Guidelines for Jubilee Weddings 2025
In our Guidelines for Jubilee Weddings we introduce you to the farm and anticipate some of the questions you may have. The Guidelines are organized for information regarding:
Wedding details we will need from you
The Guest House & Groom’s Cottage
Bar Services
Plan B for inclement weather
Vendor requirements
Wedding Insurance
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Wedding Details
Weddings involve a sequence of important events supported by our staff and other vendors who you have chosen to serve the logistics of the occasion. These vendors provide different information to you and to us. We encourage you to share with us your planning process to review questions as you imagine the wedding day and weekend. Even if you’ve visited the farm several times before your wedding, we recommend a meeting 4-6 weeks before your wedding date for a final walk-through with us to resolve any remaining details.
At the time of the final walk-through, we will do a final review of your vendor list and contacts, catering and beverage services, and especially your timeline. We will review the ceremony and reception layouts and decor including any planned signage and display items and/or welcoming information, gift drop-off, easels, signs, lighting, plants, trellises etc.
The arrival of wedding guests often begins over an hour before the ceremony as wedding party and family photography is ongoing. Our policy at Jubilee is to greet guests and direct their parking, including special guest and handicapped parking. From this point to the departure of your guests we want to make sure you and your guests experience a wonderful wedding day.
The wedding ceremony at Jubilee is on the west lawn of the Winery Barn. The ceremony chairs are white padded resin and are set up for the wedding day for the Ceremony according to the diagram you provide. Cocktail hour is in the vineyard courtyard. The reception takes place in the Winery Barn.
The Guest House & Groom’s Loft
The Jubilee Guest House is reserved on the wedding day for the exclusive use of the bridal party. The Jubilee Groom’s Quarters are adjacent to the Pond in the barn we call Garaj Mahal. Parking for both facilities is adjacent.
Bar Services
Jubilee provides beverage services through our sister farm Woodlawn. Our staff serve all alcohol consumed at Jubilee, except in the privacy of the Guest House and Groom’s Cottage.
Your bar service will be detailed in two stages: a preliminary discussion including the length of the bar and any special requests and normally a 50% bar services payment will be coordinated at this time. A final bar services payment is due two weeks in advance of your wedding. The 2025 Bar Services Menu & Policies is provided as an addendum to the Guidelines (see below).
Plan B for Inclement Weather
Occasionally we’ve had to make adjustments, sometimes last minute. We watch the weather for wedding weekends very closely and have the following plans in place:
In the event of problematic weather, the decision regarding a preferred lawn location is delayed as long as possible. In the event that weather does not permit a lawn wedding ceremony, the ceremony is held in the Winery Barn. This Plan B still allows for full view of the water for all guests.
Coordination with the food caterers and the bar services require that this decision is made at the appropriate time and coordinately with the ceremony plans. The wedding couple are integral to our decision process. Seldom do we execute a Plan B, and it is our mission to mitigate the stressfulness of such a circumstance for the wedding couple.
Vendors
Key vendors are required to sign a use of property agreement with Jubilee. This allows us to assure vendors have appropriate insurances, bonding if necessary, and licenses for their business. Caterers, DJs, and decorators are among these vendors. Vendors who are drop-off only such as florists and cake specialists are not required to sign an agreement. Jubilee has a lead staff member who coordinates with your vendors on the wedding weekend.
Jubilee is an outdoor, waterfront property and special considerations are important regarding music and noise to reduce neighborhood intrusion. These include:
DJs must keep volume levels within St. Mary’s County noise ordinance levels.
All speakers must be located along the waterside of the barn/tent to project sound away from the water. Music played must have minimum bass levels. Subwoofers are not permitted.
The length of bar services coincides with the end of the reception. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Your timeline must adhere to the bar closure and the DJ’s last dance at the same time.
Jubilee will monitor and ask assistance from the DJ and the wedding couple if there is persistent yelling or screaming.
Failure to adhere to our noise requests will result in a loss of the security deposit and a ban on the DJ performing again at Jubilee.
Wedding Insurance
All wedding agreements require submitting proof of wedding insurance in the amount of a minimum $1,000,000. You may satisfy this requirement by supplying a copy of your homeowner’s insurance policy, provided the personal liability coverage is for a minimum of $1,000,000. If you do not have a homeowner’s policy that meets this requirement or prefer not to use such a policy, please obtain a certificate of insurance that is in the amount of $1,000,000 per liability occurrence. There are several companies, such as Wed Safe (www.wedsafe.com) that offer special event insurance. Please identify Jubilee Farm as the additional insured.
FAQs
We’re often asked questions that prompt other questions and so we’ve compiled a short list of the most frequently asked questions and the answers to these.
What about glitter, flower petals and confetti?
If you choose to use flower petals at the Ceremony site, they must be confined to this site, natural material and removed afterwards. We ask that you do not use loose confetti or glitter in the rooms or Winery Barn.
What about bringing our dog?
Dogs are welcome at Jubilee but should normally be on a leash.
Are Chinese Lanterns, sparklers or candles permitted?
The use of Chinese lanterns is not permitted in St. Mary's County due to fire risk. Sparklers and similar type send-offs are not permitted at Jubilee Farm due to noise issues. A send-off should be planned to occur inside the barn. Candles are permitted in the Winery Barn.
Can I bring alcohol on the property?
You may bring alcohol into the Guest House and Groom’s Quarters and consume it there. Our alcohol license requires us to serve all alcohol. If you have special alcohol requests, we can discuss how to obtain what you want to serve your guests at the cocktail hour and reception.
Can we substitute shots of liquor for the champagne toast?
Jubilee does not provide shots of liquor in lieu of a champagne toast. In addition, our bartenders do not do serve shots of alcohol (see bar service policies below).
Are our photographers allowed to use the full property?
Many photographers like to use the piers for photographs along with the Gardens, the bridge at the pond, the vineyards and the lawns. We will discuss the farm layout with you and your photographer to make sure there are excellent photographic opportunities at Jubilee.
Can I get a general list of what is taken care of by your staff so I can start coordinating the remainder of the tasks with others?
Prior to your wedding date, we review and help with layouts for ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, your wedding timeline, the bar services menu and special requests, and we also review special details for example with vendors. We ask for an on-site visit 4-6 weeks before your wedding to walk through the property, discuss event details, and answer any remaining questions you may have.
On the Day Of we will have the Guest House and Groom’s Quarters ready by 7 a.m. Staff will be available to meet and direct vendors and help as needed with setup as requested. The ceremony chairs are typically set up for the rehearsal depending on the outside conditions. They also provide bar services and, at the end of the reception, help the caterer and other vendors with break down.
After the reception our staff breaks down and cleans the Winery Barn. The wedding party is responsible for removing all decorations and wedding items by Sunday at 12 p.m. (noon). Please let us know if our assistance is needed.
How long can the reception be? When the reception ends, may guests remain?
The reception length is often 4-6 hours, and concludes no later than 10 p.m. to respect the outdoor noise curfew for events in St. Mary’s County. For example, if your ceremony is held at 4 p.m. with the wedding 20 minutes long and bar services contracted for 4.5 hours, we begin bar services immediately after the ceremony (4:20 p.m.), and continue until 9:00 p.m.; the ten minute difference is not charged to avoid a gap in bar services.
We do not recommend gaps in bar services because, from our experience, it is confusing to guests. However, if you with to create a gap, we can discuss a protocol so your guests know that you have asked for a specific bar service protocol; the bartenders will then vacate the bar space and signage can be placed on the bar to indicate when the bar reopens.
Coordinating your send-off plans with the DJ and the bar’s closure is key to wrapping up a successful wedding reception and we’ll work to assure the timeline you wish. Our last call is announced 15 minutes before the bar closes and then, usually, the final dance and send off is coordinated by you and the DJ.
Are mosquitos a problem?
Jubilee has a mosquito control program to control mosquito population, especially important now as more guests are aware of and concerned about mosquito-born infectious agents.
2025 BAR SERVICES MENU & POLICIES
Our beverage & bar service includes five notable values: 1) our high quality liquors and wines; 2) ice tea and ice water welcoming drinks; 3) table water service at the reception; 4) coffee and tea at the bar during the last bar hour as requested; and 5) ice tea and ice water available adjacent to the bar.
Menu (please note some items may change with availability)
Liquors: Tito’s Vodka, Tanqueray Gin, Chivas Regal 12 Year Scotch, Crown Royal, Buffalo Trace or Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Jack Daniel’s Black Label Whiskey, Captain Morgan White and Spiced Rum, Malibu Coconut Rum, and El Jimador Reposado Tequila.
White wines include: Sauvignon Blanc (Astica, AR), Rosé (Bricco dei Tati Piemonte IT), Moscato (Oliver Winery, IL USA), and Chardonnay (Astica, AR). Red wines include: Cabernet Sauvignon (Astica, AR) and Barbera (Bricco dei Tati Piemonte IT; Barbera is the Italian cousin to Pinot Noir). Veuve du Vernay Champagne (FR) can be added to the bar menu as requested (see case cost below). A description of each wine is available for printed menus.
Beers & Seltzers: Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, Stella Artois, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, White Claw Variety Pack Seltzer.
Other Beverages: Coke, Diet Coke, Ginger Ale, Sprite, tonic water, seltzer water, ginger beer, and cranberry, pineapple orange and lime juices. Water stations are provided at the bar areas.
Champagne & Signature Cocktails: Champagne service requires a 2 case minimum from Bouvet Ladubay wine cellars (Bouvet Brut Signature, France, $340/cs, extras are yours, or similar champagne). Champagne will be poured into flutes at the table or passed as requested. Signature cocktails are priced according to recipe at $5 and up per person.
Bartender accoutrements include ice buckets and coolers, caddies with swizzlers and cocktail napkins (yours may be substituted), lemon & lime garnishes, openers and bartender table linens. Our bartenders are TAM® certified.
Policies
Bar Services Policies explains the timeline, menu, upgrade options and final guest number count that is used to assure our best service for you and your guests. Please review this carefully and let us know of any questions. We follow these TAM® training guidelines: 1) alcohol is not permitted in the parking areas (this is also a St. Mary’s County regulation); 2) bartenders do not serve shots of alcohol at the bar or for toasts; and 3) bartenders reserve the right to refuse service. Bar Services quoted in your agreement is for four hours and the bar time can be extended by 30 minute increments to 4.5 hr or 5 hr. Bar service starts immediately after the wedding ceremony, marking the beginning of the cocktail hour. Bar service runs continuously from the end of ceremony until the end of the contracted bar time. The end of Bar Services marks the end of the Wedding Reception. Our practice is to provide a last call 15 minutes prior to the end of the bar closing.
Bar Menu Upgrades
The 2025 Bar Menu offers top-shelf liquors, wines and beers. You may request a special product or service as follows:
If there is a favorite drink among your family and guests that we will be asked to serve to special guests (i.e. whiskey sour for a favorite aunt) please let us know.
We can add specialty liquors, wines or beers that you request. We can check the availability and cost, then purchase the specialty item in quantity requested in your behalf.
We will ask you for specialty bar products and services, as noted in your contract, at the time of the bar deposit. Any bar product changes within 30 days of the wedding date will incur an additional $50/item service charge.
Final bar numbers and bar balance fees are due 2 weeks prior to your wedding date and correlate with the food caterer’s final numbers.