Policies

Following the booking of an event, the Guest is provided with two additional visits to the facilities at no additional charge in order to meet and consult with vendors.  Each of the visits must be scheduled no less than ten days prior to the date of request.  The visits shall not exceed 90 minutes per appointment.  Should the guest have need of additional consultations on the property, there will be a charge of $75 per ninety-minute block of time.

1. SERVICE POLICIES: All events are subject to the following Service Policies applicable to the Event and the Site at all times material hereto:

a.  Sampson's Hollow LLC is located in a residential community.  The Site is very private and secluded, yet there are homes and other businesses in close proximity to the Site.  Thus, a 10:00 p.m. curfew applies to all events, including weekend packages.   Noise levels, including music and sound must comply with this "good neighbor" policy and may be regulated by members of our staff if deemed in noncompliance of the policy;

b. Contractor shall not supply table linens, as these are the sole responsibility of the Customer; (unless our catering services are used)

c. Clean-up of the site is the responsibility of the guest unless that service has been included or added to the purchased package.  Customer must clean-up the Site and all facilities used in connection with the Event as instructed by Contractor, or Contractor will charge $100 per 1/2 hour required to clean the same which shall be added to the Contract Sum.  Sampson's Hollow will provide trashcans, trash bags (not to exceed 6 ), and will dispose of bagged trash;  Outside caterers must provide their own garbage bags, paper towels, dry towels and all kitchen-related equipment
and supplies.

d. The customer will have the choice of utilizing the dressing room located in the upstairs loft of the barn or in the one-bedroom cabin provided that the Cabin is purchased as part of a package or booked separately.  Additional restroom facilities are available in the barn.  The use of the loft is restricted only to the time of the actual Event and to those members of the bridal party who will be using the loft for dressing; this also includes weekend packages.  Subject to the terms hereof, for weddings only said barns half-loft may be used by the bridal party, as needed, for dressing and/or for the bride to toss the bouquet or to enter/exit during the ceremony.  It is not available for overnight lodging.  The loft is also not to be used for the entertainment of children or to leave children to watch television unless a childcare service has been added to the purchased package. 

e. In order to maintain the rural and primitive appeal of the Site, the bridal parties and/or guests of Customer must use only wildflower seeds or bubbles to "send off" the wedding couple.  Depending on use and season of year, sparklers (but no further or other fireworks) may be permitted with prior written approval of Contractor or its property manager.  If the Contractor grants approval of sparklers, the guest is responsible for the supervision of minors and for clean-up of the property following the use of any materials. 

f. Customer agrees that neither Contractor nor its officers, agents, family members and other representatives shall be at any time responsible and/or liable for any damages, loss, loss of property (including bodily or personal injury) as may be incurred by Customer and its guests while using any aspect of our the Site, the adjoining property and/or any facilities or adjoining areas of the farm that may not intended for general use by the public resulting in whole or in part by reason of Contractor's act or omission;

g. Customer agrees that neither Contractor nor its officers, agents, family members and other representatives shall not at any time be responsible or liable for any type of inclement weather, any act of nature, outdoor sounds (e.g., cows mooing, dogs barking), natural occurrences (flooding), or any other type of event that might occur prior to or during a scheduled Event, and that the Contract Sum will not be adjusted in respect of the same.

h. If the event is a wedding, the Guest must have a designated Wedding Coordinator or Director. A member of our staff may be hired to provide this service if Guest does not have a Wedding Coordinator or Director available.  It is strongly recommended that this be an experienced person who can monitor and supervise all activities on the day of the wedding.  It is not always the best choice to use immediate members of your family or friends, as it does not allow for the fullest enjoyment of the event.  The designated individual must contact the Sampson's Hollow representative and discuss details of the event/ceremony seven days prior to the date of the event.

If you opt not to use one of our wedding coordinators and choose to use someone else, please read and sign the supplement regarding the role, responsibilities and importance of a wedding coordinator for your event at Sampson's Hollow. We strongly encourage the use of one of our wedding coordinators as each one is experienced with the various options of using our property, including decisions and an action plan in the event of poor weather.

If the guest decides to forgo the services of our coordinators, it will be the responsibility of the guest to move and rearrange the setting for the ceremony site in the event of last minute decisions regarding rain
(bad weather). 

2. GENERAL PROCEDURES:

a. Contractor will not require Customer or its guests to choose from a recommended list of vendors.  However, Customer and its guests are required to submit a list of the vendors that will be used for the event at least two (2) weeks prior to the Event.  Business vendors who will be supplying services at the Site are required to provide proof of liability insurance to Contractor prior to the event.

b. If Customer books the Site for a single day/evening Event, including Sunday afternoon events, then Customer and its vendor(s) must use only the contracted timeframes set forth above for set-up and assembly, and Contractor must be advised in advance as to the same at least two (2) weeks prior thereto. 

c. Rehearsal times may not be available to Customer at the Site's Location on the afternoon/evening prior to the day of the Event.  In order to assure that the afternoon/evening prior to the event is available, Contractor recommends that Customer and its guests reserve additional time at an extra charge or book at least a two-night package. 

d. Customer agrees that Contractor's nature trails through the woods at and adjacent to the Site shall be used at the personal risk and liability of Customer and its guests.  Customer further acknowledges that Contractor will suffer damages if its nature trail and woodland areas are not protected or used as required herein, and Customer shall be liable to Contractor for all damages sustained to the Site including all facilities, all natural conditions found thereupon including all wildlife, woodlands, habitats, plant and animal life of every kind whatsoever.  Customer agrees that Contractor shall not be responsible or liable for any injury that might occur while hiking or exploring on the nature trails or woodlands whether naturally occurring or otherwise. 

f. Children are welcomed at any event of Contractor.  Customer agrees that in the interest and safety of children that children shall be supervised and furthermore, that children shall not explore alone the woodland and water areas comprising the Site or adjacent thereto.  Children are not allowed in the cabin or loft without personal supervision of parent or designated adult.  Children may not be left to watch television in the cabin without supervision of an adult. Sampson's Hollow features the use of antiques, collectibles and family heirlooms that are rare, costly and impossible to replace.  We ask you to help us to maintain the heritage of our family. 

Children must be supervised at all times. 
Damages caused to the property by children of guests will be charged to the client. 

g. Customer agrees that its caterers and/or food service providers shall use the facilities and/or food service areas found upon the Site subject to the verbal or written instructions of Contractor.  All equipment and utensils must be properly cleaned and put away prior to the end of the event, and all refuse and trash must be picked up and bagged, or Contractor will charge $100 per ½ hour required to clean the same which shall be added to the Contract Sum.  Members of our staff will dispose of bagged trash at no additional charge.

h. The average capacity within the barn, including the covered front porch and parlor area is approximately 75 – 135 persons depending on use of space and allocation of seating.  The front yard can be used to seat additional guests.  Tents may be used, set up and arranged by a member of Contractor's staff.  The cost of the tent will depend on the number of persons required to assemble and disassemble the same, as well as the size and style of the tent.  Additional tables and chairs may also be rented at an additional charge.

i. Contractor agrees to arrange for the use of a horse and carriage if requested in advance by Customer for an additional charge.  The price for this service will depend on the type of carriage, number of horses, and amount of time requested.  Due to the popularity of this service, Customer understands that availability may be limited and agrees that all bookings in respect of the same must be made in advance.  The horse and carriage are contracted through Echo Brooke Farm and the service cannot be canceled due to inclement weather.  As long as the weather is not producing lightning or hail, the horse and carriage will be at the appointed time of the contracted event. 

j. Customer agrees that all and any damages, repairs, or other costs incurred by Customer's use of the Site, its facilities or adjoining property (ies), as determined in the sole opinion of Contractor, shall be the responsibility of Customer and the Contract Sum shall increase in a corresponding amount.  Customer acknowledges that all of its decorations must be approved prior to the Event, and that Contractor must also approve any use of sparklers, candles, or lanterns a minimum of seven days prior to the event.

 Should the bride and/or groom have use of the cabin for overnight accommodations prior, during/ or following the wedding and/or reception, the cabin is for their use only.  The cabin may not be used to extend the party or celebration as the occupancy of the cabin is limited to a capacity of 3 guests.  Should this rule be abused or ignored, the guest will be billed at $300.00 per hour for using the property for entertainment purposes rather than for the overnight accommodation it is intended to be.  Smoking in the cabin is not-allowed and should the cabin smell of cigarette smoke or cigarette ashes or remains found within the cabin or on either porches, the guest will be charged a fine due to the additional cleaning which will be required to fumigate and eliminate the smell from the structure (curtains, couches, linens, comforter, etc).

3. If the guest wishes to serve wine or champagne, a separate policy must be completed, signed and implemented; details are listed in the Alcohol Policy Contract which can be requested at sampsonshollow@aol.com .  The completed contract must be on file with Sampson's Hollow a minimum of four weeks prior to the event date.    We are sorry for the inconvenience, but beer and/or liquor are not permitted on the property.   We have been told by guests that the level of service received from the experienced and trained staff of Sampson's Hollow far exceeds the sacrifice of not having liquor and/or beer at their event.  

More and more guests are choosing not to have alcoholic beverages at their wedding or event due to (1), increased expense of providing beverages,  bartending service and alcohol liability insurance;  (2) increased chance of accident and /or injury which leads to (3), increased risk and liability for the host.  Failure to comply with this policy will result in the confiscation of the unauthorized beverages and possible eviction from property of offending person (s).

4. AMENITIES.

The Contractor will provide the following additional services to the Customer;

a. Valet parking for all guests.   Guests will be asked to leave their keys with a professional member of our staff who will park and secure each vehicle in a safe area on the property.  Each guest will be escorted to the facility by a host or hostess and the guest's keys will remain with the vehicle under staff supervision.  Each guest will have access to his or her vehicle at any time.  This additional service is offered to our guests in order that they may fully enjoy our hospitality and not have to concern themselves with walking to and from the parking area.  Valet parking is strongly encouraged in order that we might maximize the number of vehicles in our parking space and prevent them from appearing in the background of photography of the event.  Please share this information with your guests.  Guests who prefer not to have their vehicle valet parked are required to self-park at our hillside parking area and may choose to either walk down to the property via our nature trail, or to request a ride on one of our chauffeured golf carts

If said event is a wedding;

b. Chilled bottled water.  Guests will be offered a personal bottle of chilled water to take with them to the wedding site.  Water is provided only for the ceremony and not for the bridal party and family members upon their early arrival for pre-wedding activities, or during the reception, unless provided by catering services .

c. Old-fashioned hand fans.   Guests will be offered an individual hand fan for their comfort and use in outdoor ceremonies.  The fans are a token of our appreciation for visiting with us on our family farm.  

5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

 If, for any reason, a guest must cancel their event, the deposit (less 20%) can be transferred to another date within one calendar year of the original date.  

Information about payment methods: 

Payment can be made by personal check, money order or cashier's check and mailed to Sampson's Hollow, 1335 W. Miller's Cove Rd., Walland, TN  37886. 

For guests who wish to use a bank card, we can send a request for payment via Paypal.  There is a 3% processing charge for this service (charged by Paypal). If you will let me know how much you are going to send via Paypal (bank card), I can send you the total amount which will include the processing fee.  Thank you!

Additional questions about our service policies can be directed to one of our staff members at

sampsonshollow@aol.com 

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Beautiful outdoor weddings, garden weddings & wedding reception facility located in the Great Smoky Mountains near Blackberry Farms, Gatlinburg, Townsend and Cades Cove. Choose to have your dream wedding in a wildflower meadow, a pergola arbor, on a rolling hillside or a lush pasture. Wedding ceremony locations are endless at our mountain property showcasing the beauty of an Appalachian homestead. All inclusive wedding packages, reception packages and romantic honeymoon lodging available. Our wedding consultants will help you plan a romantic, memorable wedding and reception in the Smokies!

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