Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL INFORMATION

What is your maximum guest capacity?     Our maximum capacity for dining is 180 indoors and 250 outdoors.

What is the cost to have our wedding at The Lodge?      Pricing ranges from approximately $250 to $400 per person, depending on your guest count and the day of the week your event is held.   Please inquire for a quote specific to your event.

When are tours available?        The Lodge is part of a private residential community and is not open for walk-in visits.  Please fill out our contact form and we’ll respond with a link to book a tour.

Are we able to hold a date?        Yes.  Our HOLD POLICY allows you to place an available Saturday on hold for 5 days, or an available Friday, Sunday, or weekday on hold for 2 weeks.  If another client wants the date you are holding then you'll have 24 hours to decide if you would like to book it.  Likewise if you would like to book a date which is on hold, then the client with the hold has a day to book or release the date.  Please refer to our event calendar for availability: CLICK HERE to see our event calendar with availability

DINING AT THE LODGE

Can we bring in our own caterer? Chef Cordelia Catering is both the venue manager and exclusive caterer for The Lodge, and we cannot allow off-site caterers to operate in our kitchen.  We DO allow offsite caterers for a buyout fee of $32 per person, which includes the use of our furnishings, tableware, and barware.  There is a large flat area in our rear parking lot for your caterer to set up a tented rental kitchen.  Please be aware that our food and beverage minimum will still be in effect. For a catering buyout we would provide all operations staff and service staff, while your caterer would provide their own kitchen staff.                                                 

How do you manage special dietary requirements such as gluten-free, vegan, and kosher catering? We happily design menus that have allergen-free, vegetarian and vegan options. We are also pleased to offer kosher-style catering when requested. This means we use kosher food products and follow basic kosher guidelines such as not serving dairy with meat, and excluding shellfish and pork.  If you are concerned with even small amounts of allergens or other types of foods, please note that we do not have separate kitchens that are used only for kosher, vegetarian, vegan, or allergen-free meal preparation. We therefore cannot assure meals that are completely free of trace amounts or combinations of specific foods.

Do you offer tastings?        We love doing tastings! We hold a monthly Supper Club tasting dinner at The Lodge. This gives couples and their friends and family a chance to not only sample the chef’s offerings, but also to get a better sense of the event space. The evening begins with passed appetizers, then we move into the Ballroom for dinner. We often have flowers by a variety of local florists and may have DJs, musicians, event planners and designers in attendance. Reservations are $75 per person, and up to 4 dinners ($300) will be credited toward your final invoice once you book your event at The Lodge. Alternately, we can do a private, custom tasting for 4 guests for a flat fee of $750.  

CLICK HERE to make a reservation for Supper Club

Can we have food trucks? We do allow food trucks for a “late night snack,” provided they do not need to use our kitchen.  Keep in mind this may reduce the capacity of the lot for guest parking by a few cars.  

Is there a cake cutting charge? Nope – we are happy to cut and serve your cake for you.   You are welcome to bring in your own dessert caterer/pastry chef who would provide your wedding cake or other desserts. 

BOOKING DETAILS

Do we need to use a wedding planner? Yes.  We require that you use a month-of-wedding coordinator, and we highly recommend using a full-service event manager.  We require that your coordinator or planner be present at your final walk-thru meeting, rehearsal, and throughout the duration of your wedding day- from set up to clean up.  We have a list of people whom we work with and love on our Recommended Vendor List, or you are welcome to work with the professional of your choice.     

How much setup time will we have and how long will our event be? Your venue rental includes an 11 hour time window; 4 hours of setup time, a 6 hour event, and 1 hour after your event end time for vendor load out, decor cleanup, etc.  The Ballroom furniture (dining tables and chairs) will be set by the start of your access time, so that your florist and other vendors can get to work right away.  If you need more than 4 hours of setup time, we charge an hourly fee for you to come in earlier.  We cannot allow venue access before 8am.  

We’d like our party to go later - can we add an extra hour? The latest end time allowable is 11 pm on Friday and Saturday and 10 pm Sunday - Thursday. If you’d like to have a wedding longer than 6 hours then we charge a per person fee for additional time, and you would start your event earlier.

What is covered by the Event Fee? The Event Fee covers wear and tear on our furnishings and dishware, and many of the costs associated with offering the event space and with operating a catering business such as liability insurance, worker’s comp, staff training, office personnel, monthly utilities, equipment purchases and maintenance, transportation costs, and other assorted business expenses. The Event Fee is not a gratuity. 

What is the payment schedule? A payment of $5000 is due when you book your date and sign your contract.  This payment is non-refundable and is credited to your invoice.  50% of your remaining balance is then due 60 days prior to your event, with the final balance due 14 days prior to your event, adjusted for actual guest count.          

Why is the first payment non-refundable? The first payment is non-refundable because it covers services rendered and ongoing business expenses including, but not limited to, site tour(s), email and phone correspondence, estimate(s) generated, contract procedure, and company overhead which directly corresponds to the showing and booking of the property and of our services (including business insurance, utilities, salaries and wages to sales and administrative staff, online marketing, printed marketing materials, and our contractual monetary obligations to the property owner Malibou Lake Mountain Club).      

What if our guest count changes between the time we book and our wedding? Your final guest count is due 14 days before your event, and at that time your invoice will be adjusted so that your remaining final payment will reflect your actual guest count.                                                     

We are having our ceremony at another location. How much is it just to have our reception at The Lodge? The venue rate does not change, as we only hold one event per day at The Lodge. Your rental includes 6 hours of event time, so this generally means you are able to have a longer party if your ceremony is off-site.  

Are we able to rent just the Front Porch or the Lawn? We only hold one event per day at The Lodge, so renting one part of the venue is the same fee as renting the whole venue.  

WHAT DOES RENTAL OF THE LODGE INCLUDE?

Can we have our rehearsal at The Lodge? We allow for a 1-hour wedding rehearsal prior to your event day, based on availability.

Do we need to rent dishes, glasses etc. or do you provide them? The Lodge comes fully stocked with classic white china dishware and glassware, for service of up to 250 guests. Our stock of dishware includes dinner plates, salad plates, dessert plates, coffee cups and saucers. Glassware options include the following silhouettes: red wine, white wine, footed water glass, champagne flute, old fashioned cocktail, and collins glass. We also carry an extensive collection of serviceware which may be used for your appetizers, buffet, cake display, and more. There are no fees to use our serviceware, and you may bring in any additional rentals to complement or replace our set if you choose.       

Do you have a sound system? Yes and No. We provide only the 4 speakers needed for outdoor ceremony and/or dining on the lawn. Your DJ or Band will need to provide speakers and sound equipment for your reception indoors in the Ballroom.  

Are there any sound restrictions? As a venue located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, we follow the decibel guidelines and restrictions listed in the Santa Monica Mountains North Area Plan. 

Please see our Sound Map and House Rules for more information.      

Do you offer lighting design? We do carry a set of a set of 9 wireless LED quad-par up-lights Ballroom. We do not offer any other type of lighting design - most couples look to their DJ to provide party or dance floor lighting.

Do you set and clean everything up for us? Our staff will set up all of the items that we provide, such as ceremony chairs, arch, dining tables and chairs, dinnerware, and barware.  You and your vendors are responsible for setting up any décor, florals, custom signage, sound equipment, drapery, photo booth, etc. We also clean up all of our provided items and services. You and/or your vendors are responsible for cleaning up and removing anything else that’s been brought into the space, such as flowers, décor, signage, paper products, candles, etc.

Do we need to rent furniture or do you provide it? The Lodge is fully furnished with 16 farmhouse-style wood dining tables and 180 x-back wood dining chairs. In addition, we offer a set of 4 upholstered gray linen chairs, as well as many other side tables and unique pieces of furniture. Our dining tables are 4' x 8' in size and seat 10 people comfortably. We also have several 60” round banquet tables in stock, which we do not provide linens for.  For your ceremony, we have a set of 200 vintage folding wood chairs and three ceremony arch options.  We do not charge any rental fees for the use of our furniture.  If you’d like to bring in your own furniture, there is a charge for the labor necessary to remove and store our furniture.    

Do you offer linens? We offer classic white linen dinner napkins for $1 each (laundering fee).  We do not keep any table linens in stock.  You are welcome to bring in your own napkins, tablecloths, and other linens from whichever rental company you choose – they are a great way to add color to your table.  

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Do you have wheelchair access? We are an accessible facility.  Access to the Great Lawn is via the path on the east side of the Front Porch, and access to the Ballroom is via the west end of the Front Porch, directly next to the handicap parking space. We also have a handicap accessible bathroom in the Ballroom.  

Can we hold our reception on the Lawn? Absolutely – we welcome outdoor dining. Due to the Santa Monica Mountains noise ordinance we cannot allow any amplified music outside past 8pm, so for an outdoor reception we host dancing in the Ballroom, following dinner.  

Where can we place the dance floor? We offer a white ‘slate’ dance floor in the Ballroom, or you may dance on our hardwood floor.  Generally the dance area will be in the center of the Ballroom, but we will customize this for you when your dining table layout is determined at your Final Details Meeting.

Are lawn games permitted and do you carry them? We love the idea of having Lawn games as part of your cocktail hour or reception. We do not carry any games, but there are quite a few rental companies that offer them and you are welcome to set them up and play them. Please see our Vendor List.  

Is a ceremony arch available for my wedding? We offer 3 arches: a rustic wood beam arch, a black circular infinity arch (also known as a moongate), and a modern gold ring circular arch. You are welcome to use and decorate either arch for your ceremony at no additional charge, as long as you (or your florist) removes all florals, décor, staples, ribbon and/or wire at the end of your event. Our staff will set up the arch and ceremony chairs for you on the day of your event.

How tall is the Malibou Lake entrance arch to the parking lot? The clearance height at the center of the arch is 15’4”. We’ve had many trucks come into the lot with no problem, but if your vendor is worried about their truck fitting, they need to do a site check.      

What is your rain plan? What are the costs associated with it? In the case of rain there are two options:  

1) Hold your ceremony in the Ballroom.  After your ceremony has concluded, our staff would ‘flip the room’ for dining, during your Cocktail Hour.  There is an additional fee for this plan, to cover the extra labor needed.  Depending on your guest count, you may wish to cover the uncovered portion of the Front Porch with a rental tent as well.  

2) You would rent a tent to cover a portion of the lawn for your ceremony.  We do keep track of the weather and will reserve and schedule the tent installation and removal through our preferred vendor, pending your approval.  The typical cost of tenting starts around $2000, depending on size and other factors. 

Can we bring in whichever Vendors we choose? Yes, so long as they provide proof of liability insurance and a signed copy of our House Rules. If your vendor has never worked at Malibou Lake before, we also require that they schedule a walk-through meeting.  We do highly recommend that you work with vendors who are familiar with The Lodge; please inquire for our Preferred Vendor List.

Do you allow children? Yes! Children must be supervised at all times by their parents or by a babysitter.  If you’d like a separate room for children you may use one of the three dressing suites, provided the children are accompanied by a professional babysitter.

Do you allow pets? The wedding couple is welcome to include their dog or cat in their ceremony, provided the pet is leashed or crated at all times. We recommend having a crate or someone designated to take the pet home directly after the ceremony, as pets are not allowed inside the Lodge (with the exception of service animals). Please be aware that there are coyotes, hawks, and even a few mountain lions in the area, so for the safety of the pets themselves we really cannot allow guests to bring them.      

Do you offer a cigar/smoking lounge or area? Smoking is prohibited indoors and outdoors within 50 ft. of any of the entrance doors. Guests are welcome to smoke either on the Lawn or on the uncovered portion of the Front Patio, where ashtrays are stationed for your convenience.

Do you offer valet parking? No, however we do provide a parking attendant to assist your guests in self-parking. You are welcome to contract a valet company for your event if you choose.                                   

Can we have sparklers or smoke bombs at The Lodge? No.  All types of fireworks are illegal to use in our area (unincorporated LA County), as stipulated by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.    

Can we use a drone to shoot footage during our wedding? We do allow drone photography with a few stipulations: the drone may only be flown over the parking lot and Lawn areas, in daylight only - the drone may NOT be flown over the lake or the public road.  As with all vendors, your drone operator will need to provide us with proof of liability insurance and a signed copy of our House Rules.  

MORE QUESTIONS?                                 

Please email us at events@maliboulakelodge.com.  We prefer e-mail over phone calls, as then you’ll have a record of all questions asked and answered, and there is less room for miscommunication.