The Wooster Inn - Since 1959

Wedding and Special Event Planning

So you’re planning a celebration. Fortunately we cater and coordinate more events than anyone in Wooster. So even though planning your event might seem to be an intimidating task, it is just another day for the Wooster Inn and its staff.

STEP #1: Choosing a site and a date

Although it might be more fun to work on the details of what might be served and how you will decorate, the important first step in the planning process is securing a date and a site.

The Wooster Inn offers a number of possibilities depending on the size of your group:

	•	The Main Dining Room seats up to 70 guests and may be reserved for groups of 35 or more.
	•	The Alumni Room seats up to 30 and may be reserved from groups of 12 or more.
	•	The Library is on the lower level, adjacent to the pub and seats up to 24 people in its normal configuration. This room also has a 50” high definition television equipped to be attached to a laptop thus mirroring the computer’s monitor. The Library is a newly remodeled space that provides a cozy and comfortable meeting or gathering location.
	•	The Pub is a new addition to the offerings of the Inn. Directly below the main dining room, the Pub can accommodate about 40 table-seated guests. Most of the seating in this room is at high-top tables though there is some flexibility for arranging a meeting-like setting in the presence of the bar. The Pub is open to the public most evenings and is NOT available for private events during operating hours.
	•	The Tented Patio of the Wooster Inn seats up to 200 guests and is available from April through October. We do have sides and heaters for the tent when they are necessary. This space is very adaptable for groups of any size.
	•	Kittredge Dining Hall is just west of the Inn on the corner of Wayne Avenue and Beall. This facility seats 250-300 guests and is often used for wedding receptions. This is a student dining hall so there are some limitations on its availability for outside events.

Facility Charges:

•	The charge for each of these facilities is $5 per guest.
•	The facility charge covers the following:
	— The private use of the venue for up to 5 hours
	— Setting up the venue specifically for your event
	— The maximum facility charge is $1000

Other possible sites:

The Wooster Inn frequently works with other beautiful venues:

Quailcrest Farm is located on the northern edge of Wooster at 2810 Armstrong Road, just off of State Route 83. Their website offers photos of the facilities and grounds: http://www.quailcrest.com

We do not have a special rate for the use of the Quailcrest facilities; consequently the following rates were those published at the time this guide was developed. It would be your responsibility to reserve the site directly with Quailcrest and for you to secure their current rates. The contact number is 330-345-6722.

We have had several great events in the Tracy Barn Event Center on the Quailcrest grounds. Rental of that facility for a 5 hour reception is approximately $1,000. The facility can host up to 150 guests.

The grounds also offer a beautiful setting for events. There is a pavilion on the property and tents and other rentals are available through Quailcrest.

Shisler Center on the O.A.R.D.C. campus of Ohio State is on the Southeastern edge of town. For complete information on the facility, consult their website: www.shislercenter.com

We have a strong relationship with the management team of the Shisler Center and get special rental rates for their facilities. Although there are many areas of the Shisler Center and the surrounding campus that can be used for events, we most often use the Arden Shisler Ballroom which can seat up to 325 guests for a formal reception.

The regular charge for renting the Ballroom is $1500 for a Saturday evening. If the Inn rents the facility for you, that fee is discounted to $1000. The Shisler Center carries its own full liquor license and offers the same pricing as the Inn for events catered by the Inn.

Other sites all over the Cleveland-Akron-Canton area have been used for a variety of events. Some people use their homes as an event site too. We can help you determine your rental and site needs for a successful event regardless of where it takes place.

There is an additional charge of $2.50 per mile (each way) for venues away from the Inn. This fee covers the fuel and additional labor involved in hosting an event away from our home facilities.

Frequently asked questions

There are a number of frequently asked questions that come my way when I assist in the planning of a major event like a wedding. Most of all, everyone wants to know what such a celebration will cost. In a tough economy, the answer to that question is even more important.

Before I run down the pricing, know that we have not raised any of our prices for the coming year. This is in spite of fuel surcharges for most of our deliveries and food prices that continue to climb on a weekly basis. Further, we will continue to provide a fine dining experience for every guest regardless of the size of the gathering. Holding prices constant and maintaining excellence is a challenge that we will meet and, hopefully, exceed the expectations of all our guests.

So here is a quick guide to pricing. Of course the specific choices you make will affect the final cost:

•	$5 per guest facility fee
	— Gives you private access to any of the venues we offer (tented patio, Alumni Room, Main Dining Room, Kittredge Dining Hall) as well as the set up specifically for your event
	— There is no facility fee for off-campus sites like Shisler Center, Mohican Gardens, or the Alice Noble Ice Rink. (as they have their own facility fee)
•	Unlimited Beverage Service for a 5 hour event
	— $19 per person for beer, wine and sodas
	— $25 per person for a full bar
	— Less time means less cost; for full options click here
•	Hors d’oeuvres
	— Usually $5-$10 per guest depending on choices
	— These are served buffet style
•	Served Plated Dinner
	— $20-$25 per guest
	— Same as our dining room menu prices
	— All meals include salad & rolls
	— There are no extra charges for linens, plates, flatware
•	Wedding Cake
	— You will need to purchase that from an outside vendor. We recommend Buehler’s Milltown
	— Regardless of where the cake comes from, we do NOT charge a plating fee for cutting the cake and serving it to your guests.
•	Miscellaneous Charges:
	— Dance Floor rental is $400
	— You are responsible for all centerpieces and decorations; if we need to use extra labor to remove them, then we will charge $25 per labor hour
•	Service Charges and Sales Tax
	— All events are subject to a 20% service charge on the total bill
	— On-site events are subject to 6.25% sales tax. The Service Charge is taxable

So, if you were to plan the most elaborate event possible, how much could it cost?
Facility Fee $5 per guest
Hors d’oeuvres $10 per guest
Full Bar for 5 hours $25 per guest
Dinner $25 per guest

Possible total per guest:
$65 per guest + 20% service charge + 6.25% sales tax = $82.06 per guest

Remember that this price is based on the most expensive choices that you might make. Most weddings cost substantially less that this.

Here are a couple of other points to consider:
• Offer your guests what you can afford. If a full bar or alcohol of any kind is too expensive, don’t offer it to your guests.
• The Wooster Inn offers your guests a fine dining experience. We attempt to offer this experience at a very reasonable price.
• It is important to compare what we offer with the offerings of hotels and party centers. We are confident that we offer the greatest value and quality.
• We have done so many weddings and major events that they have become standard operating procedure for us. That is important when you want to be confident that your planning will go flawlessly.
• We help each couple develop a plan that outlines every aspect of the evening.

This website provides our current menus for catering, lunch and dinner. We also post a current wine list on a monthly basis.

I, or a member of my staff, will be happy to meet with you or talk to you to answer your specific questions. We are with you every step of the way so that we can take care of the details while you are free to enjoy the process.