My husband and I had our wedding ceremony and reception at the PWH on 10/4/14. I first heard about them at a bridal show and went to tour the house a few weeks later. As soon as I met Joel and toured the house, I was sold! I wanted an outdoor w...edding, and the house, gardens, and property were so beautiful and unique that I literally jumped up and down when I booked our wedding date.
The planning process with the PWH was so easy. Joel (who also serves as a wedding director) gave me homework that let me know exactly what I needed to do, and he helped keep me on track. He was comforting and easygoing when I realized how much there is to do or when I couldn't make a decision, and he went above and beyond to look into options for the reception and to suggest vendors when I was having tough time finding a hairstylist. The entire staff was helpful, especially Chef Brian. When we showed up to our testing session and I had forgotten to mention that I was a vegetarian, he brushed it off and quickly whipped me up a vegetarian meal with no complaints.
We paid for the ultimate destination package, which includes an entire weekend (Friday through Sunday) of wedding festivities. From our arrival to our departure, the weekend was perfect. The rehearsal went smoothly, and even though Joel had the flu he managed to pull himself together to make sure that the rehearsal and ceremony staging went smoothly and was perfectly timed. We planned our rehearsal dinner at the last minute, and the meal was phenomenal, and Chef Brian even made a vegetarian option for me even though I wasn't expecting anything special.
And, our wedding day Saturday was perfect. So, so perfect. I came down for 30 minutes on Saturday to explain what decorations went where and who should be seated where, etc., and the staff took care of the rest. Stephanie (who is another phenomenal member of the PWH team) took care of everything and made sure that the reception was set up correctly. The PWH staff was great at setting up the staff and keeping us on schedule. Right before the ceremony, as I was waiting in the hall for my parents and as the bridal party was preparing to walk in, I was incredibly nervous. Stephanie was there to keep an eye on me and to reassure me, she made sure the bridal party knew what to do, and she fluffed my dress before I walked down the aisle. It is those little details that make the PWH a fantastic wedding venue.
The staff made the transition between the ceremony and reception very quickly, and other than leaving flowers outside that were intended for the inside tables, our reception was perfect, and when we made our entrance I could see that it was decorated beautifully. We had a seated/plated dinner and the staff was very attentive: drinks were filled, plates were brought out quickly, and the service was top-notch. And again, the food was amazing.
When the evening was over and our guests were gone, we had the house (mostly) to ourselves, so our closest friends were able to stay late into the night with us before eventually going home. The staff even had a turn-down service in the bridal suite, with candles, flowers and extra plates of food/cake in case we hadn't had the chance to eat. Again, wonderful details.
It was a perfect, perfect weekend and I don't regret a thing. Our guests kept commenting how beautiful it was.
A summary: amazing venue, delicious food, fantastic staff, wonderful weekend, a perfect wedding.
Thanks for everything!