We recently hosted a wedding at The Relay Station Event Center in Plantersville, and I struggled…read morewith what rating to give the venue. The property itself is beautiful and could easily be a 5-star venue. Unfortunately, our experience was significantly affected by the owner's conduct and the failure to provide several services included in our contract. For that reason, we ultimately gave the venue 2 stars.
From the beginning, the owner was frequently rude, combative, and unprofessional. Rather than working with the bride on her vision, she repeatedly tried to change decisions that had already been made. For example, the bride requested both fried and grilled chicken, and the owner attempted to change the menu to fried chicken only.
The most significant issue was the day-of coordination included in our contract. About two weeks before the wedding, we were told the owner would be unavailable to coordinate. That would have been understandable if an alternate coordinator had been provided. However, the owner ultimately attended the wedding but still did not provide the contracted coordination services. No replacement coordinator was provided, leaving me, as the bride's sister, to take on that responsibility myself.
The week before the wedding, the bride was also told on Tuesday evening that the selected flatware was unavailable and that she needed to purchase pre-rolled flatware and have it delivered by Thursday. The owner also pressured the bride to deliver alcohol early so it could be stored in an un-air-conditioned barn, which was concerning given the potential for excessive heat to damage wine.
On the wedding day, only 70 chairs had been set up even though we had paid for 80, and we received pushback when requesting the remaining chairs. The bridal suite had not been properly cleaned, dead bugs were visible around the restroom doors, and the floors were noticeably dirty.
The outdoor ceremony area had a fountain and pond with visible algae and pollen on the water. When we asked approximately two hours before the ceremony for the fountains to be turned on so the water could circulate, the owner was rude and questioned why we wanted them turned on so early. They were eventually turned on, but too late for the water to improve significantly.
During the reception, the owner continued creating unnecessary issues. She threw away guests' plates when they stepped away from their tables, even when they had not finished eating. She also told members of the wedding party to leave the reception and begin tearing down the ceremony area, despite setup and teardown being services we had paid for. Around 7:15 p.m., she wanted the bar to begin packing up the remaining alcohol even though the bar was contracted to remain open until 9:00 p.m. She also repeatedly approached and pressured the bride and groom, including during their private last dance.
There was one major bright spot: Jana. She stepped up wherever she could, helped fulfill services that were not being provided, and did everything possible to keep the day running smoothly. Jana deserves 5/5 stars.
The venue itself is beautiful and deserves 5/5 for appearance. Cleanliness would receive 2/5. Jana receives 5/5. The owner's customer service would receive -5/5.
The Relay Station has tremendous potential, but unfortunately, the owner's repeated rudeness, lack of professionalism, and failure to provide contracted services turned what should have been a joyful wedding day into an unnecessarily stressful experience for the bride, groom, and their families.
Overall: 2/5 stars.