While Saratoga Springs is a beautiful venue, the staff does not live up to the standard that should come with it. When we booked, Jennifer assured us that the venue “comes with a d...ay-of wedding planner, saving you $2–3k.” This turned out to be misleading. They are not true planners but venue coordinators you meet with only twice. They do not update invoices, track changes, or respond accurately to emails.
For example, when our guest count changed significantly, I requested an updated invoice. Instead of providing one, they sent me numbers and told me to figure it out myself—something I could not do accurately. At the tasting, we had a terrible experience with a vendor, and the response from staff was simply, “Oh well, they aren’t with us.” Regardless, that vendor was representing the venue.
Communication was consistently poor. Initially, we were told the venue was a “canvas” and that changes could be made, but at our second meeting, the assistant contradicted those approvals. Invoices remained inaccurate—off by as much as $15,000—even after I repeated corrections multiple times via email. During one meeting, the assistant became overwhelmed and asked if she should bring in the planner—Olivia—who was supposedly there all along. Why wasn’t she present when our appointment was scheduled with her?
When Olivia finally came in, her behavior was unprofessional and disrespectful. She was defensive, dismissive, and even rude to my parents, who were paying a $40,000 bill. Instead of addressing concerns, she brought up irrelevant points, complained about her workload, and admitted, “We aren’t even there the day-of.” This was shocking since we had been told otherwise. Only then did we learn that the venue provides a “day-of coordinator,” not an actual planner. That distinction would have been helpful to know more than a month before the wedding.
When I emailed to explain how inappropriate Olivia’s conduct was, the only response I received was, “We are a family-owned business,” which felt like a dismissive excuse rather than accountability.
Unfortunately, the wedding day itself was no better. Calista argued repeatedly with our photographer in front of us, rushed my family, and changed the cake cutting to before dancing—so most guests missed it. She failed to cue us to go into hiding on time, so a quarter of my guests saw me before the ceremony. She ignored my request to gather the wedding party, leaving me alone in hiding. Later, she couldn’t manage the introductions before dinner, leaving the DJ to step in while she stood by confused and disengaged. Her only urgency was when she was arguing with our photographer—again, in front of us.
To make matters worse, the DJ (who we were required to book through the venue) couldn’t remember my husband’s name, something all of our guests noticed.
Between Olivia and Calista, our wedding experience was chaotic, stressful, and deeply disappointing. Their lack of professionalism, poor communication, and dismissive attitudes ruined what should have been one of the happiest days of our lives.
I would not recommend having a wedding at Saratoga Springs if you want your day to run smoothly.
If you really love the venue, get your own wedding planner, their staff doesn't care enough about your wedding to be a planner for it. They are venue coordinators with the title of day of wedding planner to get people to more likely book. Once they have your deposit they really fall off.
DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS VENUE BECAUSE OF THEIR STAFF.