The First Lady of Suffolk

Firstly, the exterior and interior needs to be maintained better and updated. There was dog poop in the parklot and I stepped in it. The flowerbed needed to be weeded and the outdoor setting was never wiped off and still had rain water and plant debris. The sink in the bride suite didn't work but they did have hand sanitizer. The wall paper is visibly coming off the wall and some bathrooms didn't have a nobs for the water. Jen stated the rehearsal had to be the day OF the wedding and could not be the day before, which in my opinion is just poor time management for a so called "wedding coordinator". She was condescending while explaining the entrance of the party and no one appreciated the way she spoke to us but we ignored it as we were trying to have a good day. The food was severely over priced for the quality we received! They offered a small piece of boneless chicken thigh, the size of a kiwi, some pieces were undercooked and the asparagus tasted as if was about to turn before it was cooked. The rice and green beans were okay but honestly the shrimp and grits just looked scary and I didn't even try it (the food wasn't labled and I didn't know what it was at first which is scary as my boyfriend has a shellfish allergy). They even tried to keep the liquor that we brought to the venue after being required to pay $500 to hire her son as the bartender. It seemed as if they had a scheme going on where the one person would be wiping off items that did not need to be wiped off so she was acting as the lookout while the bartender was probably putting away bottles because there is no way that our party went through as many bottles or beers as they claimed. Later Jen approached the bride and claimed that we had 82 guest and she would have to charge and extra $400 for the extra people, stating we only paid for 70 guest. We paid for 80 people. Why would she set the tables for 80 guest(plates and all) if we only paid for 70! Not every place setting at the table was taken and not everyone ate the food. We had the photographer take pictures of the tables because even they noticed something was up with this woman. When we gave her evidence that she was wrong about how many guest we had she stated "Oh no it's okay, I couldn't charge you all that much anyway, it's just too much money" she acted as if she was doing us a favor by not charging us for the extra guest, that didn't exist! While serving the cake, Jen and two others didn't wear gloves or mask. We had the venue until 10pm but we were finishing up early and while packing up,, Jen asked in an unpleasant tone "Has the bride left yet? She better not have left with this mess here like this" around 9pm or so. Even if the bride and groom left, that's fine we would clean up because we're their wedding party and they should enjoy their night. When have the venue until 10pm, so I don't understand why that statement was made other than she was insinuating we were just going to leave the mess.. When I asked her what she said she just kept repeating "I didn't charge you all a deposit so, I can't charge you for the mess and I don't know what the problem is". The issue is the way she spoke to her PAYING CUSTOMERS! Her son, who was the "bartender", began to aruge with the entire wedding party and even ran up on a young girl in a threating matter because he was upset that we disagreed with how his mother conducts business and didn't back down from the mistreatment. Long story short, save your time.

Jen, the owner/manager helped to make this day a perfect day for my son's wedding. She was attentive and helpful from the day we booked in November 2019, through til the end, yesterday, November 15, 2020. The venue itself is spectacular. If you are into elegance and excellence, this is the place!

Loved the venue BUT, Heed these tidbits!! At my booking I was told, streamer things in the chandelier were from Xmas, crystal glasses provided, yard would be landscaped, fresh paint on the deck, etc, so I booked with this in mind. I found out that those streamers "could not be removed", they gave out plastic solo cups to my guests for their wine!!!!! Plastic cups!!! Thankfully, it was rectified after some words! The lawn was done, but weeds were already taking over by Aug 2nd. The porch was painted, but not sanded, so it’s a thick coat of bumpy paint. The patio chairs are peeling & guests got white paint chips on clothing. Upon arrival for rehearsal some sewage spill happened near the gazebo, it smelled awful, luckily, I asked & it was hosed down. I added 2 extra hrs to my night, so glad I did, she was adamant that I wouldn’t need it. I needed it! The $ I saved booking here thinking I had a great deal, was made up by hiring an outside decorator. Please hire your own decorator! It will make the world of difference! They do not iron their tablecloths or chair covers & it looks a hot wrinkled mess, I asked could they be ironed and was told they do NOT iron. The table chargers provided were scratched, scuffed & had huge black voids in the middle of some of them, which I saw during their setup at one of my visits. I ended up ordering chivari chairs, and my decorator/coordinator brought in tablecloths, napkins & a few other details, which really made the venue pop. They can be accommodating but you have to press HARD for what you want, Jen is pretty set in her ways with the way everything is. The food was terrible!! We had garlic rotisserie chicken (hard & dry), corn (basic), herb roasted potatoes (hard as bricks, they were literally uneatable, everyone complained about them), I paid extra to upgrade to tender-crisp string beans (they were soggy and cold), I also upgraded to wild-caught Salmon, It was spectacular! Best item! Fresh bread was also good. The meatballs were great, & I upgraded to a shrimp searing station, I didn’t get any, they closed it down, not even 1 hr had passed, me, the bride asked the attendant & was told no. RUDE! I paid $3.90 extra per person for what? I feel a time limit should have been expressed to me upfront if that were the case so I could have made sure at least the bride and groom got some. I was told by guests it tasted great! All of the food was put away rather early in the night approx. an hr after dinner began. I wanted more, and we were not allowed to take any home so I thought it would be nice to be out for a while. I understand health codes, etc. but still. Professionalism lacking, it was extremely hard to maintain contact during the 18mos that I booked out. I could barely make payments. No one ever answered the phone or emails, & when they did it was days later at 8-9pm wanting payment. Jen the manager, was constantly telling me about Mickie, the owners, medical status & his complications, & I was just like that’s none of my business & sort of unethical. Jen also had a strong input on everything our tastes were total opposite! Also, she kept walking around during my reception, & people were asking me who she was. I would have preferred her stay in the back, I’m sorry to sound so offensive, but bridezilla here. She was limping around on her cane just all in the mix & clearly out of place.

If you want a venue that does EVERYTHING, this is the place...food, linens, lighting, cake...everything. The house is unique and gorgeous, the food is spectacular and the staff is amazing. An amazing venue for a one of a kind wedding.