I am extremely disappointed with my experience with this wedding venue, particularly with the…read moremanagement, lack of communication, transparency regarding pricing, and unwillingness to work with clients.
We booked this venue approximately a year ago, and during that time there have been multiple changes in management. McCall is the current manager, and unfortunately, my experience with her communication and customer service has been extremely frustrating. Pricing, expectations, and additional costs have not been communicated clearly or in a timely manner.
My biggest issue has been the bar. When I booked the venue, the information presented to me led me to understand that the bar was included as part of the overall venue pricing. Throughout nearly an entire year of wedding planning, I was never effectively informed that I would be responsible for a separate $1,500 bar expense.
Instead, FIVE DAYS before my wedding, I received an unexpected invoice for approximately $1,500 for the bar. Receiving an additional expense of that amount just days before your wedding is incredibly stressful, especially when that expense had never previously been clearly itemized on the invoices I had received.
When I expressed my concerns to McCall, I did not feel that there was any empathy or genuine attempt to understand the situation. Instead, she referred me back to the contract and stated that it was ultimately my responsibility to review the contract.
I completely understand that clients are responsible for reviewing the contracts they sign. However, my issue is that the contract and invoices I had been provided throughout the planning process did NOT clearly identify or itemize a separate $1,500 expense for the bar. The pricing showed what I was paying for the venue as well as an additional ad-on for the photo booth, which I knowingly agreed to. There was never a similar itemized breakdown showing that I would owe an additional $1,500 for the bar.
What is especially frustrating is that only FIVE DAYS before my wedding, the contract/invoice was then revised to include and itemize the bar expense. Prior to that revision, throughout the entire time I had been planning and making payments, that $1,500 bar charge had never once been clearly itemized on my invoice. To then add the charge to the paperwork five days before the wedding and refer me back to the contract as though this expense had been clearly presented to me all along was extremely frustrating.
If a client is expected to pay an additional $1,500 for a required service, that expense should be clearly disclosed, itemized, and communicated from the beginning--not added to an invoice five days before the wedding.
The situation is even more frustrating because clients are not given the flexibility to choose their own bar vendor or seek a more affordable alternative. The venue requires the use of its bar services, yet in my experience, the associated cost was not made transparent until days before the wedding.
After investing a significant amount of money into a wedding venue, I expected professionalism, transparency, empathy, and timely communication. Instead, when I raised a legitimate concern about an unexpected $1,500 expense just days before my wedding, I felt dismissed rather than supported.
Wedding planning is stressful enough without receiving a surprise $1,500 invoice five days before the wedding for something you understood to be included in your original pricing. Based on my personal experience, I strongly encourage anyone considering this venue to request a detailed, itemized breakdown IN WRITING of every expense before signing and throughout the planning process--including the venue, bar, required vendors, ad-ons, service fees, and any other potential charges. Keep copies of your original contracts and invoices as well so that you have a clear record of what was and was not itemized when you booked.
