Sticks Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How many cars can park in the parking lot?
80 Spots (parking for 160 couples) and then another 100 on the street. On the nights and weekends your guests can park in the street or in the parking lots across the street. You may also order Valet parking if you wish.
2. What hours can we setup and tear down for our wedding or event?
With Saturday weddings and events, access to the space is coordinated with your approved caterer. Our approved caterers are fully trained on the space and will be able to unlock and let you in to the space with proper notice (two months is ideal). A Sticks employee can also help you access the building if needed. Requests for such hours need to be made 2 months in advance so that staffing can be booked at an hourly rate of $50 an hour.
Event End Time: Typically, your liability insurance ends at 11:59 PM the day of your event, so all drinks must be out of guest’s hands and all guests must exit by then. Your caterer carries their own insurance and can stay in the building until 2am for cleanup purposes. Access to the space must be arranged with the approved caterer directly. For Friday or weekday weddings setup usually occurs at 4pm and is done by 5pm (depending on how extensive the décor setup is). We usually suggest starting your Friday or weekday events no earlier than 6pm. For Sunday events you will coordinate your access with the caterer.
3. Do caterers typically provide the bar service and bring the alcohol or can we buy or own alcohol and hire people to serve it?
You can purchase wine and beer on your own for your guests as long as you do not charge them for it and our approved caterer agrees to handle the staffing of the bar on your behalf (you may not provide your own bar staff).
As long as the alcohol that is being served is only wine, beer, wine coolers, and champagne (NO hard liquor), and as long as the guests do NOT have to pay for it and it's being served by one of our approved caterers with a liquor license then you may purchase you own. This saves you thousands of dollars!
If you wish to have hard liquor, that is not a problem, most of our approved caterers have do have a liquor license with a catering privilege that allows them to supply an open (no cash) bar with liquor, but some do not so check with the caterer before booking. Cash bars are not allowed due to changes in the State of Iowa. Non-approved caterers must have a liquor license with catering privilege to apply to cater at Sticks Studio.
4. Can we bring in our own alcohol?
That’s one of the best parts of the space! Yes, we do allow your own beer and wine but you need to hire a catering company that also allows you to do that (most do some do not). The caterer must carry a Class C liquor lisence with a catering privlage and dram shop. All of the Sticks approved caterers have this, non-approved caterers will need to show proof of this before you book them at Sticks.
Hard liquor needs to be ordered through your caterer and they must have a liquor license with a catering privilege to provide it. No cash bars are allowed in the space (even donation based cash bars are not allowed). We do ask that you get liability insurance for event, you may read more about that here.
5. Why can’t we have a cash bar?
In the past most caterers had a “catering privilege” addition to their liquor license. This would extend their liquor license to any venue in which they are catering. The State of Iowa no longer extends “catering privilege” with regards to cash bars and only to open bars.
6. Can I have a friend or family member help make the food for our event?
We have a diverse list of fantastic caterers that can meet you catering needs, click here for the current list: LINK
All caterers need to be licensed and in a licensed kitchen with proof of liability insurance. Neither you nor any other person can make the food. No pot lucks either. We do allow another non-approved licensed caterer to serve at Sticks, but that would need to be approved before booking with us. Non-approved caterers must have a liquor license with catering privilege to apply to cater at Sticks Studio so that they can staff your bar (you can not staff your own bar). We will also require a Sticks or Out of Box employee to be on site for all setup and take down and throughout the entire ceremony and reception. A Sticks/Out of Box representative is $50 an hour and usually will be on-site for 10-12 hours. Estimating at $600 to have non-approved caterer. We have many caterers on the list ranging from $15-$35 per person for food (service and tax separate). Please email Out of Box for non-approved caterer application form: EMAIL
7. What are your heating and cooling systems?
We currently do not have air-conditioning but we do have heat. The building was designed for year round art production so there is a cross breeze that can keep the building cool on hot days; however, we do not make any guarantees to the inside temps. We do not allow portable air conditioners unless they are pre-approved by Sticks, but we do have large industrial fans that can be used. We also do not allow any portable-heating units (unless pre-approved).
8. What tables and chairs are we able to use?
Below is a list of the items you can use for seating. Please email [email protected] Three months prior to your wedding in order to reserve them and get a current count. You can use them at no charge but they need to be placed back where they were found. We will move the tables in place for you based on your diagram and move them back for $200.00 (subject to change). Tables above and beyond what is listed below will need to be rented from our approved rental company. The Sticks event manager can provide you with a quote before booking. Click here for our inventory.
9. What is the capacity for guests?
For a sit down dinner in the main atrium area and it’s adjacent hallway is about 300-350. For a cocktail reception you could get 400 in the space. We also have the drawing room which can seat another 150+ guests or you may have dancing and a band in that room. The total capacity is 480 guests. Here's a link to sample diagrams: LINK
For a Virtual Tour of Sticks click here:
Click for video tour
10. What about other rental and decor items?
You may plan your own decorations or work with a professional company for centerpieces. You may also plan to make your own centerpieces we would just need a plan on how they will be placed and removed from the tables. We have preferred companies that have a key to Stick’s and can decorate after hours alleviating potential stress by providing your own décor items. They also can use their key to access Sticks early on Sunday to remove the centerpieces and decor items. If you wish to provide your own then a clear plan for setup and take down will need to be created. There also may be a charge for accessing the space for setup during times when the building would be otherwise closed. All tables, chairs, pipe & drape, staging, ceiling work, large structural pieces, and other large décor items must be rented through Stick’s approved Rental Company. Other rental companies do not have weekend access to the space, which means that they are not able to drop off and set up on Saturday and pick up on Sunday. Every vendor must have proper liability insurance and Sticks has the right to refuse any vendor. Click here for the current rental information.
11. How do I reserve a date?
You can reserve a date by placing a deposit of 50% of the total rental cost. Click here to book Sticks Studio. You can place a “soft hold” on any date without a deposit, you would then get first right to book the space if someone else is interested in that date. It is possible that the date you want is on hold right now. If someone already has a hold on a date then you would be in the second hold position. If you were to want that date the person in the first hold position would have 1 business day to produce the deposit check or it would fall to the person in the second hold position. You would then be required to place a deposit of half the rental amount and that would book the date. A soft hold is good for 7 days and then it expires. You may put another soft hold on that date if you contact Sticks before it expires. Click here to place a soft hold.
12. What are the rental costs and deposit amounts?
To figure the deposit amount take the room rental divided by two. If you wish to have votives across the Sticks windows and behind the Atrium sinks add $200 to the deposit amount. The final will be due 30 days before your event. Saturday Rental is from 8am until midnight and Sunday rental is from 11am to midnight. Access during this time must be provided by one of our approved caterers or a staff person from Out of Box Productions may be hired for access before the caterer arrives. If early access is provided by Out of Box the cost for that access is $50 per hour (more for Holiday or late night times) with a 2 hour minimum.
What rooms are you renting (kitchen, drawing, painting)?
__Painting Atrium & Kitchen $3,500
__Painting Atrium, Kitchen, & Drawing Room $4,000
__Painting Atrium, Kitchen, & Outside Ceremony Cove $4,000
__Painting Atrium, Kitchen, Drawing room, & Outside Ceremony Cove $4,500
__Design Studio Kitchen $1,000*
*Please Note: The kitchen nor the drawing room cannot be rented by itself on a Saturday in April, May, June, September, and October or on a Holiday. The drawing room does not have overhead lights so it is advisable to rent uplights inside the drawing room (see Anthony for pricing). Also, the drawing room’s contents will be pushed between the last 2 pillars and it may also be advisable to rent drape to cover the south end of the room. See Anthony for pricing. The kitchen cannot be removed from the atrium or drawing room rentals because the kitchen is connected to the main entrance.
__Sticks Retail Galleries - $200 per hour
Location: East - Click here to book a gallery: LINK
12. How to I access the most current event packet?
Click here for the event packet: LINK
13. Are there more photos than what is just on the website?
Yes, here’s the link:
Click here for photos
14. Do you offer non-profit or off season discounts?
We do offer discounts and off season discounts, case-by-case. To request a non-profit discount, please fill out the form here: LINK
15. Are we able to setup and rehearse on Friday if there is no booking the night before our reception?
You may purchase access for your rehearsal or setup on Friday depending on it's availability. Please remember that your Sticks rental is for Saturday. Friday is not part of the rental, however, we will do our best to grant rehearsal and setup access on Friday as we can. There is a fee for the rehearsal and for access for personal setup. Please email for the current prices. We will request that the rental company setup tables and chairs on Friday also, but we can not guarantee this as it is up to their schedule.
16. Do we need event insurance?
Yes, all events held on Sticks properties require event liability and risk management insurance. You may use one of the two insurance companies listed here. Your personal liability that you may already have will not cover this specific event and a specific event policy must be created. Please contact either LMC Insurance (www.coverevents.com) or Wed Safe (www.wedsafe.com). The cost for this can be from $150-$200 or more and is required by Sticks. A copy of the certificate must be provided to Sticks at least two weeks prior to your event. The coverage must be for a minimum $1,000,000 and indicate the liability that is being covered. $1,000,000 each occurrence / $1,000,000 aggregate with host liquor liability included. Sticks must be shown as an additional insured on the certificate. Sticks, Inc. 3631 SW 61st St, Des Moines, IA 50321. Please then send the form to [email protected]. Sticks must have this insurance in hand before you are able to host your event at Sticks.
80 Spots (parking for 160 couples) and then another 100 on the street. On the nights and weekends your guests can park in the street or in the parking lots across the street. You may also order Valet parking if you wish.
2. What hours can we setup and tear down for our wedding or event?
With Saturday weddings and events, access to the space is coordinated with your approved caterer. Our approved caterers are fully trained on the space and will be able to unlock and let you in to the space with proper notice (two months is ideal). A Sticks employee can also help you access the building if needed. Requests for such hours need to be made 2 months in advance so that staffing can be booked at an hourly rate of $50 an hour.
Event End Time: Typically, your liability insurance ends at 11:59 PM the day of your event, so all drinks must be out of guest’s hands and all guests must exit by then. Your caterer carries their own insurance and can stay in the building until 2am for cleanup purposes. Access to the space must be arranged with the approved caterer directly. For Friday or weekday weddings setup usually occurs at 4pm and is done by 5pm (depending on how extensive the décor setup is). We usually suggest starting your Friday or weekday events no earlier than 6pm. For Sunday events you will coordinate your access with the caterer.
3. Do caterers typically provide the bar service and bring the alcohol or can we buy or own alcohol and hire people to serve it?
You can purchase wine and beer on your own for your guests as long as you do not charge them for it and our approved caterer agrees to handle the staffing of the bar on your behalf (you may not provide your own bar staff).
As long as the alcohol that is being served is only wine, beer, wine coolers, and champagne (NO hard liquor), and as long as the guests do NOT have to pay for it and it's being served by one of our approved caterers with a liquor license then you may purchase you own. This saves you thousands of dollars!
If you wish to have hard liquor, that is not a problem, most of our approved caterers have do have a liquor license with a catering privilege that allows them to supply an open (no cash) bar with liquor, but some do not so check with the caterer before booking. Cash bars are not allowed due to changes in the State of Iowa. Non-approved caterers must have a liquor license with catering privilege to apply to cater at Sticks Studio.
4. Can we bring in our own alcohol?
That’s one of the best parts of the space! Yes, we do allow your own beer and wine but you need to hire a catering company that also allows you to do that (most do some do not). The caterer must carry a Class C liquor lisence with a catering privlage and dram shop. All of the Sticks approved caterers have this, non-approved caterers will need to show proof of this before you book them at Sticks.
Hard liquor needs to be ordered through your caterer and they must have a liquor license with a catering privilege to provide it. No cash bars are allowed in the space (even donation based cash bars are not allowed). We do ask that you get liability insurance for event, you may read more about that here.
5. Why can’t we have a cash bar?
In the past most caterers had a “catering privilege” addition to their liquor license. This would extend their liquor license to any venue in which they are catering. The State of Iowa no longer extends “catering privilege” with regards to cash bars and only to open bars.
6. Can I have a friend or family member help make the food for our event?
We have a diverse list of fantastic caterers that can meet you catering needs, click here for the current list: LINK
All caterers need to be licensed and in a licensed kitchen with proof of liability insurance. Neither you nor any other person can make the food. No pot lucks either. We do allow another non-approved licensed caterer to serve at Sticks, but that would need to be approved before booking with us. Non-approved caterers must have a liquor license with catering privilege to apply to cater at Sticks Studio so that they can staff your bar (you can not staff your own bar). We will also require a Sticks or Out of Box employee to be on site for all setup and take down and throughout the entire ceremony and reception. A Sticks/Out of Box representative is $50 an hour and usually will be on-site for 10-12 hours. Estimating at $600 to have non-approved caterer. We have many caterers on the list ranging from $15-$35 per person for food (service and tax separate). Please email Out of Box for non-approved caterer application form: EMAIL
7. What are your heating and cooling systems?
We currently do not have air-conditioning but we do have heat. The building was designed for year round art production so there is a cross breeze that can keep the building cool on hot days; however, we do not make any guarantees to the inside temps. We do not allow portable air conditioners unless they are pre-approved by Sticks, but we do have large industrial fans that can be used. We also do not allow any portable-heating units (unless pre-approved).
8. What tables and chairs are we able to use?
Below is a list of the items you can use for seating. Please email [email protected] Three months prior to your wedding in order to reserve them and get a current count. You can use them at no charge but they need to be placed back where they were found. We will move the tables in place for you based on your diagram and move them back for $200.00 (subject to change). Tables above and beyond what is listed below will need to be rented from our approved rental company. The Sticks event manager can provide you with a quote before booking. Click here for our inventory.
9. What is the capacity for guests?
For a sit down dinner in the main atrium area and it’s adjacent hallway is about 300-350. For a cocktail reception you could get 400 in the space. We also have the drawing room which can seat another 150+ guests or you may have dancing and a band in that room. The total capacity is 480 guests. Here's a link to sample diagrams: LINK
For a Virtual Tour of Sticks click here:
Click for video tour
10. What about other rental and decor items?
You may plan your own decorations or work with a professional company for centerpieces. You may also plan to make your own centerpieces we would just need a plan on how they will be placed and removed from the tables. We have preferred companies that have a key to Stick’s and can decorate after hours alleviating potential stress by providing your own décor items. They also can use their key to access Sticks early on Sunday to remove the centerpieces and decor items. If you wish to provide your own then a clear plan for setup and take down will need to be created. There also may be a charge for accessing the space for setup during times when the building would be otherwise closed. All tables, chairs, pipe & drape, staging, ceiling work, large structural pieces, and other large décor items must be rented through Stick’s approved Rental Company. Other rental companies do not have weekend access to the space, which means that they are not able to drop off and set up on Saturday and pick up on Sunday. Every vendor must have proper liability insurance and Sticks has the right to refuse any vendor. Click here for the current rental information.
11. How do I reserve a date?
You can reserve a date by placing a deposit of 50% of the total rental cost. Click here to book Sticks Studio. You can place a “soft hold” on any date without a deposit, you would then get first right to book the space if someone else is interested in that date. It is possible that the date you want is on hold right now. If someone already has a hold on a date then you would be in the second hold position. If you were to want that date the person in the first hold position would have 1 business day to produce the deposit check or it would fall to the person in the second hold position. You would then be required to place a deposit of half the rental amount and that would book the date. A soft hold is good for 7 days and then it expires. You may put another soft hold on that date if you contact Sticks before it expires. Click here to place a soft hold.
12. What are the rental costs and deposit amounts?
To figure the deposit amount take the room rental divided by two. If you wish to have votives across the Sticks windows and behind the Atrium sinks add $200 to the deposit amount. The final will be due 30 days before your event. Saturday Rental is from 8am until midnight and Sunday rental is from 11am to midnight. Access during this time must be provided by one of our approved caterers or a staff person from Out of Box Productions may be hired for access before the caterer arrives. If early access is provided by Out of Box the cost for that access is $50 per hour (more for Holiday or late night times) with a 2 hour minimum.
What rooms are you renting (kitchen, drawing, painting)?
__Painting Atrium & Kitchen $3,500
__Painting Atrium, Kitchen, & Drawing Room $4,000
__Painting Atrium, Kitchen, & Outside Ceremony Cove $4,000
__Painting Atrium, Kitchen, Drawing room, & Outside Ceremony Cove $4,500
__Design Studio Kitchen $1,000*
*Please Note: The kitchen nor the drawing room cannot be rented by itself on a Saturday in April, May, June, September, and October or on a Holiday. The drawing room does not have overhead lights so it is advisable to rent uplights inside the drawing room (see Anthony for pricing). Also, the drawing room’s contents will be pushed between the last 2 pillars and it may also be advisable to rent drape to cover the south end of the room. See Anthony for pricing. The kitchen cannot be removed from the atrium or drawing room rentals because the kitchen is connected to the main entrance.
__Sticks Retail Galleries - $200 per hour
Location: East - Click here to book a gallery: LINK
12. How to I access the most current event packet?
Click here for the event packet: LINK
13. Are there more photos than what is just on the website?
Yes, here’s the link:
Click here for photos
14. Do you offer non-profit or off season discounts?
We do offer discounts and off season discounts, case-by-case. To request a non-profit discount, please fill out the form here: LINK
15. Are we able to setup and rehearse on Friday if there is no booking the night before our reception?
You may purchase access for your rehearsal or setup on Friday depending on it's availability. Please remember that your Sticks rental is for Saturday. Friday is not part of the rental, however, we will do our best to grant rehearsal and setup access on Friday as we can. There is a fee for the rehearsal and for access for personal setup. Please email for the current prices. We will request that the rental company setup tables and chairs on Friday also, but we can not guarantee this as it is up to their schedule.
16. Do we need event insurance?
Yes, all events held on Sticks properties require event liability and risk management insurance. You may use one of the two insurance companies listed here. Your personal liability that you may already have will not cover this specific event and a specific event policy must be created. Please contact either LMC Insurance (www.coverevents.com) or Wed Safe (www.wedsafe.com). The cost for this can be from $150-$200 or more and is required by Sticks. A copy of the certificate must be provided to Sticks at least two weeks prior to your event. The coverage must be for a minimum $1,000,000 and indicate the liability that is being covered. $1,000,000 each occurrence / $1,000,000 aggregate with host liquor liability included. Sticks must be shown as an additional insured on the certificate. Sticks, Inc. 3631 SW 61st St, Des Moines, IA 50321. Please then send the form to [email protected]. Sticks must have this insurance in hand before you are able to host your event at Sticks.