The Blanche

y, courtyard, ballroom, and crystal chandeliers. The Bridal Suite is stunning and it was the perfect place to get ready. We have visited and stayed at The Blanche many times and we fell in love with it as "the" venue for our wedding. The beauty, charm and elegance we rate 5 stars; all other aspects/experiences we rate 2-3 stars. The Blanche was very expensive as a wedding venue for what it provided ($6,500). We had 60 guests. We were able to use the space from 8am-11pm on our wedding day. This meant we had to be cleaned up and out by 11pm (this was not outlined in the contract). The venue included use of the space, tables, and chairs, but nothing else. We had to rent or buy silverware, dinnerware, cups, glasses, decor, etc. We could not confirm a date for a rehearsal until 30 days before the wedding so the venue could make sure there was not another event scheduled the night before our wedding. This delay in planning and scheduling was super frustrating to us, our out of town guests, and our bridal party. No hotel rooms were included in the cost of using the venue, not even a room for us as the bride & groom. We could have reserved a room block, but if our guests did not fill the rooms for both nights of the weekend, we were on the hook to still pay for the rooms. Value we rate 3 stars. As part of our contract with The Blanche we were required to use their wedding coordinator and planning vendor, Imperial Productions, for an additional $2,000. There was very poor communication from this vendor. There were missed meetings, phone calls, delays in getting back to us about catering, etc. and overall we felt like we were on the back burner. We also felt like our ideas and vision were met with resistance because we had a less traditional ceremony and reception. There were several timeline mistakes and issues the day of the wedding. For example, the coordinator team refused to serve cake to the children and we had no idea until the next day. We never gave any sort of direction to not serve cake to the children. They also threatened to call the police on the DJ & Music Coordinator at the end of the night; we absolutely loved the DJ and did not see any behavior that would warrant this level of action. These details are still not clear, but it was embarrassing to us because it happened in front of our guests and it was unnecessary drama. We give this vendor 2 stars and it really tainted our experience at The Blanche. I did address my concerns about Imperial Productions to The Blanche during the planning process and after the wedding. The Blanche did respond to these concerns and labeled them as "miscommunication" or "we should have explained the use of the space better." They did not address the unserved cake or timeline mistake concerns. The Blanche said they appreciated our feedback, but there was no deeper resolution or explanations. Communication and problem solving we rate 3.5 stars. The Blanche is so beautiful and we do not regret having our wedding there. We were willing to pay premium prices, but we did not receive premium services. We really expected a higher level of service, care, and value. Overall, we cannot recommend this venue to another couple.