Oheka Castle Wedding Cost
Oheka Castle is truly a one-of-a-kind venue for your dream wedding. Situated on 127 acres of lush gardens and grounds on Long Island's famous Gold Coast, the majestic castle offers breathtaking backdrops for your special day.
However, hosting a large event at this iconic estate does come at a cost. In this in-depth guide, we'll break down everything you need to know about Oheka Castle wedding costs and what to budget for.
Basic Wedding Packages and Pricing
- Weekend Packages: For weddings held Friday through Sunday, expect to pay $150-$250 per guest for the basic package. This includes 6 hours in the Grand Ballroom or East Salon, sweetheart table, cocktail hour, buffet dinner, cake cutting, and on-site coordination.
- Midweek Packages: Hold your wedding Sunday through Thursday for slightly lower rates of $125-$200 per guest. The amenities are the same as weekends.
- Guest Count Minimums: You'll need to meet a minimum guest count, which ranges from 150-300 people depending on your date and room choice.
- Packages Vary: For enhanced amenities like an open bar, upgraded dinner service, or additional reception time, packages run $175-$300 per guest on average.
Common Add-Ons and Fees
- Facility Fee: 10% of your final contracted cost is added. For a 200 guest wedding, expect around $15,000 extra.
- Service Charge: A 22% service charge is automatically added to all food, beverage, audiovisual, and rental costs for staffing.
- Cake Cutting: Included in packages, but they charge $4-5 per person if you bring your own cake instead.
- Alcohol: Options to fully host a bar yourself or add drinks onto packages. Budget extra for top-shelf beverages.
- Rental Items: Chairs, tables, linens, specialty lighting, and more can be rented from their preferred vendors. Common additional fee of $10,000-20,000.
- Security: Oheka requires one security guard per 75 guests at $150 per guard. For a 300 person wedding, security would be around $6,000.
- Rehearsal: A $2,500 fee applies if you want to rehearse at Oheka the day before your wedding.
Other Potential Expenses to Budget For
When planning your Oheka Castle wedding, it's important to consider all related costs, not just the venue itself:
Wedding Party and Attire
- Bridesmaid dresses, suits, accessories - $1,000-3,000 total average
- Hair and makeup for wedding party on the day - $100-250 per person
Flowers and Decor
- Floral centerpieces, bouquets, boutonnieres - $5,000-10,000 depending on scale
- Aisle decor, arches, other rentals or purchases - $2,000-5,000
Wedding Coordinator
- Day-of or full-service coordinator highly recommended for large events at Oheka. Expect to pay $2,000-4,000.
Photography and Videography
- Wedding photographers generally charge $3,000-7,000 for coverage. Videography is $2,000-5,000.
Invitations, Printing, Mailings
- Budget $1 per invitation including designs, paper, envelopes, and postage. Add save the dates and ancillary costs.
Entertainment
- Bands or DJs start at $2,000 for 4 hours, more for popular acts. Expect $500-1,000 for lighting as well.
Transportation
- Limo service from ceremony to reception - $500-1,000 on average. Uber/Lyft is a cheaper option.
Wedding Favors, Gifts
- Favors run $1-5 each depending on item. Gifts for wedding party also factor in.
Sample Oheka Castle Wedding Budget
Now that you understand all the costs involved, here's an example budget breakdown for a 300 person wedding at Oheka Castle:
- Venue Package (Friday, 300 guests): $150/head = $45,000
- Facility Fee (10% of Venue + Extras): $15,000
- Rentals (Chairs, linens, lighting etc.): $15,000
- Food & Beverage (Buffet dinner, 5 hour premium bar): $150,000
- Security (4 guards at $150 each): $6,000
- Day-Of Coordination: $3,000
- Floral Design: $10,000
- Videography: $3,500
- Photography: $5,000
- Bridesmaid Attire: $2,000
- Invitations & Printing: $2,000
- Band/DJ Entertainment: $3,000
- Transportation: $1,000
- Gifts, Favors: $2,000
Total Estimated Budget: $218,500
Keep in mind, options like cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, upgrades, additional hours or guests will drive costs higher. But this should give you a solid starting point to plan the budget for your dream Oheka Castle wedding!
