Grandview on the Prairie

es and a lovely backdrop for our ceremony and reception. I also want to acknowledge that the owner was great on our actual wedding day as a day-of coordinator. She was helpful throughout the day and did a good job helping things run smoothly. I appreciate the effort she put in that day, and I want to acknowledge the positives along with the disappointments. Unfortunately, there were several issues throughout the planning process and during our reception that left us very frustrated. One of our biggest concerns was the unprofessional and unclear contract. When you are investing a significant amount of money and trusting a venue with one of the most important days of your life, you expect a professional contract that clearly outlines the rules, expectations, timeline, and responsibilities of everyone involved. Unfortunately, we did not feel our contract provided that level of clarity. Just one week before our wedding, the venue owner told us that if she saw anyone underage drinking, she would call the police. We completely understand the importance of following the law and having rules regarding alcohol, but the timing and manner in which this was communicated created unnecessary stress during the final week before our wedding. Unfortunately, police officers showed up multiple times throughout our wedding night, beginning around 5:00 PM when our ceremony started and continuing through the end of the night. Having law enforcement repeatedly show up during our wedding was extremely distracting and stressful. Instead of relaxing and enjoying our day, there was constant anxiety about what was happening and whether another issue would arise. What was particularly upsetting was that our wedding was later used as an example of “things that can go wrong” at a wedding. Hearing our wedding and our experience referenced in that way was incredibly hurtful. Unexpected situations happen, but we felt our wedding should have been treated with more sensitivity and respect. Another major issue was the venue’s handling of our contracted time. Our contract stated that we had the venue until our agreed-upon end time. However, approximately two hours before our contracted time was over, staff began cleaning up and taking down decorations while our wedding was still taking place. We felt rushed, and it took away from the celebration we had paid for and expected to have. We also recognize that the owner was helpful as our day-of coordinator and that the venue itself is beautiful. However, couples should be able to expect a clear contract, consistent communication, respect for the contracted timeline, and professionalism throughout the start to finish process.