Jan 17, 2011
On-farm weddings can be stressful, profitable

“Destination” weddings are popular these days, whether on cruise ships, beaches, remote islands – or farms.

That’s right. Many couples would rather support a local farm than a local banquet hall when reciting their vows. The question for you, the farmer – assuming local zoning laws even allow you to host on-farm weddings – is: Can you handle the stress?

If you can, hosting weddings can be a great way to increase your customer base – and your revenue. It’s done both for Post Family Farm in Hudsonville, Mich.

Annette Post Ediger runs the wedding branch of the family business. In December, she described how her family runs on-farm weddings during the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO in Grand Rapids, Mich. The day before the EXPO, two busloads of farm marketers visited Post Family Farm and got to see the facilities firsthand.

Annette’s parents, Bill and Etta Post, purchased the farm four decades ago. It’s now an agritourism destination, with a farm market, fall festivals, barn dancing, hayrides, mazes and more. The family added school tours about 13 years ago and weddings eight years ago, Annette said.

The wedding (and reception) business has grown steadily for the Post family. Their farm hosted more than 40 weddings in 2010, which grossed a total of $100,000. The family sets a higher profit margin on weddings than school tours. A wedding is somebody’s dream day, and people are willing to pay more for that dream, Annette said.

“If they want you, they will pay for you.”

But you pay a price for hosting weddings, too. Beyond the stress of coordinating all the elements that make up a wedding and navigating the family politics inherent in each event, Annette pretty much gives up all of her summer weekends. The farm hosted two to three weddings per weekend last summer, she said.

And there’s always the chance you could anger your customers, your neighbors or your local zoning officials. There are things you can do to avoid all that, however. Annette listed some:

To your neighbors: Offer them jobs. In this tough economy, they might be looking for some part-time work. Also, point out how much more attractive a wedding site is than, say, a pig farm. And emphasize that you are willing to reflect your community’s values. Post Family Farm, for example, doesn’t hold events on Sundays and shuts down its Friday and Saturday receptions by 11:30 p.m. (the wedding party can serve alcohol, but there are certain restrictions).

To local officials: Know your local ordinances, but don’t exploit them. The Post family has done sound-decibel testing to make sure any noise generated from on-farm weddings won’t be too disruptive to the surrounding community. A member of the family serves as the in-house deejay, too, giving the Posts more control over noise.

To your customers: Be patient with their questions. Have a backup plan in place in case of rain (the Posts have outdoor and indoor venues). Recommend reliable caterers, because guests don’t make the distinction between the food and the location.

And beware of wedding photographers roaming around every nook and cranny of your farm, looking for creative settings. They’ll find the manure spreader you hid behind the barn, she said.

Post Family Farm offers free lifetime passes to the married couples (and any kids they have) to all of its fall festivals – another perk of getting married there, and a great way to build a long-term customer base. Most of the couples that have been married on the farm return at some point, Annette said.

For more information, visit www.postfamilyfarm.com.

Matt Milkovich


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