After a great wedding and a great stay at the White Sands, our perfect night was stained by our experience at Tradewinds.
Two weeks before our wedding, we went to Tradewinds to let them know to expect a large late night wedding party.
We were introduced to Jenette. When we said we were having a wedding afterparty her eyes lit up and she said there would be a $500 fee (with no included drinks) to ensure the space for our party, which would be paying for drinks individually, despite (in her words) the bar usually staying open until the last customers leave, and that the bar would be open to customers until closing.
Other local bars told us they would accommodate us with no charge. We were about to choose another bar when Jenette called and told us that she spoke with the owner (her dad) and that the $500 would be a drink minimum. She came back with a contract (see photo) stating "hosts of the event shall be responsible for remitting the difference between the actual bar revenue collected and the $500 minimum. Such payment shall be due at the conclusion of the event." We agreed due to proximity to the hotel.
Shuttles arrived at Tradewinds, and guests opened tabs. When the bride and groom arrived, staff ignored the bride's order and demanded a credit card. I went and spoke with staff, who were unaware of the afterparty contract - a clear lack of communication that was the root of the entire incident. They stated tabs that were already open did not count towards the $500 minimum, as there was no card on file and the bride and groom were not present. These stipulations were not stated in the contract.
Jenette came in, and rather than revisiting the contract, she threatened to shut the place down. At this point, I was unhappy (belligerent and overserved were the words Jenette chose to describe me in her response to a review, which is strange as she told the bride she would "give me a free shot" for my troubles). I stated that I would hand them the $500 since they were no longer following the contract and clearly hungry for a few extra dollars, and they were threatening to shut the party down. At this point, my bride told me that we would not let them extort us, and my brother came in and put down a card.
Instead of using my brother's card to "remit the difference between the actual bar revenue collected and the $500 minimum... due at the conclusion of the event," he was charged the first $500 and then the bar became a cash bar. He woke up the next day with an additional unauthorized $100 charge on his card.
In her response to a google review from one of our friends (see photo), Jenette chooses to use unnecessary disparaging phrases like "the bride walked in and got on her knees." She also states that she has "been waiting for this review," which clearly shows that she knew she did not act appropriately.
In Jenette's response to our friend's google review, she states that the party began to "disintegrate" as soon as I walked in, but she seemed happy to take money from our guests right up until closing time at 2AM.
Bartenders and staff were tipped throughout the night, and the venue made well over the $500 minimum (Jenette will be happy to respond with an exact dollar amount, as the venue is clearly driven by profit and not guest experience).
Videos of the moment where Jenette chooses to slander my bride in her review show a happy bride giving Jenette a hug and immediately complying with her wishes. Outside liquor was not brought into the bar, and "repairs" mentioned in her review were never mentioned to us. Videos taken throughout the night show a normal wedding party of people trying to enjoy themselves despite the issues with the Tradewinds owner's daughter.
I'm sure Jenette is "waiting for this review" (see photo of original google review before their edit) and will again try to slander our wedding party, but if you are reading this think: What does the groom have to gain from leaving a truthful review that shows the Tradewinds owner's daughter's unprofessional behavior? And do you really want to gamble on the venue for an important life event? read more