FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We’d like to try and answer all of your questions. If you don’t see the answer below, feel free to email us.

1. WHAT CATERING IS AVAILABLE?
First, you are welcome to cater your own event. Your caterer should be advised to arrive with all necessary equipment for cooking, warming, etc. If you wish, we can cater a small gathering. The Stag’s Lair is lucky to have an excellent chef in house. Pricing for this will be dependent upon the menu you desire. Additionally, we have caterers we can recommend to you for larger gatherings. Available menus and pricing for these can be provided upon request.

2. WHAT IS YOUR ALCOHOL POLICY?
The Stag’s Lair cannot provide any alcohol for your event. You are, however, welcome to provide your own. You are reminded that you are responsible for your and your guests’ moderation in drinking, behavior and safety regarding alcohol consumption and driving after drinking.

3. WHAT DEPOSIT IS REQUIRED?
A deposit for 50% of your event’s cost is due at the time of booking, to reserve your date. This deposit is not refundable. The remaining balance is due within two weeks of your event’s date, and is also not refundable. Please see Question 8. for the only exception to this. An additional deposit of $1000 for potential damages and additional cleanup (see Question 13.) is also required at that time. Please remember that you are responsible for leaving The Stag’s Lair in the same condition as it was when you arrived. This deposit will, hopefully, never need to be drawn upon. Assuming this to be the case, this money will be returned to you within a week of your event’s conclusion. In the event that The Stag’s Lair becomes unable to accommodate your scheduled event (e.g., fire, acts of God, etc.), all of your deposit money will be refunded within a week of those conditions becoming existent. Any other potential issues related to event cancellation (e.g., death, disability, etc.) will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

4. SHOULD I HIRE AN EVENT COORDINATOR?
To take the burden off you regarding planning, decorations, facilities arrangements, etc., and to act as a single point of contact with us, The Stag’s Lair recommends that you have a person coordinate your affair, whether they be paid or not. We can recommend a local source for facilities setup and teardown (e.g., tents, chairs, tables, etc.), and for things like place-settings, linens and the like. Their list of services provided and prices is available upon request, and we can assist your coordinator in communicating with them. Whoever will be coordinating your event should visit with us at least one month before your event, and should attend your final walk-through or rehearsal, to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

5. WHAT ABOUT PARKING?
The Stag’s Lair can accommodate parking for up to 100 vehicles. Parking is provided as a courtesy and there is no charge for this. A passenger drop-off is available at the front of the house. Drivers can self-park, or you can arrange for valet parking at your expense. As parking is on the grounds (i.e., grass), please ask your guests to be very careful to stay in designated areas and not damage the turf.

6. WHAT ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS BEFORE MY EVENT?
Dependent upon other ongoing events, you are welcome to have photographs taken before the day of your event. This will need to be scheduled with The Stag’s Lair in advance. Pre-event photography sessions are limited to 1 hour. Photography not related to events booked at The Stag’s Lair is also welcome. The rate for this is $100 for the first hour. If more time is needed in either case, an extra hour can be used at a rate of $25.

7. WHAT ABOUT D.J’s, FLORISTS, BANDS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, ETC.?
These persons can arrive no sooner than two hours prior to your event’s scheduled time. They may need our direction and we want to help them to be of service to you, but we do expect these businesses and individuals to arrive with all their own tools and equipment needed for them to perform their service. Florists specifically are expected to arrive with their work nearly completed and understand that they may not use our building as their workshop. The Stag’s Lair will need a list of those persons providing services for your event and their contact information, at least two weeks prior to your event. If any of them need to visit The Stag’s Lair prior to the day of your event, this will need to be scheduled with us in advance. These individuals are expected to remove any equipment and clean up after themselves within 1 hour of your event’s conclusion.

8. WHAT IF IT RAINS THE DAY OF MY OUTSIDE EVENT?
Unfortunately, The Stag’s Lair cannot guarantee that your special day will be clear and sunny. Depending upon the size of your gathering, the event can be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather, although some or many guests could have to stand. The decision to move indoors is solely that of The Stag’s Lair. If the forecast is clearly bad, advance arrangements can be made with the local facilities provider to cover the outside area with tents so you and your guests can stay as dry as possible. If the weather is so inclement as to make your event impossible, we will make every effort to reschedule at the earliest convenience. In the worst-case scenario where your event is impossible due to inclement weather and rescheduling cannot be made to everyone’s satisfaction, all of your money will be refunded to you within one week.

9. WHERE CAN WE HAVE OUR WEDDING AND RECEPTION ON THE GROUNDS?
There are currently two locations where The Stag’s Lair recommends you have your ceremony, depending on your desires and the number of guests anticipated. There is an open-air gazebo behind the house with sufficient lawn space to accommodate up to 200 guests. This location affords an unsurpassed view of the countryside and nearby mountains, and is the primary location for a wedding. As an alternative, the grounds in front of the house can be used for a smaller number of guests, with the wedding party emerging from the house onto the landing above the front portico.
The terrace directly below the gazebo terrace level has sufficient space to locate a large tent (up to 30’X60’) that will accommodate up to 200 people.

10. WHEN CAN I HAVE MY WEDDING REHEARSAL?
Provided there are no other events ongoing, The Stag’s Lair will schedule your rehearsal the day before your wedding, or whenever you desire. In any event, we will schedule your rehearsal as close to the day of your wedding as possible. If you wish to have a rehearsal dinner at The Stag’s Lair, that can be arranged (see Questions 1. and 2. regarding catering and alcohol).

11. HOW LONG IS THE RENTAL OF THE STAG’S LAIR?
The rental of The Stag’s Lair is for the specific time period as will be stated in your rental contract. This will depend on the nature of the event, and can be up 8 hours, if you will having a wedding and reception on the premises. This includes 2 hours for setup, 5 hours for the event itself, and 1 hour for teardown/cleanup.

12. WE WILL BE INVITING SEVERAL CHILDREN - IS THAT OK?
We at The Stag’s Lair love children and they are certainly welcome. The natural beauty of The Stag’s Lair includes some inherent dangers, though, and safety must be a primary concern. At no time should children be allowed to be unsupervised anywhere on the premises, especially on the grounds around the pond. The pond is very deep and has a sharp drop-off, and is absolutely a dangerous place for children, or anyone for that matter. Guests who are bringing children should be advised in advance that they will need to provide constant and vigilant supervision. The Stag’s Lair does not provide this vigilance, and you may want to consider hiring a person to ensure all the little ones’ safety.

13. WHAT ABOUT CLEANUP AFTER MY EVENT?
The cost of “normal” cleanup is included in the price for your event. Trash receptacles will be provided at various areas on the premises. Please remind your guests to use them. As long as your guests use the receptacles provided and your vendors cleanup after themselves (see Question 7. regarding this) and there are no out-of-the-ordinary cleanup actions needed, there is no further cost involved. Any excessive trash left laying about on the premises could result in an additional cleanup cost that would be deducted from the damage/cleanup deposit. As such, you may want to arrange for someone to police the premises after your event concludes to avoid any potential cost.

14. ARE TENTS, TABLES, ETC. INCLUDED IN THE “2 HOURS PRIOR/1HOUR AFTER” LIMIT?
No. It is understood that it takes a good deal of time to setup and tear down large tents and numerous tables and chairs. These large facility items may be setup the day before your event, and removed the day after.

15. WHAT IS YOUR SMOKING POLICY?
There is absolutely no smoking permitted inside any building on the premises. Ashtrays will be provided in designated outside areas as a courtesy. Guests are expected to use these, and smoking- related trash (e.g., cigarette butts last forever) left on the grounds may result in additional cleanup costs that will be deducted from the damage deposit. As such, please remind any of your smoking guests that they should only smoke in areas so designated, and to please use the ash trays provided.

16. IS THERE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR BRIDAL PARTY DRESSING?
Yes. Separate bride and groom party dressing areas will be provided at no cost.

17. WHAT SORT OF CORPORATE GATHERINGS CAN WE HAVE AT THE STAG’S LAIR?
Subject to limitations regarding the size of your group, The Stag’s Lair can host any sort of gathering. These can be strategy sessions, teambuilding, off-site meetings, or whatever your needs may be. There is one large room that can be arranged to handle up to 20 people for a group meeting, and with 21 other rooms in the house, there is plenty of room for separate breakout sessions. You will need to provide your own tools (e.g., easels, whiteboards, etc.). Regarding meals, refer to Question 1.

18. WHAT SORT OF DINNERS OR PARTIES CAN WE HAVE AT THE STAG’S LAIR?
Again subject to limitations regarding the size of your group, The Stag’s Lair can host any sort of gathering you desire, be it a special dinner party, tea, birthday or anniversary gathering. There are three separate dining areas inside the house that can seat up to six people in each area, and our large room can be arranged to comfortably seat up to 15 people. We can also accommodate up to 50 people inside the house for a buffet-style party where folks can mingle and visit with each other. There are also three separate areas outside the house that lend themselves well to dining “al- fresco”, and these can comfortably seat anywhere from 8 to 30 people. And of course, if you choose to have an outdoor buffet-type affair where people will mingle and stroll the grounds, the number of people is only limited by the amount of available parking (up to 100 vehicles). Refer to Questions 1. and 2. regarding catering and alcohol.

19. WHAT ARE YOUR AVAILABLE ACCOMMODATIONS?
There are four luxurious bedrooms available, one of which has its own fireplace, and only one of which does not have its own private bathroom. Area lodging during local NASCAR races in Bristol and International Storytelling in Jonesborough can become extremely limited and expensive, and staying with us at The Stag’s Lair offers a charming alternative to regular hotels/motels. If you have an event booked with us and wish to stay at The Stag’s Lair either before or after your event, you will receive a discount from the normal room rate. Refer to Questions 1. and 2. regarding catering and alcohol.