First, I want to start with a positive -- Ashley, the planning coordinator, was amazing. She truly…read morecared, paid attention to details, and made the venue look beautiful.
Unfortunately, the rest of the experience was frustrating and stressful.
Leading up to the wedding, we believed we were paying for 150 guests because that's what was shown on the contract summary. We paid our balance in full early, and no one clearly reviewed the contract with us. Days before the wedding, we were suddenly told it only covered 100 guests. That forced us into the uncomfortable position of calling people and telling them they could no longer come. After multiple conversations, they eventually allowed 20 extra guests, which tells me the contract was not clearly written in the first place.
We also brought a truckload of roses and pots for the ceremony area, and somehow a golf course venue didn't have a utility cart or pickup cart to transport anything down. Staff and coordinators ended up carrying heavy items manually down a long path to the ceremony area. The venue did help, but this should have never been an issue to begin with.
The food itself was actually very good, but once again the execution fell short. I was only given a tiny plate, and by the time we finished our dances and formalities, the food service had already been shut down. I barely got to eat at my own wedding.
The biggest issue was the bar and staff.
We prepaid around $1,200 for a bar package, but by the end of the night we were charged nearly $5,000 total for drinks. Instead of communicating with us throughout the night, they waited until the very end of the wedding -- while everyone was celebrating and under the influence -- to approach us for a credit card and pile on additional charges.
Meanwhile, during the reception, the bar was being closed while guests still wanted drinks. Instead of simply asking us if we wanted to extend service, security and staff focused on complaining about guests grabbing beers from their cars. If they had just asked me, I would have immediately approved keeping the bar open.
I even walked up to the bartender and told him I was the one paying for the wedding, and he looked at me like he didn't care. Several guests also commented that the drinks themselves were disappointing -- weak mixers, very little fruit or garnish, and overall it felt more like a cheap dive bar setup than a $40,000 wedding.
Honestly, the bartenders acted like they worked at a hole-in-the-wall dive bar instead of a wedding venue. The attitude toward guests felt rude, dismissive, and unprofessional throughout the night.
To make matters worse, security was overly aggressive and added stress during important moments of the night, including right before our first dance. I actually had to make an announcement at my own wedding telling guests not to grab drinks from their cars, which was ridiculous and embarrassing.
Then came more issues that honestly should never happen at a wedding venue of this price point.
We bought custom his-and-hers champagne glasses specifically for the toast, and nobody from staff ever poured champagne into them. We literally couldn't even do the toast properly because the glasses were empty.
Then, when it came time to cut the cake, there wasn't even a knife ready. We stood there waiting around for nearly 10 minutes while people searched for something to cut the cake with. Again, just complete disorganization during moments that are supposed to be special and seamless.
At the end of the day, we're happily married, and that's what matters most. We got beautiful photos, great memories with family, and an amazing bride and groom experience between ourselves.
But for the amount of money spent, the communication, professionalism, bar handling, and overall guest experience fell far below expectations.
My advice: if you book this venue, go over every single line of the contract yourself and do not assume anything is clearly explained.
