Sereno Estate

iest days of my life turned into a stressful and disappointing experience due to how poorly the venue was managed. The venue owner, Chris, recommended a coordinator who turned out to be one of the worst decisions of the entire process. Cleanliness and readiness were another major problem. The barn and garden—both of which we paid for—were full of leftover pumpkins and Halloween decorations from a previous festival. Spiderwebs hung throughout the venue, and it was clear that the property had not been properly cleaned before our wedding day. Chris did allow us early access, but only because the coordinator Joy he recommended failed to communicate with my decorator, who had already arranged her arrival time. From there, every simple request I made was met with passive-aggressive comments and resistance. For example, I once asked him to move his car to make it easier for my decorator to unload heavy items, and he acted completely confused and uncooperative. He frequently presented himself as someone who cared about making our day special, but his actions showed otherwise. He often redirected every question to the coordinator (who he had personally recommended), only to later get upset that we were communicating with her instead of him. On the day of the wedding, he was still texting me about minor issues, such as a broken lantern, instead of handling them quietly so I could enjoy my big day. At one point, he even caused a scene in front of my guests, speaking to me in a condescending tone as if I were his daughter. His demeanor throughout the process was dismissive, controlling, and inconsiderate. Even during our rehearsal dinner, when he had previously told us we could grill outside, he tried to move us to the parking lot at the last minute. We had told his coordinator weeks in advance that we were grilling right outside. She never asked to see a permit, which we have and would've changed the name of the venue on the permit if only she had told us. After all the planning, setup, and effort that went into it, we were ready to cancel everything until he finally agreed to let us proceed as planned. Chris refused to let us move the dried-up, brown plants around the venue and garden because he said he had “worked for years” to grow them—even though they looked dead and unkempt. It truly felt like every request that would’ve made our day smoother or more beautiful was met with unnecessary resistance. He also gave me a hard time when it came to moving some old and large furniture in the main hall. The place is small and I needed more space so my 45 guests could dance, and he was just so uncooperative. Vendors who worked at the venue before quietly mentioned their relief that he wasn’t present during my reception because of our arguments during the rehearsal dinner, apparently, he tends to walk around during weddings, inspecting food and décor dressed in pajamas. That alone says a lot. In short, Chris seemed far more concerned with his own comfort and money than with creating a memorable, joyful experience for his clients. Please, if you’re considering this venue, save yourself the stress and disappointment. There are far better-managed and more caring venues out there that will actually make your wedding day feel like the dream you’re paying for.