We were planning a wedding on a less than 6 month timeline and considered many venues around town…read more I'll be honest, I have lived in the area for over 10 years, and was not aware of the Garden Room. When I contacted them initially, they were quick with providing all the information needed to assist in a decision even before meeting with them - availability, accommodations, and pricing of everything from facility to catering. I found others to not be quite as forthcoming with that in advance of the meeting.
When we met for the first time, I could see the potential of the beautiful venue, even though we were in the dead of winter. They were very thorough in asking about our vision for the day and providing suggestions. They have a crazy amount of decor available at no additional cost, all the table centers, candles, all types of candle holders and glass items, easels, etc. that takes a great deal of worry and cost out of decorating. They offer many option for linens at a reasonable fee, and have beautiful dishes, serving pieces, etc. for your use.
The catering options were very extensive and reasonably priced, compared to other locals. They were super flexible in allowing you to select from all the different items, and were good to offer up suggestions. We had heard from others that the food was always excellent, and when we showed up for a tasting nothing disappointed! Everything tasted fresh and homemade. That sealed the deal for us and we put down a 50% deposit for the venue.
In the lead-up to the wedding, we met a few times, and they were gracious about us "popping in" to the venue in the afternoon hours to take a look at things for our planning. We finalized the menu a few weeks out and head count 2 weeks before. Julie provided a super detailed timeline to ensure every detail was covered, down to what we preferred to drink that day so that the staff could keep us in beverages. No bride should have to fetch her own drink!
The day of our wedding went off perfectly. We had secured the office as a bridal suite/lounge early in the day and had decorating hours in the morning. We had designated parking spots for all our vendors and later for wedding party and family. The location allowed close by lunch options and the Chancellor hotel was our guests' hotel. It rained from 1:30 pm to almost 5, and I kept my cool, as we had planned for the afternoon showers and everything was managed. When the rain passed, the staff quickly had everything dried off and ready for our first pictures at 530 pm.
Julie ensured everything for our ceremony and reception went perfectly as scripted, down to managing the background music herself! We had decided to have an intimate dinner in the bridal suite while our guests enjoyed the buffet and it was perfect, to sit down to beautifully prepared plates and have a few minutes of quiet reflection and time together before we party!! All the guests were very complementary of the food - spinach/artichoke dip, beautiful mixed green salad, mini muffulettas, smoked pork tenderloin with fresh yeast rolls and horseradish sauce, bacon wrapped shrimp, new potato rounds with ricotta and parmesan and fruit salad. The entire reception was managed beautifully.
The Garden Room in a beautiful venue for any event. But what made it extraordinary was Julie and her staff. Their engagement from the very beginning, attention to every detail, and quality of product and service provided was really so much more than I expected. They didn't just provide a place, they helped us host the perfect wedding and reception. I highly recommend the Garden Room for your party or event.
