Virginia

BEWARE!!! Belle Haven in Scottsville near Charlottsville

All, 
This location is a BEAUTIFUL place that is just starting to do weddings. However, I do not recommend anyone working with them until they know what they are doing.  We had a verbal agreement, were set on a date, where booking lights, chairs, caterer, finalizing the contract and the owner, Jan told us days before signing,  that she had a bride come in and ask for the date we had secured.  She gave it to her because she was paying double the amount.  We had already started telling family from abroad to book their flights for the date, and by cancelling last minute, we are now stuck with no location and starting from zero. 

This is very unethical and unprofessional. 

Horrible experience with the owner--she is a micromanger and before she gave us this news, was already making it very hard for us to work with her (including scaring our wedding planner, caterers etc.) 

Re: BEWARE!!! Belle Haven in Scottsville near Charlottsville

  • Wow, that's awful!  Did you have a contract?  
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  • Oh my! Totally unethical!
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_virginia_beware-belle-haven-in-scottsville-near-charlottsville?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:236Discussion:dceea03b-1297-4140-b8ac-3deaeb0827a8Post:c7a05ed6-7af9-437d-b319-6862c6e09307">BEWARE!!! Belle Haven in Scottsville near Charlottsville</a>:
    [QUOTE]We had a verbal agreement,
    Posted by vrmaac[/QUOTE]
    Hold up. Everyone knows that no vendor is yours until you sign a contract and put a deposit down.
  • Whoa-- need to jump in here. I was the very first bride to be married at Belle Haven and it was an absolute DREAM from beginning to end. Jan is new to the wedding scene, but her diligence and attention to detail was crucial to the smoothness of our wedding day.

    Not only is Belle Haven a divine location (you get a huge private estate all to yourself and your guests for your wedding day), but the pricing is fair and comparable to Charlottesville's other venues; Jan is well-connected with the best vendors in the area; and she's completely open to using the space in new and unexpected ways. Our wedding was completely over-the-top planned, with dozens of vendors traipsing around Belle Haven for days before, and Jan was such a crucial part of the process. Her genorisity, creativity, and smarts helped transform our dreams into reality.

    The bottom line is, ANY vendor, be it a friend you know, a highly praised professional, or a newbie works with contracts. If it isn't signed, it isn't yours. I would question the ethics of any vendor who booked through verbal agreements alone.
  • Hey there,
    I want to jump in here and echo CvilleSteph's comments. I was the second bride to be married at Belle Haven and it was an absolute dream. Not only is it a spectacularly charming property, the price is right for the quality and attention you will receive there as a bride.
    Jan has a huge heart and imagination. She is so creative and totally willing to help you think outside the box when it comes to envisioning your wedding at Belle Haven.
    Our wedding was planned to be out in the garden, but with a drastic change in weather, she let us move the ceremony into the parlor of the house and totally outfit the barn into an amazing reception venue. This was stressful of course, but Jan remained calm and focused, helping me be flexible with the change of plans.
    Belle Haven is a special place - it's not just a generic vineyard wedding venue like so many places in Charlottesville. It is truly unique. 
    I love getting married there, so please, future brides - do not be turned off by the vrmaac's comments! 
    Let us not forget that the wedding industry, although focused on love, is still an industry. Contracts are a must. Jan was very professional with me. We had an extensive written contract and an insurance policy - this is standard for all venues. 
    Frances
  • I agree, get everything in writing, verbal agreements do not mean anything,you should have known better!  Now you are wiser for the experience.  Sorry though that you had to go through that.
  • Are you sure it was because she was paying double or was it because she put the deposit down first? I was looking in charlottesville for my venue and there are a lot of places. It's too far for my guests to travel, but if it wasn't I'd be booking there. You can check borrowedandblue.com (you can select charlottesville as your area - but they only have charlottesville no other places in VA like roanoke, grrr!!). Anyway, they have tons of venues and vendors that are there or go to charlottesville.
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