Common FAQs   

Below, you’ll find all our FAQs and a few you might not have thought of yet!

If you read our FAQ page, you’ll essentially have read the contract in layman’s terms. Like our public Pricing and Open Dates, our FAQ is extensive as we pride ourselves on transparency.

VENDOR QUESTIONS

  • See our most loved and trusted Recommended Vendors HERE. Listed vendors have consistently received 5-star reviews from our SCR couples and us personally, trusting they are great to work with!

    You can use any vendor you’d like except Catering and Bar - which must come from our Exclusive List of Catering and Bar Options.

    You wouldn’t believe the fantastic catering options in Graham, TX, and the PK Lake area. See our Exclusive Bartenders and Caterers list, sample menu, and price breakdowns HERE. You can host a lovely meal for 150 guests at SCR for around $3000; customized and more elaborate options are available for under $5000.

  • Yes, a great perk of SCR is the renter can purchase the Alcohol, but Exclusive Barenders must serve all alcohol--guests cannot BYOB.  

    No alcohol may be served in glass containers.  

    The bartender-to-guest ratio of 1 to 75 will provide efficient service. If a single bartender is required, a ratio of 1 to 50 or lower is recommended depending upon whether it is beer, wine, soft drink service, or full bar service. We require you to hire two bartenders for all weddings with over 80 guests. 

    No alcoholic shots can be served at SCR during the rental period.

    Our advice: order your alcohol from Specs. You can return unopened alcohol after your wedding. Estimate 2 drinks per person for the first hour and one for every hour afterward. This is a good average for the people drinking more and the ones not drinking. Ask your planner/coordinator/bartenders for their advice as well. 

  • SCR couples must arrange Security through Officer Jay Hutchens at (940) 229-9496.  ~$65/hr

    Events Must Hire Security:

    1 security guard up to 150 guests

    2 security guards for 150+ guests

SCR FACILITIES QUESTIONS

  • The Barn is open-air with three oversized big front doors, men’s, women’s, and handicap bathrooms (all three AC/heat controlled), and a bridal suite with a private full bathroom. The central Barn area for receptions/ceremonies is 60 ft by 80 ft, and the central area under the chandeliers is 30 x 46’ – a typical dance floor for 200 guests is 16 x 20’, so rest assured there is more than enough room for a large dance floor, band, catering, etc. You can also use the large front patio to host a cocktail hour, games, lounge, photo booths, food trucks, and more.

    Summer months are capped at 150 guests, and the ceremony can start no earlier than 1.5 hrs before sunset.

    SCR’s Max Guests Limit is 200 for the remainder of the year.

  • Of course, they are the guests of honor! But we do have a few stipulations. Dogs must be on a leash, and someone must be responsible for them other than the bride and groom. All waste must be disposed of in the dumpers. What about other animals? We welcome beer burros, party llamas, and the like, but they are NOT allowed under a roof, near food, or the patios.

  • Inside the Barn where the central dance floor area under the chandeliers can easily accommodate 200 seated guests for a ceremony and is a beautiful rain plan, or first plan, for that matter!

    See photos of that option here. Once the ceremony is over, the ceremony chairs under the chandeliers are moved to the tables in the wings, and voila—dance floor!

  • No. SCR provides a breathtaking venue, tables, upgraded wedding chairs, vintage décor, and more time than any venue we’ve ever seen.  You will want to purchase or rent linens and any decor you wish. Most catering has options to add on tabletop rentals, linens, and more.

  • We have weddings year-round, with 5-star reviews across the seasons.

    Winter Weddings - Warm and cozy! Our overhead heaters (installed in the ceiling on the sides of the main barn area) and the heavy insulation keep the barn perfectly cozy for winter weddings.

    Summer Weddings - Main barn is GETTING A/C by end of fall 2024!

    We love our summer weddings, but ceremonies must 1) take place on our shaded Creekside Patio and 2) start no more than 1.5 hours before sunset.

    The bridal suite downstairs, bathrooms, and kitchen are all A/C & Heat controlled.

  • Our gravel parking lot can host 50 vehicles, though we encourage carpooling. There is a winding sidewalk from the parking lot to the Barn.

  • No, you have SCR all to yourself.

    For Sunday events, the Weekend Package ends Sunday morning before your Sunday time begins. There is no overlap.

  • We have on-site lodging options! Read more here.

    See a list of other great lodging options at the bottom of the page.

    SCR is 6.5 miles outside Graham, and PK Lake is in our backyard. There are a dozen great resorts, cabins, hotels, and BnBs within 10-30 minutes of SCR for guests to enjoy the weekend.

  • Yes! We have Starlink Internet but we are not responsible for outages or breaks in coverage (we can’t control the satellites)

BOOKING QUESTIONS

  • We require a signed rental contract and 1/3 of the package to reserve your date.  We also need a credit card on file for damages collected two weeks before the event. 

    All packages can be paid via our payment plan: 1) first package installment due one week after sending the invoice, 2) second package installment due 9 months before the event, 3) third installment due 3 months before the event.

    Start the process by requesting a tour time.

  • A tour is required as we’ll make a special trip just for you. Fill out our tour request form for time options.

  • Pricing Page for our seasonal rates and what’s included in our Weekend Wedding packages or single-day options.

    The vintage wedding décor included can be seen here. Please plan on having help you move items--we are not responsible for moving/setting up --that's why you have the extended rental time.  Renting just a few items would easily cost you $500-$2000 from a rental company. 

  • So glad you asked; we have found that couples should understand their guest count and budget before coming onsite for a tour. An $18K+ budget is a good starting place for most SCR Weekend Package weddings. It's not impossible to have a small budget, but it would be on the upper end of that range and higher. So many variables make major differences in the budget; I like this easy wedding budget calculator.

    Your guest count is your number one influence on your budget.

    We have had some creative couples with smaller guest lists and summer/winter dates host beautiful weddings with much smaller budgets. We have had several lovely events here, spending significantly more than the average.

    If you can’t see yourself getting married anywhere else, but those numbers aren’t working for you, our Sunday weddings are just as wonderful and hard to beat price-wise! A Sunday wedding is affordable and stunning!

  • Because we only host one event, the price does not change whether you hold your ceremony, reception, or both at SCR.

  • SCR only takes checks.

  • Yes, we provide a $300 credit for SCR add-ons (tables/chairs, heaters, etc.) for brides/grooms who serve in our armed forces, first responders, or missionaries. This only applies to Weekend Rentals.

PLANNING QUESTIONS

  • See details for our amazing In-House Coordination as an add-on option to your wedding.

    We don’t hover!

    With our packages, on-site staff is not included. We will stop in at two points to check on contract compliance (you probably won’t even know we were there). We require a pre-wedding safety and facility guide tour to ensure your point person is well-informed.

    Download this helpful list of to-dos, with specific SCR reminders, to kick-start your planning here.

  • No keeping up with emails! Welcome to your SCR WEDDING WORKSPACE.

    Once you’ve filled out the Tour Request page, you can log into your Wedding WorkSpace; this is like a private website where you can find everything I’ve sent you in one place.

    Once booked, this is where your invoices, contract, and all the files and photos I send you are stored. As well as the vendor list etc. -- anything I send you.  

  • See our Open House details on our Facebook Page

  • We always recommend you prioritize the sunset! Especially for outdoor ceremonies. So we recommend having a start time of 1.5-2 hrs before sunset (sunset calculator) to give you that glow plus time for photos.

    A planner/coordinator will help you perfect it, or ask your photographer for another excellent resource for your specific date and ceremony location.

    If you have a first look, your ceremony start time can be later; if you do not, it needs to be earlier to accommodate a more extended portrait session after the ceremony.

    Summer weddings should have ceremonies starting no earlier than 1.5 hours before Sunset — this means summer weddings have a late start and are generally late-night events.

  • The Grove is directly in front of the barn and has an outlet, as does the Creekside Patio.

    There is no power at The Hill Top; a generator would be required to power anything at this ceremony site.

  • There have been times when we’ve allowed a special rental drop-off earlier than Friday, but that depends on many factors that can’t be determined until about four weeks before the event.

    If we do not have an event on Sunday or Monday, we do allow our preferred vendors to pick it up on Monday.

  • The 60” round tables seat up to 8 guests maximum.

    See Layouts Guide HERE

  • We require the final headcount 30 days before the event — included in our couples SCR Planning Sheet which is always due 30 days before the event.

    PS, we do not believe you should be planning your wedding or worrying over guest count for the month of your wedding. Send out your invites early and ensure your RSVP deadline is at least 40 days before the wedding - you’ll thank us!

SETUP & DAY-OF QUESTIONS & RESTRICTIONS

  • Outside food and drink are permitted before the ceremony, essentially when you are getting ready! But, once guests arrive no BYOB, etc.

    Please, no drinks in glass bottles. 

  • Prohibited: Birdseed, glitter, confetti, balloons, lanterns, faux flower petals, and pyrotechnics are not permitted on site.

    Any other décor prone to fly away and become liter is prohibited. We cherish our wildlife and want no litter that could harm them.

    No outdoor fires or candles (e.g., at the ceremony site).

    Candles are allowed if the flame is wholly contained in a candle holder. No open flame at all is permitted outside.

    No fireworks or fires, but sparklers on the front patio are welcome.

    The Mirrors & All Light Fixtures are permanent & cannot be moved.

    No alcohol or non-alcohol may be served in a glass. Guests often end the night with no shoes, and we want to protect their feet (and kids)! 

    Do not hang wedding dresses from chandeliers. Be respectful of SCR’s vintage elements; our chandeliers are authentic, not shipped in a box from China, and will break. And they can’t be replaced. 

    Furniture in the bridal room can NOT be moved to other areas of the barn/outside. Everything as SCR is loved and has a family history with us, so please be respectful!

  • Yes, for those with Weekend Rentals, you can designate a representative and a time when guests can pick up vehicles during a time window.

    We recommend having the DJ announce (twice) the window when you’ll have someone onsite to open/close the gate.

  • Bride, April 2023

    “Sparrow Creek Ranch was wonderful to work with their attention to detail in how they take care of their venue is very helpful for the organized bride. Kalli has everything laid out for you including times, dates, decorations, and more. The weekend package was a must for our big guest count, we had plenty of time to set up on Friday for our Saturday wedding. We planned for around 250 people and were nervous if everyone would fit but it was perfect with plenty of dancing space. We decided to have catering inside the boxcar room and that was one of the best decisions we made. My husband and I got married on the hilltop, it was the best day we could of imagined, beautiful and I wouldn't change a thing about our day.”

  • Bride, 2021

    My husband and I got married at SCR in December and I cannot say enough good things about it. First off, Kalli is the best! Before booking and during the whole planning process, she was so helpful and responded very quickly with any questions I had. Kevin and Allen were also SO helpful! We had our ceremony at The Grove in front of the barn and it was so beautiful. They have multiple different options for ceremony spaces, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Every angle of the property is absolutely breathtaking, so you will not be disappointed with your photos no matter where you take them! We drove over 6 hours to get married here so we weren’t familiar with the area, and we were not disappointed with any vendors we used off that list! We got SO many compliments and people still talk about how beautiful the venue was to this day. I still get so sad knowing it’s all over.. It truly was a dream come true, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to get married. Sparrow Creek will always hold a special place in my heart ❤️ I’m thinking we just might have to go back to renew our vows!

  • Bride, November 2022

    This venue is beyond words can describe, it’s the perfect location to get married. The scenery is gorgeous, the family that owns and BUILT the barn is so sweet. Kali answers any questions you have and provides a vendor list of recommendations, which we used a lot of. The have decor that you are welcome to use. It was a perfect day for our wedding!

  • Bride, July 2021

    “My husband and I got married at SCR in July of this year! It was a beautiful time! We had many of our own decorations, but I didn't have to try too hard with my decor due to the beauty of SCR. Kallie did an amazing job with helping me stay organized, communicating with me, and answering all of my questions. This venue was a perfect meet in the middle for both sides of our family and friends! I wouldn't have changed a thing about this venue. It was a dream come true! It is such a special place!”

  • Bride, February 2023

    What an absolutely magical wedding venue! I booked Sparrow Creek Ranch out of state and was so happy when I saw it in person, it was better than the photos. Wouldn’t have changed a thing, the barn is oozing romance and warmth and love. Plus, everything was laid out for us and as stress-free as possible. Thank you so much!

  • Photography, Astone Photo + Design

    The Barn at SCR is the most amazing venue with the most amazing and helpful team. Their attention to detail and personal care for every couple and every single vendor is what sets them apart from other venues! With a warm, rustic feel and bright natural light shining in, they are unbeatable when it comes to their unique style. You will love spending your entire most special day at their venue.