One question we get more than almost any other is: Can we bring our own food? The answer at Fort Worth Country Memories is yes, and it genuinely changes how you plan. When the venue hands you full catering freedom, the whole day gets easier to budget, easier to personalize, and a lot more fun to design. Here is what that actually looks like in practice, and how to use every space of this property to make it work.

Fort Worth Country Memories gives couples full catering flexibility through an open vendor policy with no surcharges, paired with a ballroom kitchen available to outside caterers on the wedding day. Packages include up to 250 pounds of ice, decor from an on-site library, outdoor games, and venue support, while alcohol service must be handled by a TABC-certified in-house bartender regardless of who supplies the drinks.

Planning Your Wedding With Our Open Vendor Policy

Most couples do not realize how much the food decision affects everything else. At Fort Worth Country Memories, you choose the caterer and menu, and we handle the venue.

You Bring the Food, the Kitchen Is Ready

All of our wedding packages include access to the indoor ballroom and its full kitchen. That can make a real difference on a busy wedding day. Whether you hire a professional caterer or bring in food from a favorite local restaurant, the ballroom’s kitchen gives your team a dedicated prep space.

The ballroom itself seats up to 150 guests under chandeliers, with heating and air conditioning, a couples table, and tablecloths already included. Outside, the covered cedar pavilion offers a dedicated dance floor, a DJ and music area, six wooden tables under ceiling fans with a couple’s table beneath its own chandelier, wooden tables with benches, and 8 wooden picnic tables. You and your caterer get to decide how food flows between those two spaces based on your timeline, with the help of the venue’s advanced planning session for you.

There is no vendor surcharge for outside caterers and no restricted list. You hire who you trust.

The Barn Area Is a Support Space

This is worth saying clearly because we hear the confusion. Our barn functions primarily as a support space rather than the main event space. It is where you will find areas for cake setup, bartender service, bathrooms, and dressing rooms.

That separation keeps your catered event clean and organized. The catering team has room to work. This setup helps keep key event functions organized throughout the day. Cake, drinks, and prep all have a dedicated space.

Alcohol Service Has One Clear Rule

You and your guests are welcome to bring alcohol. The one requirement is that all alcohol must be served by our TABC-certified in-house bartender, who carries liability insurance. This protects you legally and keeps the service running smoothly. 

For packages that require it, a five-hour bartender block is available as an add-on. Plan for this when you are building your beverage budget.

Ceremony Spaces Paired With Reception Flow

The property gives you real options for how the day moves. The open ceremony area includes a white arbor, wooden doors, a wooden walkway, white benches, and a Bluetooth speaker. The open-air chapel is enclosed on three sides and holds 12 antique church pews, a wooden deck, and an octagonal arch. After vows, guests can move naturally to the cedar pavilion or the ballroom while your caterer or servers transition the space.

The Marketplace, our decoration shed, gives you free use of signs, mason jars, vases, lanterns, greenery, wood rounds, arbor drapes, and more.  This can be a real money saver.

What Is Included and What to Plan Separately

Knowing this list makes vendor conversations much faster. Our main wedding packages include event cleanup, free use of decor from The Marketplace, up to 250 pounds of ice, advanced planning session, on site venue support, and access to indoor and outdoor event spaces. Some package details, guest counts, and add-ons vary, so it helps to review the package that fits your wedding best.

You will need to arrange separately: your caterer, alcohol can be supplied by you or byob , officiant, wedding cake, and florist.  We will hire the bartender if you are serving alcohol.  We also have the staffing to add servers, decorators, Day of Coordinators, and more if you need the help.  If you want the animal experience, Zoey the zebra and our miniature horses can be brought to the corral for guests to feed and photograph as an add-on.

Outdoor games, including horseshoes, mini bowling, a tree swing, and the Tiny Town toddler play area, come with the property, which matters when you have kids at the reception and a caterer who needs the adults to stay out of the kitchen.

For those wanting the less hands on planning, we do have all-inclusion options that can be added to any package just contact us for more details.

Conclusion

When you combine catering flexibility with a full kitchen, dedicated support spaces, and on-site venue support, it becomes easier to build a wedding day that fits your priorities, your guests, and your budget. If you want to see the spaces and picture your caterer moving through them, we would love to walk you through.

Download our wedding pricing guide or call or text us at (817) 773-6824 to book a tour. You can also reach us at events@fortworthcountrymemories.com.

FAQs

Can we bring any caterer we want? 

Yes. Fort Worth Country Memories has an open vendor policy for food. You may bring your own food or hire a professional caterer. There are no vendor surcharges.

Do we have to use your bartender? 

Yes, if alcohol is being served. All alcohol service must go through our TABC-certified in-house bartender, who carries liability insurance. The venue will schedule them through the company they have partnered with.

How does the payment schedule work? 

For standard bookings, 50 percent is due 180 days before your wedding, and the remaining balance is due 90 days out. Installments are allowed. If your date is coming up soon, we can set a custom payment plan. 

What is the guest maximum? 

All packages accommodate up to 150 guests. Intimate packages start at up to 50 guests with the option to scale up to 150 for an additional fee.