So I have been debating whether or not to post this for two reasons: 1) I do not want to tarnish…read morethe memory of my wedding day and 2) I do not want to deal with the situation anymore. However, if any other bride has to deal with what I did on their wedding day due to an incompetent and unorganized staff at the Waterford Manor, I would feel horrible. This post will be really obnoxiously long but all the information is important. Obviously, this is based on my opinion and observations, along with the observations of my guests and my family.
My wedding was two weeks ago and I planned from Ontario. A few months before my wedding there were rumors that the Waterford Manor was closed and all weddings were cancelled. That turned out not to be true and once I got in contact with the new manager, I was assured that everything was fine and my wedding day would be great. They even said I would be gifted something for stress the situation caused. Over the next few months the manager was very hard to get ahold of. She would just not answer some of my messages or only half answer. I was more than willing to give the benefit of the doubt, mainly because when I did talk to her she seemed to have it all together. I put in my food order 16 days before my wedding (they requested 14 days) and in the email containing this order I asked several questions along with the request for the final invoice. I also asked several times about why there was gratuity on my entire invoice. For example, I paid an automatic gratuity on the room rental, bridal suite, chairs, chair covers, staff hourly wages, as well as food. I was not unwilling to pay this necessarily I just did not understand, and I was not sure if this was common practice or if I was being taken advantage of. When I finally arrived in NL I contacted the manager to set up a time to come meet her and see the venue, as well as talk about gratuity, get the answers to my questions about the food (they still were not answered) and get my final invoice (which I still - 5 days before my wedding- didn't have). I was told to come by anytime the next day so I responded and said I would be there for 1:30pm. I arrived, and no one was there, the doors were locked, and both phone numbers I had went straight to voice mail. I was worried and furious. A couple hours later I got a text message from the manager apologizing and said I could come by at 6 pm that night. So I did and I was so relieved when I sat down with her. She was so reassuring and seemed so willing to go above and beyond that I decided not to even argue the gratuity because this staff was going to more than earn it. They were going to do all the decorating for me, set up my candy bar, help greet the guests, put up some lights and tulle that they had in stock at no charge, let me stock the bar how I wanted, and even add in an interactive food station. The manager also expressed concern that where there was only two hours in between my ceremony and reception that perhaps I shouId offer coffee, tea and pastries to people that may have to stay. I left that night so excited. The next day I emailed the manager with my bar order as well as what I wanted for my food station which was to be a Mashed Potato Martini Bar. I even said that I would be willing to go purchase martini glasses if they didn't have enough, but I was told it would be no problem as they had boxes and boxes. The night before my wedding we arrived to drop off some things and go over the food bill once more. We briefly chatted about everything and I reconfirmed that there would be coffee, tea and pastries because it was missing from my invoice. The manager even had her mother who just so happened to be at costco pick me up some flowers. Again, even though they were hard to get a hold of and seemed to do everything last minute i was constantly reassured. I ignored every red flag because I let someone talk me into being reassured. I should not have.
My wedding day:
The manager told me she would be there no later than 7 am. We said we would arrive around 830-9 and my make up and hair stylist would be starting at 9. My hair stylist called me at 830 and said she was banging on the door and couldn't get in. We were on our way and eventually joined them in banging on the door until about 9:15 am. We finally got in because my MOH found a random basement door that was open, which woke up that staff member that apparently works there, who then let us in. The manager showed up about ten minutes after that with zero apology, instead she annoucned that she wasn't feeling well and she was going to go shower and get ready. When she was supposed to be working, decorating, making sure my day was fine. We proceeded to get ready in our freezing cold suite, the stylists asked if we could use the boardroom for more space and we were told it was no problem, the whole place was ours, not like anyone else was there. Everything else in the morning went pretty much fine as did my ceremony.
After
