New Jersey

Solar Manor/Solar do Minho ruined my wedding

I recently had my wedding at Solar do Minho. I should have known when I called to check in a few months prior to wedding to hear I now had a new coordinator, whom I never met nor ever called me to introduce herself. Now I know it is under new management the last 3 months, and lots of changes to come left my event having slipped thgrough the cracks.I was promised my cocktail hour to start at 6pm. My guests were supposed to be welcomed with a red carpet, small detail yet included in my contract. Guests were to walk in, see my reception card table with photos of our deceased grandparents, and be led down the stairs inside through the pretty hallway to the other side where cocktail hour was taking place. I arrived at 6:15pm, to see my guests being herded like caddle around the side/front of buidling, walking on a main highway. I flipped when I saw this and rushed into the venue. When I walked in, MY FAVORS AND PICTURE FRAMES (AND NOTES WHERE EVERYTHING WAS SUPPOSED TO GO) WERE IN CARDBOARD BOXES ON THE FLOOR! The table was empty, nothing was set up, and my guests were crammed in the foyer. To top it off, there was an employee standing right there, not directing anyone or alerting anyone or moving the ugly boxes! I couldn't believe it.Then, I walked through my reception room, to see obviously none of my favors arranged at the tables as I had requested. I had my family and friends placing them out, but without the coordinators notes of how many guests were to be seated at each table, there wasn't enough and we had to just place them wherever quick. So I ran downstairs demanding to speak to my maitre de, which he was nowhere to be found. I kept speaking with a guy in a chef's jacket who said he had no idea. My bridal suite was empty, lights off, noone to assist me despite my hysterics.So guests started to filter into cocktail after 6:15, food around 6:30, and bartender finally soon after. So much for a cocktail HOUR! Little did they realize that by pushing everything back so late, m vendors had to stay late. With a 9 person band,@ $50/15 min. overtime, it adds up fast.There was no communication, bacon was undercooked with the bacon wrapped scallops, there was 1 bartender for 150 people who took 15 minutes to go get ice b.c she had no bar back, I literally had to wipe my tears and fake a smile the rest of the night and TRY to enjoy my wedding night.     I was promised an exceptional dessert presentation, where the chefs walk out with decorated platters, band announces them, they walk arond to guests and then set up. However this never happened. The maitre de/chef literally put plates in our hands and rushed us to the dessert. No band announcement, nothing.      Then the one little thing I had REALLY wanted was a chocolate fountain. I was told I could get it and it was written into my contract. I had to remind the maitre de, and when he finally found it he put it out and it was BROKEN! There was no chocolate but lumps of it in the basins, and it tasted terrible. I demanded he take it away immediately before I got embarrassed by it.     So since I could only afford band to stay 15 minutes late, guests literally had to eat dessert with no music since everything ran late. For a Sunday wedding, you don't want guests to be inconvenienced or rushed.There was so much more in my contract I did not get, but they only give me so much space here. Under this new management, I’d stay FAR AWAY!

Re: Solar Manor/Solar do Minho ruined my wedding

  • Reilly626Reilly626 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Wow! So sorry to hear that. But congrats to you. Ironically I know someone have a rehearsal dinner there tonite, I will have to see how it went!
  • coastiegrl25coastiegrl25 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    :-O. Take em to Nancy Grace!!
    When is my wedding
  • ccandelaccandela member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'm so sorry to hear that :(.  My best to you and your hubby in the future...
  • edited December 2011
    That's horrible. :(

    You should post this on Yelp - get the word out!
    http://www.yelp.com/biz/solar-do-minho-roselle-park

    Don't bother with Wedding Wire - they are notorious for removing bad reviews, or running any negative reviews past the vendors in question before they can be posted (which of course means they never get posted). I have no idea if the same goes for  Wedding Channel's reviews (stickied at the top of this board).

    I wonder if the staff felt they could get away with hosting a subpar event because of the management change. A friend of mine switched venues months before her wedding because her original site changed ownership and - she says - they were no longer legally obligated to honor the contract.

    This is not to dismiss your terrible experience. Cardboard boxes on the floor and a lack of professionalism should never be tolerated.
  • jchristeljchristel member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'm so sorry to hear that.  I would definitely pursue getting some money back if I were you!
    Photobucket
  • goaliegirlgoaliegirl member
    First Comment Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    sorry to hear this, that is terrible.  I would definitely try getting some of your money back. 
  • StefaniBelStefaniBel member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I am sorry to hear that.  Since you had a contract with items listed, i think you should ask some money back.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • Faith2730Faith2730 member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I am so sorry to hear about that!  That is terrible that they did that to you.  Like other people said I would definitly try to get money back since your contract wasn't fufilled.
  • edited December 2011
    I definitely agree you deserve to get your money back.

    But my friend's claim about why she changed her venue has me wondering - are contracts voided by changes in management? Maybe uppereast knows...

    And is the possibility of vendors changing hands one more thing that people planning weddings need to be abreast of? Yeah, let's make the process even more frustrating. :/
  • edited December 2011
    Sorry to hear about your experience! No one should ever have to deal with what you had to especially on your wedding day.
  • NJgurl19NJgurl19 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Wow sorry to hear that I would try to get my money back at all cost.
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