If I could give this wedding venue zero stars, I would…read more
As the groom, I was involved in every part of planning our wedding at The Havens, and there are things about this experience that still genuinely bother me.
First, what wedding venue asks for a deposit before giving you a contract? We had to put our money down before we could even read the terms because, at the time, we simply didn't know any better. When my now-wife later asked what would happen if we decided not to sign, we were told we would not get our money back. That is an incredibly unfair position to put a couple in, especially when you are planning one of the biggest and most expensive days of your life.
The rental situation is where things really started to feel wrong. During our tour, we were given the impression that the ballroom could comfortably accommodate 300 guests. After signing, we were told that our 200 guests would actually be "too tight" with their chairs and that we would need narrower chairs through their rental process.
We were told they handled rentals because they wanted to help us get the best prices. We trusted that. Instead, we were given rental prices significantly higher than what we were finding elsewhere, with charges presented as things like "delivery and tax." When we asked if The Havens took a cut of the rentals, they said no. We then asked for the actual rental company invoices, and they refused to provide them. If you aren't taking a cut, why hide the invoice?
After we cancelled, we pushed for an honest answer and they finally admitted that they do take a cut, something that was never disclosed in our contract. And on top of that, they wanted to charge us nearly two thousand dollars to store their own chairs!
At that point, it was hard not to feel like we had been maneuvered into a system that financially benefited The Havens while we were left paying the price.
When we raised our concerns, they took no accountability. They were also incredibly unprofessional with our wedding planner, who was simply trying to advocate for us.
The hardest part was watching what all of this did to my wife. There were too many nights filled with stress, frustration, and tears over something that should have been one of the happiest times of our lives. I watched her excitement about being a bride turn into anxiety about dealing with The Havens. I ultimately knew this was not what I wanted for our wedding, and it certainly was not what I wanted for my bride.
Walking away was the best decision we made for our wedding, but I cannot reconcile the emotional and financial toll this experience put us through.
I am a business owner myself, and I cannot imagine treating a customer this way. When someone brings a legitimate concern to me, I work to make it right. I have refunded customers plenty of times because doing the right thing matters more than keeping the money.
I genuinely do not understand how The Havens can continue defending what happened instead of taking accountability and making things right. I sincerely hope The Havens takes a moment to reflect on what this experience has put my wife, myself, and our families through and chooses to do the right thing by finally giving us the resolution and closure we deserve.
