Defiance Ridge Vineyards

ding was wonderful and we never could have done it without Defiance Ridge, Michelle, and the amazing crew at the winery. Highly highly recommend!!

lot fun in the planning process and working with DRV. We were overwhelmed with the table arrangements and all the options available, but Michelle helped SO much. Every time we reached out with questions, she had multiple solutions. The venue is absolutely beautiful, it had everything we could possibly wanted. The view and setting is picturesque, all of our guests were impressed! As we're getting our pictures back, I'm just stunned. The reception area is beautiful, the open sides allow for views of the grounds, the string lights give the best ambiance, and they were super flexible on the layout and setup of the area. The food and drinks were incredible. Numerous guests keep reaching out to us to tell us that this was the best wedding food they've ever had! Again, I cannot say enough positive things about Defiance Ridge. It was the setting I've dreamed about for our wedding and I'm just so grateful for the entire experience. We will definitely be back as guests and will be celebrating all future anniversaries here!

ck, fate, or something else, but we had the most perfect wedding here. The staff – especially Michelle – are absolutely amazing. Everyone is so sweet and helpful. Wedding planning and the big event itself were a breeze in big part because of them. Michelle answered all my questions and was there the day of to make sure everything ran smoothly. On top of that, you really get it all at Defiance Ridge: gorgeous views, the ideal outdoor ceremony spot, and an air-conditioned reception space that lets you keep that outdoor feel while staying cool in the summer. Our wedding happened to be on a record-breakingly hot day in June (I think it hit 100) and everyone said the reception was great. And the food! Our guests were so impressed with their meals, everything at Defiance Ridge is delicious. Michelle and the kitchen staff are super accommodating of dietary restrictions. Plus you get to take advantage of all the delicious wines and craft beers. It's also LGBTQ+ friendly for any other same-sex couples looking a venue. Everyone on-site was extremely welcoming and happy to host an event with two brides. I genuinely do not have one bad thing to say about the place!

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erfect reception. The food was delicious and the bar was able to make my singature drinks without a problem. The best part about DRV is Michelle, the event coordinator. She is kind, flexible, and great to work with. I am so happy she was there to help me along the way and the day of, especially having to plan through a pandemic and needing extra questions answered. I highly recommend DRV as a wedding venue. I had the perfect night there and wouldn't change a thing!

e Vineyards. Michelle, the wedding coordinator, was very sweet & helpful throughout the entire wedding planning process & on our big day. She listened to our requests, understood the vibe we wanted for our wedding reception & helped our wedding day go smoothly. She paid attention to the details that mattered to us. The weather was rainy/cold/yucky, but none of our guests noticed because they were having such a great time. We had planned fireworks & Michelle was flexible throughout the evening to ensure we got the firework show we wanted despite the bad weather! The firework show was awesome & definitely worth the money. Our guests loved it & it was a special moment for my husband & I, not to mention the awesome photo op! Additionally, we got so many compliments on the food at the reception. So many of our guests said it was the best wedding food they ever had. Also, the alcohol selection was more abundant than at a typical wedding venue, which we appreciated. With the upgraded package, we had all domestic beers, seltzer’s, craft beers, 6 wine choices & all top shelf liquors. There was something for everyone! My husband & I are so happy we chose Defiance Ridge Vineyards as our wedding reception venue. We had so much fun & we know our guests did too! The big fireplace, the indoor/outdoor feel, the string lights & the big dance floor were the details that contributed to the wedding reception we always imagined. We made great memories & will talk about this night for years to come. We would definitely recommended Defiance Ridge Vineyards for anyone looking for a beautiful, fun & spacious venue. Thanks again to Michelle & the DRV team!

the decisions before our special day, and made the day of the wedding flow so easily. She was on top of every detail, and was very accommodating to our special requests.

reviews about the location and venue from my guests, as well. There are many options within the venue to have your reception (inside, outside, or both). It was truly perfect!

d this venue for their wedding as well. I will recommend this venue for food, the sights, the beautiful setting and the coordinator.

would pop in for lunch, she made sure we were taken care of! The day of is always crazy busy, and that girl worked her tail off! She makes sure everything is set up and perfect. I am impressed with the services offered, the fireworks display, the food (mashed potatoes are so amazing), and the professionalism. I would do it all over again if I could! Thank you Michelle for everything you do for us brides!!!!!!

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p and Joanna Gaines vibe. The outside view was breathtaking with the vineyard and extensive mature gardens. Most importantly, the even coordinator, Michelle, was phenomenal. Unfortunately, our wedding had to move from 5/16 due to the pandemic and Michelle was such a source of comfort through the panic. She actively worked to find an alternate date for us and immediately reached out when a cancelation came through. Michelle was thorough, detail oriented, and agile. We had a firework show (all guests agreed this was the highlight of the night) and Michelle was diligently watching the weather and adjusting the timeline to ensure everything went off without issue. She’s a jewel!! Food was delicious, service solid... can’t say enough about this venue!

show. We got way more than what we anticipated for the money!

ou! Everyone there treats you like a friend. Working with Michelle was absolutely wonderful. She's will make sure your day is perfect, and give you all the advise and guidance you need to make the right decisions for you and your day, and make sure everything goes off without a hitch. The grounds are beautiful, there are so many places to get amazing pictures! Not only did I have my wedding here, but my bachelorette party started here. Our friends and family that attending the bachelorette could not stop talking about how wonderful it was and how excited they were for the wedding! Our wedding was in November and our guests are still talking about it and many of them have been back! I would recommend DRV for any event, but especially a wedding!

If you are looking for a beautiful and spacious venue this is the way to go. Also, this place was budget friendly especially for a winery. We had a blast and everything went so smoothly.

r emails very punctually and made time to meet and talk in person too. But not only was Michelle great during the planning but her and the rest of the staff at Defiance Ridge went above and beyond on our actual wedding day. Everyone was very attentive and Michelle worked like secret ninja behind the scenes. One of the great things about Defiance is there ability to have a Plan B or indoor option for inclimate weather. We did have to decide to go with our Plan B the morning of the wedding due to rain. And the switch went off without a hitch. Many of the guest even commented on how swiftly the staff changed the space over. My husband and I would definitely recommend anyone in the market for a wedding venue to check out Defiance Ridge Vineyard. Staff was amazing to work with, the scenery is beautiful,and the food was amazing.

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to view the venue. It was her kindness and professional demeanor that won us over and we booked the venue then and there. The food is excellent, the wine is fantastic, the atmosphere is comfortable and the views are awesome . DRV is a hidden gem and I rave about this Vineyard to everyone. Definitely our new favorite place.

moment we met her , I knew I wanted to work with her immediately, and my husband felt the same! I absolutely recommend defiance ridge vineyards! Price point was great too!! ♥️♥️

personality was amazing from day one to the day of the wedding. And the weather was awesome:-)

was not, forcing people to go outside venue to wine tasting area for drinks. Line was 12 people deep waiting over ten minutes as the one bar tender was overwhelmed. Owner does not take a personal interest ensuring event runs smoothly. I could go in but I think this gets the message across. I strongly recommend against this venue for any large-special event.

ordinator." Illness prevented the event coordinator from working my daughter's wedding, and the front of house manager Lynn was provided as the substitute. Except she was also serving dinner and working behind the bar, resulting in a serious lack of service, and quite a bit of stress and confusion. Also be sure to write in the contract: " The bar in the pavilion will be open and staffed during the event." Despite several verbal assurances from various employees (Michelle, the former event coordinator, Trevor, another manager, and Lynn), that this would happen, it was not open at the wedding, where over 160 guests had to walk into the tasting bar to be served by one bartender. Most importantly, write in your contract: "Excellent service will be provided by enough staff to serve your wedding or special event." While most wedding venues would consider this common practice, at Defiance Ridge, if it is not written in the contract, it is not provided. Unfortunately, several attempts to request the owner offer a partial refund or even an accounting of responsibility or apology were futile, despite the fact the owner was not present at the wedding (gift cards were offered as a sign of "goodwill"). His reply to our letters was that Defiance Ridge fulfilled it's contractual obligation. If you are considering a large event here, be sure to get those items in writing because they might prevent your special event from being substandard. *Reply to Owner: I firmly stand by my review, and now will include poor customer service. Having worked in a high profile salon in the St Louis area as a customer service coordinator, "the customer is always right", or at the very least, never disrespected. Clearly people become ill, but to insist that Lynn, the front of house manager acted as the event coordinator that evening is downright insulting because she was serving meals and tending bar. You were not present at the event, and your "investigating" only includes the employees you pay. Perhaps speaking with guests at the wedding would be enlightening? No special service was provided, and no one from the bridal party or the families of the bride and groom were served any food or beverage during the cocktail hour at the gazebo. We were verbally assured by several of your employees that the bar in the pavilion would be open during the wedding. In your letter, you stated, it was not in the contract, and therefore, you were not obligated to have it available. I encourage any potential brides/groom to Facebook message me for more details before they choose Defiance Ridge, and at the very least, get EVERYTHING in a written contract.

! Food was delicious and drinks were plentiful. I truly believe Lisa did everything she could to decrease my stress level on our wedding day- she took care of everything and I didn’t even hear a word. Most of my guests says “best wedding ever!”

e new staff and management. our wedding planner was Michelle she was amazing even got me wine slushees they the best part The day of the wedding was amazing and everything was going great as planed until the food. There propane tank wouldn’t work so they couldn’t cook the food, we were told they had back up plans on the way and should take one hour. We thought this was fine after all things happen and they were working on fixing it they just needed an hour, however it took 3 hours to get the food and half of my guests never received food. Which was amazing once they were received. One of my bridesmaids asked a staff questions about it and she snapped at her until she said I was the one asking not her, the staffs demeanor immediately changed and she rushed off to get answers. The cake was the next issue, after getting tired of waiting for all of the food we decided to entertain our guests by cutting the cake, I had over 200 guests and enough cake for all of them. They served the cake but only one sheet of it they didn’t serve the other flavors and they sent me home with 2.5 sheet cakes why they didn’t serve more if it I don’t have any idea but I wasted so much cake and money cuz the staff couldn’t figure out how to serve cake. Because it was 9 pm before my guests received dinner we asked the dj and photographer to stay an extra hour and they did (originally had them till 10 asked them to stay till 11). But my parents asked the place if they would compensate us somehow since we had so many issues, they asked them to pay for the extra hour of dj and photograph so our guests could actually have a chance to dance and have some fun but they said no. We also had ordered a nacho bar to be set out towards the end of the night that went to waste they put the nacho bar out at 1030 pm guests were leaving and some were just finishing dinner, it ended up being another waste of money because guests either were just starting their dinner or leaving. So instead of offering to remove those off our price list or paying for the dj they instead offered my OUT OF TOWN/state guests a free wine tasting (worth about $5 ) none of my guests were ever going to return it made no sense. So my parents asked for them to give us a discount/refund because they didn’t keep there promises to us and feed our guests or have things run smoothly again they said no. At this point I had, had hungry guests, wasted cake, more expensive dj and photographer and a wasted nacho bar and they still said no to our reasonable demands. As the bride I was kept in the dark for most of these going in’s until after the wedding so I couldn’t complain on the day of (how it should be ) they told my parents that we should have told them that we were having so many issues on the day of so they could fix it then. But they knew about all of the problems. I was disappointed for the way the management acted after the fact. All negatives aside my guests all had an amazing time and I loved my wedding day. I enjoyed myself a lot and was able to overlook the food problem for a short while. Being one of their first weddings since changing hands I think for the most part the execution of the event went well the beauty of the event was perfect we recomend using

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ion of venue! The food was fantastic and even accommodated to those with dietary restrictions! The staff was on top of everything (drinks, food, plates, empty glasses). I am 100% satisfied with everything here!

ding of our dreams. Michelle was great to work with and our only regret is that it didn’t last longer!

impression with the staff made me ready to leave without seeing the place. We had an appointment with Michelle just before the winery technically opened, and since we weren't sure where to meet her, I knocked on the door and waved at the first person I saw (not Michelle, another employee whose name I did not catch). She came to the door, opened it a crack, and legitimately rolled her eyes while very rudely saying "We're not open yet." Her demeanor totally changed when I told her we were there to see the wedding venue space and she let us right in—but my mind had been made up that this was not the level of friendliness and service I wanted from my venue.

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there were so many places to take pictures at the venue and that we got the whole site after 4pm. The only downside was that we did not get the vegetarian plates that we requested. It was supposed to be something like pasta primavera. This situation was partially my fault because I forgot to tell them what tables to put vegetarian dishes. However, when we came up to a member of the staff just minutes after dinner started and asked if we could still have the vegetarian plates we ordered, a staff member just went over to the buffet and grabbed everything that was not meat. Sides are not a full meal to a vegetarian and I fear that we offended our several vegetarian guests. Also, I wish the venue had had a contract. That way both parties know what is expected of both the venue and the bride and groom. Overall, though - loved it!!

ide guidance and just be so helpful! Her staff was great! Our daughter and son in law had the wedding of their dreams! I'd recommend WCG to anyone and everyone! A pop up rain cloud delayed the ceremony start by only 15 minutes and they were so quick to get everything set up quickly so we could proceed- it was a wonderful magical evening! We heard so many compliments about what a beautiful wedding it was! Thanks Chris and team!!

order to get a response. But the day of, everything went great. Food was amazing and of course the grounds are beautiful. I would recommend this venue to anyone.

for me when chosing my venue. I was later informed that they double booked the day and booked another reception that didn't end until a half hour after my ceremony started! Needless to say all of my decorations didn't get put up and I was very horrified. I also never got an appology from the owner, which really was all I wanted. Also, I was told I could play the first dance song from an ipod only to find out during the reception that it would be nearly impossible (though I luckily had some persistant bridesmaids). Overall, make sure anything you want is written in the contract. Lastly, the workers were VERY nice and helpful.

ral indoor options if it rains!

f the wedding I felt was A-Ok. I had a few minor complaints from guests after the event. My only complaint: I tried to get a bottle of beer after the bar switched from open bar to cash bar, and having a wedding gown on I didn't really have a pocket to have cash on me. When I ordered my beer, the bartender rudely reminded me that it was now cash bar and I needed to pay for my beer before she would give it to me...pretty embarrassing! They could have simply added it to the tab for the night if they were really concerned about getting paid for the beer. But for the industry and how much we paid to have this venue, if I were the bartender I would have just handed the beer to the bride and said congratulations. Overall, a good experience

! My family and friends said it was one of the most fun weddings they have been to!

s gorgeous. The food was delicious. We had our rehearsal dinner there too! Everything was amazing. Couldn't have asked for anything better or more perfect. Highly recommend it if you're looking for an outdoor wedding!

tons of flowers outside and a great view of the river valley (it sits up high on a hill). Chris, the wedding coordinator was very laid back and easily adapted to fit my needs. The only negative thing i have to say about this place is that things seemed a little disorganized the day of the wedding (we had to rush to get the tables ready before the reception because we couldn't set up ahead of time because they have regular winery customers during the day). The price is very reasonable as well and the food was great!

l. We would recommend Wine Country Gardens for a fun and relaxed wedding.

t of restrictions). We were strictly taking our pictures at the ceremony site and the reception site. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous. You can tell they really take pride in their property. Kris was very easy to work with during the whole process. One side note, we thought it was odd that they didn't have an agreement, but everything seemed to work out even without an agreement.

wedding. Although, I planned from a state away and my fiance oversea's.. it was very difficult to keep in contact with the owner who handled all wedding arrangements.

re you can host everything from the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and pictures.

both indoor and outdoor locations so that we were prepared for anything. Everything ran so smoothly, thanks to Steve and the entire staff. We have received a lot of compliments from our guests on how beautiful the venue was, how amazing the food was, and how great the bar was. Wine Country Gardens is a great venue with a lot to offer, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

e easiest banquet director I have ever worked with. The venue was beautiful. I will definitely be recommending WCG to future brides and friends.

food was excellent. Mary Jo did an excellent job at the bar and there were no long lines. Steve was a fantastic on-site coordinator and responded quickly to every single one of our requests. I HIGHLY recommend this venue for any special occassion -big or small. You disappointed. Thank you Chris & Bill and staff!

honestly made the day worry- free. The rest of the staff were also GREAT. The bartenders are so sweet and know how to make a real drink & the wait staff were very kind and helpful. I can go on and on about how happy we were with everything. We got tons of compliments on the beautiful venue, the amazing food and the good drinks. Thank you so much to everyone at the Wine Country Gardens!!! You helped make our wedding day EVERYTHING we ever wanted!

he planning process. The day of the reception, the entire staff was attentive to the needs of the group--assuring that the things were replenished and refilled quickly. Everyone had a wonderful time. Many have returned to WCG to enjoy a relaxing afternoon with friends.

d send a follow up email and my question was still not answered. So after three months of trying to get a menu and price from her I gave up and cancelled the event. She didn't respond to that e-mail either so after another 2 weeks my fiance called her and she agreed to return our deposit. It was suppose to take one week but after two weeks he made another phone call. She said she would mail it and we should receive it in a week again. When we received the check it was made out to someone else. We called about the error and her response was, "then who's wedding did I cancel?". I feel I was very patient and gave her ample time to respond to my e-mails. I would never recommend this venue due to the unprofessional service we received.

of the reception ahead of time, I think there was a little miscommunication there,He seemed to ask my mom lots of questions that she didn't know about, questions about food and decor details I had already set up before hand; otherwise it was absolutely perfect!!!

ve tasted food ahead of time but im glad I trusted them, tasty food :)

umbrellas when it started to rain during the ceremony. The food was fabulous! We received so many compliments.