Shenandoah Valley Golf Club

ving a wedding in Virginia would be a bit more complicated than usual. However, after speaking extensively with Jen, the manager, and after my maid of honor went to check out the place, we were confident we were in good hands. Well, Jen left soon after we signed our contract, which in hindsight was a red flag, but we contacted the new management to ensure our contract (and discount) remained valid. There was a lot of miscommunication and a lot of stress but finally Tracey took over and ensured us that they were there to help make our day everything we wanted. Tracey was so friendly and good at communicating, and we were able to setup an in-person visit in May when we were in the area. We questioned getting a day-of-coordinator and were told their team are day of coordinators so it was not necessary. The venue itself is gorgeous, the ballroom is beautiful, and the food by Chef Dan is absolutely incredible. We made decisions based on everything that was offered in our contract, including two houses on site that our whole bridal party was going to be staying at. This was extremely important to us as we rarely get to see our family and friends living so far away. Our plan was to have the guys get ready at the Fairview House and the girls get ready at The Cottage to avoid seeing each other the day of. Unfortunately, the modern second house (The Cottage) was no longer available due to renovations, but after expressing how disappointed we were, the other house was offered to us at no charge for our whole stay. We debated on just staying at the hotel, but ultimately the money we would be saving (after spending so much on the venue) was a no brainer. The Fairview house is a historic property, so understandably it is going to be dated, but we would never stay in the house again (even for free). The convenience of being located right next to the ballroom was fantastic, but it looked as if it was not cleaned in years. There were dead bugs everywhere, the windows were disgusting, and we had to be as careful as possible with my white dress on the dirty floor. Our wedding was on October 3rd and there was a huge golf tournament with golfers everywhere, but we were promised that the tournament would be completely done by 3 pm, one hour before our ceremony. That did not happen. Not only were golfers and staff close by for our first look (which was distracting), there was a giant group of guys on the back patio with clear views of our ceremony. As guests arrived at the ceremony, during processional music and announcements by our officiant, the guys could be heard. Many guests commented and questioned what was going on. My husband was also being hollered at as he walked down “Don’t do it” and “There’s so much more to live for”, etc. All jokes, but not something you want to hear on your wedding day from a bunch of strangers. Even as we were standing at the altar, the golf tournament group was making announcements over a loud speaker. At the very least, staff at SVGC should have told them to stay quite during the ceremony, which literally lasted 10 minutes. We are just hoping our wedding video comes back with no hollering or golf announcements in the background. Although the bridal party was told they would be cued when to walk, they were left with no instructions. Golf carts were provided for guests needing assistance, but unfortunately that even fell short and some guests did not feel prioritized. It felt as if there was little to no coordinating the whole day, but thankfully during the reception our DJ Rick Rohn took over and saved the day. So many promises were made and broken, like special sides of mac and cheese served to just my husband and I because we were having trouble deciding on a side. Yes, it’s something small, but as a couple who have an unhealthy obsession with mac and cheese, this is one of many things we were really looking forward to that we did not get to experience. Yes, it’s a golf course, so golfers are expected, but as a venue that offers wedding services, we expected more privacy, more coordination, and much more professionalism. If you’re looking for a private space to have a wedding, which I would image most people are, this is NOT the place. This venue is a public golf course and although many promises were made to ensure our day was private and went smooth, we are left looking back at how much better our day could have been at a different venue. Our day was very special and all of our guests enjoyed themselves, but we were very disappointed with SVCG on the day of the wedding. Overall the two stars goes to the venue itself, not our actual day, which was made much better because of our other vendors, our hardworking bridal party and family, and all the effort we put into making our day special.