Wedding Frequently Asked Questions

Is there transportation for guests from the Reno Airport?
Yes. The Reno/Tahoe International Airport website transportation page is www.renoairport.com/transportation/index.php. This site has transportation options that include the South Tahoe Express which is a shuttle that provides transportation from the airport to the casinos. From the casinos taxis are available and the BlueGo shuttle runs hourly from 8am-11:30pm to The Ridge Tahoe. The BlueGo city shuttle website is www.bluego.org.

Where do I get a marriage license?
If your ceremony is on The Ridge property or at a beach location in Nevada you can obtain a Nevada marriage license from the Douglas Count Clerk’s office. Please call the Douglas County Clerk’s office at (775) 586.7270 or go to http://cltr.co.douglas.nv.us/ for current information. The Douglas County Clerk’s office is open 7 days a week and located just 4 miles from The Ridge.

If your ceremony is at a California location you will need to obtain a California marriage license from the El Dorado County Clerk’s office. Please call (530) 573-3409 or go to www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/countyclerk/ for current information. The El Dorado County Clerk does have more limited office hours.

How do I schedule a food tasting to sample menu items?
Please contact the Group Sales office to confirm a food tasting. Most tastings are scheduled on Saturday afternoons but times can very during the year according to our event schedule and the restaurants schedule. We do request that you contact us at least two weeks in advance to check availability. Please note that not all items may be available for tasting including prime rib, sirloin strip, some fresh fish, side dishes and some specialty menu items for example. One tasting for two people is complimentary if you have already confirmed your event with us. For additional attendees or tasting the fee is $25 per person inclusive of tax and service.

Cake tastings are also available on a limited basis. Please contact the coordinator for additional information.

Who should I be expected to tip at the ceremony?
If you have booked a package or individual vendors with The Ridge please provide the following customary cash gratuities to the following vendors on the day or your wedding:
Minister: $20-$25
Photographer or Videographer: $20 per hour of service
Single Musician: $20 for one hour of service
D.J.: $50-$100
Hair and Make-up: $30 per hair and make-up service
These are traditional guidelines and please ask if there is a vendor not listed that you have questions about. Of course, if you feel a vendor(s) has exceeded your expectation of service you can adjust the gratuity accordingly.

Gratuities should be in cash and separated into marked envelopes for each vendor and go directly to the person providing the services. You can give the gratuities to The Ridge Coordinator the day prior to the wedding to disperse or you can request that the best man, a groomsman or father pass out the gratuities.

When can my group access the ceremony and reception facilities?
If you or your guests would like to decorate or have access to the facility directly prior to the event for set-up a time will need to be arranged with the coordinator. There may be another event scheduled the before yours and the room access timeline can be limited to 1 to 2 hours.

How much should I budget for a hosted bar?
There are many bar options. If you do not want to host any alcohol you can provide a cash and carry, no host bar where guests pay for their own alcoholic drinks. A $250 bar deposit is required for a no host bar and any of this amount that your guests spend at the bar will be returned to you on your final invoice. If you would like to host bar drinks you can host beer, wine, well, call, premiums or specialty drinks or any combination of these. You can also set a specific dollar or time limit on what you are hosting. A good budget for hosting a bar is $12-$25 per person depending on what you are hosting, your group and if you are hosting a champagne toast and wine with dinner.

Can I bring in my own beer or wine?
Outside beer or kegs are not allowed to be brought in. We do allow outside wine to be brought in and the corkage fee is $17 per 750ml bottle plus tax and service due prior to the event. A larger corkage fee applies for larger bottles. If you plan on bringing in your own wine please make arrangements 30 days in advance. We do not allow any outside alcohol to be brought onto our premises and guest bringing in outside alcohol will be asked to leave the event.

Can I bring in my own food?
The Ridge does not allow any outside food to be brought into the event. You are allowed to bring in your own wedding cake or hire your own cake baker.

When do I pay for the event and when do I need to give The Ridge my attendance?
Your guest count and pre-payment are required thirty days in advance unless otherwise specified in your contract. This guest count should be your minimum guest count for meals. You can continue to add guests up to 72 hours in advance of your event. Once you add a guest you will be billed for this person and not allowed to cancel them.

Can I take food to-go at the end of the night?
No to-go food is allowed.

Does The Ridge have a sound system I can use for music?
The Grand View Garden and Valley View Room Ceremonies: We suggest that you hire a DJ or musician for your ceremony and live music is very nice in the garden. For indoor ceremonies in the Valley View Room live piano music is popular due to the Grand Piano in the restaurant. For weddings in the garden, The Ridge provides an outdoor sound system with a lapel mic for the officiate. If someone other than our regular officiates will be using the mic please have them arrive early to familiarize themselves with the equipment and to test the volume. If you hire a DJ for the ceremony we require that they also provide all microphones for the ceremony.

Lake Ceremony Locations: Some locations include electricity. Please contact the coordinator for location specific details.

Reception facilities: There is no sound system available.

What happens if I am late for my ceremony?
Your ceremony start no more than 10 minutes late. It is inconsiderate to your guests and your vendors. Many vendors such at the officiate, musicians, photographer etc. my have another event booked after your and may have to leave for another obligation if you are late. Also, the photographers time begins at the time of the ceremony or earlier if arranged so you will lose photography time. Running very late will disrupt your food service and can affect your food quality. Scheduled reception times can not be extended so you will lose reception time.

Please have your wedding party plan on arriving at the ceremony site at least 30 minutes prior to the ceremony time. The Bride should plan on being dressed and ready 30 minutes before the ceremony. Have a responsible party be in charge of bringing the marriage license and rings to the ceremony location. If you have children in the ceremony have an adult be in charge of making sure they are ready to go and have all of their ceremony items (pillow, baskets, flowers, etc.).