River Edge Bed and Breakfast & Gathering Place

ouch! Bill & Brenda

future!

. Up until this point, we have heard nothing but positive feedback from you about your October 12, 2019 wedding day experience.  It was understood, agreed upon in advance and plainly stated in your personally signed catering agreement that River Edge staff are to be fed after your guests have been served. We do not charge catering or site use fees, and it is reasonable and customary that staff at venues, including bartenders, be fed. There was no "miscommunication" about your candles. As stated in page 1 of your agreement, "All candles must be contained in glass to protect linens and all surfaces from wax drippings". Your ad hoc solution did not meet your agreement requirements, but we allowed this anyway so you did not have to make any significant last minute changes to your layout, and had to simply hope you would not incur a damage/cleaning charge as a result of wax drippings. It has always been our goal to serve our guests to the best of our ability and to be present, answer questions and offer assistance when needed. All in attendance were treated with utmost respect. If you felt your ceremony started late, it was because your guests arrived late. The few people we assisted down the main driveway were elderly or handicapped who requested an easier access point to the ceremony/pavilion area. Your signed agreement and promise to us made by you and Thomas stated in BOLD AND UNDERLINED LETTERS that "ANY ALCOHOL BROUGHT ON THE PROPERTY BY INDIVIDUAL(S) WILL BE CONFISCATED".  Coordinating  signs were also posted where everyone could see them. With your (now) husband being a police officer, as well as the serious liability and safety issues relating to alcohol, we would think you would have both understood, related to, and respected this policy. Your damage deposit could have been lost over this incident as well. The field photos which I personally took out of my time to drive Thomas, you and your photographer out into the field for wildflower photos was not part of us fulfilling your agreement. I did it only so you could capture the best photos of your wedding day. I thought we had a fun time with you and your photographer while we were out in the field, and am shocked you would now accuse me of offending your photographer, or anyone else for that matter. Both your agreement (page 5) and estimate (page 1) concerning final guest count states as follows: "Your final guest count is required 30 days prior to your event". Your final bill was due 21 days in advance, which was adjusted downward from from your original estimated guest count of 200 to reflect your final guest count of 165. We provided the agreed upon number of tables, linens, chairs and staffing personnel to accommodate your final guest count of 165, which was emailed by you to us on 9/12/2019--33 days prior to your wedding. Your attempt to now hold us financially culpable for a large number of your no-shows is unheard of and absurd. Your agreement states directly above your signatures: "I/We have read, understand and agree with the terms and conditions of this agreement and shall abide by them." In retrospect, there is a clear pattern of you ignoring or disregarding certain terms of your agreement, which should have been a priority over the color of my wife's sweater. We are very grateful for the many brides who have given an honest, accurate account here of both us and sharing their beautiful experience at our venue. The one thing they all had in common was they read, respected and honored the terms of their agreement, which is a key ingredient needed for a perfect, stress free wedding day.      Sincerely,    Bill & Brenda Schreur

omary for venues, and also work to insure a safe, enjoyable day for all of our guests. We wish you both many happy years together! Bill & Brenda

ouse, which gave no indication that there had been any problems. We have seen past damage done to our beautiful dining room varnished pine wood floor by high heels / heeled ladies dress shoes, including the type of shoes your mother was wearing that day. We did not single your mother out, and would normally have brought a matter like this to the Bride's chosen event representative. Unfortunately, you chose one of your bridesmaids for this and approaching her during preparation time to address this would have been equally as awkward. Our contract asks that you choose a representative outside of the wedding party to avoid these types of situations, and you chose not to do this. Please try to understand that the main reason that you, your mother and future brides could enjoy our house in such nice condition is that the contract you understood, signed and agreed to follow also requires your bridal party to follow the same rules regardless of your oversight. You appropriately gave instructions to your mother and bridal party members to remove their shoes. There were also two separate "Please Remove Your Shoes" signs, both of which bridal party members could plainly see prior to entering the house. As venue owners, we should not be expected to take a stance of knowingly allowing our agreed upon rules to be broken (ignoring potential damage) with the intent to simply bill for damages later. We have never imposed a house damage or cleaning fee without first giving a notification or warning. Our policies related to this are reasonable and customary for the wedding venue industry. Brenda spoke kindly to your mother, and was only trying to avoid any hard/high heel shoe damage to our pine wood floor, and the incurring of any subsequent damage or extra cleaning charges. Although you stated you would have preferred to be billed for this, you also stated you were on a budget. On 2/9/17 we offered you an option for a $300 credit if you chose not to use the house for dressing. The vast majority of our brides opt to use the dressing building only. Our house is very old and cannot take the wear and tear that commercial structures are designed for. Our adjacent dressing building was ready and available for your bridal party dressing if you chose to use it. It is built for commercial use, and has no requirements for removing shoes. We also have a portable ramp available to address the 4" step into the bathroom, but no parties have ever needed to physically roll a wheelchair into the (west corner) bathroom. I wish you had mentioned this issue to me before the wedding. I would have been more than happy to set the ramp (with rails) up for your guest. Our goal has always been to treat all of our guests with the utmost respect they deserve. In return, we as venue owners should at least have our agreed upon rules respected without fear of repercussion. We regret if you, your mother or anyone else may have felt offended over the shoe removal issue, but please remember you and your bridal party were well aware of the shoe removal rule. We hope that you and your mother will be understanding of this and can refocus on your beautiful wedding day at River Edge. Thank you, Bill Schreur

of their way to share their musical talents, and were a pleasure to work with. Your invited guests, both family and friends were friendly, respectful and cooperative towards us as venue owners--making our day perfect as well! May God bless you both in the coming years. Bill and Brenda

nk you for your service to our country. We wish you both many happy years together. Bill and Brenda Schreur

e breakfasts, something only she can take credit for. We wish you many happy years together! Take Care, Bill Schreur

reciate your desire to stay longer. By 10pm brides and grooms are typically eager to get into our enchanting B&B for their overnight stay, so our complete wedding packages have overall been a great draw for our venue. Take Care, Bill

them in the 2015 wedding season and beyond! Stay in touch! Bill & Brenda

plenty of floor space that many venues simply don't have. Being a builder for over 30 years, I have learned to listen to customer's concerns and continually adapt and make improvements when necessary. The roll up tent sides have been big draw for our brides as well, offering unparalleled versatility for all weather conditions. It's a great feeling when people recognized the value and uniqueness of what we have here at River Edge, and we look forward to making more happy guests in 2015! Thank you, Bill