The Bembridge Historical House

Words cannot accurately describe how perfect our wedding was and it was in the biggest part thanks to Bembridge House and it's in-house coordinator Anthony Barr. The venue is spectacular, a gorgeous turn of the century house with charm in every step. The garden was flourishing. The house was full of cute details. The courtyard was intimate yet still inviting. It was the most ideal spot we could pick for our locally focused, small friends and family wedding. Anthony and his team did everything they could possibly do to help every step of the way. The planning began over a year before our big day and Anthony was always available for advice and to help answer any question, big or small. His communication was clear, thorough, and timely. The day before the wedding we were able to bring everything for the event so that we would not need to worry the day of. Anthony helped direct the rehearsal as we did not have a full event coordinator. The day of, everything was set up beautifully. If a tiny issue came up, he made sure it was taken care of to the fullest of his ability. When a singular sprinkler went off during the vows, Anthony personally held down the sprinkler for the remainder of the ceremony. His staff was fun and kept everything moving at a great pace. Everyone from security to the table flippers were kind and efficient, the impressive professionalism of the entire team was appreciated. I noticed no trash during the event. The attention to detail from everyone was noticed by all of our guests and was appreciated by us immensely. There are not enough kind words to describe our experience at this venue. We highly recommend utilizing Bembridge House for your event as they truly will make any special occasion a breeze to arrange and blast to enjoy.

My experience at Bembridge House in Long Beach was nothing short of enchanting, and it's all thanks to the wonderful Anthony Barr. From the moment I laid eyes on this vintage gem, I fell head over heels in love with its timeless charm. The highlight of my event planning journey was undoubtedly meeting Anthony Barr. His expertise and attention to detail immediately put me at ease. I knew I was in capable hands when it came to orchestrating the perfect celebration. There were two key elements I had my heart set on: a grand entrance and the ambiance of hidden charm beneath patio-style string lights during cocktail hour. Anthony not only understood my vision but brought it to life in the most exquisite way possible. He listened intently to every single detail, no matter how small, and executed it flawlessly. One of the standout features of working with Anthony was his extensive network of trusted vendors. Having one point of contact for everything was an absolute blessing. It streamlined the entire process and eliminated the stress of coordinating with multiple parties. Anthony went above and beyond to ensure our special day was truly magical. He even gave us precious time to practice our entrance and first dance, which made the entire event feel seamless and polished. The only regret I have about my experience at Bembridge House is that I couldn't stay longer. Anthony Barr is a true wizard when it comes to event planning. He took my dreams and turned them into a reality that left me absolutely speechless. If you're searching for a venue with vintage charm, impeccable service, and a dedicated event planner like Anthony who can make your dreams come true, look no further than Bembridge House. It's a hidden gem that I'll cherish forever, and I can't recommend it enough. Thank you, Anthony, for making our day truly extraordinary!

My husband and I got married at the Bembridge House in November 2021. We remember seeing photos of the property and feeling amazed, but the price of the location wasn't online at the time and we thought for sure that it was going to be way out of our price range. However, we wanted to go to see the location since it was so beautiful - even if we couldn't get married there, it would be a cool experience to get to see such a historical location. To our absolute surprise, we met with Anthony Barr and not only was the location affordable, he was willing to work with us on absolutely EVERYTHING on our list. With Anthony's help, we not only had a historic and gorgeous location (which included a bridal area and space for our whole party), but he helped us to find all of our vendors, negotiated with various vendors on our behalf at times, took care of our decor requests... I could go on. I honestly don't know how I would have managed the wedding procedure without the help Anthony gave, but we also just adored the Bembridge property. Picturesque, cozy - we are so grateful.

The two words sum up the event experience at Bembridge: Infuriating and Disappointing. Weddings are inherently stressful, but it appalling that the stress of this wedding experience stemmed from the inadequacy and disrespect of the venue’s built in event coordinator. Anthony Barr was extremely unreliable and confrontational during the planning period and on the wedding day itself. Every interaction with him was unpleasant. He was even rude and condescending to the bride, groom, and their families. As a member of the bridal party, I was privy to the entire experience with him. It was clear that he prioritized new business over his current business. All his actions demonstrated that he did not care about this wedding. He was hard to get a hold of, disappeared for a few months during the planning period, and had little-to-no follow through. Basic things like invoices and planning documents were virtually nonexistent. If any coordination happened, it was due to the bride following up at least 3 times or organizing it herself. Despite his inadequacy in the planning period, we still held on to the tiniest hope that maybe he would step up on the wedding day. Unfortunately, that was not the case. He admitted to me that he had been at a party the night before and was hungover. That information was not solicited. He offered it up within the first five minutes of interacting with him at the venue. He also dressed inappropriately. Despite his assurances that he would be dressed for the ceremony and reception, he remained in the black tank top and ripped, sagging jeans all evening. He had no control over the event and didn't seem to know what he was doing or how to instruct his team. Several of the reception items, that the bride had confirmed with him weeks prior and again at the rehearsal, were missing. They were unavailable either because he had not ordered them, they were misplaced, or he didn't bother to check them. One of those primary items was the arch. It wasn't until the morning of the wedding that the bride and groom were informed that the arch they had selected was missing a piece and was therefore not usable. If Anthony had bothered to take the time to do the most basic parts of his job, a lot of the mishaps could have been avoided. A lack of organization combined with his horrible attitude and lack of people skills, made for a infuriating and disappointing experience. What’s perhaps even more shocking: Anthony is the owner of the event company that Bembridge has hired to run all their events. It is clear that Bembridge had no oversight on his business practices, and it is shocking that they allow him to continue. The success of the wedding was solely due to the bride's planning and the couple's family and friends stepping in. Bottom line: If Bembridge refuses to provide even the most basic oversight of a company they hired and require clients to use, it would be most responsible of them to cease hosting weddings.