Sudden problem with my venue!

transcriber87

Hello ladies...We are getting married on 8/17 at Toris Station in the gazebo with the reception to follow inside.  Well, we booked the venue back in March. My Mom and I remember the lady we talked to saying that sometime in July, 1 month before the wedding, we would come in and pick out the centerpieces, chair sash colors AND the food..I remember her saying we could taste some of the food.  We have been to a few receptions there and have had different food and they have a menu that she gave to us.  Well, problem started at the end of June.  My Mom called and told them that with my work schedule and hers, she was calling to see if we could get an appt. on said date. The lady replied she would be calling to set up appts. come July.  Mom called on Monday, lady took the #, she never replied.  She called on Tues, was told the lady had gone home sick, called yesterday and was given her cell phone # so she called and talked to the head lady, who booked our venue.  My Mom said she was almost argumentative with her..No! We do not have food tastings! If there is something you are interested in, we make extra during another reception and then you can try it. My Mom said we were never told that in our first and only meeting with her.  My Mom told her that it is 5 weeks away and we need an appt to get in there to chose our stuff..I guess the other lady was with her and L asked A if she had called us yet and A had the nerve to say Yes, I left a message.  My Mom replied that is NOT correct.  She tried to blame it on maybe I had a different cell phone? Uh NO! We listed the primary contact # to be my Moms because she works at home and is there all day, I have no messages from them.  Its turned out to be a mess! So L said she would call my Mom back around 4 or 4:30 last night..NO CALL! I am at my wits end with a place that I went in totally trusting them, impressed because of the other receptions we had attended over the years and now, I am second guessing.  Mom is paying for the venue and she is LIVID, she is the one who talked to L yesterday on the phone..Just don't know what to do?!

GoBucksOH

What does your contract with them say? Does it state anything about food tastings or choosing decor?

lovelybride614

Go to the contract. I've heard nothing but probs from that venue. I'm so sorry you're going thru this so close to your date hope it works out for the best!!

transcriber87

I have a 2 page contract which says nothing about food tasting, just our guest count and a paragraph about that being upped or downed...we gave 100 but I have a lot of RSVP's still out, not due till the 20th..it does say what is included but nope, nothing about food tasting.  BUT that is what she had told us back in March, July is when you come in here and pick out your chair sashes, centerpieces and we have a food tasting..who would have thought I should have recorded the convo, ya know? Now Im starting to wonder about the bird cage card holder..My Mom asked if we could use it while we were in the room at a desk and she said, sure!   Lovelybride, what have you heard about them?

TogetherPerfect

We have this venue booked for May 2013 and were also told that we would be able to do a food tasting. I am going to watch this thread and see what happens. I wish you the best... such a tough thing to go through so close to the wedding! I am going to call them (it sounds like we have been working with someone other than you though) and see about the food tastings for our wedding in May. If you want, I will let you know what they tell us. Good Luck!

patEcake

As PP said, have heard nothing but negative stories about this venue.  Hopefully they monitor this site and will see all the bad publicity they're getting. 

transcriber87

Damn! They have a FB site and JUST posted how they were voted top on the Knot!  When we first sat down, we talked with Lynne, Mom has done a lot of calling and asking questions and has talked to Mitch (great guy)...She wanted to know if they provided the aisle runner one day, another day she called about the cake serving set, etc.  Lynne is supposed to be our event coordinator and at the first meeting was SUPER NICE!!   TogetherPerfect,  so you were also told about food tasting? Definitely keep me updated Please! And I will do the same! Do you have your contract you could look at too? Mine says nadda about the food tasting, but we all heard her say that back in March..Grr!

Soon2BMrsJohnson85

I met with Lynn and wasn't very fond of her. So I primarily let my fiancee do the talking that day. We decided to not go with that location for several reasons because we have heard negative stories about dealing with them. To be fair I have also heard good things about them. I went to view the location once it was set up for a reception 2 saturdays ago and the back reception location was beautiful but after viewing the Madison and the Receptions I crossed them off the list. I really hope everything works out for you Transcriber87

transcriber87

If not for wanting to have a gazebo wedding, I really liked Receptions,, it just SOUNDED so good at Toris, they have a gazebo, they set up, decorate, take down, which was a plus! Also looked at Meadowbrook, they have a gazebo but it was out of the price range..I just pray it all works out in the end..Thanks Soon2B for your input!  I wanna hear everything! I guess it is different when you go in as a guest as opposed to a bride and you have to go through the nitty gritty of it all! ugh!

TogetherPerfect

I will look at my contract when I get home (at FMIL's right now), and I will also try to give them a call this week (we have been talking with Mitch) to see what they tell us about the food tasting. I will keep you updated.

sps14

my friend that i am a bridesmaid for is getting married there on oct 26th and I remember her telling me in June that she was having problems with a corrdinator there about not calling her back and not answering the phone and then being MIA for 3 weeks. I hate that you are also going through this...youd think that if there were multiple complaints like not answering phones or calling the brides back that they would do something. 

transcriber87

I can hardly wait till Saturday! We are going to pick out the centerpieces, chair sashes and order the food, going in without tasting anything as we were told we would be doing back in March!!  I think my Mom is ready to go off on her..At my bridal shower this weekend, my future SIL got married there and had alot of negative things to say about it..Like how L tried to really impose herself and run the show...she did say that everything was beautiful and they had their food waiting at the table for them when they came in from the gazebo picture shoot..I am pissed myself for what my Mom has gone through with them..I will post Sat and let you guys know how it went..should be interesting!

TogetherPerfect

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you! My contract does not say anything about tastings, however, we went to Bridalrama today and talked to Mitch about it (he is who we have been talking to this whole time) and he said that they have an Open House Aug 8 where they will have food samplings, then they do bridal show there in Feb or March where we could taste food as well. But he also said "If you want to do a private tasting, we can set something up as well." So it seems like he may be the go-to person for this stuff. Good Luck and can't wait to see how things go for you!

transcriber87

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_ohio-cincinnati_sudden-problem-with-my-venue?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:108Discussion:1bf1b3e2-3a63-4b0d-a70c-7052bb2bbaa9Post:b0c15041-aefb-447e-ae5c-ae09e1838f8a">Re: Sudden problem with my venue!</a>:
[QUOTE]Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you! My contract does not say anything about tastings, however, we went to Bridalrama today and talked to Mitch about it (he is who we have been talking to this whole time) and he said that they have an Open House Aug 8 where they will have food samplings, then they do bridal show there in Feb or March where we could taste food as well. But he also said "If you want to do a private tasting, we can set something up as well." So it seems like he may be the go-to person for this stuff. Good Luck and can't wait to see how things go for you!
Posted by TogetherPerfect[/QUOTE]

You gotta be kidding me?! OMG! I did know about the open house/food  tasting on the 8th but that is 1 week before the wedding..see I haven't been to any bridal shows at all..I love talking to Mitch, he seems to really have his act together! We gave Lynne our menu yesterday, just chose whatever sounded good to us off the menu and the appetizers...Read my post if you would like about my checks and how our meeting went..it didnt go as bad as we thought..its over on the Aug 2012 board

TogetherPerfect

Glad to hear things seem to be coming together! If you don't mind me asking, what entrees did you choose? 

transcriber87

THAT was a big ordeal in itself LOL!  We are getting married on a Friday and the menu and price is different between those 2 days..So here is what we ordered, hopefully there will be a variety to satisfy our guests...they provide pretzels and chips at the bar.

Appetizers---They automatically will put out a "Chefs Choice Appetizer"..we asked what that would be and she said it is whatever they have Xtras of and we won't know till that day.

50 chicken tenders
50 pigs in a blanket
Imported domestic cheese display w/fresh seasonal fruit and crackers

Mom was thinking about all the kids that will be there so she wanted something kid friendly also.

We had a choice of 2 main dishes..from those we picked

Ham from the carving station
Fried Chicken

We could pick out two accompaniments and we picked

Parsley Buttered Potatoes
Baked Ziti Marinara

Salad and Rolls come with the dinners


I just wish they had kept their word of getting a taste testing because the menu might have been a little different but it is what it is now...My Mom told L that since my daughter (3) is such a picky eater that she wanted her to get a plate of 3 chicken tenders and 3 pigs in a blanket and some cubed cheese for her set aside so she would have something to eat after we get inside so that is a relief that my punkin will have food waiting on her when she comes inside from pictures

TogetherPerfect

I didn't even know they had pigs in a blanket... I love those! lol Well, best of luck to you and be sure to post pics and reviews after the big day!!