We had our wedding here early May and despite some frustrations, we are happy we chose the venue…read more The property is absolutely stunning, and having an all inclusive location with lodging, food, alcohol, getting ready spaces, and beautiful grounds for photos made wedding planning much easier and more convenient for us and our wedding party.
That being said, we experienced several communication and organization issues throughout the planning process and wedding weekend:
Early on, our tasting was difficult to schedule, and once we arrived, the chef did not seem aware we were coming or prepared with the menu options we had already selected to taste. A few weeks before the wedding, we were also informed there were only two guest suites available despite originally being shown three during our tour. This caused one set of parents to scramble for last minute lodging arrangements and an additional last minute cost.
When we arrived for the wedding weekend, Joe informed us the entire kitchen staff had quit about a month prior, and he was personally trying to manage both the winery operations, the wedding, and the kitchen. Unfortunately, this seemed to show throughout the weekend.
The rehearsal dinner was honestly chaotic. Guests had pre selected entrees ahead of time, but the servers did not have the list and were running around trying to figure out who ordered what (now, I will add that some of the guests could not recall their choice and that added to the issue, but this would've been resolved by the servers calling their name). The food came out cold (our rehearsal did take longer than scheduled, so this may have been part of the issue), lacked flavor, and was nothing like the quality we had experienced during normal visits to the winery. It felt very obvious there was a breakdown in communication between management and staff.
At the reception, several food items we had selected were substituted without our knowledge, and both entrees were missing components that had been discussed beforehand (selected green beans, got broccoli. Salmon missing sauce. Brisket missing aujus. Pesto pasta was 100% different than the one we loved at the tasting.). We also paid extra for a cheesecake toppings bar for dessert instead of cake, but instead were served what appeared to be pre made cheesecake bites with the only warning being immediately prior to it being brought out. This was especially frustrating because New York cheesecake is already a regular menu item at the winery, so there really did not seem to be a reason for the substitution. We struggled with feeling a bit "bait & switched" on some things. (I'll add here that Joe did make the absolute BEST breakfast burritos the morning of the wedding and I'm still thinking about them!!)
One additional thing worth mentioning is that sound travels extremely easily between the guest suites on the main level. We could clearly hear conversation and noise from the neighboring suite, which was not ideal for the honeymoon suite experience. (Honeymoon suite directly next to suite used for Bride's parents...) Adding some soundproofing or reconsidering the placement of guest suite next to the honeymoon suite would make a huge difference for future couples.
Overall, Joe was always kind and clearly working extremely hard, but it honestly seems like he has far too much on his plate trying to manage weddings, restaurant service, and winery operations all at once. The venue desperately needs more delegation and staffing support to avoid the communication breakdowns we experienced.
That said, this venue is still very new to hosting weddings and only in its second season, so we did go into it expecting there might be some growing pains along the way. The venue itself truly is beautiful and has so much potential to provide an incredible wedding experience, and I do think with more time, staffing, and organization behind the scenes, it could easily grow into an even better venue than it already is. Thank you Joe & staff for what was overall a beautiful wedding!
