How Does Pricing Really Work?
The Knickerbocker has many uses for a variety of functions of varying size and duration. Our pricing structure is designed to suit the wide variety of events we host at The Knickerbocker. Prices vary according to the day of your event, and the duration and time of your event. Some vendors and event planners need lots of time to decorate in advance – others are in and out faster than a blink of an eye. You pay from the time we open the door to the time the last person leaves. It’s much simpler than it might sound. Tell us what you are looking to do and a member of our staff will be happy to prepare a quote based on your ideas. And yes, we certainly understand it takes time to develop and formulate your ideas about a perfect celebration or gathering. Sometimes events grow in size and duration. Sometimes they get simpler over time. With transparent pricing, you – the event organizer has the power to decide what things are worth!
What day of the week are we talking about? First, let’s talk about demand. Saturday by far is in greatest demand for the biggest and most elaborate celebrations in life – especially for weddings. But we say what about the folks hosting a corporate gathering on a Tuesday evening? If the weekend is a must, consider hosting your event on a Friday or a Sunday to enjoy savings over Saturday events. Even better yet, events held Monday through Thursday enjoy the most favorable pricing. Ask any professional caterer and they will probably agree – they too just might be super busy on the weekends and slower during the week. By choosing to have your event when things are less hectic, perhaps your caterers, entertainers, and other service providers are willing to offer a better value as well.
How many guests will we be entertaining? Whether we are talking about a private dinner party for 30 or a garden party for 250, regardless of party size, there are certain basic costs that are a given. Our Base Venue Service Fee is a mandatory charge which covers the basic costs like cutting the grass, electricity to run the air conditioners, and cleaning before and after your event. There’s also time spent answering questions from the event host and their vendors as the nitty-gritty details are planned. A staff person familiar with the ins and outs of the facility will always be on hand behind the scenes for the duration of the event to make for a “hiccup” free event.
The base venue service fee allows you to have up to 50 guests for your event at no additional charge. Large gatherings of more than 50 are made possible with our simple per-person additional guest fee. If you think you might have more than 75 guests at your party, take 75 – 50, and you pay per person for the 25 additional guests. An event for 150 people will pay for 100 additional guests. Per person, rates vary according to the day of the week. Let’s face it, bigger parties do in fact require additional staff for set up, day of coordination, and clean up. There’s also more general wear and tear on the property, left-over garbage, etc. after larger events. At The Knickerbocker, those with larger parties pay more than those with small gatherings – we think that’s pretty fair.
How long will your event last? Maybe you’re a professional hosting an educational seminar or a client appreciation luncheon. Maybe you are a group of gals hosting a Sunday afternoon baby shower for just a couple of hours. Perhaps you’re organizing a family reunion to celebrate Grandma’s 80th birthday over a mid-morning brunch. Those types of events will cost less money than a full-fledge evening wedding with an on-site ceremony, cocktail hour, full dinner, and hours of entertainment and dancing. Again, at the Knickerbocker, whether the gathering is short, sweet & simple or fancy, elaborate and time for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, you pay for the length of time you use the property for your celebration. Hourly rates vary according to the time of day and the day of the week.
What’s the best furniture for the gathering and the type of food you will serve? When planning a party, one must consider their guest’s comfort and what furniture will be best suited to the duration of your event, and what food and beverage you plan to serve. The Knickerbocker Estate has an array of banquet tables, chairs & linens already on site. Our staff handles the heavy lifting and will have it set up before your event and take care of getting it cleaned up and put away well after your event is over and the last guest has left.
Mix & Mingle cocktail parties or networking functions where appetizers and finger foods are served call for tall cocktail tables. Banquet tables and chairs are necessary at events where guests are served a full meal requiring silverware. Perhaps you are hosting a training session and need separate chairs for a group break session or perhaps you’d like chairs set upon for an on-site wedding. Individual chairs and tables can also be arranged.
We’ve taken the guesswork out of how many tables you’ll need for your party size and we’ve provided a straightforward per-person rate with our basic banquet dining package. We’ll provide enough banquet tables and chairs to seat your specified number of guests. Individual chairs and tables for cocktail hour, food station/buffet, for a gift, or display tables are available as well.
At The Knickerbocker, there’s no need to rent banquet furniture from a 3rd party vendor. There are no delivery fees, no breaking a sweat, or extra staff charges to set it all up and take it all down. You’ll arrive at everything in place – all you have to do is just add centerpieces, table décor, or whatever personal touches you choose. And yes, long after you’ve gone home to relax after the festivities, Knickerbocker staff will clean all the furniture and do the heavy lifting to put it all away. There’s no worrying about gathering all the stuff and getting it delivered back to where it came from.
This covers the most standard and basic uses of The Knickerbocker Estate for bringing your celebrations and gatherings to our 12,000sf estate set on 5 acres. Win/win pricing to suit many needs and forms of a celebration. Craft your own event, and pay just for what you use, when you use it, how long you use it, etc. Transparent pricing so you can easily size your event to each and every budget.