John Joseph Inn

care into making sure our wedding vision came to life. The food throughout was the best wedding food we’ve ever had! We are still having guests reach out to us telling us how delicious it was. John’s staff at the Inn were attentive and helpful throughout the weekend. The rooms were beautiful, luxurious, and comfortable. Our families and friends absolutely loved staying on the grounds for the weekend. We couldn’t recommend the John Joseph Inn enough. We are so happy to have chosen this venue and would do it again in a heartbeat. You won’t find a more elegant, beautiful, perfect place to get married.

n- there was a time we were supposed to have our final amount due and could not get a hold of him for over a week, less than a month before the wedding. We also had to take time to clean up decor from the last wedding (like the ceremony arch), so we could put up our decor. Additionally, there was a tour brought through the inn on the morning of our wedding and we received no warning-- I'm just glad I wasn't changing into my dress yet! We enjoyed our experience and would do it again, but as a couple that did DIY some decor, it was a pretty stressful time leading up to the actual wedding. Besides those things, the food was great, our guests raved about the venue, and the staff during the event was AMAZING!

love to go back to the Inn just to dine at one of the chefs tastings- the food was that good. Oh and the cake- are you kidding me? Amazing. I could go on and on. Hands down best wedding venue in the central and upstate New York area.

ant, ceremony outside in the amazing garden, and the reception in an elegant heated tent. They also take care of the entire setup and breakdown of each area. The best part of the wedding was a tie between the fall view and the delicious food, which all of our guests raved about!

or the most romantic day of our lives. The inn where my bridal party and I got ready was absolutely perfect, very spacious to comfortably fit us all. The rooms are just gorgeous and well stocked. Every moment of the day went so smoothly, all thanks to John and Steve who went ABOVE and beyond the call of duty, I didn’t have to stress or worry about a thing the whole weekend. The FOOD… I am still getting complimented on how amazing all the food was. We had our rehearsal dinner and brunch there, it was amazing to just be in one spot the entire weekend. I can honestly say we had the best weekend there filled with the most wonderful memories. I can’t thank John, Steve and the rest of the staff enough for making our wedding day so special. Book the inn you won’t regret it!!

. It’s a naturally beautiful venue on top of that! HIGHLY recommend

ntic and comfortable even on a sunny summer afternoon, and the cocktail area is reminiscent of the most luscious English countryside garden. I had initially considered going off-site for pre-ceremony pictures, but I’m so glad we didn’t – the Inn and its gardens are the perfect backdrop. Our guests also loved wandering the property and taking pictures on the porch, in front of a stunning sunset. All our vendors made the day easy for us. John and his staff are laid back, yet totally on-top of the day-of details – we felt we were able to relax, enjoy the day and be confident that everything would be handled well. The cocktails and food are top-notch – our guests raved about both specialty cocktails (limoncello Collins and tart cherry mint julep – both made with fresh ingredients), the elegant Jar Bar and passed hors d'oeuvres, all of our entrée selections and of course, the delicious summer strawberry cake. We appreciated how candid John was in the planning process, offering his opinion on what is necessary and what is not, which helped us stick to our budget. You really don’t need to add much to have a wonderful event at this venue. We would certainly recommend the John Joseph Inn to anyone looking for an elegant, yet laid-back experience in Upstate NY.

arrived, I knew John and his staff cared even more about every detail than I did - which allowed me to fully “clock out” and enjoy every moment of the weekend, trusting that everything would go off without a hitch. It did, of course, and John truly labored over every detail. All of the food was incredible, and the setting could not be more perfect. John helped accommodate a couple of unique requests that meant the world to us, and it was such a perfect weekend. I can’t recommend the John Joseph Inn highly enough!!

r the planning and his responsiveness throughout the process made everything so much less stressful. We especially enjoyed the freedom and flexibility that we had in planning the menu to really celebrate who we were as a couple and John expertly guided us through this with his years of culinary experience. The day of the wedding, John coordinated everything seamlessly even though he was also busy with preparing the best wedding meal we've ever had. We highly recommend John and his venue for a wedding and we could not be happier with how our wedding went.

. We even did our rehearsal dinner at the venue. Our guests are still raving about the food from the rehearsal dinner and wedding! We would recommend the John Joseph Inn to anyone looking for a beautiful venue with a very attentive owner/chef and excellent food!

did need to be changed and there was a longer planning process but the lack of communication did not change. In the Inn itself, no one collected garbage(which of course accumulated over the weekend) and I was told where to find more trash bags, there was not enough toilet paper, a bench was broken in one of the rooms An alarm was going off in the inn around 11pm he did not respond until 2am Our schedule was on his schedule because he was cooking and trying to run the wedding and rehearsal dinner Most of the staff were children or teenagers Decorations had specific set up directions but they were set up wrong and I missed cocktail hour making corrections The decorating process began in late afternoon but the decorations were there the night before No direction for table dismissal during dinner, one table of guests was told to sit back down His girlfriend "wedding crashed" the reception LITERALLY No announcement of dessert or late night snack, some guests did not know We were told, from the beginning, that we would not have to worry about anything. The whole process would be taken care of and we could just relax, this did not happen. I understand that Covid has caused problems for this industry, but there were too many issues.

s exactly as we had envisioned them! The food was fantastic (hors d’oeuvres and dinner)!! The cake was beautiful and delicious!! The event staff did an all around great job. John was very willing to work with us to make our wedding day very special, even when we had to move our date out a year because of the pandemic. We had to adjust our plan many times due to the constantly changing state restrictions, and John was accommodating and knowledgeable about the guidelines. The biggest critique we have is communication. Sometimes it was very hard to get in contact with John, with some emails going unanswered for weeks, which was very frustrating. He was usually more responsive via text or phone call, but for some things email is a better medium. He was more responsive as the date got closer, but the experience would have been better if the planning phase was a little smoother.

ned them! The food was fantastic (hors d’oeuvres and dinner)!! The cake was beautiful and delicious!! The event staff did an all around great job. John was very willing to work with us to make our wedding day very special, even when we had to move our date out a year because of the pandemic. We had to adjust our plan many times due to the constantly changing state restrictions, and John was accommodating and knowledgeable about the guidelines. The biggest critique we have is communication. Sometimes it was very hard to get in contact with John, with some emails going unanswered for weeks, which was very frustrating. He was usually more responsive via text or phone call, but for some things email is a better medium. He was more responsive as the date got closer, but the experience would have been better if the planning phase was a little smoother.

g planning had to be adapted to the situation we found ourselves in. Before the pandemic hit, John Hamilton was very easy going and very accommodating to our needs, concerns and desires. We were originally planning on having an event with 140 guests. Every step of the way, John was easy to talk to, courteous, and caring to all of our needs. Then the pandemic hit. We spoke with John a few months into the pandemic and all of our uncertainties were communicated. He was a great listener and was understanding of the unprecedented position we were all in. He always reassured us that he was on our side and will support whatever changes and adjustments we decided going forward. Once we were six weeks before the wedding when it was certain that the COVID-19 restrictions were not going to be relaxed, we made the difficult choice to slash the event down to only 15 guests. John was very flexible and helpful in guiding us through that emotional decision. We had a very small and intimate gathering with the wedding ceremony and a beautiful dinner afterwards. The site was still beautifully decorated, and the food was delicious and the service for our small reception was terrific. We want to highlight that despite how unprecedented and difficult last year was for everyone, John and his staff still managed to give us a great wedding day with memories we will cherish forever. Definitely recommend, and we hope that no other couple will struggle with any future COVID-19 restrictions like we did, but at least rest assured that if it does happen, John Hamilton will do everything in his power to still give you a great day!

The grounds are simply gorgeous with infinite photo opportunities, all the rooms at the inn were comfortable and adorably decorated, and the FOOD! One of my guests told me afterwards that it was the best meal she has ever had. What more do you want for yourself and your guests than that? John was also SO accommodating to my guests’ different needs. My parents basically want to adopt him into our family! We could not have wanted anything more for our day!

at our reception. We were told JJI had excellent food. One person told me they had the "best bite of food they've ever had". 100% recommend this place to host your wedding!!

own away by its beauty. Then we met John and we were sold. John is the most talented and hard working man I've ever met. He runs the inn, maintains the property, acts as head chef and wedding planner/day of coordinator and probably many, many other things I don't know about. He does it all!! He also does only one wedding a weekend so he can fully focus on making your day amazing. The thing we loved most about working with John as we went through the planning process was how creative and outside the box he was. It was so important to my husband and I that we have a really unique wedding with personal touches and John made sure that happened. We did a custom menu based on our favorite foods (tacos with seafood and lamb, an entire BBQ station and my grandmother's eggplant parm recipe) that ended up being delicious. He also made us a custom chocolate cake with marshmallow and peanut butter filling with buttercream icing that is quite possible the best thing I've ever tasted. Everything about our wedding day was perfect - the venue, the grounds, the food, the service. Everyone in attendance was so in love with the property and was in awe of John's talent. They all said it was the best wedding they've ever been to and that's all because of John! If you want your wedding day to be the most memorable, fun and happiest day of your life, have your wedding at the John Joseph Inn!!

the carrot cake for our wedding cake and it was SO. GOOD. -The staff made sure that immediately after the ceremony they came to me and my bridal party to give us some appetizers. -We were collected to go to the ceremony by John. The Frustrations: The owner. -Hard to reach or takes long to hear back from. -Struggled to get final number bills or receipts for payments -We found him to be nonchalant, too familiar (calling me 'babe' and making nicknames for my bridal party), and ... to be honest, a little arrogant. -Rooms are WAY over priced for what you receive and the amenities. -As mentioned by other brides, you need to have someone ready to set up the decor the day of. John will tell you that his staff will set everything up but no one came to us to ask where we wanted things. And when I sent my brother and sister to check, the staff was setting tables and decor owned by JJI. Understandable. But could have been a major frustration considering John had told me it would take care of it the day of. Just be prepared. I've expressed all these concerns with John and he seemed to take t seriously and genuinely found him to be sorry for the issues I had and I hope he takes them seriously. However I also found him quick to explanation/excuse. While I wouldn't say that you should avoid this ven I would offer some caution. Everything will come ogether, your guests will have a great time, and the pictures will be beautiful but the wedding process and time leading up to it are likely to be stressful and frustrating. A very chill, go with the flow couple would do well at this venue. If anyone has questions, please feel free to reach out and I'd be happy to share more.

out over logistics– take a deep breath and let John simplify things and help you plan what matter most: A meaningful ceremony in a beautiful setting, BOMB food/drinks and a fun party that everyone will remember. Spending the entire weekend at the inn meant less logistical planning, and more time to relax with family and friends. John did everything from baking us fresh muffins in the morning, to keeping us on schedule while getting ready, to directing guests after cocktail hour. We're so glad we had our wedding at the John Joseph Inn, and would recommend it to anyone!!! Can't wait to go back for some tastings : )

the details, one of the best aspects about the Inn - especially for a wedding - is that your entire experience can feel more relaxed since you can stay overnight (in gorgeous, comfortable, decadent rooms), get ready with your bridal party, and then literally just walk right outside and get married in the beautiful gardens on the property. John and his staff (especially Ashley!) honestly makes you feel right at home immediately so that any nerves or wedding planning stress quickly melts away. We also decided to host our rehearsal dinner there which we highly recommend doing since the food, drinks and ambiance is fantastic. From the start, we loved John and his positive & humorous attitude, but he stepped it up a notch when it came time for our wedding weekend. He was so dedicated to our wedding & happiness that we honestly can't think of one thing that we would have changed. He was so much fun to work with, gave us great advice when we needed it, and gave us peace of mind since he has been in the wedding business for quite some time and really is a true expert. He wears many hats throughout the process (since he's both the owner/manager & chef) but he doesn't let anything slip through the cracks and will make sure your day is flawless. The food is incredible - huge portions, delicious/perfectly cooked entrees, AMAZING carrot cake (seriously our guests could not stop raving about all the food - we've been hearing constantly from our family & friends that it was the "best carrot cake I've ever had" "my steak was cooked perfectly" "the chicken was juicy and so delicious"), and John made our "food dreams" come true by surprising us during our cocktail hour with a specialized appetizer that he custom created for us because he knew it was a food we loved. The Inn is on a spectacular piece of property with manicured gardens, orchards, and a barn with horses and sheep, so both us and our guests had ample photo opportunities - again something that made it so easy for us since we didn't have to go off property and leave our guests during cocktail hour to shoot our wedding photos. As the day and night went on, the tent where receptions are held in, turned into an epic dance party and all the while John continued to make sure that all of our guests were taken care of and that everyone was having the time of their lives - which we sure did! All in all, John and his staff go above and beyond to make you feel like you're not just another wedding at the venue. The John Joseph Inn, John, and his staff made our 200 person wedding feel so intimate, beautiful, relaxed and SO. MUCH. FUN. We've already heard from many friends that it was the best wedding they've ever been to and our families (who stayed at the Inn for the weekend with us) are already talking about planning a future reunion there because they loved it so much! Thank you John, Ashley, and all the fabulous staff for making 9.2.17 a perfect memory <3

he appetizers were an uninspired slice of baguette with some mush on top. The meal was a dry, dull salad that had no discernible dressing, that everyone at our table complained about. Then I was served a minuscule piece of dry chicken, and my dinner-mates had pre-cooked rewarmed steak that was not fresh. Dessert was some sort of flavorless bread pudding. Nothing was good enough to even pass as "good." My kids can all cook better than this at this point, and none of them are Hotelies. The grounds are very nice, however. The owner was unreachable by phone for about a month in the winter months when our graduates were trying to arrange the meal there. When I tried calling him months in advance, he simply never returned calls. That was certainly a foreboding of the amateurishness of the place. When he finally does talk to you, he is a bit high strung and does not have a calm professional demeanor on the phone. He gives the impression he cannot navigate change or adapt easily. He needs a new chef, and some better menus. It was an absurdly tasteless and poorly executed meal. We ate better at Chipotle at lunch, believe it or not.

e venue 1 yr and 8 mos in advance, for our wedding on 8/12/17. In July of 2016 (over a year in advance), we had experienced financial turmoil, and called John to cancel our wedding. John answered, my husband introduced himself, and John said "oh yeah I haven't done anything besides put your name in the computer" and my husband said that wasn't a problem, because we would like to cancel the reservation. John refused to refund our deposit, even if the date were to be reserved by another couple. I realize that the contract says that the deposit will not be refunded, but our other vendors had the same wording within our contract, but refunded the deposit anyway because they already had inquiries for that date and it was so far in advance. We tried to compromise with him, saying that if he didn't book the date, we wouldn't expect anything back, but he refused. We were going to try to make our wedding a financial possibility again in January of 2017. I contacted John asking him where I could send the second payment. He replied, but we haven't heard from him since. If he really had intentions of hosting our wedding, he would have reached out to us. In our experience, this was poor business practice. I realize that he is trying to run a business, but there are better ways to do this than being greed driven and money hungry. We are very disappointed and will not be recommending this venue to any of our friends or family.

d The Roosevelts. John Joseph Hamilton, the proprietor and executive chef, describes himself as “the preppy farmer." He has great taste for architecture, food, decor, and even fashion. (He's well dressed) You aren't just renting the Inn, you are getting John. We met John when we toured the venue and knew that we could trust him with one of our largest purchases ever, our wedding. Things to note: - You can have both the ceremony and reception there. - Ceremony is in a garden or if it rains, inside the Inn. Cocktail hour is on the lawn and orchard. Reception is in a tent. - You have to use them for the catering, including the cake. Don't worry, food is outstanding! - You must rent all 6 guest rooms plus a 4 person cottage as part of the deal. - They also will do the rehearsal dinner if you choose (we did and it was great!) - The estate is private. You don't hear or see anyone other than your guests and the staff. - Your photographer will love shooting here! I wish we hired a day-of coordinator. John does a lot of the coordination but he's also running the kitchen. The groomsmen and I spent several hours unpacking and setting up decorations. The girls weren't able to do much as they needed a few hours to get ready. You also might not hear from John much beforehand, but trust that he will give you an amazing day! Overall it was a great experience! The John Joseph Inn has been open for about 8-9 years. They do one wedding a weekend. It might not be the most "well oiled machine" as far as venues go, but you won’t feel like you are in a wedding factory with two other weddings. I highly recommend booking here for farm-to-table food, privacy, unique classy venue, outdoor wedding, and the attention to detail.