This place doesn't even deserve one star! I am absolutely appalled by our experience at Gino's…read moreBanquets. The venue delivered chaos, incompetence, and humiliation rather than the wedding we trusted them to provide.
From the start, setup was a nightmare. Rhonda made the experience unnecessarily difficult. She tried to squeeze us into only half of the hall, despite our clear agreement and guest count. She continuously argued about how we chose to set things up and even questioned our food selections, decisions that were already finalized and paid for. We did not hire Rhonda as our planner / decorator so it came as a complete shock to have her interfering with so many of our choices. What should have been a smooth, joyful setup quickly turned into a frustrating experience due to her overstepping and lack of respect for our plans. She repeatedly refused to allow us to set up our own equipment, and only after escalating to the owner were we finally permitted to proceed. This kind of disorganization at the outset set the tone for the event
The food was an embarrassment. Cold, bland, and generic, it tasted like frozen banquet hall food. We chose family-style service, yet there weren't even enough pieces of chicken for each table. Guests were disappointed, and it was humiliating to serve such subpar meals on what should have been a celebratory day.
The staff's behavior was blatantly unprofessional. During the ceremony, speeches AND first dances, employees were laughing and talking in the back, forcing multiple guests to ask them to quiet down.
Then came the issue with the ID, which was completely unnecessary and humiliating. Not a single guest, including my husband and all of my bridesmaids, was asked for identification. Yet I, the bride, was singled out on the dance floor and publicly demanded to show ID, which was in the bridal suite since I wasn't carrying a purse. I calmly offered to go retrieve it, but instead I was ordered to dump out my drink in front of everyone. Already embarrassed and trying not to make a scene, I did as instructed, feeling like my night had been completely ruined. As I stood there, the operations manager / bartender, and several employees watched and whispered as if I had done something wrong. It was degrading, uncalled for, and completely unprofessional.
Even after the reception ended and we were tearing down THE NEXT DAY, staff continued to harass me and family members for identification. To make matters worse, the security guard on duty was drinking on the job. This selective and disrespectful treatment was invasive and unacceptable.
Every staff member was tipped reasonably, so this behavior was not about compensation. It appears to be ingrained negligence and poor leadership from management.
This venue is utterly unprofessional. Between the disorganized setup, terrible food, disruptive staff, unsafe security practices, and the humiliating selective ID enforcement, our wedding was marred by stress, embarrassment, and frustration rather than joy. I strongly advise any couple to avoid this venue entirely if you expect your wedding day to be handled with professionalism or respect.
