A: The Wednesday Elopement allows for up to 10 guests in addition to the wedding couple.  Wedding Couple is not included in the Guest Count.  Ages 1 and over are included in your guest count.  Babies in arms under age 1 are not included in your guest count.  Folks attending any part of your wedding day are included as guests - eg: someone who only attends the ceremony and then departs is included as a guest.  There is no "minimum" guest requirement.  Many of our couples are having a special day for just the two of them and that is just fine. Couples who would like to have 11 or more guests attend their elopement should choose our Tea and Cake Wedding package which allows for a larger guest count.

A: We love pets, but we don't allow them at your wedding celebration. We have learned that this involves at lot more stress for the couple and ends up taking away from the wedding day experience by adding a whole extra layer of logistics.  To protect your peace on your wedding day, we'll ask you to leave your pets safely at home.  We do not include pets in the ceremony or reception portions of the wedding day, including acting as ring bearers for your ceremony.

A: Couples should arrive at the venue with their hair and makeup already complete.  You'll have time to dress and do final touch up's here in your dressing suite.  We recommend Lilly Styles for couples searching for professional hair and makeup services close to the venue.  Lilly has a professional home salon about 15 mintues from the venue. She has worked with us for years and has a lovely personality as well as great skill. You can find a list of all our favorite hair and makeup artists on our main FAQ page.  Many of them will come to your accommodations to provide their services. Hair and Makeup services must take place offsite and cannot be added onto the Wednesday Elopement package.

A: The Wednesday Elopement includes Coffee and Cake, as well as a Sparkling Cider toast. 

A: Couples may choose to bring a bottle of Champagne for their toast if desired (we'll provide champagne flutes here). Many couples choose to continue their celebration at a local restaurant after their time at the Golden Horseshoe.  We recommend The Bavarian Chef as a good local choice that is open on Wednesdays.  They are located a scenic 20 minute drive from the venue. Beer /Wine and Dinner Catering are not available to add to the Wednesday Elopement package.

A: We'll have soft instrumental music playing in the background of the venue when you arrive.  You are welcome to request a specific song for your processional (brides entrance)  recessional (exit after your "kiss") and first dance.  Just let us know the song title and artist name for each.  We'll take care of having those ready on our device here at the venue. 

A: Golden Horsehsoe inn will provide a photographer and will deliver up to 100 images from your wedding day (including ceremony, cake cutting, toast, first dance, posed photos on the grounds and photos with your guests.  A complimentary mountain top photoshoot can be added to the conclusion of your event after your bubble send off, if you would like. Photos will be edited and delivered via a secure online high resolution downloadable gallery. Photos will be delivered within about 1 week of your wedding day. The mountaintop photoshoot is sometimes not available due to weather conditions or park closure, both of which are beyond our control.  No refund is given and no rescheduled session is available, should the mountain photoshoot not be available.  In that case all photos will be taken on the grounds of the venue.  *guests will depart after the bubble send off to their next location (home, accommodations, restuarant etc). The mountain photoshoot is a special offering for the newlyweds only. Wedding couple is responsible for making arrangements for their children or other guests post event - they will not be able to remain onsite at the venue.

A: The first floor of the Golden Horseshoe Inn is handicapped accessible. This includes a ramp to the right of the building that leads from the parking lot to both the outdoor wedding deck and the indoor reception room and restrooms.  We have 2 first floor restrooms, and one of those has been expanded to accommodate a wheelchair.  Our second floor (where dressing rooms 1 and 2 are located) is only accessible via the staircase which is fairly steep due to the historic nature of our building (circa 1827).

A: We don't offer ceremonies that take place Skyline Drive.  We offer both an indoor and an outdoor ceremony option here at the venue.  

A: Couples will fill out our READY TO BOOK A DATE form to reserve a date.  A $500 retainer is due along with a signed contract, to complete your reservation.  The intial retainer is deducted from your balance and is not an additional fee.  Additional payments of $500 are due at the 12 month, 6 month and 3 month marks prior to your wedding date. Your final balance is due 3 weeks prior to your wedding day.  Should your date be inside of 12 months, the additional payment(s) will be added to your retainer (eg: if you are booking 2 months out from your wedding day, you'll have $2000 due at booking - your initial retainer + your 12 month, 6 month and 3 month payments - the final balance will be due 3 weeks prior to your date.  Couples booking less than 3 weeks from their date are welcomed - we love short notice weddings!  In this case payment in full would be due at the time of booking. Payments can be made with the credit or debit card of your choice via an electronic invoice we will send you.  All payments are non-refundable once made.

A: The Wednesday Elopement is available on Wednesdays only. You can take a look at all our available dates right here on our website AVAILABLE DATES page.  Once a date is chosen and reserved by you, that is your date.  We are not able to offer date changes.  If a new date needs to be chosen, you'll need to pay a new retainer for that date.  For this reason we suggest checking your date with all your VIP "can't get married without you" guests, to make sure that date works well for everyone, before you complete your reservation. And while we don't require it, we strongly recommend you obtain Event insurance from a trusted insurance provider to cover you in the event of tragic circumstances, acts of God, illness or any other circumstance that might cause you to cancel or postpone.

A: We are located right in the Blue Ridge mountains between the two larger towns of Charlottesville and Harrisonburg.  We are about 30 minutes from either of those towns.  Many of our couples and their guests choose to stay at nearby Lydia Mountain Lodge which is located about 10 minutes from us. They offer lodge style rooms as well as free standing cabins.  They have many cabins to choose from with a variety of occupancies from 2 person to 10 person lodging.  The closest hotel to us is the Ruckersville Holiday Inn Express which is about 15 minutes from us.  You can also look up the plentiful Airbnb options for our town which is Stanardsville, Virginia 22973

A: We will provide a licensed Virginia wedding officiant to perform your ceremony and sign your license.  Upon booking we will provide a library of our favorite wedding ceremonies for you to peruse and personalize.  Our officiant is happy to perform ceremonies of all types including both religious and non-religious ceremonies. Our Officiant will be responsible for returning your wedding license to the County Clerk's office it was obtained from.  Your license may be from ANY county clerk's office in Virginia, it does not have to be from our county.  But it must be from Virginia.  Couples must bring their valid Virginia wedding license to us on their wedding day.  We also welcome couples who are already legally married but would still like to have a special celebration.  If you are already married legally, no license is required.