Anyone been to The Cove banquet facility in Southwick?

I-am-me

We went for a tour and it seems really nice - ceremony & reception in one place, flexible hours because we get the whole day, family-owned. BUT I found some bad reviews when I googled it; they had some serious issues back in June 09, shortly after they first opened. So I'm wondering, have any of you had or attended a wedding  (or other private event) there? How was the service, the food, etc?
Thanks.

mollyk84

Just be careful!  I'm from the area, and have heard horror stories about that place.  Not to long ago a wedding was there, and I guess they brought in oustide caterers and everyone at the wedding got food poisoning and the bride and groom had to return from their honeymoon early from getting so sick.  I'm not sure how they do it now, but this was probably at the beginning of last summer.  I guess they weren't cleaning their cutting boards?  Something to that affect.

here is the article from masslive.com

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/the_cove_banquet_facility_in_s.html

mel8983

I saw them at the first bridal show i went to back in march right after i got engaged and really liked the people I spoke to and it looked really nice from the website, etc.  I called them and left messages on two different occasions to try to set a date to go check it out and they never called me back...then not long after, I heard about them being shut down because of the whole food poisoning issue and was kind of glad I hadn't heard back from them because based on what I'd seen and heard without actually going there, it was at the top of my list!

BGo

I know it's been a year since the question was asked, but if someone is out there googling this, please be forewarned. Make your own decision; Toyotas are safer now than they've ever been because they had that huge issue with sticky accelerators; maybe the same is true for the Cove, but don't say I didn't warn you...

My wedding was the day after the infamous food poisoning wedding. A few of my guests, including my husband's grandmother (who was hospitalized for a week) became ill allegedly due to the residual bacteria from the night before. But that is not why I am warning you...

The owner was horrible at getting back to me to the point that I was in tears three months before my wedding because I hadn't heard from her. The whole while, as we were paying thousands of dollars to this woman for things she couldn't deliver on, she was treating us as if she was doing us a HUGE favor. She also brought up about 10 times that she catered a bereavement for 300 people on three days notice, even though I told her repeatedly that I knew that, as the deceased was my husband's cousin and we were with his mother (who set the whole thing up) the whole time of the bereavement.

She and her staff didn't follow the short list of instructions I had for the set-up, which I was not allowed to supervise due to the wedding the night before (floating candles in the centerpieces were not lit, nor were they floating as nobody filled them with water, when we made our entrance and there was a hastily covered up hole in the head table's tablecloth). They ran out of food even though we OVER estimated the final head count by 10 people and provided a detailed spreadsheet as to where each guest was sitting and their meal choice. She said she had a cake serving set for us to use so we didn't have to buy one... My cake cutting photos have us with a huge chopping knife; the cake serving set was brought out conveniently AFTER the cake was cut.

As I was getting ready to change out of my dress for the last dance, the owner confronted me about having to pay a some charges due to the bridal party drinking a few minutes prior to the start of the open bar, and said they needed to be paid before we left, even though I had no money on me at the time. The bartender began screaming at my mother in front of everyone, and all this made me cry on my wedding day!!!!! I felt that the classy wedding that I had planned had turned into a white trash free for all.

After a short and pleasant honeymoon, I got a phone call from the BOH about the whole food poisoning issue, and just so you know, it does NOT feel good when all of your wedding guests get letters in the mail from the MA Board of Health asking them to fill out a (somewhat invasive) survey about food poisoning symptoms because of YOUR wedding.

Well, I decided to put it all behind me, as I had a hip surgery scheduled the next week and I wanted to focus on the six months of rehab ahead of me. As I was home recovering from major surgery, our best man came over, fuming, to tell us that the owner had allegedly started a rumor that I, my husband, and my bridal party were doing COCAINE in the bridal suite on our wedding day! First off, we don't do drugs, never have, especially not at MY WEDDING and second, starting a vicious and false rumor like that has dire implications; had the wrong people heard this and stupidly believed it, I could have lost my job or worse, my husband could have had his children taken away!  I even had to go to my boss, while on medical leave, and explain the situation just in case the rumors got back to her (luckily she was at my wedding and knew the rumors to be false). She had also allegedly gone to the owners of local businesses telling them to not allow us into their establishments, which was confirmed by a local business (while being completely laughed off) later on.

This woman has made me cry too many times, and actually tried to ruin our lives with unfounded rumors because of HER mistakes. I am mostly over it, but it still stings and it's been almost two years. The "happiest day of my life" was only that until I set foot in The Cove; then the nightmare began and lasted for MONTHS. Think hard before you book this place.

xdevilcutiex

Omg. i was considering getting married there . the website looks beautiful and the woman emailed within an hour. i'm torn because these reviews were a few years ago. maybe things have changed?

midlifebride

they were at the wedding expo 2012 in Jan 7and 8 and not only were they very professional at the expo but also I made an appt to see the venue and they called to confirm and were timely in opening the facilities to be seen. They invited us to come to a comedy/dinner they have on the off monthes to check out the food in a more relaxed amosphere. They also offered to make a tasting for us on what we would pick from the menu to assure our liking. Sometimes things that happen in the past keep following us and people can't place it behind them. Is there someone out there that has had a more recent event held at The Cove facility that can help and shed some light to my decision in choosing a venue, this venue.

Karenxxx

I am also looking at getting married there in June of 2014, does anybody have any updated information to add?

Petunia247

I am sharing my personal experience so the next Bride seeking a venue will be able to make an educated decision.  

We booked our venue well over a year from the date we were SUPPOSED to get married on June 21, 2014.

We started calling her in October of 2013 to settle the details of time and menu and planning, etc.  We did not hear back from her until February of 2014.

Once we spoke to her, we arranged a meeting in person to discuss the plans. (4 months  before the date....)

She did not show up for the meeting

When we spoke to her again, she said she was sick.

We arranged another meeting and she rescheduled it.

We finally sat down with her in April of 2014.  She said we could still 'make it happen'.  I didn't plan over a year ahead to jam it in in less than 8 weeks while working full time and going to school full time)

She offered to have us attend another brides' wedding without asking her first.  I told her to call me when she spoke to the bride, but she never called.  I would never crash a wedding like that.

She offered to give us a refund of our deposit (that she had for over a year).  We still tried to give her a chance.

Ultimately, she let down again and again and then told us they are no longer cooking at the facility and having the catering done off site.  Not what I signed up for.

I called her to tell her that we no longer had faith in her ability to take our wedding seriously.  We expected professional service and responses.  You will only get amateur here.  She argued with me and told me that she wasn't going to give me my money back.  Ultimately, I reminded her that she breached the contract and I was happy to take her to court.  I then received a check in the mail a few weeks later.  When I called to check with her on the status, she was nasty and hung up on me.

The Cove is a beautiful facility and on a beautiful property.  It will be a wonderful venue once Patty puts the place on the market.  With a new owner who knows the business.  Right now, small things are falling apart such as crooked light fixtures, broken windows, etc.  The back of the facility looks like its abandon.  There is a home that is vacant and the back is full of trash.  

The one star rating is only because you can't give less than that.

It has taken me a few months to be calm enough to write this factual accounting of my own personal experiences with Patty.  Every time I think of June 21, 2014, I cry knowing that I should have been married already and I am not all because of Patty.  Take your chances with any party you plan at this venue.  There is no guarantee that she will be there on time to unlock the doors.

Our wedding is now planned for June of 2015 at another venue that is run by professionals.  It will be great and I don't want to see anyone going through what we went through.