Inn on Newfound Lake

mmcclay14

Hi there,

I was wondering if anyone has been married here and/or attended a wedding here in the past year. I would love a quick review -- on the venue, food, service etc!

Thank you!

suziebrown7

I hear its wonderful and you should probably book it - BB

knash11

I'm getting married there this August! We tasted the food and it was great and they've been helpful so far. It's crunch time now so we will see how it all goes but I've heard great things. It's really the whole package there, the barn, the gardens, the lake, mountains in the background. I fell in love! 

Just like any other venue, there are certain charges that come up for upgrading a bit and/or "extra" tables like cake table, etc. So just be sure you can afford those in the budget and ask about it before you sign!  

Amyd1027

I was married there last month!!  It was absolutely beautiful, but we had some problems.  I definitely agree with the above.  Here's a (long) review I've posted (just so I don't have to type it all again...) but be ESPECIALLY careful about the bar and the meal service!!: 

We had our wedding at the Inn in late June.  We chose it as our wedding venue because it is an absolutely beautiful location that we felt met all our needs (we could have an outdoor ceremony, move into the air conditioned barn for a big party, great food, and hotel rooms so our guests wouldn't have to drive!).  Also, I grew up in the area and spent many days on Newfound Lake so it was really special for me to get married there.  We were married on the lawn, had a tented cocktail reception, and then dinner and dancing in the barn.  Joy was really helpful and pleasant during the planning process, although she is clearly overworked.  Most of our guests didn't end up staying at the Inn, because they have a 2 night minimum and they only needed 1.

The grounds and the barn (and the Inn itself) are incredibly beautiful.  There is a little dock across the street where you can get some great pictures, and the beach is quite nice as well (we didn't go there on our wedding day but did when we had our initial tour).   The whole place has a really elegant feel but with a touch of rustic NH - there are cool antler chandeliers in the barn but it still manages to not feel like a hunting lodge! 

The service we received before, during, and after the wedding by the Inn's owner, Larry, left a lot to be desired.  I felt bullied when I wanted to do things that are outside their normal mode of operation (for example, something as simple as having the groom put the Inn-required place cards on the tables instead of having guests pick them up on their way in).   He was rude and pushy during our rehearsal (he didn't seem to like the way we organized our processional and kept trying to make us do it a different way).

We hosted an open bar and 4 guests mentioned that their drinks were taken away by servers before they were empty, and when they said they weren't finished they were told "it's ok, just go get another one."  Their open bar is charged per drink, not a flat rate, so we ended up paying for an unknown number of extra drinks.   

Several guests received the wrong meals, in spite of my handmade place cards being written on (even though I had clearly indicated the meal choice on the card already, and they were approved by Larry).  Larry blamed that on our guests who didn't pick up their cards - so the servers just asked guests what they wanted to eat.  This would be fine, but they only make the exact number of meals you request.  So - if you request 4 vegetarian meals and someone with beef changes their mind, one of your vegetarians is going to get stuck either with no meal or eating the beef.  Some guests who DID pick up their cards still got the wrong meal (and one meal was lost for a period of time).  We also paid an extra $2 per person for upgraded salads, which weren't served (we did get a refund for those).

BOTTOM LINE: If you're looking for a spectacularly beautiful place to get married, with good food and strong drinks AND you're strong enough to stand up for what you want, you request that they make extra meals, tell your guests not to put their drinks down  - this is the place for you.

Lastly, Larry asks guests outright to write Yelp reviews.  I called the Inn to find out why the above problems happened so I could write a positive review (maybe a server or a cook was out sick, or they had a bunch of new hires, or a million other acceptable reasons) and was treated to a very unprofessional voicemail from Larry in which he accepted NO responsibility and in which I was treated with blatant disrespect.  My husband called to speak with him and ask what he would be doing to rectify the situation and Larry said he would call back on the weekend - we never heard back.

mmcclay14

Thank you!