COVID-19 Corona Virus

As of July 31, 2020 Gov. Kemp extended the ban on events to 50 people or less with 6 ft of social distancing unit Sept unless it is renewed again.

 

Georgia State Regs: Effective June 16, gatherings of more than 50 people are banned unless there is at least six feet between each person. All Farmhouse reception events will need to be reduced to 25 or less.  All Barn reception events will need to be reduced to 50 guests or less. 

 

As of June 7, 2020

• • The venue will be cleaned and sanitized before every special event, including tables and chairs.

  • Frequent sanitation of commonly used surfaces during special events as well as cleaning of restrooms during special events with EPA approved cleaning chemicals and disinfectant products.

  • Team members will attended Safety, Infection Control, and Sanitation Training

  • We will be asking that all vendors & team members  be screened before working your event. This includes temperature check , before entering the venue.

  • We will require all caterers & their staff to follow strict infection control glove policy: freshly washed hands are for clean surface tasks and touching commonly used surfaces. Chefs and staff will wear black gloves to serve food. Staff will wear white gloves for bussing. Wait Staff  or other vendors may wear face covering and limit contact with guests as much as possible.

  • Hand Sanitizer will be provided for guests, in addition to well stocked restrooms

  • Appetizer and buffet service will be Chef served.

  • Wedding cake and other desserts will be Staff served.

  • Guests will be invited to the buffet by table, to allow for spacing.

  • Place setting will be pre-rolled, so flatware is not exposed

  • Bartender service will allow for distancing.

  • There will be no self-serve beverages & bottle water will be required.

  • Floor plans will be created with additional space between guests.

  • Coordinators will assist with ceremony and dinner assigned seating by family/cohabitating groups.

  • Additional signage will be posted for health, safety, and social distancing protocols throughout venue.

 

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March 15, 2020

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Hi there,

As we prepare to adapt to this ever-evolving situation concerning COVID-19, I’m sure many of you have questions and concerns. I want to take the time to address as many FAQs as I can. First and foremost, I hope your family is safe and healthy.

Current Wedding Couples: We are doing absolutely everything we can to prepare Mountain Laurel Farm to withstand the potential impact and ensure that we are taking extensive precautions to care for you, your family, and this incredibly special time of your life. If your wedding is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks we will be in contact with you shortly if we haven't already and know that you are our top priority and we will do everything in our power to ensure you are taken care of. We have transparent pricing on our wedding page on our website.

Vendors: If you have a wedding scheduled at Mountain Laurel Farm in the coming weeks we will be doing everything we can to notify you of any changes. I promise you, we will try our best to keep you informed as we know that you need to make arrangements as well. You’re an extension of the Mountain Laurel Farm family and our thoughts are with you as well. Please stay safe, we will overcome this together.

Potential Couples: Thank you for your interest in Mountain Laurel Farm. Please know that we are very excited to get to know you more and {hopefully} host your wedding day. At the moment, our attention will be focused on serving our clients whose weddings are most affected by the Coronavirus. Once our clients are taken care of and we have our feet back underneath us, we will be reaching out to you to answer any questions you have and schedule your tour. Please excuse our tardy response. We so appreciate your thoughts and understanding. Stay safe!

Lodging Guests: The health and wellbeing of our guests and our team are our top priority and I want to reassure you of the diligence of our approach. We will no longer be serving breakfast or any food. We have closed the inn until we can catch up on spring maintenance and deal with some of these unusual challenges that we were not expecting in light of this situation such as school closures and the unintended consequences of workers having to stay home to take care of children or help aging parents who are at risk. We will open our airbnb listings back up as soon as we can. So, do check back with us soon.

We are closely monitoring the daily changing Government guidelines and following their instructions accordingly. Although there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the communities we serve as of March 18, we would like to assure you that our team is committed to maintaining the highest levels of cleanliness including sanitation and disinfection.  

Booked Couples who fall within the 8 week mark from March 15:

While events are important to us here at Mountain Laurel Farm, our clients' well-being come first and we are definitely thinking of you and yours during this time. Because your health as well as the health and safety of our team is of the utmost importance to us we will, unfortunately, have to reschedule your wedding date. The CDC has recommended that all events over the next 8 weeks with 50 or more guests be rescheduled/postponed.

UPDATE as of 3/16/2020: During the next 15 days, all U.S. events of 10+ people should be cancelled or held virtually.

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We understand you are likely feeling uneasy and maybe even a little frightened of the unknown centered around the Coronavirus/COVID-19 and the growing social and economical concerns surrounding this evolving news. I’m sure you’re getting questions from family and friends regarding how this situation will be affecting your wedding. We believe strongly in clear communication every day but especially during these unprecedented times. So we wanted to communicate how Mountain Laurel Farm is handling this situation and how it may affect you in an effort to mitigate some concern you may be feeling. 

 

First and foremost, we wanted to let you know we are here for you as a trusted partner and an advocate as we navigate this uncertainty and constantly-evolving situation together. We know this is one of the most important days of your life. You, your family, and your wedding are extremely important to our Mountain Laurel Farm family. 

 

At this time the CDC has recommended all events held during the next 8 weeks that have over 50 attendees be rescheduled and we are working diligently to accommodate the couples who fall within these parameters & time frame first. If your wedding falls after this timeframe, rest assured you have not been forgotten. We will continue to be vigilant and closely monitor all federal, state, and local health advisories and adhering to guidelines appropriately. It is our goal to have a healthy balance of staying informed without letting overwhelm and fear drive our decisions. 

 

Below are some reliable resources and FAQs for you as our treasured client. Please be sure to carefully read all FAQs in their entirety prior to reaching out to us as you might find an answer to your question already listed. 

 

Thank you for trusting us to host such a special day for you. We do not take this honor lightly. We are here if you have any questions. 

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FAQs for Mountain Laurel Farm couples affected by Virus:

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Will Mountain Laurel Farm allow me to reschedule my wedding?

Please rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to make this as seamless of a transition as we possibly can for you and we are here to answer any questions/concerns you may have. 

• Couples can reschedule to a new date that is of equal or lesser value than their original date at no additional cost. We do have limited remaining 2020 dates available and those remaining dates are rescheduled on a first come, first serve basis. 

• New date must be held in 2020. 

• Please note that the day of coordinator may be affected and may not have availability. 

 

We are reaching out to the couples first whose dates fall within the 8 week timeline. Due to limited availability we have to make the remaining dates first come, first serve. So I’d encourage you to talk to your fiance, family, and vendors quickly to formulate a plan and make a decision on a new date in 2020.  We will get those remaining 2020 date options to you ASAP.  Bear with us while we get that to you.  Once we do, please respond with your top 2-3 choices and we will do everything we can to make one of those work. Once your new date has been agreed upon we will send you an addendum/sub-agreement to your original contract to finalize the date. Once signed by all parties this will supersede your original agreement/date.

 

We are truly saddened that the current situation has come to this, however, it is out of everyone’s hands we are trying our best to make the most of it. If there is anything we can do to support you or help you make a decision during this time please reach out. 

 

What is Mountain Laurel Farm’s policy for cancellations? 

We will post this information shortly but this is inside your original contract. No refunds /non-refundable.

 

What if I want to keep my original Wedding date?

We will send you a Waiver of Liability holding us harmless. We will also send you some safety procedures for you and your guests to following during your event. You will need to make sure your other vendors are ok with keeping your original date. We will do all we can do keep your date under the guideline that are set forth by the government or whatever powers that govern the situation.

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If I decide to move forward with my wedding what precautions is Mountain Laurel Farm taking to reduce risk to me, my family, and my guests?

Here's what we are doing to ensure we can protect you as much as possible:

• If you or your guests are not feeling good we ask you to postpone your visit with us until you’re feeling better.

• We will always extend a warm welcome to arriving guests, but for the time being this welcome won’t be accompanied by a handshake or any other physical contact.

• We ask for your help in washing your hands thoroughly as often as possible. Every single member of our team has committed to wash hands thoroughly every 2 hours.

• We are cleaning and sanitizing all touched surfaces i.e. door handles, bathrooms, etc. every 2 hours.

• In The Farmhouse and Barn we are reducing the density of tables with immediate effect, so there is greater distance between you and your neighbors, and we are following the CDC guidelines of no more than 50 people allowed at a time. 

• We are taking the temperature of every vendor & staff member before entering the building and starting work. 

• We will continue to monitor their health closely. Any team member that presents symptoms, however mild, will not be entering.

• Team members will observe the 6-foot distance rule from guests and colleagues as much as possible, as recommended by the government.

• Stocking up your inventory of soap, hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, disinfectants etc

• Having extra hand washing and sanitation stations

• Increasing the frequency of sanitations during events

• All food and beverage staff taking extra precautions to wear gloves

• Increase preventative routines for high traffic areas during events such as door handles, stair railings, restrooms, chairs etc. 

• Replacing any flatware and dinner/beverage service items with disposables in an effort to decrease the potential spread of germs through washing and reuse. 

• We will continue to review and monitor our approach and will adjust our training and communication to the recommendations and advice of the CDC and other relevant public agencies. For the latest information on COVID-19, visit www.cdc.gov/Coronavirus.

We look forward to seeing you soon and always welcome your feedback.

 

Reliable resources for couples to stay up to date on trusted information:

 

CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Current Health Notices

 

CDC: Travel Health Notices - Travel Resources

 

CDC: Resources for Large Community Events and Mass Gatherings - Current Notices Concerning Weddings and Events

 

USTA: Travel and the Coronavirus - Emergency Preparedness and Response for COVID-19

 

WHO: World Health Organization - Advice for the Public to Stay Safe

 

US Department of State - Travel Advisories

 

Most importantly, our thoughts and prayers are with each of you. Please take care of yourself.

 

Stay safe!

Your friends at Mountain Laurel Farm