We had an overall positive experience at The Estate at Cherokee Dock, though there were some challenges along the way.
The venue is truly beautiful & my wedding day was seamless. ...From the moment we toured the property, we were impressed—especially by Kelly, the salesperson who gave us a thorough tour & made us feel confident that most aspects of our wedding, including planning services, could be managed in-house. The best news is they allow dogs! My dog could be present all day while we were getting ready & during the ceremony—we just had to have someone take him home during the reception.
However, we had some hiccups. We were told we’d hear from a planner within 10 days, but heard nothing. After we followed up with Kelly, she took accountability & quickly had a planner reach out, which we appreciated.
It’s important to know that Cherokee Dock is owned by Infinity Hospitality Group, which offers in-house services like planning, design, & vendor coordination. Infinity charges a 20% fee on all vendors booked through them & while not every vendor is required to go through Infinity, key services like band, lighting, production, & florals are.
Unfortunately, we faced several challenges with the first planner assigned to us. Communication was slow—sometimes taking weeks. By the time she responded about our preferred band, they were already booked. She secured a different band but didn’t include all the services we’d requested, which we discovered a month before the wedding.
Within six weeks of booking the venue, we decided to hire an outside planner. The situation became tense when the in-house planner expressed frustration over us reaching out to vendors directly (due to slow responses) & even told one vendor that our outside planner was “no longer on the wedding” & to stop communicating with her. Additionally, she submitted a contract that was over $50K above our budget, leaving me overwhelmed & concerned about moving forward. It felt like our planner wasn’t listening to us & our wedding wasn’t a priority. I called my parents in tears, worried we might have to cancel & find a new venue—just 6 months before the big day.
Thankfully, my dad reached out to Infinity’s event director, Kalyn Newport. Kalyn listened to his concerns, reviewed our situation, & took over our wedding personally. From that point forward, Kalyn was a lifesaver. She helped us stay on budget while still having a beautiful wedding. Kalyn was responsive, professional, & kind, & she worked seamlessly with our outside planner to ensure everything came together smoothly. She made me feel heard & that our wedding was a priority.
On the day of the wedding, Kalyn was there to greet us at 9am sharp, walk us through the venue, & ensure everything was in place. If any issues arose, Kalyn, Annika (the on-site venue director), & my outside planner handled them quietly, keeping the day stress-free for me.
Despite the challenges, I don’t regret choosing The Estate at Cherokee Dock. It was a perfect day in a stunning location.
For couples considering this venue:
• If you have a $200,000+ budget, this venue is a no-brainer. The property is breathtaking, & the full weekend experience would be incredible.
• If your budget is $100,000 or less, it’s still doable—just be firm and expect to need some flexibility, communicate clearly, & stay on top of communication.
Overall, we’re grateful to Kalyn & the team for making our wedding day so special!