FAQs

We offer tours by appointment only. Tours are primarily available on Wednesdays and Saturdays and are required prior to booking Mac-O-Chee Castle Wedding & Event Venue for your dream wedding. Book a Tour here or Contact Us here with questions.

IMPORTANT: Please invite anyone to the tour who needs to see the venue in person before you feel comfortable signing a Rental Agreement and submitting an initial payment.  If a private second tour is required, there is a $100 fee for that tour. This fee will be deducted from your initial payment if you choose to book with us. Thank you for your understanding as we try to accommodate so many requests for tours onsite!

Dates are reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis. To secure a date, Mac-O-Chee Castle must receive a signed rental agreement, proof of purchased liability insurance and an initial rental payment. We offer convenient online payments using credit card or bank transfer. The entire balance must be paid in full, no later than 90 days prior to your event.

All set-up is restricted to the rental period on the day of your event, which is from 10am to 11pm, with the bridal couple exit taking place at 10pm.  Additional hours can be added to your prep time at the beginning of your event day for a fee of $250/hour (maximum of two hours). Keep in mind that table and chair set up is included in the rental fee and will be completed by Mac-O-Chee Castle staff.

Mac-O-Chee Castle is a beautiful piece of history, and you and your bridal party will have access to the Bridal and Groom’s Suite for the entire day during the rental period via a secured door with a four-digit keypad entry that you personally establish for the day. Once the ceremony is complete and pictures within the castle are done, the building will be completely secured and the only individuals who will have access is Mac-O-Chee Castle staff and the members of your wedding party who were provided your secure access code. Unfortunately, wedding guests will not have access to the interior of the castle at any point during the ceremony or reception.

Rehearsal times are limited to one (1) hour on the Thursday evening before your event.  Rehearsal times are based on the evening that you have reserved Mac-O-Chee Castle for your wedding:

• A Sunday venue rental means your rehearsal will be from 5-6pm on Thursday evening
• A Friday venue rental means your rehearsal will be from 6-7pm on Thursday evening
• A Saturday venue rental means your rehearsal will be from 7-8pm on Thursday evening

We do not currently have wedding planners on staff or provide that service but hope to in the future!  We do however include full access to a Venue Manager onsite for the entirety of the day.

Your assigned Venue Manager will outreach to you approximately 60 days before your wedding to schedule an onsite meeting and will be present at your rehearsal to make sure they have a clear understanding of all that you have imagined for your wedding day.

No. Having a hired wedding coordinator is at your discretion. However, we do ask that you have a ‘Master’ or ‘Mistress’ of the Day. This can be a family member or friend and will be our Venue Manager’s go-to person if any questions or concerns arise. We ask that your Master or Mistress is not the mother or father of the bride or groom or a member of the wedding party.

The Mac-O-Chee Castle Venue Manager is your dedicated staff member that is assigned to your event and will oversee all logistics regarding the venue. The Venue Manager is also the person that will assist with executing the timeline of your event.

We require all couples to take out a $1,000,000 event liability insurance policy. Event insurance covers injury to guests and property damage. Mac-O-Chee Castle does not stipulate use of a specific provider, but has partnered with Vensura with a qualifying plan.  If you prefer to use a different provider, that coverage must be approved prior to reserving Mac-O-Chee Castle for your event.

Mac-O-Chee Castle Wedding & Event Venue utilizes an interactive online software program called Planning Pod. In addition to being our primary form of communication with you and your vendors, you can outline floor plans & itineraries, sign proposals & contracts, collect RSVPs, make choices for your beverage packages, create seating charts, and so much more! All of this information translates into a Banquet Event Order (BEO) that ensures our onsite staff carry out your requests exactly as you have imagined on your wedding day.

Mac-O-Chee Castle can host an indoor ceremony for up to 300 guests in our newly built Great Hall. After the ceremony, we transition the venue into a reception space for your guests. If the weather looks uncertain, the bride and groom, along with the Venue Manager, will make that decision together. We will discuss more about plans for inclement weather at your client tour which you can schedule here.

For indoor weddings, California-style seating refers to a non-traditional, more relaxed and intimate seating arrangement that emphasizes connection, flow, and style — drawing from California’s signature blend of elegance and informality.  California-style seating at indoor weddings prioritizes comfort, visual aesthetics, and guest interaction. With its emphasis on flow and movement, it allows for the Great Hall to be set up in a way that can easily transition for reception activities, while still allowing for a formal bridal entry and clear sightlines to the couple for the ceremony.

Mac-O-Chee Castle has a maximum recommended capacity of 300 people within the newly built Event Venue space, the Great Hall.  If your needs are different than this limitation, please Contact Us here.

We have seating for up to 300 guests indoors, as well as 300 all-weather outdoor chairs.

We do not offer decor packages at this time.  Rental of Mac-O-Chee Castle includes set-up and tear-down of tables and chairs, both indoor and outdoor.  We ask that you set-up and tear-down any of your own decor within the rental period and ask that you have 6-8 assistants available at the end of the evening to ensure that all decor and belongings are packed and transported off the premises.

Alcohol can be served at our venue by our onsite licensed and insured bartending service.  We offer a fully stocked bar and various beverage packages are available to choose from that will best suit your needs.  Our Ohio liquor license does not allow alcohol to be brought in and self-served.

No. We think it is important for you to be able to choose the vendors that best suit you and your preferences. However, we have worked with some amazing vendors and are happy to share some of those contacts if you are interested.

Contracted catering services must have a Catering Food Service Operation License from the State of Ohio and be willing to sign our Catering Agreement. Mac-O-Chee Castle reserves the right to reject any proposed vendor, and all vendors must be approved no later than 60 days prior to your event.

The ownership of Mac-O-Chee Castle was very intentional about the size and quality of the audio/visual and sound system that was installed on the premises. To ensure that all spaces have adequate coverage, Ambient Sound was contracted to install and continuously monitor state-of-the art equipment in the Great Hall, Courtyard, and Castle. The system supports live music and DJ services with ease, as well as video projection. More information will be discussed at your client tour, which can be scheduled here.

You are welcome to choose any DJ vendor that suits your personal style. We ask that DJs use our onsite sound equipment (see the FAQ immediately above) to ensure that all of your guests can comfortably hear activities throughout the ceremony and reception, both inside and outside. Additionally, we strongly recommend that your chosen DJ does not have a practice of downloading music while onsite. Though we have great Wi-Fi coverage, there is never a 100% guarantee, and we would have no ability to remedy any challenges associated with downloading music on your wedding day.

Our parking lot is paved and accommodates more than 100 vehicles.  Additional overflow parking is also available.  Mac-O-Chee Castle has designated handicapped parking, a drop off area for event guests, as well as a golf cart available for handicapped guests and to assist those in need from the parking lot.

Yes. For your comfort, the Great Hall and the Historic Castle where the Bridal and Groom Suites are located is climate controlled all year long.

The use of candles is permitted in the Great Hall during the reception (as well as the wedding if it is held indoors).  Candles must be inside a container and the flame may not be any taller than the container itself.

Spring and Autumn weddings are the perfect time for you and your guests to enjoy socializing around our outdoor wood-burning fireplace during the reception. The use of this beautiful feature does have a small fee of $250 and includes all wood and equipment for maintaining the fire plus a staff person onsite to ensure the fire is attended to and cleaned up once the night wraps up.

Yes! We love dogs and know they are part of your family! A maximum of two pets of the bridal party are permitted on the premises in order to be a part of the ceremony.  We ask that you clean up after them and that they are crated during the reception either outside or at an assigned indoor location. Dogs are not permitted to roam the grounds or buildings unattended. Guests may not bring pets on the premises unless it is trained service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.

Absolutely! Safety is our first concern. We ask that all vehicles are picked up by 10:00am the next morning.