Wow, I cannot say enough good things about the Running Deer! Kait and Heather are amazinggggggggggg! I had looked at 11 wedding venues before I found the Running Deer (so as you c...an tell, I’m very picky!). This venue is truly a diamond in the rough! It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere, but that is what makes it so special. It’s so quiet and secluded so you are guaranteed to not have any wedding crashers haha! Not only is the venue stunning inside and out, it is a great value! We signed up during a special they had and we got an entire hour of open bar for free in addition to a $500 Visa gift card as a gift from them the day of our wedding. Other perks: if you want to do floating candles in vases on mirrors for centerpieces, they offer that free of charge (specifically, vases and mirrors included)! The cake is included as well and it was DELCIOUS!!! For cocktail hour, they offered a macaroni station which was included (usually venues will charge a lot for stations during cocktail hour). They even accommodated our signature drink without an extra charge! Colored table cloths and napkins are also included. If you want something fancy (sequins for example) it is an extra charge, but some venues don’t even include colored linens so that is a huge perk! They have an entire chocolate indulgence room that is also included and my guests said the deserts were outrageously delicious! They even include warm homemade cookies as guests leave at the end of the night. Literally this venue is a dream! After your wedding is over, they don’t make you clean everything up that night, instead they will gather it for you and you can come by the next day to pick everything up! If you are looking for a place that is gorgeous with high ceilings, amazing food (huge portions by the way!), excellent service, and an amazing value, this is the place for you!
Kait was my main point of contact throughout the entire process and she is so responsive, professional, flexible, and accommodating. I was a very particular bride with my vision and she was very accommodating and ensured me that everything I wanted would be carried out. For instance, I wanted the cake wheeled to the middle of the dance floor for the cake cutting and she was able to accommodate us. I also asked that someone pass out our sparklers and light them at the end of the night for the sparkler send off and she accommodated us as well! Everything we wanted, she always said yes, we can do that! She made it happen! A lot of venues have particular rules and guidelines you have to follow, but the Running Deer is so flexible. You can tell they just want you to be happy at the end of the day! The day of our wedding, Heather was our concierge. Heather is a ROCKSTAR! Every time I needed something, she was there asking if she could get me anything. She brought my girls and I some champagne free of charge the day of the wedding and continued to provide refills for us when needed. She brought us food while we were getting ready as well! She even offered to help me in the bathroom during the wedding! Seriously, she is a saint! Always willing to help without any hesitation. The day of my wedding it unfortunately rained, but Heather let me wait until an hour and a half before the wedding instead of the usual 2 hour time limit, to make the decision on whether the ceremony would be inside. Unfortunately, we had to hold it inside, but everything was done beautifully and the staff is so quick with set-up!