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The front of Spoonbill Lodge at dusk — a two-story home with three dormers, a standing-seam metal roof, and a covered porch that wraps the front. Lanterns are lit beside the arched front door, and pines stand behind the house.

Small weddings and elopements

Up to 30 guests

Event fee

Thursday to Sunday $1,750
Monday to Thursday $1,250

Other dates on request. Cleaning is $750. Lodging depends on your dates.

The fee covers

  • Tables and chairs for 30, set up where you want them
  • The county Temporary Use Permit. We file it and pay its fee
  • Notice to the neighbors and the fire department
  • Up to 30 people on the property, overnight and day guests together

You arrange

  • Your officiant
  • Your caterer, or your own cooks
  • The cake and desserts
  • Flowers and decorations
  • A photographer or videographer
  • Music or a DJ. Amplified music stops at 10:00 pm
  • Alcohol and a bartender, if you serve alcohol
  • A one-day liability policy that names us. It usually costs $150 to $300
  • A tent or linens, if you want them. You can book them yourself, or ask us to add them to your quote
  • A coordinator, if you want someone to run the day

The lodge is a house, not a full-service venue. We prepare the property and we answer your questions. We do not run the day.

An aerial view of Spoonbill Lodge — the lodge and the guest house under the pines, the graveled drive running between them, and cleared ground on both sides with room for parking, tents, and a gathering.

Ceremony and reception sites

The field is level and cleared, with the tree line behind it. It is the ceremony site.

The deck runs the back of the lodge and covers about 750 square feet. Half of it is roofed. It is lit, and it has power along it. The kitchen opens straight onto it. In July and August, a short storm arrives most afternoons.

Your party has the whole lodge through your stay: five bedrooms, the Study, six bathrooms, the family room, the long dining table, the movie theater, and the game room.

The back deck seen from the lodge’s back door, with steps down to the yard and the forest beyond.

Dates and guest count

Weekend dates are Thursday to Sunday. Weekday dates are Monday to Thursday. Other dates are on request.

You book the property for those days. Your party sleeps in the lodge, and you set up on your own schedule.

We plan weddings for up to 30 guests. The beds sleep 20 adults comfortably. If your guest list is longer, ask us.

Madison’s Room — a king bed with a dark carved headboard under a vaulted wood-beam ceiling. A blue sofa sits at the foot of the bed, and a fireplace is set into the far wall.

Getting ready

Madison’s Room is the largest bedroom, on the main floor. It has a walk-in closet and an ensuite bathroom with a freestanding tub.

Nora’s Room is a studio over the garage with its own entrance from the back deck. There is no interior door into the lodge. Two parties can get ready at the same time.

The firepit in the back yard — a wide, dry-stacked flagstone ring with a raised seating wall around it and a steel grate over one side. The lodge and the guest house stand in the pines behind it.

Elopements

Two to 10 people, the field, and a stay in the lodge. Tell us the date and what you want the day to look like.

The dining table closer in, showing the chairs and the light from the window behind it.

Vendors, catering, and rentals

You choose your own vendors, and we take no cut. We can tell you who already drives to Happy Jack.

Happy Jack is 45 minutes from the nearest town in either direction. Ask a caterer or a rental company about delivery before you book them.

The event fee includes tables and chairs for 30. We also rent extra folding chairs, round tables, 6-foot tables, and four outdoor heaters. The prices are on the price list.

Example

Thursday to Sunday. 30 people for the day, 20 of them overnight.

Event fee $1,750
Cleaning$550 stay, plus $200 after the event $750
Extra guestsFour overnight guests above 16, three nights $300
RestroomsTwo portable units, with alcohol served $600
Deck heatersTwo heaters and two tanks, one night $280
Tax $72
Before lodging $3,752

Add lodging from the calendar, and your vendors. A $750 security deposit is returned after checkout.

$500 permit deposit when you accept your quote. It counts toward the fee and is not refunded.

Extras

Extra folding chairsPer set of 10, per day, above the 30 in the event fee $30
Extra round tablesEach, per day, above the tables in the event fee $10
Extra 6-foot tablesEach, per day, above the tables in the event fee $10
Outdoor tower heatersEach, per night. We own four $100
Propane for the heatersPer tank. A tank runs a heater for 5 to 8 hours $40
Portable restroomEach, delivered for the weekend. See the restroom rule below $300
Restroom trailerTwo stalls, delivered for the weekend, in place of portable units $1,300
Travel trailer, deliveredTwo nights, with linens, before tax. The rental company holds a $750 refundable deposit. It sleeps four to eight About $900
TableclothsEach. We do not own linens About $25
Tent, 20 × 30 ftSeats 30 with room to dance. A 20 × 20 ft tent is about $600 About $700
Dance floor, 12 × 12 ftOn a hard surface. About $400 on the field, with a subfloor About $250
String lightsPer 50-ft string About $25

Prices marked “about” are estimates until the vendor confirms them.

Not finished yet

Ask before you plan around these They are not here yet. Ask us where each one stands for your date.

Accessible parking
Under construction now. A level, hard-surfaced area close to the lodge and the deck, so a guest who cannot manage gravel can be dropped at the door.
A dedicated ceremony area
Planned. Until it is built, the field is the ceremony site. Ask us where the new area will go.

Group size

The lodge is set up for up to 30 guests. The beds sleep 20 adults comfortably. In a group of 30, children share beds, use the air mattresses, or bring sleeping bags.

RVs and tents on the property are not part of the 30. A travel trailer delivered to an RV site sleeps four to eight. If your group is larger than 30, ask us.

A much larger group can need county permits and other items, such as restrooms, parking, and access for fire trucks. Those add time and cost.

From first message to your dates

How planning works

You pay nothing until you accept a quote. You can stop at any step before that.

  1. Send the basics Use the form on this page. Give us your dates, how many people, and what you want to do. We reply within a day.
  2. Video call We send you some times to choose from. The call is about 20 minutes.
  3. Property visit (optional) A visit to walk the property with us costs $150. That pays for our drive and our time.
  4. Quote and date hold Your quote has its own page. Choose your rentals and ask for changes. We hold your dates for 30 days, or until you accept or decline.

Then you book. How you book depends on whether your plans need a county permit. We tell you on the call.

No permit needed

Most reunions, retreats, and hunting trips.

  1. Accept the quote and pay half.
  2. Pay the rest 60 days before you arrive, with a security deposit. We return the deposit after checkout.

With a county permit

Weddings, and some events with day guests.

  1. Accept the quote and pay the permit deposit. We apply to the county for you.
  2. Pay half when the county approves.
  3. Pay the rest 60 days before your date. Send us your certificate of insurance at least 30 days before your date.
  4. We confirm your booking when you have paid in full and we approve the certificate.

Start with the basics

Group planner

Planning pages for your group

After you book, we set up planning pages for your group at no cost. You send one link to the group. Each person adds themselves and the people with them.

Nobody needs an account or a password. You decide what the rest of the group can see. The pages are optional.

Who is coming
One sign-up link for the whole group. Download the list as a spreadsheet
Who sleeps where
Put each person in a bedroom, the Study, an air mattress, an RV, or a tent
Food needs
Each person marks their diet and allergies. You see the totals before anyone shops
Meals
Plan each breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and name who cooks it
Schedule
A day-by-day plan, with notes that only you can see
Groceries
A shared list. We can buy what nobody is bringing before you arrive
Extras
Ask for tables, chairs, outdoor heaters, and more. We send the price

See how the planner works →

Planning guide

Planning a small wedding on the Mogollon Rim

What it takes to host 30 people for a weekend at 7,500 feet. Where the ceremony goes, where everyone sleeps, and what the weather does to your plan.

Read the guide →

Questions

Questions

Can you get married at Spoonbill Lodge?

Yes, for a small wedding of up to 30 guests, with approval in advance. If your guest list is longer, ask us. The ceremony goes on the field, with the tree line behind it. The deck holds the reception.

Where does the wedding party get ready?

Madison’s Room and Nora’s Room. Madison’s Room is the largest bedroom, on the main floor, with a walk-in closet and an ensuite bathroom. Nora’s Room is a studio over the garage with its own entrance from the back deck and no interior door into the lodge.

Can we bring our own caterer, photographer, and rentals?

Yes. You bring your own vendors and we do not sell a package. We can tell you who works in this area. Happy Jack is 45 minutes from the nearest town in either direction, and that limits who will drive out. Ask us before you book anyone.

Can you elope at Spoonbill Lodge?

Yes. Two of you, or up to 10, the field, and the lodge afterwards. Send us a date and a rough idea of the day.

Is the ceremony site accessible?

Partly. The main floor of the lodge has a bedroom and a bathroom with no stairs, and the deck is reached from inside. The field is level but the ground between is gravel and dirt. Accessible parking is under construction now. Tell us what you need and we will tell you what works for your date.

How far is the venue from Flagstaff and Phoenix?

Flagstaff is about 45 minutes north on Lake Mary Road. Payson is about 45 minutes south on AZ-87. Phoenix is about 2.5 hours. Guests need a car. There is no rideshare and no transit here, so plan how people get back after the reception.

Do you have tables, chairs, and heaters for a wedding?

Yes. The event fee includes tables and chairs for 30. Round tables seat six to eight. Extra folding chairs are $30 per set of 10, and extra tables are $10 each, per day. We own four outdoor tower heaters for the deck, at $100 a night plus propane. Ask for them before your stay. For linens, a tent, or more chairs, use a rental company.

How do we plan who sleeps in the lodge on the wedding weekend?

Use the planning pages we set up after you book. Your party signs up from one link. You put each person in a bedroom and keep the plan private until it is final. Then you switch it on, and each person sees their own bedroom.

Can we see the property before we book?

Yes. A visit to walk the property with us costs $150. That pays for our drive and our time. This site has photos and videos, and we answer other questions on the video call.

How far ahead should we plan?

For an event with a county permit, we need your final date and headcount at least 60 days before.

Do you hold our dates while we decide?

Yes. When we send your quote, we hold your dates for 30 days, or until you accept or decline. You can ask for changes during that time. You pay nothing until you accept.

When do we pay?

It depends on whether your plans need a county permit. With no permit, you pay half when you accept, and the rest 60 days before you arrive. With a permit, you pay a permit deposit when you accept, half when the county approves, and the rest 60 days before your date. Your quote shows each amount and each date.

Can we change the plan after we accept?

Usually, yes. Tell us what you want to change. We update the quote, and you accept the new version. A change to the date or the headcount can affect a county permit.

Which events need a county permit?

Weddings, and some events with day guests. Coconino County decides each one. We tell you on the video call if your event needs a permit, and we apply for it for you.

What happens if the county does not approve the permit?

You lose only the permit deposit. It pays for the application, so we cannot refund it. We do not take any other payment until the county approves.

Do we need insurance?

Usually, for an event with a county permit. Your quote tells you. You buy a one-day liability policy that names us as additional insured, with host liquor cover if you serve alcohol. Send us the certificate with your last payment, at least 30 days before your date.

What if the weather turns on the day?

We do not refund for weather. Half of the deck is roofed, and the lodge holds your whole party. In July and August, a short storm arrives most afternoons, so plan the ceremony time around it.

Inquire

Tell us what you are planning

Send us your dates, how many people, and what you want to do. We normally reply within a day, with some times for a short video call.

Email: info@spoonbilllodge.com

We do not share your details, and we do not run a mailing list.