The Fontainebleau Inn

nd this venue to anyone!

e banquet room and patio are great but the private rooms are extremely comfortable with all the amenities you could ever need. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect location for our wedding.

king the entire weekend feel so manageable and memorable. All of the accommodations made our weekend easy and every event run flawlessly. We are incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to work with Terri and John to celebrate at this absolutely stunning property.

and the most helpful coordinators, and we had the perfect wedding. It was so nice to have the entire Inn to ourselves for the whole weekend. The breakfast served was a wonderful way to start each day. Day-of logistics were taken care of, and we ended up working with most folks on their preferred vendors list, which we couldn’t have been more thankful for. We swam in the lake each day we were there, shared incredible memories with family and friends that got to stay with us for the weekend, and would do it all again if we could. Thank you Terri and John for an unforgettable experience! If you are considering the Fontainebleau for your wedding, we can’t recommend it enough!

part because of the Fontainebleau’s beautiful grounds and because of Terri and John’s support, flexibility, creativity, and experience. Our wedding would not have been as beautiful, as meaningful, and as fun—all while observing social distancing, mask-wearing, the no dance floor regulations, etc. for COVID—had it not been for Terri, John, and their stunning Inn. If you are hoping to go forward with your wedding during COVID, this is the place to do it (and also during non-COVID times too, of course!). The lakeside setting feels like a movie set, and the elegant simplicity of the Inn is comforting while also making for a stunning backdrop for photos. Everything can be done outside here: the lawn offered us ample space to spread out during the ceremony and during the reception; the covered patio offered enough space to socially distance a group of 30-odd guests. The Inn was a respite from the anxiety of the world, and it offered us a chance, as immediate family (after quarantining beforehand!), to gather together for a few days to celebrate our wedding but also the company of each other. We’re far enough out now from the wedding to know that we were able to keep everyone safe thanks to the ample outdoor space offered at the Fontainebleau. I wish I could adequately capture the amount of appreciation, admiration, and gratitude that I have for Terri and John. Terri was with me every step of the way—from the moment things looked bad due to COVID, to the postponement of our initial wedding day, to the rescheduling, to figuring out how to meet regulations and keep everyone safe. I truly could not have done this without her continuous willingness to field questions and offer suggestions. In sum, I am so glad that we celebrated our wedding at the Fontainebleau. If you are planning or hoping to go forward with your wedding during COVID, my advice to you is to be flexible, be kind, be laid back, and to be grateful for any wedding you can squeak out during this time. With that approach and by being at the Fontainebleau, you will have an absolutely stunning, memorable, dream-like wedding—even with masks, hand sanitizer, social distance, and 30 or so people. I know that my husband and I will be back to stay at the Inn at some point (hopefully soon!), and many of our family expressed the same sentiment. It is such a special place that is run by two of the most kind and beautifully human people that I have ever met. We are so happy that the Fontainebleau, Terri, and John were a part of our wedding.

ke my day perfect and it was! From setup to getting ready to picking up decoration the next day they do an outstanding job. I highly recommend them for any event!

with my severe allergies and asthma, and my mother, who has mobility impairments. The salon room for brides is comfortable and equipped with everything you could possibly need--hairspray, sewing kits, a blow dryer, amazing lighting. The inn is so beautiful--we had a cold, rainy day for our wedding, and everyone was so comfortable on the patio with the tent heaters. The view from the patio was gorgeous, with the tent sides open so that everyone could look at the lake. The banquet room is so stunning, it barely needs decoration. Most of all, John and Terri were amazingly professional throughout, answering all emails the same day, providing us all of the details we needed, and handling the entire wedding with remarkable efficiency. The whole thing went off without a hitch, even though I had asthma trouble in the middle and we needed to rearrange things a bit. I could not have asked for more. P.s., the breakfasts at the inn are also outstanding! Terri is a great cook!

Fontainebleau. John and Terri make everything go smoothly and give such helpful advice about anything you might need, based on their years of experience. They're also tremendously professional, efficient, and kind people. We never doubted the day was going to go well because we worked with John and Terri's suggested florists and caterers, who were used to putting on weddings at the venue and communicating with John and Terri. Apparently, there was even some difficulty with our chuppah the day of, but we never even had to stress about it, because it got solved without us ever having to get involved! You really get to relax and spend time with family and friends on the day of because you know the venue is taking care of everything. The Inn is also a very comfortable place to stay, with old-school charm, immaculate grounds, and modern amenities. And, everyone was a big fan of Terri's breakfast spreads. Based on what I saw while researching venues, and also based on our experience, the Fontainebleau Inn is the best and most beautiful place to have a wedding in the Finger Lakes area. You can't go wrong here.

wedding day and venue!

he responded to emails within a day or two and was very accommodating to everything we wanted. We stayed at the inn Friday and Saturday night with our parents and siblings. Breakfast both mornings was delicious and it was so relaxing and nice to just be there with family. We had our rehearsal dinner on the patio Friday night and Terri and John were cool with letting us do what we wanted with that. We had Moe's and Ben and Jerry's cater and it turned out really nice. The kids loved it and had so much fun playing in the yard (rolling down the hill) the whole night. Our ceremony Saturday was down by the lake and it was so beautiful. Terri and John were helpful to us and our vendors throughout the day. We had 160 guests and it was a little tight, but with some tables set up outside it worked out fine. We had few complaints. The ceremony chairs were picked up and loaded onto a trailer immediately after our ceremony while we were still taking pictures down there, which was a little awkward. Also, they were pretty strict later in the night- definitely no shots served, they asked people not to chug drinks, and they asked our DJ to turn the bass down at like 9:00. We were respectful and so were they, so we did not have any issues and still had a super fun night. All in all we had such an amazing weekend! We spent a lot of money, but I think it was worth it. We spent about $14,000 and that included rehearsal dinner fees, all the inn rooms for the weekend, ceremony chairs, the portable amp system for the ceremony, the rental of the venue itself, having 1/2 the sides up on the patio (it rained Friday night), and all the alcohol costs for an open bar.

dding party to stay at the Inn with us from Friday-Sunday. Looking back, we should have stayed Sunday as well to have even more time to enjoy it. The wedding planning process with Terri and John went extremely well. They kept us on track and were able to accommodate/troubleshoot any questions/concerns that we had over our year and nine month wedding planning process. As for the wedding weekend itself, it was absolutely perfect. The amount of detail and organization that Terri and John required during the planning process meant that the wedding weekend ran extremely smoothly. My husband and I were able to relax the entire time. We did not have to worry about food/amenities/last minute planning ect. As for the Inn itself, I can not even begin to explain the beauty. Our wedding guests still talk about how stunning it was. Also, Terri and John do updates on the Inn/property every year, meaning it just keeps getting better and better. There is no better place to get married in the Finger Lakes!!!

executing. We were an out of town couple and they were lightning fast with email responses, and offering solutions to any issues or questions we had. Not only are they welcoming when you arrive to stay, they are serious machines at getting things done, and done right - which I deeply appreciated. My only suggestion to future couples is, if you can, stay the full next day/night after your wedding to fully enjoy the beautiful Inn, grounds and lake after all the chaos of the wedding is done. It’s easy to forget you are staying on a beautiful lake. I really can’t recommend The Fontainebleau Inn enough!

as required, the Fontainebleau, a magical inn on Cayuta Lake, stood out. Throughout the year of planning we worked closely with Terri by email. She was always quick to respond and very organized and helpful. She provided vendor suggestions, as well as layout options for the reception room, alcohol options, timeline templates, etc. We were lucky to stay at the inn with our families from Friday to Monday over our wedding weekend in June of 2018. John and Terri are fantastic hosts. They were so relaxed the entire time. They offered help when needed but otherwise gave us the freedom to enjoy the beautiful property as we wished. Terri's wonderful, hearty breakfasts for those of us staying at the inn were also superb. We held a rehearsal BBQ dinner on Friday night on the inn’s patio and the wedding itself on Saturday afternoon. The inn and the grounds were immaculate; all of our guests couldn’t get over the stunning location. The day after the wedding we relaxed at the water’s edge and swam in the lake, reminiscing about the joy and fun felt at the wedding. On the wedding day itself, Terri and John ran the event seamlessly. They are true professionals. We didn’t have to worry about a single thing. We utilized the salon room to get ready, the lawn for the ceremony, the stone patio for dancing and cocktail hour, and the elegant reception room for speeches and dinner. Terri listened to all of my ideas and requests and executed them perfectly, like serving perfect margaritas and mojitos on specific trays I brought. It was such a pleasure working with Terri and John from beginning to end. They are kind, supportive, and thoughtful individuals. We were truly sad to leave after such a magical few days but will cherish the memories of this incredible event for the rest of our lives.

m the moment we arrived we were amazed with the beautiful scenery, the immaculate grounds, and the beautiful venue. John and Terri were incredibly hospitable and a huge help to us. We loved every moment of our experience at the Fontainebleau Inn, and so did all of our guests! The Inn will forever be highly recommended by both of us, and we hope we are lucky enough to be invited to another lucky couples' wedding ceremony there someday. We have already talked about coming back to the Inn to stay during the non-wedding season because we had such a good time. Thank you to John and Terri for making our special day, that much better!

ards for our reception. The inn is absolutely gorgeous, both inside and out. Even though we had a little bit of rain, having the patio tent made sure that the party kept going, and we got a lot of compliments from the guests. Terri was great to work with, sending very detailed instructions as to what would be required and when in terms of planning, and also helping us with some decisions about the bar and table layouts. At the reception, all the staff were great and everything went totally smoothly. The rooms at the inn itself were also quite nice, and breakfast the next morning was delicious (loved the mini-quiches!). Overall it was a wonderful experience, and we recommend it wholeheartedly!

t. The place is well renovated and still has it’s own character and charm. The owners Terri and John were extremely helpful. Terri responded timely to all our emails and questions. They run the place so well. They took care of every small detail before, during, and after the event. Their staff is amazing. We had a wonderful time. We did not need to worry about anything there, everything was taken care of. We had guests from all over the country and from Europe, and everyone was very happy and gave us a lot of compliments on the venue and the reception. We are very happy with the choice we made.

lake front scenery, is the attention to detail by the innkeepers, Terri and John. The bed and breakfast rooms at the inn are so beautiful and every inch of the inn (which is quite large!) is so clearly meticulously cared for. What I really liked was that the inn is so beautiful on it's own that it really did not need much decoration--which made it easy for us as we were planning our wedding while living in California! Terri and John have really mastered wedding hosting and made the process so easy...I honestly did not ever feel stressed during the process because I knew they were always keeping me in line! Would 100% recommend this venue to other people!

ecause the rooms meant that the whole wedding party could stay together on the grounds. The chapel (a short, beautiful walk through some woods) is also gorgeous. We met with Terri several times for planning, and she and John were great at staying in contact and answering any questions we had. The getting ready room for the bride is wonderful, and having our bridesmaids and groomsmen stay in the rooms with us was so important and special. They also made a point of checking up on the vendors - since they provide a list of people for you to book from (just suggestions, but all people they've worked with before) I really appreciated that they asked us about their performance to make sure they could be confident suggesting them to future couples. They helped make our day perfect!

ll our questions while we planned the wedding and created the perfect weekend for us and our guests. I have received many comments from guests about how beautiful the grounds were and how lovely it was to stay in the same location for the ceremony and wedding. The house is charming and cozy, and John and Terri made us and our guests and families feel at home and comfortable for our special weekend. Could not have asked for a more perfect venue and team! Fair prices, gorgeous landscape and beautiful house, fantastic service and a great team!

cal walk from the Lawrence Chapel back to the Inn. John and Terri were extremely fast and effective communicators and know every in and out for the best options at their venue. Highly recommended!

g the day prior), they were calm and had everything ready to go when we arrived early Sunday afternoon. The Inn was spotless and the grounds were absolutely breathtaking. We needed very few decorations because the Inn and gardens are just so beautiful. All of our guests could not stop talking about how beautiful the venue was and how wonderful of a time they had. I can’t compliment Terri and John enough on how attentive they were throughout the entire process. They reached out to us throughout the year numerous times, to provide guidance and help us along with the planning process. On the day of the event, 30 minutes before the ceremony, they even quickly changed their plans and moved the entire setup of our ceremony from the top of the hill (under the tent) to the bottom of the hill, when miraculously the rain stopped! Wow – we were so impressed with their knowledge (they have weddings down to a science!), taste, and professionalism. We asked them for a few suggestions and they were spot-on with every single one (decorations, timing, flowers) – helping us to achieve the gorgeous (on a budget) wedding that we’ve always dreamed of. In addition, we loved staying at the Inn. The rooms were spotless and the beds were so comfortable. It was so nice to just walk upstairs to our rooms after the wedding! We were so happy that we stayed an additional night with our families as well. It was so wonderful to have an extra day to enjoy the beauty of the Fontainebleau as well as the delicious breakfast that Terri cooks up in the morning!

From the day we stepped foot on the property and met John and Terri, we knew that everything about the venue was a perfect fit. John and Terri were patient, organized, supportive, professional, and informative throughout the entire planning process. They gave us fantastic suggestions for various venders which saved us a great deal of researching (since we are located about 2 hours away). They coordinated with our caterer, photographer, band, baker, and bus service so that everyone was informed on the schedule of the day. Throughout our wedding evening, they were there to make sure that everything was going as smoothly as it possibly could. What's unique about the Inn, is that there are rooms to stay right at the location. The rooms are spacious, with a beautiful view (lake and courtyard) and included everything (possibly more) than what you would get at a hotel (hairspray, combs, body wash, hair shampoo & conditioner, etc.). Terri and John know exactly how to welcome an engaged couple and their families during this exciting time. Upon asking our family members what they enjoyed most about their stay, they overwhelmingly agreed on the home cooked family breakfast in the large dining room. Saturday and Sunday morning, our families were provided the opportunity to enjoy a delicious, filling breakfast while having time to enjoy each other's company. A wedding weekend can be so busy and at times chaotic, so to have that time to all be gathered at the table, was irreplaceable. If you're looking for a wedding venue that treats your family, the engaged couple, and your guests like family, yet maintains the utmost level of professionalism, this is the venue for you and your significant other.

our first stop when looking for a place to get married, and after seeing that venue the other 3 didn't stand a chance. Grounds were well maintained, the décor was out of this world and everything was well kept throughout the Inn. So much charm. Going into this I was a little nervous with how stern Terri was, but after my experience with her, she absolutely kept me on the straight and narrow with my choices and ideas to keep my wedding in order and to make it run as smooth as possible, as I tend to be very unorganized and like to come up with crazy ideas. If it wasn't for her and Jon I don't know what I would've done without them. I could call whenever, email whenever, and they always had the time to talk to me or get right back to me. They provided a long list of vendors that they normally deal with and I choose everything except for the officiant off that list. Pricing was perfect, rooms were clean and tidy, and breakfast in the morning was amazing! Not only that, but once the night is over and you and your friends and family stay at the inn, its pretty much like you're the only people there and you have full range of the Inn all to yourselves . I highly recommend this Vendor.... Our wedding was more than we had ever imagined it to be, thanks to Terri and Jon.

John and Terri do a wonderful job maintaining the vintage charm of inn. Despite the fact that upstate New York had been facing a terrible drought this year, they managed to keep the house surrounded by flowers, which looked fantastic in our photos. John and Terri are very knowledgeable about all of the vendors in the area and pointed us in the right direction whenever we asked. We loved having the freedom to take over the inn for the weekend, it felt like our own private estate. All in all a wonderful place to get married.

after our amazing weekend there, we are left with incredible memories and stunning photos of the Inn and lake. Beyond that, John and Terri Van Soest at the Fontainebleau Inn are a wedding dream come true. We truly cannot say enough about how incredible they are to work with. They are so experienced, kind and truly helped organize our wedding day in a way that made it perfect. They think of everything, and take true pride in their property. They’ve also invested in many wedding extras (chairs, upgraded facilities) that you’d otherwise have to provide at many venues. We loved the ownership they took in our experience. For example, calling our shuttle drivers to specifically explain directions to their home, answering our phone calls or emails whenever we had an idea about an element we wanted to add to our day, or recommending their favorites from vendors to beers! They truly become the backbone of the entire experience. If you are looking for a Finger Lakes wedding, seriously consider talking to John and Terri about the Fontainebleau Inn. You will not be disappointed!

in love, and when we came back to stay I was even more blown away as I took the time to truly absorb the details and surroundings of the Inn. It was amazing having the Inn to ourselves and our wedding party for two nights. We had the rehearsal dinner at the Inn our first night, and we really felt like we were able to make the most of our time there. Swimming in the lake, campfire on the beach, bucolic strolls through gorgeous landscapes, and games in what we nicknamed the “scotch room” (look for the cool leather chairs). It was so exceptionally beautiful and relaxing, and if possible the day of our wedding was even better. Having the ceremony on the grounds by the lake was beautiful, and the dining area is nothing short of exceptional. All of our guests were in awe of the venue. The Inn’s bedrooms are amazing, keeping in line with the historic charm but with all the modern conveniences. It’s obvious the care that John and Terri have for this place (as we could tell the morning after the wedding, seeing staff dusting the decorative plates on the wall and handwiping down the staircases). John and Terri were amazing at helping us plan and execute our wedding without a hitch - and the breakfasts each morning were spectacular. Thank you all so much - it was truly an amazing few days that we will always cherish!

wedding, I was emailing back and forth with the owners regarding questions and concerns. They were so responsive and helpful. On the day of the wedding, they did everything in their power to make sure things went off without a stitch. I would recommend this as a wedding venue for everyone and anyone. PS: Rain or shine, hot or cold, this venue will make your wedding beautiful. It was literally pouring rain and flash floods on the day of my wedding and if possible, that made my day even MORE beautiful.

tion in the finger lakes region. This place had everything we wanted: a private water front with ceremony set up, beautiful banquet room for reception, intimate setting, unique finger lakes historic estate, and friendly owners.

h the lake as our background. They set up the chairs for us, but we were responsible for the ceremony decorations. All inside decorations were taken care of by the caterer and the innkeeper. Our dinner was in the reception room with dancing and cocktail hour on the large patio. I was concerned about having dancing outside, but it really did work out well. I worked mostly with Terri who was very quick to respond to my emails with any questions or concerns I had. Our guests were impressed with what a lovely setting it was.

rs, and the lake!

ne before at the Inn to help us achieve it. Furthermore, staying at the Inn the night of the wedding was lovely and breakfast the next morning was a treat. She even made us a special vegan breakfast entree! We had a Sunday wedding, so we didn't get the Inn until about 11 am on the day of. We thought that would make us feel very rushed, but in truth, it was totally fine. (Although, our set up was relatively simple.) Our wedding was 80 people and it was a lovely number in that space; we could have had double that and probably been okay, but only 80 didn't feel sparse either. We felt like we were welcoming guests to our stately weekend home; perhaps the effect of too much Downton Abbey, but nonetheless, it was a joy. Couldn't recommend more highly.

enue." The grounds & inn are extremely well maintained. The staff is fabulous. It was perfect. They did everything they could to make our day exactly the way we wanted.

he wife, Terri, is not as friendly and can be rude. Overall it was absolutely wonderful.

on a lake. It has a beautiful rooms for the guests or wedding party, a banquet area that seats a large amount of guests with a full bar, a stone patio for cocktails and dancing, and even an old chapel on the property for the ceremony. Terri and John, the owners, are more than helpful and competent. It was so easy to go over all of the details with them, and I knew that everything would come out perfect. When we got to the reception after the ceremony, everything was laid out perfectly. The staff is amazing! The bartender specifically came up to our table after we sat down to dinner and said that he would get us anything at anytime. The guests loved everything about the reception. I saw pictures from everybody of the view from the patio, and my cousin's kids were running up and down the beautiful lawn that leads down to the lake. You cannot go wrong with this venue!