The Cattle Barn 3-Month Checklist
A complete timeline for couples starting 3 months before their wedding.
Your planning companion
Build your wedding around your priorities, then give each decision a deadline and each task a person.
Use these planning stages alongside your event date and the deadlines in your signed agreements. Confirm included services in your written venue agreement.
Choose the timeline that fits your wedding date. Each editable Word document includes checkboxes and practical steps for planning your celebration here.
A complete timeline for couples starting 3 months before their wedding.
A complete timeline for couples starting 6 months before their wedding.
A complete timeline for couples starting 9 months before their wedding.
A complete timeline for couples starting 12 months before their wedding.
Make these guides your own. Every wedding is different. Download your Cattle Barn wedding checklist as an editable Word document, then add, remove, or adjust tasks and timing to reflect your priorities, traditions, and celebration. Use it as a starting point alongside your venue agreement and vendor deadlines.
Before you commit
Agree on your approximate guest count, total budget, and the three parts of the day you care about most. Tour the venue before assuming how an indoor or outdoor layout will work.
Once your venue and date are settled
Contact your caterer and other key vendors early. Use the same event details when comparing their proposals.
As bookings become plans
Walk through the day from vendor arrival to the last pickup. Put the choices that affect other people into a shared schedule.
Before your vendors’ final deadlines
Replace estimates with agreed counts and written responsibilities. Each supplier may have a different deadline.
In the final week and on the day
Give your vendors and helpers a single current schedule and a short list of who makes which decisions.
Avoid the “I thought you had it” moments
Ask each person or business to confirm its own role. This guide does not imply that a full-service planner is included with the venue.
Set priorities and budget, choose and book vendors, maintain the guest list, and assign helpers. Decide who can approve changes on the day.
Ask Nancy to confirm the spaces, access, included items, approved layouts, and venue requirements in your agreement. Confirm what setup or coordination support is actually included.
Have each vendor confirm its services, equipment, staffing, and deadlines. Catering is separate from venue rental; couples choose and book their caterer. See caterer arrangements.
Outdoor music must move indoors at 10 p.m. All music must stop by 2 a.m. After 10 p.m., noise outside the barn must comply with Kittitas County Code Chapter 9.45, Noise Control. Review the music rule.
Parking is included without an additional charge. See RV and tent camping fees and facilities.
Prepare your catering questions →Use these questions to agree on a plan with Nancy and your vendors; the answers depend on your event layout.
Check the 199-person indoor limit and include venue rental in your full budget.
Check the National Weather Service forecast and WSDOT travel conditions as your date approaches. Ask how heat, wind, or wildfire smoke would affect guest comfort, vendor work, and the decision to use your backup layout.
Quick answers
Agree on your approximate guest count, budget, and priorities, then tour the venue and compare complete written proposals. Confirm the spaces, weather backup, rentals, access, and responsibilities for your event before committing.
Do not assume full-service planning is included. Ask Nancy what support the venue provides in your agreement, and separately decide who will maintain the timeline, coordinate vendors, and make event-day decisions.
Plan seating, cooking, and meal service for your entire guest count. The owner-confirmed indoor capacity is 199 guests; a larger outdoor party cannot be assumed to fit inside. Review your specific layout and any additional rentals with Nancy and your caterer.
Planning timeline · Complete catering guide · Venue information & inquiries →
Your next step
Bring your guest estimate, your date ideas, and the questions that matter most to you.
Your date is secured only after The Cattle Barn receives your signed contract and a date-hold deposit of 50% of the rental rate plus sales tax, and The Cattle Barn countersigns the contract. The deposit is refundable through January 1 of the event year, less a $500 booking fee; it becomes nonrefundable on January 2. The balance is nonrefundable and is due 120 days before your event, together with the refundable $500 damage deposit and sales tax as stated in the contract. If the balance is not paid on time, The Cattle Barn may cancel the reservation without refund and rebook the facility. Damage, additional cleaning and other additional costs are deducted from the damage deposit first; the renter is responsible for any amount exceeding it.
Payments may be made by cash or check. Payments and correspondence should be directed to The Cattle Barn, 1890 Nelson Siding Road, Cle Elum, WA 98922.
Public liability and personal property damage insurance are required at the renter’s expense, with proof due 30 days before the event. The contract requires at least $1 million in single-limit liability coverage and $2 million in general aggregate coverage, naming both St. Eligius, LLC and The Cattle Barn, LLC as additional insureds. If alcohol is served, liquor liability coverage is required. Established catering services may use their license and insurance to cover this liability as provided in the contract. Provide the alcohol permit required by the contract 30 days before the event. Caterers and other vendors must provide their insurance certificates and catering licenses as required by the contract at least 30 days before the event, identifying both entities. Failure to provide the required insurance may result in cancellation without refund under the contract.
Your rental window includes setup, deliveries, cleanup and removal of your belongings and equipment. Return the venue to the same clean condition in which you received it, and return all chairs and tables to their original or designated locations, one hour before the scheduled end time stated in your contract. Rental equipment must be removed immediately following your event, and all loading and unloading must take place within your agreed access window.
Place event and restroom trash in tied, non-overfilled garbage bags in the designated dump trailer. Flatten all boxes and remove all litter from the grounds, including biodegradable materials. Caterers and vendors must remove their own trash, food and kitchen waste and may not use the venue’s garbage facilities for that waste.
For Friday–Sunday morning rentals, the venue must be vacated, cleaned and restored by 8 a.m. Sunday. The contract provides a minimum $1,000 charge plus $250 per hour for late checkout and staff cleaning. Sunday–Monday checkout is 10 a.m. Monday; the contract provides a $100-per-hour late-departure charge. Charges are deducted from the damage deposit first, with any excess owed by the renter.
Obtain approval before rearranging venue furnishings in The Ranch House. Do not use nails, screws, staples, other penetrating items, tape or glue on buildings, structures or the arbor. Do not throw or scatter glitter, plastic or fabric petals, foil, confetti, rice or similar small materials. Candles, sparklers and open flames are prohibited; LED candles are allowed.
All fireworks and pyrotechnic devices are prohibited throughout the property. The existing fire-pit prohibition remains in effect.
Salt and snowmelt products are prohibited because they can damage the barn floors, patios and Ranch House floors. The Cattle Barn will supply sand upon request. Winter conditions may include snow and ice; renters are responsible for planning for their own and their guests’ safety. Damage caused by prohibited materials is charged to the renter.
Your rental is for use of the facility. Event staffing, assistance and event management are not included unless expressly agreed to in a written attachment to your contract. The renter is responsible for managing the event and coordinating guests, vendors, deliveries and collections. Venue staff may not be on site throughout the event.
Additional services beyond the facility rental must be described in a written agreement signed by both parties and attached to the rental contract. Confirm your event arrangements in your signed agreement and any signed attachments.
Payments may be made by cash or check. Payments and correspondence should be directed to The Cattle Barn, 1890 Nelson Siding Road, Cle Elum, WA 98922.
Venue and arrival address: 980 Burke Road, Cle Elum, WA 98922.
The venue is drug-free. Smoking is permitted only at the designated smoking area and is prohibited inside the barn and associated buildings. Renters and guests must behave considerately. Under the contract, management may end the rental and remove guests for disorderly conduct, disparaging remarks or physical violence, without refund of event charges or the damage deposit. Keep people out of landscaped areas and direct children’s play to grass areas.
The facilities are protected by recording video cameras. Venue representatives may enter the premises during your event.
This facility notice is separate from the website’s online-contact privacy information.
Please arrange for your belongings to be collected before departure. The Cattle Barn does not accept responsibility for personal effects or possessions left on the premises during or after an event.
St. Eligius, LLC owns the ranch property and buildings. The Cattle Barn, LLC is a separate entity that operates the event facility. Nancy is the owner and manager of The Cattle Barn, LLC operations.
The Cattle Barn is a working cattle and horse ranch with associated risks. The rental contract contains provisions addressing responsibility for guests, liability, indemnification, damage, collection costs and contract enforcement, including attorney fees and costs. Please review the complete agreement before signing.
Search our approved answers, FAQ and website information for details about planning your Cattle Barn wedding.