Belles On The Bluff

Belles was the perfect venue for our wedding. We did the all inclusive package which really helped take a lot of things off our to do list. The days leading up to the wedding, the rehearsal, and the day of went flawlessly thanks to the staff. We stayed the whole weekend with a large group and the staff was so helpful. They really went above and beyond to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. Our wedding party and guests were very impressed with the venue and staff as well. We felt really lucky to work with such special people. They really felt like apart of our wedding in the best way. I would highly recommend this venue. It’s beautiful and very accommodating.

We loved this venue and our guests did too. Overall our experience with Belle’s was positive and we achieved what we had in mind for our wedding. We did go with the all inclusive package which was great and a huge stress reliever for us during the planning portion. The venue was pretty accommodating and we didn’t run out of food or beer/wine. Our only feedback is that we felt the night came to a really abrupt end, and wished that our exit had gone a little more seamless/smooth and the transition for our guests from dancing to leaving could have been a bit smoother as well. However, overall really positive experience and we are very happy we chose Belle’s for our wedding!

The last thing you want to do as a bride after your wedding day is to sit down to write a negative review. You want your wedding day to be perfect, and while our wedding day was wonderful, there were some very unfortunate things we had to deal with on and after our special day due to the way we and several of our guests (we received complaints from over 20 guests) were treated by the Belles on the Bluff and High Country Orchard owner and staff. By 8:05 a.m. on the day of our wedding (five minutes after arrival) my guests were already being treated poorly by the property owner. My brother-in-law dropped off my sister, my maid of honor, at the property. When they arrived the gate to the property was open (which made sense as we rented the property from 8:00 a.m. on). Immediately after my brother-in-law drove away, my sister realized she left her purse in the car and asked him to return it to her. By that time, 8:10 a.m. the gate was closed. My brother-in-law used the speaker on the gate and asked that the owner please open the gate so he could return the purse and was refused. The owner said the gate does not “officially” open until 9:00 a.m. and if my brother-in-law wanted to return the purse he would have to leave his two babies (ages 1 and 3) in the truck by themselves on a busy road and walk around the gate, down the long driveway and to the cottage to return the purse. Mind you, the gate opens with a simple press of a button and the owner refused, even after knowing two small children would have to be left in the car alone. At our reception, the disrespectful treatment of our wedding party and guests escalated when the bartender and coordinator, Carolyn, decided to impose an arbitrary two drink rule that we were not informed about prior to renting the venue. We have no problem with such a rule if we were informed in advance. Instead the bartender and coordinator decided all of our guests were allowed only two drinks a piece (over a 4 hour period). This included the entire wedding party, none of whom were driving (we arranged transportation to come pick up the entire bridal party so we would not need to worry about designated drivers). This also included me, the bride, who was refused a glass of wine at her own wedding. Wine and beer that we had purchased in advance, and that we could not return once opened. Additionally, one of my guests requested a second beer after a 30 minute “wait period” and was told to “take a lap” and “go sit down” that he couldn’t have another yet. When he came up for a second beer, he jokingly stated “good thing I brought my own.” He was then approached by the owner, while he was sitting at a table quietly eating his dinner with other guests, who said bringing his own drink was a violation of the venue rules and was told he would have to immediately leave the premises or the owner was going to call the cops. The owner did not even allow him to get his car keys which were on another table before he escorted him off the premises. My guest did not want to make a scene since it was my special day, so he went quietly. I did not learn of the incident until the next day from the guest and was absolutely LIVID. The condition of the premises was not great either. The grass was unmowed, was wet from sprinklers causing mud, and the reception area was covered in little pieces of trash from the night before and the tables were uncleaned.

Kailee, the on site wedding coordinator, is fabulous! She is very personable and helpful before and on your wedding day. We are very thankful for her and our experience at this venue. Highly recommend!