my experience was less than satisfactory. While the venue itself is beautiful and the food was good, several key aspects of the planning and execution were poorly handled.
Pre-We...dding Concerns:
Decoration Drop-Off: Unlike other venues such as country clubs, hotels, and farms where friends could drop off decor the night before the wedding, The Stonehurst required me to bring everything on the day of. This was a major inconvenience. I suggest the venue build lockers for storage to alleviate this issue.
Coordinator Communication: I had only one meeting with the assigned coordinator, Kayla. I didn't receive the venue layout until the day my guest numbers were due, which forced me to rearrange my seating plan at the last minute.
Day-of Issues:
Coordinator Availability: Kayla was present when I arrived but went missing for most of the morning. We needed assistance with the air conditioning and to store desserts in the fridge due to the hot weather. We struggled to find her, and eventually, a waitress helped us with the AC. Kayla eventually showed up but took her time getting the desserts into the fridge and had to be reminded by my mother.
Miscommunication and Mismanagement: Kayla seemed to be managing another event simultaneously, which was not communicated to me. It seemed like she kept going to the barn. This caused several issues:
The cake topper fell over, leaving a hole in the cake, which was not properly addressed. My baker told her when she eventually came, but she had been outside and seemed flustered and not paying attention.
The promised golf carts for photos were not available despite having paid for them. This was particularly problematic as I have a muscle disorder and needed to minimize walking. See attached for emails.
The rocks near the ceremony arch were not moved as requested, even though this was detailed in the day-of document I provided. My photographer had to make sure they were moved, which was not her job.
Centerpiece Collection: Despite my announcement for guests to take centerpieces home, Kayla's team collected them, causing confusion. She later claimed she was not informed about my decision, which was not the case. It was in the document that I would not be taking them home.
Food Allergies: I selected chicken spring rolls due to my allergies, but they were inexplicably replaced with another option on the day of the wedding. This oversight meant I could not eat the appetizers I had specifically chosen.
Overall, while the venue itself is stunning and the food quality was good, if I choose to recommend The Stonehurst, I recommend to the bride to hire her own coordinator. The numerous miscommunications and lack of attention to detail from the venue's staff significantly impacted our wedding day. I am choosing not to publicly post this but felt as though you should know, I had high hopes for this venue and unfortunately was let down and was the low part of my wedding day for sure.