The Haley Mansion

ve, the beauty of the grounds and the elegance of the renovated mansion take your breath away. You get the entire mansion for our day, and the outdoor ceremony space was nothing short of magical. The food and drinks were excellent, and so are their linens and cutlery (china). The venue’s communication was very good, and they were willing to accommodate us on certain things after some persistent asking, which we appreciated. Overall, the setting and the atmosphere are undeniably gorgeous and perfect for a wedding. My only complaint about the venue itself is that the outdoor area should be sprayed with bug repellent and there should be large fans placed outside. The outdoor area was swarming with mosquitos and I had welts after the ceremony. That's an easy fix with a spray beforehand. Also, large fans should be placed outside to help with extreme heat. That is my only complaint about the venue itself though, and I feel easy fixes for them to make in the future. Now onto working with the staff. I would give this experience 1 star. It was very exhausting. They nickel-and-dimed us on many small things, often saying “no” without clear explanations beyond “that’s how we do things.” This made the planning process frustrating and, at times, felt like a constant battle. For example, something as simple as folding napkins a certain way was refused, and I was told I could come pick the napkins up early, and fold them myself if I wanted a simple one fold to stick the menus in them. I found this extremely offensive. They are extremely strict on everything including down to how many candles you can have at a table, where you can put signs, no moving any decor of theirs whatsoever and when you can arrive to the mansion. We had to beg to just come in 3 hours early for vendor set up, which made timing difficult, and vendors frustrated. They refuse to rope off the ballroom so there is no room reveal and they were still setting up as guests arrived for the ceremony. One of the biggest disappointments was the service on the wedding day. We were sold the idea that each table would have a dedicated butler and impeccable service, but that was not the case. I, as the bride, didn't get a drink until after I ate my food, and they forgot to include the drink stirrers and toppers we had brought and spent a lot of money on—even after reminders. We also were not allowed to put up our seating chart on the spot we originally chose, despite previously agreeing it could be placed there at the final meeting. Additionally, they did not pack up dessert or any food for my fiancé and me as we had asked, which was disappointing. The timing of the ceremony was thrown off because guests weren’t allowed to be seated until the ceremony started, which cost us money and disrupted the schedule with other vendors. The courses were served very slowly, further impacting the flow and timing of the day, once again costing me more money on extending vendors. In summary, if you want a jaw-dropping, beautiful venue with great food, and don't care about any details, this place is incredible. But be prepared for a challenging experience dealing with management, as it may drain your energy and patience. The gorgeous setting makes up for it — almost.