Frequently Asked Questions
For Weddings, Events, and Parties at Mixon’s

Mixon’s in the Grove offers a variety of facilities to rent for ceremonies, receptions, or both! Whatever your event may entail, we have several different options to meet your needs. Our facilities fees range from $100 to $3000 depending on day of week, time of year and location. For locations we have a small dock overlooking the Koi Pond, the Garden Oasis complete with Gazebo, expansive covered Pavilion, and lush Garden Pathways. Our Event Coordinator will be happy to show you the various facilities, discuss specific pricing, and help choose what best suits your needs. We are more than happy to work with you, within your budget – if you want to get married in the Grove, we want to make it happen. For Holiday pricing, please contact the Event Coordinator.

There is a $500 Reservation Deposit, nonrefundable, which will be applied to the total cost of the Wedding/Event. This deposit/payment secures and reserves the date of your event. There will also be a $500 security deposit, due 2 weeks before the event. The security deposit will be returned in full within 30 days of the event, if there are no damages incurred or additional charges.

We strive to make planning your event easy for you. Our rental fee includes items many places do not, to help eliminate the stress of dealing with excessive rental cost. This gives you a better idea of what your event will actually cost.

The rental of our Garden Oasis - Gazebo and Pavilion area includes the following:

• Covered Gazebo for the Ceremony


• Covered Pavilion for the Reception


• Event Liability Insurance


• Koi Pond with 2 Scenic Overlooks


• Bridal Dressing Room and Groom’s Dressing Room
  
• Staging Kitchen for caterer is available for additional cost


• Tables (for up to 160 people)


• Chairs for Ceremony & Reception (for up to 160 people)


• Setup/Breakdown of Mixon’s Tables/Chairs


• Security Guard on site. Additional security may be required


• Mixon Staff Member to oversee event


• White "Twinkle" Lights draped on the Ceiling of the Pavilion


• Roll-down Vinyl Protection Screens on Pavilion


• 5 Hour Event (premises must be vacated by 11:00 pm)


• After 11 pm - additional cost per hour. Please be aware when playing music, there is a local sound ordinance of 65 DB after 10 pm.


• Time to decorate on day of Event prior to Event start time


• Web Camera System for guests who are unable to attend. They can view your ceremony & reception online from anywhere.


• Wedding Rehearsals 1 Hour Maximum; pre-schedule with Event Coordinator

The Rental of the Honeybell Hall and Butterfly Garden include the following:

• Metal Semi-circular Gazebo for Ceremony


• Indoor air conditioned Banquet Hall for Reception


• Outdoor Deck area attached to Hall


• Tables for up to 75 guests – 6ft Rectangular or 5ft Round


• Padded Banquet Chairs for up to 75 guests


• Garden Chairs for up to 75 guests


• 5 hours maximum, ending no later than 11:00 PM
  
• A Insurance/Liability Policy valued at $200


• Projection Screen and DVD Player


• Mixon Staff member to oversee property

The Garden Oasis Pavilion seats over 200 people comfortably, allowing plenty of room for buffet tables and a dance floor area. The actual covered Pavilion is 40 by 80ft, with a covered Pergola area at one end that is 24 by 40ft. This additional space is not enclosed but can be used for catering, a stage, etc, allowing more room for guests underneath the Pavilion. For smaller events indoors, you may choose to use our Honeybell Hall which seats up to 75 comfortably and includes an outdoor wooden deck area.

Our package includes tables and chairs for up to 160 people. If you have over 160 guests, additional chairs and tables may be rented from us.

Depending on the nature and size of your event, additional staff may be needed at a cost of $20 an hour and additional security guards may be needed for larger groups at a cost of $25 an hour. We also handle the Bar and Beverage Services, Bartenders are $20 per hour.

Other items that you should consider for your event:

-Table Linens & Linen Set-Up
-Dance Floor Rental if desired
-Beverage Services, including Beer/Wine of your choice
-Catering Costs (including Kitchen usage Fee, servers $20/hour, china rental)
-Cake cutting and clean up

Our Web Camera System allows them to log on and launch our Gazebo & Pavilion Web Camera to "VIEW" the entire ceremony and reception while it is happening! Want a keepsake of your event? We also offer a service that would include a DVD with raw footage of your event from our web camera system.

A Special Events Liability Insurance Policy is mandatory and will protect you from liability for injury or property damage that may happen before, during or after your wedding. Our insurance company provides an affordable and complete plan that will protect you. The policy’s cost is $200 and it is INCLUDED in the rental fee. Our Event Coordinator will acquire the policy for you and supply you with a copy of it for your records.

Yes! There are several catering options. We have Traditional, BBQ, Seafood, Casual and Tropical Banquet Buffet Menus which include appetizers, entrees and sides. If your event calls for finger foods, or a lighter menu, we offer a Party Platter Menu. The menu includes a variety of choices including various sandwich platters, gourmet cheese, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetable platters just to name a few and are priced per platter.

Outside caterers are welcome here at Mixon’s as long as they carry liability insurance and are approved by our event coordinator. There are several catering companies that are on our preferred list and would be happy to recommend. There is a kitchen usage fee required for other outside caterers. Please discuss you special menu situations with our event coordinator.

For your convenience view our list of preferred vendors of caterers, accommodations,cakes, entertainment, photographers, transportation,wedding floral design, wedding formal wear and design, wedding officiates, wedding planner and unique ideas, and Mixon gifts. As a member of the Weddings of Sarasota Inc., Mixon’s has well established relationships with others in this field. We recommend that you use one of our approved vendors, we are confident they will provide top quality service that will contribute to an overall successful event. Also, all of our partners are licensed and carry full liability insurance, so you can rest easy knowing that you and your guests are protected. If you choose to use another vendor, who is not on our list, we will need to have copies of their license and liability insurance.

No matter who is doing the catering, Mixon’s is always responsible for operating the bar and non-alcoholic beverages.

Mixon’s has a beer and wine license, all beer and wine must be ordered through us. We offer many flexible packages for alcohol – from open bar to cash bar to ordering kegs or wines by the bottle or case. Our Event Coordinator can supply you with different beverage options and pricing. We can also set up a wine tasting where you can sample all of our Florida Wines before selecting which you would like to serve at your wedding.

Our license does not include liquor so we are not able to sell liquor to you, but you can purchase and bring bottles of liquor and mixers yourself, with our bartender serving the liquor along with the beer and wine. To include liquor at your event there is a pour charge per person. It is important that we will be responsible for serving liquor, since any alcohol consumption on our property is our responsibility.

We want to insure we have hired the necessary amount of bartenders based on the types of liquor that is involved. An important thing to note: drinking alcoholic beverages in the parking lot or in a car is not allowed. Anyone found doing this will be asked by our Manger on Duty to discontinue and if they continue they will be asked to leave the event. It is important that guests have identification in order to be served any type of alcoholic beverage.

Yes, since we hold the beer and wine license, and due to liability issues, we are responsible for monitoring the alcohol consumption on our property.

Sure! We have tried to design and landscape our Garden Oasis area so it is amazingly gorgeous as it is, but of course you will want to make your event your own by adding personal touches. Our landscape artist has designed the area so at all times of year, colorful flowers are blooming. You may hang decorations, as long as no nails are used and no damage is done to our facility. Candles may be used as long as they are housed in a glass container since open flames are a hazard to our grove. Sorry, Fireworks and Sparklers are prohibited on Mixon's property. We offer several different decorations to rent including lanterns, floating candle vessels, drapes, crystal beaded curtains, and chandeliers. Ask our Event Coordinator to see samples of what we have available.

Our Event Coordinator can help you with any questions you may have that relate to the venue. Other things our Event Coordinator will handle for you are as follows:

-Mixon 's Catering
-Rentals (tables/chairs/tents or a dance floor)
-Linens & Linen Set Up
-China
-Bar and Beverage Services
-Decorations

With our Garden Oasis facility, no “back up” plan is necessary if the forecast calls for rain. Our covered Pavilion has roll-down, clear vinyl sides that will turn the Pavilion into a large outdoor room, still allowing view of the surrounding area. The ceremony can easily be moved to under the Pavilion, or a tent can be rented to cover the open area between the Pavilion and Gazebo where guests sit for the ceremony.

Our store and deli are open to the public Monday – Saturday, so if your wedding happens to fall during that time period, you may be sharing the parking lot with our customers, but there is no need to worry – we have plenty of parking spaces to accommodate wedding guests and customers alike.

No. This is a working citrus farm, so we do have tractors, farm equipment and large trucks that are used here for the citrus portion of our business, but usage of those items are largely contained to Monday – Friday, ending before 4 pm. There is a large cooler that is located on the side of the Pavilion’s Bathroom/Dressing Room area – this typically makes a noise similar to a large refrigerator, but on days of the event it will be turned off when needed so your event will be quiet and as “farm free” as possible.

In order to reserve your date, we require a $500 non-refundable deposit. 50% of the rental fee (minus the $500 already paid) is due 6 months prior to the event and the balance is due 2 months prior to the event. A $500 security deposit will be due 2 weeks prior to the event. If we find no damages to the property and there are no outstanding balances, we will return the $500 security deposit to you within 30 days of your event.

Fill out our contact form, call or Email our Event Coordinator Kathy Decker, at 941-748-5829 extension 280 or Events@mixon.com. Kathy will gladly answer any questions for you and assist you in planning your wedding at Mixon’s.