Venue/Owner History:

What is Unity? Unity is a positive, practical, progressive approach to Christianity based on the teachings of Jesus and the power of prayer. Unity honors the universal truths in all religions and respects each individual's right to choose a spiritual path.

What is Unity Village? Our world headquarters at Unity Village, Missouri, provides a tranquil atmosphere for quiet meditation and a place for all people, regardless of faith or nationality, to worship. The prayer, publishing, education and retreat ministries allow us to provide people around the world with positive spiritual messages of hope, healing, prosperity and peace.  Unity Village is an incorporated municipality, with its own post office and police force.

How many years have you been in business? The Fillmore family, founders of the Unity movement, purchased the land at the turn of the last century and began construction of buildings in 1929. Wedding records go back to the 1980s.

What makes your venue better than another? Our location has to be our biggest selling point, since we are centrally located and easy to find. We also have a good mix of indoor and outdoor ceremony facilities. Our reception pricing is very competitive. We also offer overnight accommodations in our new hotel.

Back to top

Campus Information:

What is the size of the available outdoor space? The Rose Garden and the Bridge of Faith seat 200+, the Amphitheater seats 200+, the Chapel in the Woods seats 200+, and smaller sites are available to accommodate less than 30 guests.

How many parking spaces are available? All facilities offer adjacent parking lots with ample spaces for guests.

How many handicap spaces are there? There are 2-5 spaces at each entrance.

Is there a fee for parking? There is no charge for parking.

What is the indoor venue capacity? The Silent Unity Chapel seats 330, and the Fillmore Chapel seats 150, with about 25 seats having limited viewing.

How old are the buildings? The Silent Unity Chapel was built in 1989, and the Fillmore Chapel, the oldest, dates to 1929.

Are ceiling decorations permitted/provided? Nothing may be hung from the ceiling.

Is the building air conditioned? Both chapels are air conditioned.

Are the facilities wheelchair-accessible? Both chapels and the reception hall are accessible.

Back to top

Permits:

Do you have the necessary licenses and health permits? Yes.

If so, are they available for viewing? All permits and licenses are held by the Unity Inn and are available upon request.

Back to top

Reservations:

What is required to reserve a date? A signed contract and a deposit are due to reserve a date.

What is the deposit amount? Our deposit is 50% of the rental fee for the ceremony site and 100% of the rental fee for the reception site.

Is a written contract required/provided? Yes.

What is the preferred method of submission? Contract and deposit can be submitted in person or by mail.

Does it need to be notarized? No.

How far in advance can we reserve a date? We reserve dates no more than 18 months in advance.

Do you require us to purchase a wedding day insurance policy? No.

What are your refund/reschedule/cancellation policies? Your deposit is nonrefundable. The deposit can be carried over if the wedding is rescheduled. Cancellation of contract must be in writing and will incur a cancellation fee, depending on the number of months from the event.

Back to top

Fees:

What is the rental fee? Bridge of Faith and Rose Garden, $1,300; Silent Unity Chapel, $1,100; Fillmore Chapel, $900; Amphitheater and Chapel in the Woods, $700 each. (All prices are subject to change.)

What is included in the rental fee?  A one-hour rehearsal, three-hour rental of the ceremony site and dressing rooms.

What is the Reception Hall fee? The Reception Hall rents for $900 for four hours.

Are partial payments allowed? Deposit must be paid in full. Partial payments toward the balance can be made prior to the due date.

What forms of payment do you accept? We accept cash, checks, money orders, cashier's checks and all major credit cards.

When is the final payment due? The final payment is due 30 days prior to the event.

Do you require/include any gratuities? We charge a 15% service charge on all specialty rental and catering fees. Specialty rentals include dance floor, additional tables or chairs and centerpieces.

Are there any additional charges? Dance floor, Audiovisual

Back to top

Rehearsal:

When can we schedule our rehearsal? Generally, rehearsals occur the night before the wedding as the Unity master calendar allows.

Is there a time limit? All rehearsals are one hour in length.

Are there any additional costs associated with a rehearsal? No, the rehearsal is included in the rental fee.

Back to top

Setup:

What are the ceremony time slots? Time slots are 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-5 p.m., and 6-9 p.m.

What time can we begin setting up for our ceremony/reception? Setup for the ceremony must take place within your scheduled rental time slot, and reception setup can begin two hours prior to your reception start time.

If the venue is not booked the day before our wedding, can we set up then with no additional charge? No. 

What is your vendor arrival policy? Vendors may arrive two hours prior to your reception start time.

Back to top

Changing Rooms:

Are there bridal/groom's suites? Yes.

Where can the bride/groom get ready/relax beforehand? We offer bridal and groom's dressing rooms for every ceremony site, but many parties also reserve rooms at the hotel for this purpose.

Do you allow food and alcohol in the dressing rooms? Alcohol is not allowed in the dressing rooms. Food in the dressing rooms must be provided by Unity.

Back to top

Outdoor Ceremony:

Are there additional fees associated with this? The Rose Garden and Bridge of Faith, $1,300; The Amphitheater and the Chapel in the Woods are available for $700 each. We provide seating for 200; additional seating can be rented.

Is an aisle runner allowed on the grass? Yes.

Can we use shepherd's hooks along the aisle? Yes.

Can we line the aisle with flower petals? Yes.

Are we allowed to toss flower petals? Yes.

What is the inclement weather plan? We offer a back-up ceremony site with each outdoor location.

How many chairs are available for outdoor use? We have white garden benches that seat 3-4 people each, enough for seating 200 guests.

What is the cost for additional chairs? $3.50 apiece for white wooden chairs, $2.25 apiece for white plastic chairs.

Is chair setup for the ceremony included/additional? Bench and chair setup is included in the price.

Back to top

Outdoor Sound System:

Is a sound system included? We include a portable sound system with an iPod dock at no charge.

Is additional equipment available for rent? Yes, $250 for a sound system with four microphones and a CD player plus an AV technician.

May we use our own setup? Yes.

Are there any noise/music restrictions? No.

Are outdoor musical performances allowed? Yes.

What is available for outdoor electricity? All outdoor locations have electricity.

Back to top

Tables/Chairs:

How many chairs are included or available for the reception? Seating for 300 is included.

What is the cost per extra chair? $3.50 for a white wooden chair, $2.25 for a white plastic chair.

When is the headcount needed? Final guest count is due two weeks prior to the event.

Are wedding professionals included in the count? No.

Are children included in the count? Yes, a special menu/pricing is available for children 10 and under.

Are highchairs available? Yes.

Is chair/table setup included? Yes.

How many tables are included or available? Table seating for 300 and all necessary tables for food and beverage service, DJ, and gifts.

How many round tables and what sizes? 60" round tables are used for guest seating.

How many banquet tables and what sizes? 4', 6' and 8' tables are available, as well as several serpentine tables.

Are table linens/skirting included? Yes. Table linens/skirting are included in the rental fee.

What colors are available? White or black tablecloths are included in the rental price, and colored tablecloths are available at an additional charge. All table skirting is white.

Is there an additional charge? We have specialty linens available at an additional charge.

Are cloth napkins included? Yes. Cloth napkins are included in the rental fee.

What colors are available? A variety of colors are available at no additional charge.

Is there an additional charge? Specialty linens are available at an additional charge.

Are place settings included or available? All of the following items are included for up to 300 guests: silverware, plates, glasses and serving accessories.

What is the charge for a dance floor? A 12'x15' dance floor is $260, and a 15'x15' is $310.

Back to top

Decorations:

Are there any decorations included or available? Twelve-inch mirrored tiles are included in the price. All other table decorations are provided by the client.

What are the restrictions for wall/ceiling hanging? Nothing may be attached to the walls or ceiling.

Do you allow glitter or confetti? No.

Are candles permitted? Candles are allowed at the reception facility only.

What are the restrictions? All candles must be in a glass or metal container.

What lighting is available or included? The reception hall has ample house lighting on dimmer switches.

Back to top

Sound Systems:

What is included or available? Please see below.

Chapel Ceremony—Microphones are included in the rental fee. A CD player with AV tech is available for $120.

Outdoor Ceremony—A portable amplification system with a dock for an MP3 player is included in the rental fee.  Microphones, speakers, and a CD player with AV Tech are available for $250.

Back to top

Outdoor Reception:

Is this a possibility at your venue? Yes, we can host an outdoor reception. Pricing and availability are presented upon request.

Can we rent and install an outdoor dance floor? Yes.

Can we hang “safe” (i.e., nonflame) lanterns in the trees? No.

Back to top

Catering:

Are we allowed to hire our own caterer? We have an in-house caterer to handle all of your catering needs.

Can you accommodate special dietary needs? We have numerous vegetarian menu options and can work with individual clients to accommodate other special requests.

Are we allowed to bring our own alcohol? No, all alcohol must be purchased by and served by our in-house caterer.

Do you allow a cash bar? Yes

Is there a bar area included? The set-up of the bar is included in the price of the liquor.

Is bartender service required? The bartender service is required and is an additional charge of $30 per hour per bartender. One bartender per 75 guests is required.

Are there restrictions for kegs? We serve bottled beer only.

Is outdoor beverage service possible? Yes.

Is coffee, water and iced tea service available? Yes, we offer complimentary coffee, tea and water service in our menu packages.

Is there a fee for bringing a cake? No.

Is there a cake service fee (even if we do a cupcake tower)? Cake-cutting and service is complimentary and included in our menu packages.

Back to top

Staffing:

Does the reservation include a wedding day planner? While Unity has a full-time wedding coordinator and several assistant wedding coordinators and each wedding will have a wedding coordinator available to take care of facility needs, traditional wedding planner or "day of" coordinator duties should be delegated to a trusted friend, family member or hired planner.

What is your staff-to-guest ratio? One coordinator per ceremony, one banquet captain per reception, and a 1:25 server ratio.

What additional staff is available? We have on-call staffing in housekeeping and facilities available.

Does the reservation include a minister? Minister selection is up to the client. We can provide a listing of Unity ministers for you to contact or you can bring your own officiant.

Back to top

Reception Conclusion/Cleanup:

What time must the reception conclude? Receptions must conclude by midnight.

Is it possible to pay to extend the time period? An additional hour may be purchased for $250, but the event must conclude by midnight.

What penalty is there for going over our allotted time? An additional hourly fee of $250 will apply.

Is cleanup included or available? Cleanup is included.

Can cars be left overnight and picked up the following day? Guests who need to leave their vehicles overnight in the Unity parking lot may do so, but they must be aware Unity assumes no responsibility for such vehicles.

What are your policies about leftover food, decorations and miscellaneous items? No food can be removed from the premises after the conclusion of the event due to Health Department regulations. All decorations and other items must be removed at the end of your rental time slot.

Back to top

Miscellaneous:

Are pets allowed on the premises? Only service animals are allowed indoors; pets are allowed outdoors. Leashes are required for all pets.

Is there an additional fee associated with this? No.

Are there any photography restrictions? No one is allowed on railings, balustrades or structures.

Are we able to post a temporary sign at the venue entrance? Yes, but only professionally made, computer-generated signs are allowed.

What are the smoking regulations? Smoking is allowed in designated smoking areas only.

Are there any perks/giveaways offered? A 20% discount on events scheduled Monday through Thursday is available.

Do you have overnight accommodations? Our new hotel has 45 guest rooms and one suite and offers a discounted room rate for wedding guests. We also offer economically priced motel rooms.