Event Planning Guide

If you’re reading this, it means you have officially booked your event with Camino Real Ranch.

Congratulations! You now have a date and a venue – let the planning begin!

Please read this in it's entirety to ensure a smooth planning process. If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out.

Love, Krysta

The Process

  • You have already done the hard part! You are officially booked with Camino Real Ranch for your wedding day.

  • This guide will help you with most of your planning needs! Feel free to email me if you have any questions. 

  • When we are about 75 days from your event date, I will check-in to schedule your final walk through. You can schedule your walk through at THIS link if you want to get it on the calendar sooner! 

  • This meeting is typically the big wrap up for all of your little wedding details! You can have as many of your vendors attend as you would like but we highly recommend your coordinator attend with you at the least. You will need to come prepared with your vendor list, damage deposit, event insurance and timeline. We will discuss your bar selections and rental selections during this meeting. 

  • Your final bar and rental invoice is due in full at this time. We try our best to accommodate changes after this point, but we cannot guarantee anything and there is typically an up-charge. 

  • Our preference is to schedule your rehearsal the same day as your wedding. If you choose to do a same day rehearsal, that extra rental hour is free! If you would like to come the day before, we cannot schedule that until the month before your wedding and there is a $75 fee for that time. 

  • Your day is finally here! By this point, you get to sit back and relax while your incredible vendor team that you have assembled does their thing. 

Vendor Requirements

I cannot stress enough how much a strong vendor team creates a seamless and memorable wedding day. You are not required to hire a vendor from our preferred list but we do recommend them. You can find our recommended vendors here (the password is "caminocouple"). Caterers and Bartending vendors not on our preferred list must be approved by Camino at least 30 days prior to your event. Unapproved vendors in the space will result in a fee of $300 per vendor. For a detailed list of our vendor policies please see here.

  • We require vendor insurance for all "load-in" type vendors where there is a higher risk of injury or property damage. This typically includes catering, bartending, band, DJ, food trucks, lighting & other installations, rental items, and occasionally floral if installations are involved. These vendors must carry a commercial general liability insurance policy of $1M+ or be willing to purchase a day of insurance policy. Trust us! You want insured vendors as reputable and professional vendors carry insurance as a part of their normal course of business. In the event your vendor is uninsured, a day of insurance policy can be purchased here. Please note day of policies for bartending are different than most other vendors due to the retail liquor liability associated.

  • Execution of your event will come through your caterer or staffing company. Camino does not have onsite staff outside of a Manager on Duty for your event day.

    We require the hiring of a full-service caterer OR event staffing company. Your table and chair set-up is included in your venue rental. You have the option to add staffing to execute a flip in the case of a rain plan for your event day through Camino Real Ranch. Otherwise, you catering team and coordinator will need to work together to execute a room flip for a rain plan.

    Full-service catering means staff will be onsite from event beginning to end taking care of the following items:

    • Ceremony to reception flip (if required)

    • Food preparation, dining setup, and food service

    • Trash receptacles + liners

    • Cleanup throughout the event and end of event cleanup

    • Removal of all trash to dumpsters after the send-off is complete

  • Item dWe require our clients to have a professional, insured planner or coordinator on their event day. This person will be your liaison making sure your day runs smoothly and your vision comes to life. They will be the point of contact on event day for all your vendors so you, your family, and your friends can relax and enjoy the day.

    Our requirement is that this person is not also a guest in attendance at the wedding and that they must be present at all time while vendors are on-site. Day-of, month-of, partial planning or full service coordinators and planners are all welcome.

    Camino Real Ranch is happy to offer Wedding Coordination services for our couple's if you would like to add this on. You will find all of the details about that service HERE and can reach out to schedule a virtual meeting to learn more and move forward with booking.escription

  • Alcohol is a major element for many celebrations and also poses a high risk for safety. At Camino Real Ranch, we take our bartending restrictions very seriously and all of our team members are aware of enforcing the following requirements. 

    • ALL alcohol consumed on Camino Real Ranch property MUST be purchased from Camino Real Ranch. This includes drinks consumed in the prep suites in the morning. 

    • Cash bars and Consumption bars are only allowed when you book with Camino's in-house bartending team. 

    • SHOTS ARE NOT PERMITTED. 

    • We require that the bar closes 30 minutes before the scheduled send-off time. 

    • The bartenders will be responsible for returning alcohol to the storage room once the event is complete. 

Venue Requirements

  • You can find the measurements for common property items and space at THIS link. Please let me know if you need additional measurements anywhere and I am happy to get those for you!

  • All amplified music must conclude no later than 11:00PM on Friday and Saturday and by 9PM all other days of the week.

    All indoor music must be kept at a decibel level of 80 or lower and all outdoor music must be kept at a decibel of 75 or lower.

    Due to the acoustics in the Quonset Hut, we ask that music in the Quonset Hut be kept at a decibel of 75 or lower.

  • See here for the most up to date list of venue inventory items available for rent.

    Our goal is to make your wedding day run as smoothly as possible! Any of the inventory that you rent from Camino will be set-up and prepared for you on your wedding day. All rentals must be requested by 30 days before your event date.

    • All open flame candles must be contained within glass, and maintained outside the reach of children.

    • No rice, synthetic flower petals, birdseed, silly string, glitter, feathers, streamers, or confetti are allowed in the Facility.

    • Flower petals and bubbles are allowed. Flower petals must be swept and discarded at time of clean up.

    • Helium balloons must be anchored to a weighted object.

    • Any items hung in trees must be hung with ribbon and removed at the conclusion of the event.

    • The only adhesive material allowed on the walls is drafting or gaffer’s tape which will not damage surfaces. Nails, staples, and wire are not permitted at any location.

    • All items used in decoration must be removed at the conclusion of the event.

    • All decorations requiring installation, hanging, mounting, ladders, or electricity must be approved in advance by the Venue Manager prior to the Event date.

    • Parking

      We have roughly 50 parking spots in our front parking lot and an additional 15-20 spots by our preparation suites. If your guest count is over 140 we do recommend the use of a shuttle service to transport your guests to and from their hotels. 

    • Cocktail Hour

      For guest counts over 125 we highly recommend 2 bar set-ups to avoid long lines. 

    • Restrooms

      We have 3 guest restrooms available in the Quonset Hut. If your guest count is over 130 we highly recommend renting a portable restroom trailer for your guests. This is not required and is up to your discretion. 

    • ADA Accommodations

      We have a restroom in our Quonset Hut that is handicap accessible. We also have a golf cart on-site that can be used to help your guests with mobility challenges get to the pond for the ceremony. We also have ramps that we can put from step to step in the courtyard to make that area easier to navigate. 

  • We are a venue with a large amount of outdoor space. Our structures are spread out and most of the venue is uncovered. Please work with your Planner/Coordinator to have a rain plan in place prior to your wedding day.

    We strongly encourage the following be considered for the warmer Texas months:

    • Ceremonies and receptions to have a later evening start once the sun has begun setting.

    • Consider having your ceremony near our pond and the reception in our courtyard under the romantic string lights.

    • Consider additional tenting to provide added shade for your guests.

    • Consider a more intimate guest count of 100 or less.

    • Have cold drinks and hand fans available at ceremony for your guests.