General Questions

What is the rental fee and what does it include?

Find all the details you need about our transparent Wisconsin wedding venue cost.

What is the building capacity?

225 guests including the wedding party for reception.  200 for ceremony. Sunday, weekday and off season capacity is 150 guests.

What dates are available?

Please see the available dates on our calendar.

Is there a deposit?  When are the additional payments due? 

Yes.  When the contract is signed, to secure the date, we require a 50% 1st payment. The final payment will be required 6 months prior to the event.

Do I need to schedule a tour or can I just stop by?

We kindly ask that all tours are by appointment only as the barn is not open to the public. You can request a tour here. Our tour calendar shows dates up to three weeks in advance, we do not book tours farther out than that. We encourage you to check the link often, as it updates whenever a new slot becomes available.

How many times can I visit the venue before my wedding date?

Our open house events are designed for couples who have already booked their event at Harvest Moon Pond.  We host them 4 times a year and you are welcome to attend as many as you want. Open house dates and registration information are communicated to all booked couples as they become available. We also encourage you to attend our summer live music nights and seasonal events which we post about in the Facebook group!

What is the average budget of a couple getting married at Harvest Moon Pond?

That is a great question! In general, we believe the average budget of a couple getting married at Harvest Moon Pond is between $20,000-$40,000 for all wedding expenses (venue, food, dress, DJ, photographer, etc.).  We have had some creative couples with smaller guest lists host beautiful weddings in the $20,000 – $25,000 range on Fridays/Sundays and we have had several lovely events here spending significantly more than the average.

Catering and Bar Questions

Is there a guest count minimum?

No. Many venues have minimums because they make a 10 – 15% commission from the caterer based on how much you spend on food. We choose NOT to make a commission because we want our food options to be as elegant or affordable as your budget allows, and therefore we don’t have a food or guest count minimum. Some caterers may have a reasonable minimum for specific dates.

Do you have an exclusive catering list?

Yes! Harvest Moon Pond is proud to work exclusively with a wide variety of highly-acclaimed catering companies. Having dedicated caterers allows HMP to ensure the quality and service you and your guests receive will exceed all standards. The HMP exclusive caterers extend the same, if not better, pricing and offers at HMP as they do elsewhere, with budget-friendly options starting as low as $17 per person. Any event where food is being served requires a full service caterer selected from our list.

Do you provide in house bar service Harvest Moon Pond?

Yes we do! All of your alcohol/beverage needs are purchased in house to save you time, hassle, & stress. Harvest Moon Pond includes trained, licensed bartenders as well as disposable drink ware.  We offer a bar call in advance of your wedding day to help you decide what options are best for you and your guests.

How long can the bar be open?

We have a 7 hour continuous bar maximum beginning as soon as your ceremony ends, and ending no later than 11pm on Friday/Saturdays or 9pm Sunday-Thursday.

Planning Questions

A DJ and Caterer must be chosen from our list. All of your favorite outside wedding vendors are welcome here as long as they meet our insurance requirements.

What are the Vendor Insurance Requirements?

All vendors must be insured and provide documents to Harvest Moon Pond prior to being approved. Exceptions include: officiant and vendors who will not be on site (e.g., floral that is being picked up from the floral shop, hotels, dress/tux shops, etc). Any vendor providing food shall provide their license and insurance regardless if they will be onsite or not. Please pass the insurance requirements below on to your insurance agent so they can send us your COI.

Any VENDOR of goods and services: must maintain a minimum of $1 million in General Liability Insurance
Such insurance shall include the name of the business who is insured.
Such insurance shall include a waiver of subrogation.
Such insurance shall name Harvest Moon Pond as an additional insured.
Such insurance shall include the date you are providing services.
Since we do not have a contract with you as a vendor, please make sure no language is included regarding that.
View a sample COI: Click here

Will there be another wedding the same day?

No. You will have exclusive use of the venue for your wedding day.  Harvest Moon Pond wants to ensure that each couple’s event is special and receives our full attention.

Are there overnight accommodations nearby?

Yes.  There are also many hotel options within 10-20 miles. See a list here.

How many cars will your parking lot accommodate?

180 cars. 90 on the pavement, 90 on the grass. In the off season, we are limited to 90.

What are the table options? 

We have beautiful farmhouse tables on the main floor of the venue in addition to the head table that can seat up to 15.  The main floor seats up to 125 guests.  The upper loft has 5 foot round tables and can seat an additional 96 guests. Our barn is an open concept and the loft is open to the lower level. The max capacity is 225, so the layout can vary per level depending on your desires.

Do you provide table linens, glassware, dishes, silverware, etc?

Harvest Moon Pond provides an awesome venue, tables, wedding chairs, and yard games for the allotted amount of time.  Linens and other items can be rented through an outside vendor, but are NOT included in the rental fee. There is no need for linens on the farmhouse tables, so couples typically only invest between $100-$300 on linens depending on their guest count.

What happens in case of rain?

In the case of inclement weather, an indoor ceremony can be held in the loft with up to 200 guests.

We plan to have our ceremony offsite or only plan to have our ceremony at Harvest Moon Pond.  Does your fee change?

Because we only host one event per day, our fee structure remains the same whether you hold your ceremony, reception, or both onsite.

Do you allow dogs on-site to play a part in our wedding day?

We are dog friendly, with some specific stipulations. Dogs are allowed (only with pre-approval from an owner) at the ceremony and pictures. Animals, other than service animals, are NOT allowed inside the venue or near food. Dogs must be on a leash and someone must be responsible for them other than the bride and groom, and to be taken off site once reception starts.

What form of payment does Harvest Moon Pond accept?

For all venue rental fees, decor packages, and pre-paid bar minimums we accept cash or check. On a wedding day, guests may purchase drinks from our bar using cash or card.

My preferred dates are unavailable. Do you have a cancellation waiting list?

We do not keep a cancellation waiting list because cancellations are unpredictable. As soon as a date does become available we will update it on our calendar here.

What time will I have access to the venue to decorate?

You will have access to the venue at the time listed on your contract.  Friday and Saturday weddings have a 10am entry time.

What time do you suggest we start the ceremony?

HMP ceremonies must take place at 4pm or later. We suggest starting Friday & Saturday weddings between 4:30- 5:30 pm, and Sunday weddings at 4:00 pm. Please consider the time of the year for first look photos and the time the sun sets.

If we choose the one day option, will we be able to access the location early to rehearse our ceremony? 

If you elect the one-day rental, our venue will likely be reserved by another couple the night before. For that reason, one-day rentals should plan for an offsite rehearsal. You are also welcome to bring anyone who would feel more comfortable understanding the venue (such as your officiant, or any little ones in the wedding party) to one of our quarterly open houses.

Can we have fireworks on the property?

Fireworks are not permitted. This includes sparklers.  We don’t want to scare the neighbors/farm animals and we want to keep the fire department happy!

What time does the music need to end?

Music on Friday’s/Saturday’s must conclude by 11 p.m. to ensure that you, all of your items, and all of your vendors are off-property by midnight. Music on Sunday’s/Weeknights must conclude one hour before contract end time.

Can we get married somewhere else at the venue other than under the willow trees, by the pond, on the concrete patio or the inside loft?

One of the great things about our wedding venue near Madison, WI is the view and the level ground! Unfortunately, because our electrical hookups for microphones/speakers are located near the barn and our ceremony chairs are stored in the barn, there isn’t another area that is suitable for a ceremony.  All ceremonies do need to take place under the willows/on the patio/under the pond pergola, or at another venue/church of your choosing offsite. We have 4 ceremony locations to include the inside loft, patio, the pond pergola & under the willows.

Are candles allowed?

Yes, candles are allowed as long as the flame is completely contained in a glass candle holder.  They are also only allowed on the tables and NOT around the exterior of the barn, the stairs, etc. due to the old barn wood. Tapered candles and any type of hanging candles will not be allowed for safety reasons. Many couples use battery operated candles which are a great option.

How far in advance do you need our final headcount?

We will need your final guest count 30 days prior to your wedding day to staff accordingly.

How do I obtain a marriage license?

Please check your County Clerk of Courts Office for the required fee amount & documents needed.

Effective July 1, 2022, a marriage license can be obtained from the County Clerk of any county in Wisconsin, and further allows the marriage ceremony to be performed in any county in Wisconsin.

Applications must be made at least 3 FULL DAYS before a license is issued. The 3 day waiting period begins after the date of application and ends on the 4th day, which is also the issuance day. Keep in mind that we do not issue licenses on weekends or holidays, so plan accordingly. The ceremony may take place on the date the license is issued or any time within 60 days thereafter. The 3 day waiting period may be waived for an additional fee. However, the waiver is only granted for a good cause that is approved by the County Clerk. This waiver MUST be requested NO LATER than 3 FULL days in advance of the marriage date. If you believe you may qualify for a waiver, call our office as soon as possible.

When you apply, you will have to tell them the date and location of the ceremony (the county and city, town or village the ceremony will take place in). In addition, they need the officiant’s name, address and phone written on paper. (Harvest Moon Pond is located in Poynette, WI and in Columbia County)

Setup and Day-of-Event Questions

What is the event clean-up process?

Harvest Moon Pond staff will handle all standard clean up and trash removal throughout and following the wedding reception. All decor, gifts, personal belongings must be removed from the venue by the end of your contract time.

Can we take photos around the property on our wedding day?

Sure!  Just ask us and we would be happy to make recommendations.  Check out our photo gallery to get some Harvest Moon Pond photo inspiration.

Can we nail decorations to the walls or hang things like streamers or lanterns from the beams?

Since our barn was built in 1865, we want to preserve the history and do not allow for additional nails. We will have areas where hooks are already placed that you are welcome to use for any additional decorations. We hope that you will find them beautiful without any extra work!