THE A-Z OF EVENTS AT SUMMERHILL RANCH

LODGING, WEDDING AND EVENT TERMS & CONDITIONS

ALCOHOL 

Registered guests of legal age who choose to bring their own alcoholic beverages may drink those throughout the property. No alcohol in the pool area. Please designate a sober driver for every person who needs to drive to town or other accommodations. We highly recommend hiring a shuttle for special events.

A licensed bartender is required in The Sanctuary for events.

ARBOR 

Ceremony Site 1 (Serenity Grove) is poolside includes an arbor that is sturdy and can accommodate the floral installation of your dreams. Ceremony Site 2 (the Wandering Woods) is in our wooded area for smaller events and includes an arbor that also allows for flowers. Please feel free to arrange a walkthrough with your florist if they have questions about securing any installation elements.

AUDIO/VISUAL

Our Sanctuary is equipped with speakers. They are good quality. However, we are okay with hiring a professional DJ. Please make sure to note our noise restrictions when coordinating with your DJ! 

We do provide a microphone for use with the indoor speakers in the Sanctuary during your reception. It is the perfect size and volume for toasts if you prefer to not have a DJ manage this during your event. 

The TVs located in the game and living rooms are available to be used for slideshows, however you will need to bring adequate equipment to make that happen. We do not provide any projector, screen, or other visual equipment. If you would like to bring your own projector and screen for a slideshow, please let us know ahead of time so we can plan accordingly! 

BATHROOMS 

Our main bathrooms for your event are located in the Pool House. There are two unisex bathrooms with doors. 

CAPACITY 

We want your event to go as smoothly as possible. For that reason, our venue capacity is MAX 100 people. That includes the bride, groom, your guests staying in the lodge, and any off-site guests that you invite to your event. Yes, it also includes children! It DOES NOT include Summerhill Ranch staff or any vendors who will only be on property during their promised service. If for any reason, your guest count exceeds this number, you may be subject to a fine as additional guests often result in parking issues, property damage, catering hiccups, and fire code violations. 

CATERING

Summerhill Ranch does not provide any on-site catering options at this time. There will be a kitchen for your caterer to utilize during your event. Your caterer will need to schedule a meeting with our venue manager to discuss kitchen access and use! 

While we prefer plated meals for the ease of an event, our space can accommodate a buffet style dinner well. 

CHILDREN 

We ask that children are supervised for the entirety of your event for the safety and enjoyment of everyone. If you think it would be helpful to hire a childcare provider for the duration of your event, please do so! There is an unfenced pool, critters, a lake, and other hazards in the immediate vicinity. If our staff feels children are unsupervised and placing themselves in danger, staff may end the event without refund. 

COORDINATION 

To help coordinate a successful event, a day-of event coordinator is required for every event. The coordinator must be present for the entire event and will be required to serve as Summerhill Ranch’s direct contact during a client’s event. They will arrive for set up, check in with the Summerhill Ranch staff, coordinate all vendor schedules, make sure all policies are followed, and remind all vendors of policies and times, etc. 

DAMAGES 

As host of the event, the client is responsible for the actions of their guests. The client will be held responsible for any theft or damage to Summerhill Ranch Property made by them, their contractors, or their guests during their use of the venue spaces. With exceptions for normal wear and tear, the client will be expected to promptly pay for any needed replacement or cleaning costs.

Under no circumstances will Summerhill Ranch be liable to the customer or any of the customer’s guests or contractors for any personal injury or property damage at the venue in connection with an event. 

DECORATIONS 

We encourage the use of decorations at our venue, however the use of any glitter, fake flower petals, rice, bird seed, or confetti of any kind is prohibited on our property. We are happy to suggest decoration alternatives that are more sustainable and respectful of our space. Any use of these items may be subject to an additional cleaning fee. We prohibit nailing, screwing or placement of other hardware into any venue structure, furniture, walls or trees. Decorations may not be fastened to the walls with thumbtacks, nails, screws, staples, tape or other fasteners except for command hooks or masking tape. All decorations must be taken down and stored in the designated pick up location before the end of your allotted contracted time. 

DIRECTIONS AND PARKING

The best address for Google Maps is “31761 South 605th Road; Grove, CO 74344.” Please instruct your guests to the Harbert House and park along the main driveway. 

Our parking lot can accommodate 36 cars including our staff, vendors, and those of overnight guests. Please instruct your guests to ONLY park in designated parking areas or along the main driveway. Any violation of existing parking signs may result in your car being towed. Guests are not permitted to stay overnight in the parking lot in their car. We HIGHLY recommend you hire a shuttle for your off-site guests as we are located merely minutes from town and need to avoid drinking and driving. 

Overflow parking may be used along the neighborhood road and the east side of the property for additional cars as long as no exits or fire hydrants are blocked. 

Because of the location of the ceremony site, we strongly recommend that you provide 1 greeter for every 50 guests. The greeter will direct guests as they arrive for your event. Greeters can be family members or friends and are only needed during the start of the event. 

DISPLAY RIGHTS 

Summerhill Ranch reserve the right to use photographs from your event for business related purposes such as promotion, display, advertisement, publication, portfolio, etc. If you are having a “no screen” event, please let us know ahead of time and we will be respectful of your wishes to avoid photos. 

EXCLUSIVITY

The client acknowledges that Summerhill Ranch may schedule venue tours on the day of the customer’s event. Management will schedule the tours during the setup or teardown times and will not invite tour guests to be present during the customer’s event. 

Summerhill Ranch also reserves the right to schedule any events on the property during your lodging stay or event date so long as they do not interfere with your event. This could include, but is not limited to, breakfasts in the upstairs event space prior to the start of your contract, workshops or banquets the day before your event, wedding ceremonies on the site you’re not using, etc. 

FIRE

INSIDE: Candles are allowed in our banquet room, patios and lobby as long as they are enclosed in glass votives, hurricane lamps or glass pillar vases. The top of the wick must be at least an inch below the top of a glass container. 

OUTSIDE: Because of forest fire danger, absolutely no candles or flames of any kind at either of our outdoor ceremony sites. Battery operated candles are allowed. 

NO FIREWORKS OR SPARKLERS of any kind are permitted on Summerhill Ranch or surrounding property. Also, no paper or Chinese lanterns. 

FIRE PIT: We provide the use of fire pits which can be placed on the front or back patios at any point during your event. We do provide firewood. All fire pit use is at the whim of Oklahoma fire bans. We will let you know whether we think a fire pit will be an option at your wedding which is subject to change at any time.

S’mores stations and grills can be set up by your caterer with the proper equipment and should be discussed ahead of time with our venue manager. 

FIREARMS 

Firearms are allowed on property but please adhere to all local, state and federal firearm regulations. Law enforcement will be called if legal regulations are not adhered to. Absolutely no shooting of firearms at any event or hunting on the property. Your event will be immediately canceled without refund and law enforcement will be contacted.

FORCE MAJEURE

If Summerhill Ranch is unable to perform the services in this agreement due to a fire, or other casualty, strike, act of God, or other cause beyond the control of the parties, then the client and management shall in good faith, find alternative dates for the event. If alternative dates are not possible, management shall return the deposit to the client, but shall have no further liability with respect to this agreement. In the event the management fails to perform for any other reason, the management shall not be liable for any amount in excess of the total fee. 

Summerhill Ranch may assign its rights and obligations to a party who purchases part or all of the venue and will transfer the deposit and contract obligations to the new party. 

Management will not be liable for failure to perform this agreement due to unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances such as catastrophe, war, acts of terrorism, government regulations, disaster, weather, strikes, civil disorder, covid related restrictions, or other emergencies. 

SPECIAL NEEDS ACCESS

If any of your guests can not walk up to our Serenity Grove venue, a car will be allowed to drive as close as possible to the ceremony spot. The car will then need to be parked back in the designated parking lot and not allowed on any non-driveway areas. No transportation will be provided by Summerhill Ranch. The interior venue spaces in Summerhill Ranch may be difficult to navigate due to countryside terrain. Please contact us for any specific questions or accommodation requests. 

HEATERS
We provide heaters in the winter months for guest use. Please confirm with our venue manager if you are wondering if the heaters will be out during your stay.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

Our team will work with you to determine a rain plan well in advance of your event date. Should rain or snow prevail on your event date, we will work with you to move your event to an indoor space if possible. Though we wish you a wonderful stay with wonderful weather, it cannot be guaranteed. No refunds will be given in the event of inclement weather, lack of snow, or poor skiing conditions.

If there is a tornado watch in effect in Delaware County during your event, you may reschedule without penalty. If there is a tornado warning in Delaware County during your event, your event will be rescheduled without penalty.

INSURANCE 

All wedding and large event clients are required to obtain a general liability special event insurance policy covering the event with limits of no less than $500,000 per occurrence, $1,000,000 aggregate. 

All insurance policies must name the following entities as additional insured: 

• Summerhill Ranch: 31761 South 605th Road, Grove, Oklahoma 74344

• Bondurant Investments LLC: 22777 North MacArthur Road, Edmond, Oklahoma 73025

Insurance may be obtained through your choice of carrier. The client must provide proof of insurance two weeks following booking. Failure to do so will entitle management to terminate this agreement and retain the total deposits paid. This will also result in the forfeiture of your event date. Below are a few insurance providers: 

• www.wedsafe.com

• www.theeventhelper.com

• www.eventsured.com 

KITCHEN ACCESS 

Our venue fee includes access to at least one kitchen for your professional catering team ONLY. Our kitchen access is provided for STAGING and not cooking. Our commercial kitchen comes equipped with a regular refrigerator with freezer, shelf space, and many cooking utensils that we are happy to share. No caterers, friends or family members can cook in our kitchen. The use of our kitchen must be reserved prior to your event date and unless you’ve reserved it, the doors will be locked. This includes access to our refrigerator, ice maker, or dishes so please plan accordingly. 

LODGING 

We have lodging accommodations for 26 people in 8 rooms. When requesting lodging, a two night lodging package is required unless otherwise determined by our event staff. Event clients will be presented with one invoice for the entire event.  Wedding/Event lodging is price separately from other guest lodging. Review the website for pricing options.

Check in time is at 2pm on the day of arrival and check out time is at 1pm. For this reason, we HIGHLY recommend you scheduling your lodging check out day TWO days after your event to allow for a relaxing post-event morning. There is no daily maid service. 

For more information on lodging amenities, please visit our website at mysummerhillretreat.com.

LOST & FOUND 

We hope that none of your guests leave anything at the event, but if they do, have them email us at summerhillranch@gmail.com. Any personal items (not including decorations) that are left at your event will be held in our lost and found at the front desk for two weeks following the event.

MAILING 

Guests should not mail any items to Summerhill Ranch and there is no guarantee of availability for pick up or holds. 

NOISE 

Noise should be kept to a minimum past 10pm outdoors and 9pm indoors. That means no screaming, partying, playing music, etc past these times. We will work with you to establish a reasonable noise level. Let’s respect our neighbors! 

PETS 

Pets are allowed in your room, both ceremony sites, and outdoors, NOT inside the Sanctuary. No pets are allowed on any furniture or bedding. Please plan accordingly. They must be on a leash at all times outside. We have livestock at the ranch and the livestock should not be disturbed by your dog. You must clean up after your dog outside – no exceptions. If they bark excessively, you will be asked to leave. We HIGHLY recommend using a crate for any pets left alone in the rooms to avoid damage or mess that could result in a deduction from your damage deposit. You may utilize Ye Ol’ Chicken Coop as a dog run area. Bottom line is don’t bring your dog unless it is well-trained and easy to be around.

POWER 

We cannot guarantee adequate electric at our outdoor sites. Most vendors, including DJs, will provide a quiet generator exactly for this purpose. Please ask any specific questions as needed.

At the reception site, we should have adequate electricity for all your needs, but if you’re having an espresso bar or other things that use a lot of power, please tell your venue manager and coordinator so we can talk about any special power needs ahead of time. We have a small supply of extension cords, but it’s a good idea to bring your own! 

PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS 

Summerhill Ranch assumes the right to make any changes and/or improvements to the grounds or structures without the consent of the client. 2024 is slated to be a major renovation year, but any changes will be communicated to the guests as early as possible and all construction will be scheduled around events as much as possible. Should any major construction impede your event, necessary adjustments shall be made at the sole discretion of Summerhill Ranch staff. 

PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE LODGE 

Summerhill Ranch is not open to the public.

REHEARSAL 

You are welcome to schedule a rehearsal at either ceremony site at the time of your choosing as long as it is arranged ahead of time to ensure there are no other event conflicts. We ask that you limit the rehearsal time to one hour and only include the persons absolutely necessary. Please do not set up any decorations prior to your scheduled event dates and times. 

REFRIGERATION FOR LODGING GUESTS

There is a refrigerator in each house you can use during your stay dependent on your event package. Coolers likely make the most sense for drinks to allow space in the fridge for other foods.

SET UP & TEAR DOWN FOR EVENTS

Summerhill Ranch team will set up and arrange our provided chairs and tables according to how the client would like them arranged - decided upon at least 2 weeks before the event. Suggested table and chair layouts will be provided for both the ceremony site(s) and the banquet hall. Please note that our outside furniture is meant to be used outside, and our indoor furniture indoors. Please do not take our indoor furniture outside! Likewise, please do not move our house furniture or tables. If you need something moved, just ask us! We’re happy to adjust certain areas to fit your needs. 

The client is responsible for the set up and tear down of all decorations, florals, place settings, etc. and will either need to do it themselves or hire someone to do so. Due to insurance restrictions, Summerhill Ranch does not supply any ladders or dollies. All rented equipment delivered to and used by the renter in connection with the event is the sole responsibility of the renter. All equipment must be removed from the venue at the completion of the event time unless otherwise arranged prior to the event date.

Ideally all your decorative items should be brought in and removed the day of your event. 

Please leave our event spaces as you found them. Although we don’t expect you to wipe all the tables or vacuum the floor, we do expect that there will be no damage, furniture will be back where you found it, decorations will be cleared out, and our spaces will be left tidy! 

SMOKING & DRUGS 

NO SMOKING is allowed in any inside space at Summerhill Ranch. That means vape, marijuana, and tobacco. The ONLY designated smoking areas at our venue is 30 feet from our doorways in the parking lot. 

NO SMOKING of any kind is allowed at our ceremony sites. This is Oklahoma and forest fires are a real and present danger. This is a non-negotiable rule. 

If a guest smokes (including vape) inside, you may be subject $500 cleaning fee. 

Any form of illegal drugs anywhere on property is prohibited.

STAFFING 

Our venue manager will serve as your primary contact before, during, and after your stay. Our venue manager will be present for your entire event contract or will provide other staff for times she is not on property. 

That being said, any of the Summerhill Ranch staff will be happy to help you with any questions you have during your stay. Our team is busy and frequently out and about, but you can contact us at (405) 519-0720 either by call or text.

TIMING

Event guests may only be in the venue spaces during the times in which they are contracted. Any access outside of these hours including rehearsals, tours, walkthroughs, etc. must be requested prior to guest arrival. Please see the section on rehearsals to schedule your one hour included rehearsal time! 

If the client prefers to have additional time for a dinner or set up the day before the event (or earlier than the scheduled venue access time), then the customer must reserve the venue space for a second day in order to ensure the venue and staff are available. 

Last call for alcohol will be no later than 10pm and all party activities (including but not limited to music, dancing, send off) must be completed by no later than 11pm. The last hour is reserved for tear down and clean up. All personal or rented items MUST be removed from the ceremony site, lobby area and banquet hall prior to 12:00am. Events not cleared from the event spaces by 12:00am following the event will forfeit 100% of the security deposit. 

Feel free to consult our recommended timeline for a smooth flow of what usually works the best in our space. 

TOURS & WALKTHROUGHS

We provide complimentary tours prior to booking your event and walk-throughs after you are on our calendar. However, these tours and walk-throughs MUST be scheduled ahead of time to allow our staff to be on property to provide access to any needed areas. 

TRASH 

Trash disposal is included in your vendor fee. Please take all trash after your event to our bins located on the east end of the entrance outside the gate. It’s VERY important that you break down any boxes before you put them into the bin as our trash only gets taken out once a week and we want to leave room for any catering food waste! 

VENDORS

We are a flexible venue and do not require you work with any specific vendors. That being said, you must hire licensed and insured professionals to use our space. A list of all event vendors must be submitted to the venue manager at least 2 weeks prior to the event date. We also suggest that if they have never worked in our space that they schedule a walk-through with us prior to your event so we can show them the details and make sure they are aware of our policies. 

WIFI
Our WiFi is free for guests, and they are expected to use this access fairly and appropriately. The internet access is intended for general use such as email, messaging, or social media. It is not intended for heavy media streaming or extensive downloads or uploads. Access to illegal activity or the use of our network for illegal activity is prohibited and will be reported to local authorities. Should you need to work during your stay we recommend you go to one of the awesome Grove coffee shops for a more reliable and quick connection.