Wedding 911

Nuptial Nightmare in North Georgia!

This is a Destination Wedding Buyer Beware/Venue Story to hopefully give some meaningful tips to navigate through the ins and outs of venue hunting for an out-of-town wedding. So many people head to the North Georgia Mountains for their wedding because it is magical and beautiful. But, it can be rough to find the perfect venue that’s actually affordable in this area. I looked for months and YES, I was too trusting and made many mistakes along the way. I never thought I’d actually have one of those “Bridal Nightamre Stories”, but I certainly do! A short back-story, I am a 44 year old first time bride working in Internet Marketing and News Broadcast. My Fiance has also never been married and serves in the Military- oh- and he is 10 years younger.  Point being, we’re educated people, never considered ourselves to be taken for fools, however, we were certainly taken! And if you are wondering if I’m still angry and bitter, hell yes I am!

 

This is a warning for all- This is a story about where NOT to plan your event and especially your wedding. I never thought I would be one of those brides with a “Bridal Nightmare Story” to tell, but I was wrong. Hopefully our extremely disappointing and stressful ordeal with Cartecay Vineyards (insert your own sketchy venue here) in Ellijay, GA will save others from having a similar experience. Looking back at everything that went wrong, we believe we were baited into having our wedding ceremony there by the promises and guarantees of having a dream-day we couldn’t refuse. We already knew they were looking to attract and entice more couples into having their weddings at the vineyard (I was told this by their staff), so we felt they would be accomodating. We had looked for a long time and had issues with most of the places we saw. They were either insanely over-priced, were closed the weekend of our wedding, were very unattractive, wanted to charge us the same price for a 30 person wedding as a 300 person wedding, too small, too big…then we came across a Vineyard willing to work with us and had our date available. We thought, Hey- we may have a winner here!

We were communicating with them via email before touring, so they were well aware of exactly what we were wanting, planning and how our day would play out. They wanted us to come up and see for ourselves how “beautiful” the vineyards are and they would do everything possible to help us make our wedding day perfect and special. On our first tour of the Vineyards, we were intrigued and asked a lot of questions to confirm what we had discussed in our original email conversations. We were pleased by the answers we received and the venue tour. They guaranteed that everything on our “want” list would and could be done and they would even do it at a discounted price! After 2 days of touring venues with our Wedding Planner, how could we say no? We did have a unique ceremony time as far as a Vineyard is concerned, meaning we would serve our guests drinks, wine and appetizers before hand while they would still be open to the public and there would be a band playing (which we were told by the staff that could even work to our advantage by having a band play at our ceremony) and our wedding would take place 30 minutes before or we could do it at closing time. We were flexible to update and revise our times to make sure everything would run smoothly.

We were guaranteed an exclusive and private part of the vineyard for our guests to gather before the ceremony. We were told we could tent up the chimney patio area for our ceremony, we could serve liquor, bring in our own caterers and so on. After our tour and meeting with their event planner, I remember sitting at lunch with our Wedding Planner and saying, “Oh my gosh, they are giving us everything we are asking for and more!” That’s where we decided to book it. Our Wedding Planner confirmed with them that it was a done deal and we were in! We were told a contract would be drawn up immediately, so we started making all of the plans since we had been convinced everything was set to go on their behalf. We started scheduling the vendors, the invitations, the website all based on this Vineyard and the times that were agreed upon in person and through email. A month went by, and even with our Wedding Planner demanding a contract, there were excuses after excuses on why we didn’t have it yet. However, we felt comfortable after our meeting and emails that everything was all still good to go. Why would we be given any reason otherwise?

Without a contract, we couldn’t wait any longer and had to go ahead and order invitations since this was a destination wedding and we had to let our guests know earlier than normal so they could make travel plans. Six weeks before the wedding, after the invitations and website had gone out, we finally received a contract (one month after our initial meeting). It was a corrupted file! Then when we finally were able to get one we could open- it was just a generic template. Then a new email comes in with a few contract addendum’s and WOW! Everything we discussed, were guaranteed, were told, were promised were now a No-Go! We were in shock and thought there must be a mistake. Were they thinking of another couple’s wedding date? Was there some sort of an oversight on their behalf? We had no idea what had happened. We sent many emails and tried calling, however all of a sudden, they were certainly not as friendly, accommodating or nice as they were in the beginning of this journey. They made us feel like more of a burden at this point. They were distancing themselves, but we had no idea why. Now, we knew we were in trouble. We re-grouped with our Wedding Planner, got in touch with upper management and were told that everything we were guaranteed could not be done. They could not guarantee we would have an exclusive area to entertain our guests and the band would take precedence over our wedding if there was bad weather. They told us we could not tent up the patio area and in fact, they could not guarantee we would have a space to get married. SHOCKED is all I can say. The owner got involved and he did attempt to re-negotiate the contract, however, it went completely against everything that had already been planned, scheduled and guaranteed by his own staff. Obviously, they do not communicate.

It’s clear the Event Planner for Cartecay had no idea or clue, misspoke and lied – and I have no idea if it was knowingly or not. Dealing with this complete mis-management and misinformation put us in a deep and desperate hole! I really felt like I was having a nervous breakdown while scrambling to find another venue last minute, secure that venue, send out new invitations and website along with everything else that goes along with planning a wedding. We lost our trust, lost money and lost a lot of planning time based on our experience with Cartecay. Anyone planning a wedding knows what I’m talking about. This is the last scenario you want to happen right before your ceremony. Now, if you get stuck in a really bad contract negotation with them, you may just get lucky and offered the over-flow parking lot to have your ceremony- Real Generous and Romantic eh’?!?

There is a silver lining- I have learned a lot. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you don’t receive a contract within a week, make alternative plans and cut your losses. If you get a gut feeling the venue’s staff and event planner is a little flaky or desperate, you’re probably right and move on! The good news is that I was lucky enough to find another Vineyard in the same area that had our date available and could still work within our timeline and plans for the day. It is a much nicer venue, competitive pricing (same as Cartecay actually!), clean, updated and modern, architecturally appealing, beautiful vineards and most important- a wonderful and caring Owner who’s extremely involved in his Vineyards and loves what he does and an Event Planner and Tasting Room Manager who have gone above and beyond to assure us they will make sure we have the perfect day. They knew what we had been through and took extra care in working with us to make sure we were comfortable in our decision with choosing their location.

This is a Buyer Beware story and sorry it is so long. I could write a book about our experience, but I tried to stick to the main points. I certainly get angry and very upset even thinking about it and everything that took place. I have to remind myself of the positive outcome from it all. I would have never found Engelheim Vineyards if we had not had such a horrible experience. I would hope no one would have to go through what we did and if you do decide on Cartecay, I certainly hope you are able to make it work and have a wonderful, special and beautiful day. Bottom Line- If you do not have a contract within a week- walk away! However, I still highly suggest #stayawayfromcartecay! :) 

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Re: Nuptial Nightmare in North Georgia!

  • Yeah, this sounds like a shill for your venue rather than a genuine post. If you spent all this time Goldilocksing your way through so many venues, how did you miss this magical place so conveniently located in the exact area you were already looking that just so happened to be available and give you exactly what you want with less than 6 weeks notice?

    I guess far more shocking than how your original venue treated you is how someone who is allegedly educated and works in marketing made it to the ripe old age of 44 without understanding how contracts work. Isn't that Business 101? But yeah, thanks for the warning to use common sense and get a contract before you start throwing cash around in magical and beautiful Georgia.
  • Sorry, I agree with @levioosa.  I would have never moved an inch further without a contract!  You set yourself up for failure.
  • i guess you can wait until my book comes out to get the whole story- no need to bash on here- yeah, at the ripe old age of 44, where i have negotiated contracts for the Olympics, Debates, Race for the Cure and 100's others- but never been married- this was a disaster and yes, i have heard of similar horror stories since- wish i would have read those first! The other vineyard was new and i did not know about it- plus they just got a new event planner so when we originally called- they didn't have one! So, this post isn't for you- it may seem like common sense- i get that- we made a mistake by not getting the contract, but remember- i have the emails with everything in agreement from their planner. it turned out- their wedding planner lied about it all and the owner was not in the know, so even if we had gotten the contract within a week- it would have been null and void seeing as how they flip-flopped on us so close to our wedding date. no need to be rude 
  • deannebiv said:
    i guess you can wait until my book comes out to get the whole story- no need to bash on here- yeah, at the ripe old age of 44, where i have negotiated contracts for the Olympics, Debates, Race for the Cure and 100's others- but never been married- this was a disaster and yes, i have heard of similar horror stories since- wish i would have read those first! The other vineyard was new and i did not know about it- plus they just got a new event planner so when we originally called- they didn't have one! So, this post isn't for you- it may seem like common sense- i get that- we made a mistake by not getting the contract, but remember- i have the emails with everything in agreement from their planner. it turned out- their wedding planner lied about it all and the owner was not in the know, so even if we had gotten the contract within a week- it would have been null and void seeing as how they flip-flopped on us so close to our wedding date. no need to be rude 
    No one was rude.  This whole "disaster" could have been averted with some common sense.  If you're so good with contracts, you would have known not to sign or plan anything else until you had a contract in hand.  


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  • The cliff notes version is right! Easy read! :) 
  • levioosa not harsh at all- the truth- i know others want to just bash and make this a high school brawl- ridiculous and not worth responses- for the most important day of your life, you don't necessarily think in business terms, but follow emotions- especially in a high pressure situation with limited time and desperation- yeah, i will definitely warn everyone about that venue because they are just bad news and bad business- it's not about the money we spent on invitations because that wasn't even that much- it's about the principle of giving people the benefit of the doubt- don't! i'm very sad we had to learn this lesson the hard way- we went in blind and have learned a lot about wedding planning- more than i ever wanted to know- it's not a simple white/black issue of business 101- that's crazy, it's a post to help anyone else finding themselves in a similar situation- just don't trust anyone- no matter how nice, how generous, how exciting and how giving they appear- they may have good intentions- but doesn't mean they plan to follow through. 
  • deannebiv said:
    levioosa not harsh at all- the truth- i know others want to just bash and make this a high school brawl- ridiculous and not worth responses- for the most important day of your life, you don't necessarily think in business terms, but follow emotions- especially in a high pressure situation with limited time and desperation- yeah, i will definitely warn everyone about that venue because they are just bad news and bad business- it's not about the money we spent on invitations because that wasn't even that much- it's about the principle of giving people the benefit of the doubt- don't! i'm very sad we had to learn this lesson the hard way- we went in blind and have learned a lot about wedding planning- more than i ever wanted to know- it's not a simple white/black issue of business 101- that's crazy, it's a post to help anyone else finding themselves in a similar situation- just don't trust anyone- no matter how nice, how generous, how exciting and how giving they appear- they may have good intentions- but doesn't mean they plan to follow through. 
    You can pretend that this is not your fault and that you were some sort of a victim all you want but you clearly haven't learned anything. You could have been in control of this the whole time. No contract = no venue. No contract = no guarantee. Let go of the "magical" and "happiest day of my life" and all that horseshit and remember that you're an adult and you're responsible for dotting your Is and crossing your Ts. No one else.

    Let's say you forget to submit your marriage license after the wedding. Will it be the county's fault that you're not married? No. It will be yours. 
    Image result for someecard betting someone half your shit youll love them forever
  • I'll pray for you. Good luck.
  • @deannebiv - since you're new, it's a good rule of thumb to read through a few posts and get a vibe for the site before jumping head first into message boards.  Not everyone has a month to read through a long-winded post, and it's harder to gauge tone from the typed word when you've not gotten used to the different poster's styles. No one here has been snarky or negative towards you.  A better spot for a post like this is on your local boards.  Be aware of what the TOS/U are for the message boards in that vendor bashing isn't allowed.  People here in general tend to be skeptical about "vendor bash/vent" posts in new posters listing business names because either it's someone working for the competitor, a jilted bride, or someone behaving absolutely clueless about things that should be common sense. 

    Pointing out, unless it's in writing, it doesn't exist also is something that we frequently deal with on the boards, and situations far worse than what you dealt with.  There aren't many states that a verbal contract is as good as a written one, and even there, the written contract is still superior. 


  • Is this even real???  I feel like this can not be real! As I am currently planning my own wedding, and very caught up in the "happily ever after" and "best day of my life" emotions, I would never have moved forward without a contract. You have mentioned several times about how educated you are and deal with important contracts often with work so this should have been a no brainer.  Not one post I have read has been nasty, just truthful.  Nobody needs prayers!  as @mesmrewe pointed out, you should have read through some posts before posting....if you post something on a board, expect to get honest responses, you may not like what you see but youre getting truthful feedback from people who have experience.
  • Just an FYI she has posted this on other boards as well, pretty sure she works for the new place she booked or something.
  • JCocco219 said:
    Just an FYI she has posted this on other boards as well, pretty sure she works for the new place she booked or something.
    The KGs have looked into her and she does not appear to be related to the new venue.
    Image result for someecard betting someone half your shit youll love them forever
  • hmmm maybe shes just advertising her book then or did not like what anybody had to say on this board, so tried another...
  • JCocco219 said:
    hmmm maybe shes just advertising her book then or did not like what anybody had to say on this board, so tried another...
    Well, that's also against TOS.  And I'm sorry, there is no reason booking your venue should be any different than any other business deal is.  If you think the wedding industry is anything other than a gigantic machine seeking money, you're deluding yourself.  


    image
  • deannebivdeannebiv member
    First Comment
    edited November 2015
    MesmrEwe thank you for your information and mature, civil post. it makes sense. Reading other boards, this is common to find snarky rude and unnecessary comments. i have posted on other blogs- and there was no bashing, rude comments such the ones here, I may have mis-posted on 2 boards- new to this- so I'm sure no one has gotten hurt or maimed over my mistake of re-posting by accident. I read about a similar bride who had a similar situation. This isn't a "happened only to me" story. It's good to hear others "constructive" feedback. I don't need pity or just complete rudeness pointed at a very ugly situation by compete strangers. If you knew the whole story- which I'll give you- since I apparently didn't make a great one this first try. My fiance and I decided to get married 4 months ago, so 4 months to plan a destination wedding- that was a big task. His family would be in the same area as my parents- so we decided, since his family is in the military and rarely gets together in the same state- this is when we had to do this. The first thing I did was hire a wedding planner- then she and I started venue hunting. I had very specific needs and times. Wineries were out at first because they will not close until 6pm and i was not having a 6pm wedding- so we hunted everywhere else. Until I just finally reached out to this one winery and told them what i was looking for- i was surprised they said- sure we can accommodate you. I was very surprised and planned a tour- during which time, i was emailing my needs and wants with their event planner- obviously it was a very friendly exchange. when i went to tour- we had it all diagrammed out- i could bring in my own alcohol and food (most wineries don't let you do - and neither does this one- that's an issue this event planner lied to us about), most wineries won't give you a private area for your guests during opening hours (this event planner did), then we had the ceremony space reserved with allowance of a tent. (found out later, they don't allow you to tent up this specific area). So, after a handshake, verbal agreement, and emails confirming all after we left- we waited for a month for a contract which we kept being promised it was on the way. That's when we got close to the 6 week time to have sent out invites, but i had not ordered yet. I waited until the last possible minute, confirmed we were still all good through email- got the thumbs up and ordered. Then about a week later- a corrupted contract came through from the event planner. When we were able to open it- it was a generic template with their logo pasted on it- nothing custom that we had agreed upon. So, the entire thing blew up in our faces- yes, my stupidity for not having that signed piece of paper- A lesson I hope I can help with those who are genuine and need help with guidance through all of this planning. So there is a lesson to be learned and i learned the hard way. All the promises, hand-shakes and verbal agreements don't mean a thing- while some courts will hear and look at the evidence- it's not worth the trouble and time. I have no issue mentioning bad business and promoting good business online. No, I don't have a book, No I do not moonlight handling grapes at night while running a television network during the day. I have seen others mention venue, caterers, florists, wedding planners, etc names- which I did not mention anyone's personal names. Again, I understand this board is not for me. I won't post again, so no need to respond with crazy accusations, rude comments or bully type comments. I am getting married in 3 weeks and i hope you will all wish me luck as I wish all of you getting married a lifetime of happiness
  • deannebiv said:
    MesmrEwe thank you for your information and mature, civil post. it makes sense. Reading other boards, this is common to find snarky rude and unnecessary comments. i have posted on other blogs- and there was no bashing, rude comments such the ones here, I may have mis-posted on 2 boards- new to this- so I'm sure no one has gotten hurt or maimed over my mistake of re-posting by accident. I read about a similar bride who had a similar situation. This isn't a "happened only to me" story. It's good to hear others "constructive" feedback. I don't need pity or just complete rudeness pointed at a very ugly situation by compete strangers. If you knew the whole story- which I'll give you- since I apparently didn't make a great one this first try. My fiance and I decided to get married 4 months ago, so 4 months to plan a destination wedding- that was a big task. His family would be in the same area as my parents- so we decided, since his family is in the military and rarely gets together in the same state- this is when we had to do this. The first thing I did was hire a wedding planner- then she and I started venue hunting. I had very specific needs and times. Wineries were out at first because they will not close until 6pm and i was not having a 6pm wedding- so we hunted everywhere else. Until I just finally reached out to this one winery and told them what i was looking for- i was surprised they said- sure we can accommodate you. I was very surprised and planned a tour- during which time, i was emailing my needs and wants with their event planner- obviously it was a very friendly exchange. when i went to tour- we had it all diagrammed out- i could bring in my own alcohol and food (most wineries don't let you do - and neither does this one- that's an issue this event planner lied to us about), most wineries won't give you a private area for your guests during opening hours (this event planner did), then we had the ceremony space reserved with allowance of a tent. (found out later, they don't allow you to tent up this specific area). So, after a handshake, verbal agreement, and emails confirming all after we left- we waited for a month for a contract which we kept being promised it was on the way. That's when we got close to the 6 week time to have sent out invites, but i had not ordered yet. I waited until the last possible minute, confirmed we were still all good through email- got the thumbs up and ordered. Then about a week later- a corrupted contract came through from the event planner. When we were able to open it- it was a generic template with their logo pasted on it- nothing custom that we had agreed upon. So, the entire thing blew up in our faces- yes, my stupidity for not having that signed piece of paper- A lesson I hope I can help with those who are genuine and need help with guidance through all of this planning. So there is a lesson to be learned and i learned the hard way. All the promises, hand-shakes and verbal agreements don't mean a thing- while some courts will hear and look at the evidence- it's not worth the trouble and time. I have no issue mentioning bad business and promoting good business online. No, I don't have a book, No I do not moonlight handling grapes at night while running a television network during the day. I have seen others mention venue, caterers, florists, wedding planners, etc names- which I did not mention anyone's personal names. Again, I understand this board is not for me. I won't post again, so no need to respond with crazy accusations, rude comments or bully type comments. I am getting married in 3 weeks and i hope you will all wish me luck as I wish all of you getting married a lifetime of happiness
    This version is pretty much the same as your OP.  You should have still not planned anything without a contract.  A wedding reception is just a party, so you should have gone about this like any other party you have planned, with a contract.  I'm sorry that all this stress happened to you, but it could have been avoided.  The venue is just as much at fault as you are.
  • deannebiv said:
    MesmrEwe thank you for your information and mature, civil post. it makes sense. Reading other boards, this is common to find snarky rude and unnecessary comments. i have posted on other blogs- and there was no bashing, rude comments such the ones here, I may have mis-posted on 2 boards- new to this- so I'm sure no one has gotten hurt or maimed over my mistake of re-posting by accident. I read about a similar bride who had a similar situation. This isn't a "happened only to me" story. It's good to hear others "constructive" feedback. I don't need pity or just complete rudeness pointed at a very ugly situation by compete strangers. If you knew the whole story- which I'll give you- since I apparently didn't make a great one this first try. My fiance and I decided to get married 4 months ago, so 4 months to plan a destination wedding- that was a big task. His family would be in the same area as my parents- so we decided, since his family is in the military and rarely gets together in the same state- this is when we had to do this. The first thing I did was hire a wedding planner- then she and I started venue hunting. I had very specific needs and times. Wineries were out at first because they will not close until 6pm and i was not having a 6pm wedding- so we hunted everywhere else. Until I just finally reached out to this one winery and told them what i was looking for- i was surprised they said- sure we can accommodate you. I was very surprised and planned a tour- during which time, i was emailing my needs and wants with their event planner- obviously it was a very friendly exchange. when i went to tour- we had it all diagrammed out- i could bring in my own alcohol and food (most wineries don't let you do - and neither does this one- that's an issue this event planner lied to us about), most wineries won't give you a private area for your guests during opening hours (this event planner did), then we had the ceremony space reserved with allowance of a tent. (found out later, they don't allow you to tent up this specific area). So, after a handshake, verbal agreement, and emails confirming all after we left- we waited for a month for a contract which we kept being promised it was on the way. That's when we got close to the 6 week time to have sent out invites, but i had not ordered yet. I waited until the last possible minute, confirmed we were still all good through email- got the thumbs up and ordered. Then about a week later- a corrupted contract came through from the event planner. When we were able to open it- it was a generic template with their logo pasted on it- nothing custom that we had agreed upon. So, the entire thing blew up in our faces- yes, my stupidity for not having that signed piece of paper- A lesson I hope I can help with those who are genuine and need help with guidance through all of this planning. So there is a lesson to be learned and i learned the hard way. All the promises, hand-shakes and verbal agreements don't mean a thing- while some courts will hear and look at the evidence- it's not worth the trouble and time. I have no issue mentioning bad business and promoting good business online. No, I don't have a book, No I do not moonlight handling grapes at night while running a television network during the day. I have seen others mention venue, caterers, florists, wedding planners, etc names- which I did not mention anyone's personal names. Again, I understand this board is not for me. I won't post again, so no need to respond with crazy accusations, rude comments or bully type comments. I am getting married in 3 weeks and i hope you will all wish me luck as I wish all of you getting married a lifetime of happiness
    Oh stop with the martyr act.  You were not bullied, and it's insulting to say that you were.  There is another bride on this board who just had their venue change their contract on them.  You know why you don't see any responses telling her it was her fault?  Because that was actually something out of her control.  You had complete control over this whole situation.  Stop trying to play the victim.  This is the exact same story.  


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  • deannebivdeannebiv member
    First Comment
    edited November 2015
  • Holy wall of text, Batman. Why do people insist on writing novels on message boards? GET A BLOG.
    ~*~*~*~*~

  • Sorry OP, but this sounds like a poorly-written commercial for the second venue you found... I have a hard time believing, despite the KG's inquiry, that you are not somehow associated with said venue.

    For lurkers, in case this is real, this is a perfect example of why you must get everything in writing before considering a venue (or any other vendor) booked. There is no one to blame but yourself if you don't do your due diligence and get contracts signed before moving forward.
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • deannebivdeannebiv member
    First Comment
    edited November 2015
    No Madamerwin, I'm not associated with the other venue, I don't live anywhere near there- and if I wanted to write a promotional spot for them, i would and actually just may do that- good idea.

    Yes, It's real and I was absolutely horrified when I found out they could not guarantee we would have an enclosed heated space for our ceremony (among many other things) if there was inclement weather since this was during their opening hours. The only reason we chose this winery to start with is because they were very accommodating in the beginning to host a wedding during opening hours and there would be plenty of room for everyone. The one thing I was absolutely firm on is that during a winter month, our guests would not be outside in uncertain elements. I made sure they are our priority and would have VIP service. Their Event Planner did not have the authority to make her guarantees, the owner even admitted this to me and wanted to re-negotiate. He has all of our email exchanges and he had been kept out of the loop by his event planner. My question was "why in the hell is she allowed to represent you and write out contracts for you if she doesn't have the authority. She's on their payroll". We did try to come to an agreement with the owner and he knew we were stuck in a very hard spot- but we could not agree on everything we had been assured would be done. So, I scrambled and found a new place who was willing to help us out. It turned out for the best in the end- I'm just still really pissed about the whole situation (and yes, at  myself- so no need for everyone to jump on that bandwagon again),

    Like I said, I will give good vendors a great review when deserved and bad business will get hit when deserved. 

    I absolutely agree with you- this is a lesson learned story- We were guaranteed in writing- just writing through email, in person and on the phone. Some will argue and have that verbal and written emails will stand in court- just not worth the time. Wedding vendors are all about that money, it's pretty much a sham business- i mean we just keep writing checks- ha! ridiculous- but hell, at least our guests will have a dang good time! I'm sure we will too. Getting close!
  • Gotta love that "incremental weather."
  • **inclement weather- sorry, misspelling 

  • deannebiv said:
    No Madamerwin, I'm not associated with the other venue, I don't live anywhere near there- and if I wanted to write a promotional spot for them, i would and actually just may do that- good idea.

    Yes, It's real and I was absolutely horrified when I found out they could not guarantee we would have an enclosed heated space for our ceremony (among many other things) if there were inclement weather since this was during their opening hours. The only reason we chose this winery to start with is because they were very accommodating in the beginning to host a wedding during opening hours and there would be plenty of room for everyone. The one thing I was absolutely firm on is that during a winter month, our guests would not be outside in uncertain elements. I made sure they are our priority and would have VIP service. Their Event Planner did not have the authority to make her guarantees, the owner even admitted this to me and wanted to re-negotiate. He has all of our email exchanges and he had been kept out of the loop by his event planner. My question was "why in the hell is she allowed to represent you and write out contracts for you if she doesn't have the authority. She's on their payroll". We did try to come to an agreement with the owner and he knew we were stuck in a very hard spot- but we could not agree on everything we had been assured would be done. So, I scrambled and found a new place who was willing to help us out. It turned out for the best in the end- I'm just still really pissed about the whole situation (and yes, at  myself- so no need for everyone to jump on that bandwagon again),

    Like I said, I will give good vendors a great review when deserved and bad business will get hit when deserved. 

    I absolutely agree with you- this is a lesson learned story- We were guaranteed in writing- just writing through email, in person and on the phone. Some will argue and have that verbal and written emails will stand in court- just not worth the time. Wedding vendors are all about that money, it's pretty much a sham business- i mean we just keep writing checks- ha! ridiculous- but hell, at least our guests will have a dang good time! I'm sure we will too. Getting close!
    FTFY. 
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