Gratitude & Grace

edding party and a convenient spot for the hair and makeup artists to beautify the already beautiful wedding women. The grounds and event barn are spectacular. Well-maintained and visually breath-taking. The grounds accommodated a large tent without it appearing to overwhelm the gardens. The outdoor areas on both sides of the barn were utilized for various events. Cocktails and appetizers on one side and dining on the other side and dancing in the barn. Ron and his facility manager, Rob, were incredibly accommodating. This is a great venue to create your own event as you can bring in whichever vendors you prefer. The guests, coming from cities like Montreal, Toronto, and New York City raved about the setting and had a wonderful time. Sophisticated yet rustic, Gratitude & Grace is a standout!

Throughout our planning phase he was very helpful in answering all of my questions making sure I had everything I needed. The venue itself it amazing. The day of our wedding he was attentive but never intrusive during our set up. He was only there when we needed him which was perfect for the type of interaction we were looking for. Fresh flower pots were placed all throughout the venue the day prior to our wedding day and the landscaping was perfect. The venue home had everything we needed, and all the instructions for our guests were simple and easy to follow. Our only regret is we wish we could have enjoyed the venue longer! When we renew our vows we will definitely come back to Gratitude and Grace.

ur guests and ourselves felt welcome and at home. Would definitely recommend!!!

ife and I both felt the same. There are an astounding amount of amenities on the property which include a heated pool and a hot tub. The owner Ron has a very live and let live attitude, he checked in a couple of times very discreetly to see if we needed anything but was otherwise hands off and very accommodating. We could not say enough good things about our experience at Gratitude and Grace.

r the backyard/barn wedding we were looking for. Being able to stay on the property was an added bonus, especially since we were able to enjoy the pool and Jacuzzi (when we had the time!). Every room in the house had it’s own unique décor and comfortably accommodated our wedding party. The barn is rustic, yet elegant…and has an epic dance floor! The landscaping on the property and the surrounding fields are breathtaking and made for beautiful wedding photos. Since we were having around 200 people attending our wedding we decided to put a tent out the back of the barn for the tables/chairs and it worked out wonderfully! Our guests were able to enjoy the sunset as we were eating dinner and there was plenty of room to dance inside. Ron, the owner, is awesome!! We truly enjoyed his company and found he was there to help with anything and everything needed throughout the entire weekend. Make sure you look at the list of suggested vendors on the G&G website, they’re great!

ed with all the necessary things. Ron was so kind, generous, attentive and extremely helpful with anything that we needed. We made some beautiful memories there. What a fitting name for this amazing place that is full of beauty, grace and loving energy that invites you in and it stays with you long after you leave!

u could ever come across. He legitimately just wants to make your day as special as it can possibly be and goes above and beyond. Dealing with Ron is such a pleasant and easy experience that it almost makes up for some of the other vendors you'll inevitably deal with... almost. Gratitude & Grace is a gorgeous venue that overlooks an equally gorgeous vista. There's even a separate water/power hookup for restroom trailers. Can't recommend this place enough!

mpliments from our guests about how beautiful it was. Having the house and barn all weekend was one of the best parts- we had a blast and got to enjoy it for more than just a few hours! Ron made everything so easy. He was accessible and helpful but laid back and non-intrusive. The whole process was smooth. Don’t get me wrong though, it took a ton of work to plan and set up. If you don’t mind DIY and are a self-motivated planner, it is worth the extra effort. We could not have asked for a more perfect setting and day and we are extremely grateful that we chose Gratitude and Grace. It is forever a special place for us.

ved all of the nooks and crannies on the property - there were plenty of tucked-away spots to sit and chat, play lawn games, and admire the views - and the fact that we had the place for the whole weekend, so we weren’t rushed with set up and break down. Be warned that this venue definitely requires extra effort - you need to arrange to have everything brought in, including tables, chairs, and bathrooms! - but it’s a beautiful blank canvas to create the wedding of your dreams. And Ron was wonderful during the entire weekend, allowing us to check in earlier to accommodate our plans and helping to troubleshoot issues that came up while otherwise staying out of our way. Thank you for everything!

many), and available on site to walk us through the property and the "how to's". He was very responsive via text and phone call the weekend we were there for the wedding, and would often come out of his cabin on the property to just check on us and see how we were doing with the set up. Ron had such an easy going and friendly nature - he also allowed us to decorate pretty much however we wanted (within reason of course) in the barn, which was wonderful. Gratitude and Grace also has a great location - it was close to the room blocks (Hampton Inn and Inn on Columbia), close to downtown Ithaca, close to our welcome party venue, etc. We were also able to party as late as we wanted to - some wedding venues have time limits. This venue was also ideal for our wedding party size - 53 guests total. There was the perfect amount of space for dinner seating upstairs, and then dancing and cocktail tables downstairs. No one felt too cramped or too spaced out in the barn, and the grounds were perfect for outdoor lounging. Everything worked out seamlessly, especially since nearly all the vendors we brought in have worked at the venue for other weddings - they were all already familiar with the property so that made things easy. The lodging at the house was also very comfortable, clean, and spacious. Ron takes really great care of the property, and it definitely shows - the entire space made for the most beautiful photos and experience! Thank you, Ron, for such a beautiful wedding venue!

f space that makes setup and tear down very simple with minimal congestion. The ability to stay within the house made it significantly easier for older members of the family, and provided a place for the wedding party to get prepared, while allowing us to relax with family until the wee hours of the morning after the wedding. Overall, the wedding along with the venue is everything you could dream of. I think that's what makes giving this review a 2 star so hard. The reason this review has to get a 2 star is numerous issues with the owner, Ron. 1) When we signed the contract back in 2014, we were told by Ron that he would be staying in a hotel for the weekend. He merely stayed in his garage right next to the house for the duration. It's certainly odd to feel like you're being babysat on your wedding day especially when we spent over $7,000 to reserve the venue. 2) We had a huge discrepancy with Ron regarding animals as his contract was very lenient on dogs (Ron let us keep a few animals inside due to health provided they were in crates). Ron's dog though got to run around and pee/poop unsupervised including peeing on one of our hay bales... 3) This is the big one -- On the day of our wedding, Ron had a tour run for a prospective couple and their family. We had people frantically setting up the last minute items, while both bridesmaids and groomsmen were getting prepared in the house and suddenly had to deal with people walking through our preparations and attempting to tour the house while Ron is happily trying to earn their business without a care in the world. Thankfully, a few of our family members were able to intervene before they came into the house where the ladies were getting changed -- (imagine if the wedding was at 10:45 and suddenly random people started walking through it!). Why on Earth would you schedule it the day of a wedding???? More importantly, why would you not tell us there may be people planning on visiting? It was one more headache no one wants on their wedding day. 4) During the reception portion of the wedding, Ron came out and actually joined in our reception. Look, I'm all for having fun etc, but if you're not invited -- and you're not even supposed to be on the grounds, please don't assume that it's okay to just jump right in to someone else's big day. Overall, the venue itself was fabulous -- but we will always have tarnished memories of our special day: memories of a tour being run through the venue, an owner that felt the need to inject himself into our reception, the owner still living on the grounds and acting as babysitter despite us renting the grounds for the weekend, a huge discrepancy in the owner's involvement into our stay towards our animals with no wording in the contract against them outside the house, and his dog being let loose to pee/poop wherever with no supervision. I would highly recommend this venue -- just be aware that you may have a few unplanned headaches because the owner does a few items that will question your sanity.

r honestly anything at all, but the fact that we were able to customize it the way we wanted without having to worry about our taste clashing with the existing decor was great. We had about 100 guests and everyone was able to fit comfortably with room to spare. We were told many times how ours was one of the nicest weddings that our guests have been to and Gratitude and Grace was a huge part of that. Ron, the owner, was an absolute pleasure to work with. He is super laid back and really helpful. He willingly worked with us to make sure we were able to have the wedding we imagined. The day before the wedding he showed up to help us set up the barn some and give us some advice on layout. My whole bridal party stayed in the house for the weekend and let me just say that it is gorgeous. The bridal suite is so beautiful and made for a great location for us girls to get ready in and take plenty of pictures in the morning of. Everyone loved hanging out together and relaxing by the pool. This venue does only give you the barn and house so you do have to book all of the other vendors separately but Ron has a great list of suggested vendors to work with and that was extremely helpful. Almost all of the vendors we booked were from that list and they were all a pleasure to work with as well. I can not sing this venues praises loud enough, I would absolutely recommend Gratitude and Grace to anyone. If you are looking for a beautiful, rustic, and fun place that you can easily customize to your heart's content then definitely give Gratitude and Grace some serious consideration.

pictures. The barn easily accommodated all of our guests for dinner and dancing (we had 80 people, but many more could have fit). Our entire wedding party stayed in the house for the weekend, which was very convenient and also a lot of fun. The house is well appointed with a beautiful bridal suite, hot tub, and pool. Ron is the nicest guy, and very accommodating! He made us feel right at home and we cannot recommend him highly enough. This venue is not all-inclusive: you have to hire your own caterer, rent bathrooms, provide your own DJ and sound system, etc. However, we loved the flexibility that this setup allowed us. Our wedding was fabulous, and it was in large part due our choice of venue. I would recommend Gratitude and Grace to anyone!

tiful for an outdoor ceremony and for people to gather during the reception. There are several awesome "gathering nook" type of places on the grounds and the amazing photo opportunities are endless. The inside of the barn is absolutely beautiful and was perfect for the reception. It comfortably sat our 125 guests. It was really convenient to stay at the house too. Our whole wedding party was able to stay there so we actually got to spend some quality time with them. The bridal suite is beautiful and was an awesome space for the girls to get ready in the day of the wedding. With everything, and everyone, right there on site it really gave the whole weekend a special cozy feel. Ron, the owner, was fantastic to deal with. He is a great, laid back guy and really let us run with our ideas. There was no point during the process that we felt like we were being limited with what we could do and our wedding turned out to be 100% what we wanted it to be. I highly recommend this venue, though I do caution people who may not have a lot of extra hands to help you. You really are just paying for access to the barn so everything must be brought onto the site and set up/broken down yourself. Overall, an amazing experience!

e was an available weekend in October for our event on such short notice, so we booked it immediately not having any idea of how one goes about creating a wedding in a barn. We had a very short time to pull everything together, since her engagement was announced mid­July. But with Ron Riddle's help, cooperation and easy ways, the wedding of a lifetime was created in the span of just a few months. To begin with, the house is amazing, truly amazing ­ beautifully appointed, gracefully and so lovingly decorated, that when our guests entered it was obvious how happy they were to be there instead of a hotel/motel somewhere waiting for the big event. Twelve of our guests stayed at the house with us and everyone just loved it. The house is a fine example of Victorian architecture that has somehow managed to survive the ravages of time without a bit of deterioration. One can only guess what the Riddles did to refurbish or tweak the place, but they did it beautifully. And she's a grand old lady, that house. . . welcoming, comfortable and simply lovely with a fantastic kitchen- gathering room. We found ourselves spending most of our time in that space where we could look at the barn across the yard and imagine what was to occur. Just standing on the grass between the house and the barn filled me with such peace and joy that at times I was overwhelmed. The freedom we all had to enjoy the entire complex, although it was too cold to use the inviting swimming pool, immediately provided everyone with a sense of true relaxation. And that last word is hardly ever synonymous with wedding planning, particularly for principles like the bride, groom, and their parents. But, relax we did as we savored the sheer beauty of the surroundings. We loved, loved, loved the barn. There's a sense of nobility about it that's hard to describe. And the event that took place there, under the archway for the ceremony with the cornfield and beautiful foliage in the background, was a photographer's dream. The photos taken outside are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. And the reception we held inside was nothing but magical. Our guests were able to relax and enjoy everything about being in a venue that was the antithesis of stuffy or stiff. So, if you're the kind of person who thinks out of the box, you can see Gratitude and Grace as a blank slate on which you can create the event you want with almost no restrictions.It is with great admiration and appreciation that I applaud what Ron Riddle and his bride Andrea created in this place. My only regret is that both of my children are married now and I can't have another wedding there. Hmmm....maybe a vow renewal though! With gratitude and respect ­ Thanks for the memories, Ron.