Arlington Abbey Policies and Procedures

Our policies and procedures are for your protection as well as ours. We want you to enjoy your event with safety forefront of all that we do. At Arlington Abbey, we want you to have “Your Day, Your Way,” so we make it easy for you to select and coordinate the vendors for your event. You may choose vendors from our Approved Vendors List, or hire your own. Please note that caterers not on our approved list will require an additional cleaning deposit of $200.00. Our staff will coordinate the delivery and set up times with your vendors so that you have one less worry.

Catering – Caterers are required to be completely self-contained. They must bring all supplies needed for the event and leave the kitchen and other spaces as they were found. Trash must be taken out and placed in the proper container. If the container is full, the caterer must remove the trash from the property at the end of the event. The floor of the kitchen and the area in which the food is served must be swept after the event, and any spills mopped up. Caterers must show proof of license and applicable liability insurance. Approved vendors will have this information on file with Arlington Abbey and will update it as required.

Alcohol  Service – Since Arlington Abbey does not sell or provide any food or beverage, you as host, may bring in whatever items that you intend to serve to your guests. The host is responsible for the behavior of all guests and must provide a special event insurance policy in the amount of 1 million dollars naming Arlington Abbey as additional insured. This coverage is easily acquired through your homeowner’s policy or on the open market and is very inexpensive. Proof of coverage must be provided to Arlington Abbey no later than two weeks prior to the event.

All laws of the State of Tennessee regarding the service of alcoholic beverages will be strictly followed. We encourage all guests to drink responsibly and reserve the right to close any beverage station at any time during the event if the rules are not being followed. Any guest who is obviously intoxicated will not be served, and minors may NOT consume alcoholic beverages at Arlington Abbey under any circumstances. Adults giving alcoholic beverages to minors will be asked to leave the event, and risk having the entire event stopped. A list of Bartenders with ABC certification will be made available to our guests. When you select a bartender from our list, we ask that you have payment ready for them, in cash, on the day of the event. Our staff member will give the payment to the Bartender at the end of the event and ensure that all of the rules have been followed. Your ABC certified bartender will set up the bar with the items that you provide. This includes all beverages, cups or glassware, napkins, garnishes, mixers, and ice. We recommend that you bring your beverages already iced down in coolers to be placed at the bar. We do not provide coolers. Your Bartender will also break down the bar and pack up any remaining items to be taken by the client at the end of the event. Our staff will coordinate the delivery of your items. Arlington Abbey staff member in charge of the event has the right to terminate beverage service at any time. When you elect to use an ABC certified bartender who is not on our list, we reserve the right to obtain a copy of their ABC card and to require that they sign our Alcoholic Beverage Policy and agree to follow Arlington Abbey’s procedures, prior to any shift. Bars may not be self serve, and the ABC card must be on file at least one week prior to the event.

Music Policy – Arlington Abbey is located on the edge of a residential neighborhood, so to be good neighbors and not disturb those around us, we require that music be played at a reasonable level of volume.  Music containing profane or demeaning lyrics is prohibited. Our staff members will have the right to turn down or terminate any music played at Arlington Abbey at any time during the event. Music that can be heard outside may not be played after 11:00 pm, per town ordinance.

Set Up and Break Down – Set up and break down times will be clearly noted on your event contract. If a vendor cannot conform to the times as listed we will make an effort to accommodate them whenever possible. Any changes to the contracted set up/breakdown schedule will be at the discretion of Arlington Abbey’s staff. Clients will be asked to sign off on a room diagram, and if changes are required to the set up after it has been completed, there may be additional labor charges added for the changes.

Parking: Parking is available at Arlington Abbey, and also in the Historic Depot Square, just a few steps away. Street parking is allowed, and we ask that all guests respect our neighbors and park safely  For groups larger than 50 guests a parking attendant will help guests park in the proper areas