Had my wedding there Sept 2010...
The ceremony was beautiful, the food was fantastic as expected, but the SERVICE WAS ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS.
I was appalled to see photos and learn from my husband that the bar at the reflection pool was opened at 5:30pm rather than as arranged in my contract for 6:30pm-7:30pm. This was not discussed, and not was I agreed to in my contract. I am confident that IF I had contracted for an open bar, staff would be vigilant in NOT opening the bar until the contracted time of 6:30pm. People were drinking AT my religious ceremony, which to me is clearly distasteful.
-My cocktail hour ran until well over 8:30pm, when in fact I contracted for it to end at 7:30pm. They kept telling me they "were not ready" for us....why is this? And why was my event planner, who was meant to deal with me directly, slinging plates to guests and hauling around serving items when she was meant to handle the many issues that arose and deflect these issues from me? (THE POLICE ARRIVING, THE LACK OF WATER ON TABLES, the lack of wait staff taking ANY drink orders). If they are understaffed, that is not my issue, it's yours. What does it cost you to bring in a few more additional wait staff?
-Upon my parents and groomsman/maid of honor toast, there was NO CHAMPAGNE to toast with. THERE WAS NOT even WATER on the table. NO BREAD!!!
-I had arranged with staff to have a properly tallied bar tab. I clearly expressed to the event planner that I did not want to be handed a $5000 bill at the end of the night for the bar tab, when in fact, that is exactly what happened.
- It was abundantly clear that the Bedford Post was severely understaffed and unable to properly execute this size and scope of an event such as a wedding. Why did I pay a 21% service fee?? In a meeting with RUSSELL (CO-OWNER WITH RICHARD GERE) he said a recent groom expressed "Even if the food was bad, service was shit, it would still be worth having my wedding here because of the beauty of the property..." I thought this to be a hypothetical at the time, clearly it is not a hypothetical. The service was abysmal. I tend to disagree with that groom. Yes I had a beautiful wedding, but NONE in part to the horrible service we were given. And NO the scenery and food to not erase that.
I deliberated greatly in writing this as I was not sure if it was worth the aggravation and time of having to rehash the awful service experience we had at the Bedford Post for my WEDDING no less!!. Additionally, I am sure that owner RUSSELL (and RICHARD GERE) would not care at all about my sentiments based on the fact that they made NO attempt at reparations in the past even in light of my horrible experience with the Bedford Post over the past 9 months of planning this wedding.
They can talk all they want about the upcoming accolades they are going to receive. It is easy for them to rest on their laurels or the "celebrity" influence they have behind them. If that is enough for you than the Bedford Post was obviously not the best choice for us in a wedding venue.
We were looking for a venue with good food, stellar service and a place we could come back to year after year for anniversaries and holidays. I honestly cannot stomach the thought of continuing to be a patron at a facility that puts no worth in personal connections.
BEWARE!!! GO TO BLUE HILL AT STONE BARN. read more