Making a Marriage at The Osprey’s

Sponsored by The Osprey’s at Belmont Bay

By Marianne Weaver

The staff at The Osprey’s at Belmont Bay take each wedding personally. Not only do they prepare for the actual day of the wedding, but they’ve added some new options that let the couple incorporate a bit of their wedding day into their everyday married lives.

Day Of Event

The indoor venue can accommodate 146 guests for a seated dinner with a dance floor. Weather permitting, ceremonies are held outside. The wedding party follows a flagstone aisle to a pergola framed by an unobstructed waterfront view of Belmont Bay and the Occoquan River.

While guests are making their way to the ceremony space, both the bride and groom and their parties are relaxing and getting ready in their own spacious—and separate–suites. Their dedicated event director is out and about making sure everything is perfect.

“That person is there to be the bandleader,” said Hunter Wood, general manager of The Osprey’s at Belmont Bay. “We make sure everyone knows what they are doing: the caterers, the DJ, everyone. They are there so the couple is relaxed in their suites and not stressing over anything.”

He said the event director is able to make sure everything runs smoothly because meetings with the couple begin 30 days prior to their wedding.

“When someone books here, we include the event director,” he said. “That person has a meeting with the couple and their caterer to go through the final details – the floor plan, layout, linen colors, everything they envision for that day.”

Wedding Takeaway

As much as the event director is dedicated to ensuring the wedding day is memorable, Wood said there are some “extras” they offer at The Osprey’s to ensure the couple thinks of their wedding day every day.

“We offer to custom build a Sweetheart table the couple takes home with them,” said Wood. “We build it for them, give a few staining options and we burn in the date of the wedding, and their initials  … depending on what they want.”

Wood said he’s heard couples take the table home and plan to use it as their kitchen table where they eat each night.

Taylor Tomczyk said she knew she wanted a customized table when she saw it on the Osprey tour.

“We were told we could actually purchase a table to be used as a sweetheart table for the wedding, and then we would get to take the table home with us to have as our dining room table! How cool,” she said. “I have been working with Hunter for the past few weeks to make our table PERFECT! There were so many options that I was able to choose from, including the stain I wanted, if I wanted white legs, etc. The whole process just made me that much more excited because I was able to be so involved.”

After their wedding, the table will find a permanent home in their dining room.

“Tables, especially handmade ones, are something families use for YEARS,” she said. “The idea that we can have something that reminds us for our wedding day, that we use every day, for years and years to come, is really special.”

Everything Old Is New

The sweetheart table isn’t the only piece of woodwork offered at The Osprey’s. The venue evolved from the former golf course club house that was closed in 2015. When the space was renovated, Wood held on to some bits and pieces of the clubhouse and golf shop.

“I took an old wall from the golf shop and refinished it into a champagne wall,” he said. “The wall is portable and holds 55 glasses of champagne.”

Rather than throw away wood torn from the clubhouse walls, he built some backdrops.

“We have two different backdrops that were built of scrap from the old golf course days. One is white and one is brown stained,” he said. “We are always finding something new to use.”

Wood said he’s always on the lookout for new ideas to add personality to an event.

“Flowers are great, but they die. So why do an elaborate centerpiece when you can do something different,” he said. “The custom sweetheart table and champagne wall add a statement to your event that centerpieces or sparklers won’t. They are a simple way to add a little flair.”

For more information about The Osprey’s at Belmont Bay, their services or to contact them, visit ospreysgolf.com