Pros
1. Space: Hotel Emeline is a beautiful venue. It was the perfect space to host our small wedding (~55 people) in the fall. The fireplace (that they turned on for the ceremony!...), garden/greenery backdrop, the warm string lights and chandeliers made our event so cozy and intimate. Our ceremony was in the Courtyard and the reception was in the Greenhouse. Our cocktail hour was moved to the foyer because it started raining, but it worked out well.
2. Catering: We loved our wedding menu and received many compliments from our guests. Sarah guided us through our wedding tasting, and she was receptive and detail oriented. They listened to and incorporated our feedback on the dishes. The service staff were friendly, professional, and easy to work with. They even packed us leftovers as they saw my husband and I didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy our hors d'oeuvres and dinner.
3. Convenience: We loved that we could have the whole wedding event— ceremony, cocktail hour, reception— in one location so that our guests wouldn’t have to travel. Having the catering on-site was one less thing to worry about. We also didn’t need a lot of extra décor because of the natural beauty of the space. The location is at the heart of downtown Charleston, making it easy for guests to walk if they were staying downtown, use a rideshare, or drive (there are several parking garages nearby as well as metered street parking).
Cons
1. Communication/Events: Kaitlyn, the catering manager, was helpful, flexible, and personable. But, communicating with her was a challenge. We understand she’s probably busy with many other events and may be understaffed, but her average email response time was 2–3 weeks, which was frustrating. She also never picked up her phone. Eventually, our planner got involved which made it a little easier for us, but overall, it remained a challenge. Communication is the main reason why our rating is a 3 and not higher.
2. Communication/Venue: In general, it is difficult to reach the people you need to talk to at Emeline. There was an accounting issue we needed to clear up, and I called the accounting department several times, but no one ever answered. We escalated this to Kaitlyn who was able to connect us to the right person, but it was a hassle.
3. Attention to detail: Most of our wedding details on our BEO were correct, but there were small mistakes that we had to correct. I checked in on our hotel reservation for the wedding weekend a few days before and there was a mistake that we had to fix as well. I would recommend taking notes and keeping track of/closely reviewing all decisions, details, etc. Pay close attention to your itemized invoices so you don’t have the wrong things or get overcharged/charged incorrectly.
Though Hotel Emeline was challenging to work with at times, we loved our wedding. If we had to do it again, I think we would still choose Emeline. The beauty of the space, the food, and friendliness and professionalism of the staff were highlights!