby at the end of the night. Whatever you don’t want to keep will be taken care of by the Assistant Venue Coordinator, and either be thrown away, recycled, or donated. If you or a guest accidentally leave a personal item, such as a shoe or piece of jewelry, don’t worry! They are set aside in a lost-and-found and are recorded in an email sent post-wedding.
When planning decorations, be mindful of what could make a big mess and instruct people helping you pack up to be careful packing up floral arrangements or anything that might leave a trail of things to clean up (i.e. pine needles, glitter, small jewels, etc). We recommend bringing a box or bag to each table these delicate items are on and carefully brushing them into the container so they don’t have to travel freely and risk falling on the ground. Though rare, if our Housekeeping Team spends an excessive amount of time cleaning up items, like the prior examples, we may need to charge an extra clean up fee. So thoughtful décor planning, great communication to those setting up and tearing down, and smart clean up methods are key!
When planning your wedding, it’s easy to focus on the fun, exciting portions of the day. It’s sad to think about your big day ending, but it’s best that everything is packed up smoothly and efficiently, to ensure that everyone leaves with a smile on their face!
Unique Rehearsal Dinner Ideas
The night prior to your wedding is the time where your wedding party comes from far and wide to kick off the celebration. You may not have seen your wedding party members in a long time. Some of them may have never even met. Therefore, a traditional rehearsal dinner may not be for you. At Castle Farms, your wedding rehearsal will always be the day prior to your wedding. Following rehearsal there is almost always some kind of lunch or dinner planned by either the couple or the parents. Why not think outside the box and plan something a little more unique to go along with your rehearsal dinner?
Invite Your Guests for Drinks at Your Rehearsal Dinner Location
Rehearsal dinners are only intended for the wedding party, and sometimes other specific groups like immediate family, parents, or out of town guests. What some couples choose to do is reserve the dinner space for an extended amount of time, keep the bar open, and extend the invitation for drinks to all wedding guests. That way, guests have the opportunity to mingle and catch up prior to your wedding. Sometimes, that can be nice for guests so that they can focus on celebrating the couple the day of the wedding.
Go Bowling, Mini Golfing, or Play Lawn Games
What better way for unfamiliar guests to get to know each other than over a game of bowling or mini golf? There are great local spots for your wedding party to gather after rehearsal. Order takeout and a growler from Petoskey Brewing or Beard’s Brewery after a trip to Pirate’s Cove for a picnic or share a pizza at BC Lanes. Getting your competitive juices flowing and having some fun are great ways to break the ice between wedding party members who may be meeting for the first time.
Have a Bonfire
If you’re having a summer or fall northern Michigan wedding, what more appropriate gathering can you have than a bonfire? Surrounding a fire with your close friends and family allows the opportunity to swap stories, congratulate the couple, and offer well wishes for the future in a more intimate setting before their wedding day. Having a bonfire is a great way to close out a long day of rehearsals and travel, and wind down before the big day to follow. Just be sure not to wear anything you’ll be wearing at the wedding so you don’t carry the smoky scent with you down the aisle.
Go Brewery Hopping or Wine Tasting
Here in northern Michigan, there is no shortage of local breweries or wineries to visit. If you’re looking for a local activity that also relaxes some nerves, spend an evening venturing out to enjoy some local brews or wine. Petoskey, Boyne, and Charlevoix all have endless options for pitstops along the way. If you’ve booked a rehearsal dinner in the Queen’s Tavern, look no further than 1918 Cellars to kick off the night!
Play Trivia
Whether you’re out at an establishment that offers trivia, and you’re looking for the bridesmaids to go head-to-head with the groomsmen or are planning something private with wedding couple-specific questions, trivia is always a crowd pleaser. The wedding party can either reserve a table at a bar or restaurant or set up their own game in the living room or back deck of wherever you’re staying. Either way, you’re in for a fun-filled night!
Go to the Beach
Depending how late your rehearsal is scheduled, plan an evening at the beach with those closest to you! Lake Michigan Beach is right around the corner from downtown Charlevoix, and Petoskey State Park is just short drive from the Castle! Pack a picnic, a change of clothes, some games, and enjoy a relaxing, fun night at the beach with your wedding party! Perfect for a summer night.
Regardless of what you choose, be sure to not drink too much and to turn in early, so that you wake up rested and refreshed for the big day!