Don't be fooled by the beauty of this facility.
It is a distraction to what is really going on behind the scenes in the treatment of people of color. While the new executive director Lisa Milko was extraordinarily accommodating to my daugh...ter and son-in-law, I cannot recommend this venue due to the abnormally strict policies and Trolley Barn's employee Jim Barker's particularly rude, disrespectful and discriminatory behavior, while attempting to monitor (a community member hiding behind the role to racially profile) my only daughter's wedding. Since this time, my daughter and son-in-law have resolved this matter and as a result, received a refund for this experience, countless apologies from the Ms. Milko, and notification that they would withhold Mr. Barker's pay for the day. The monetary acknowledgement isn't enough, given Jim Barker is still employed and therefore sends the message that his behavior is acceptable. It's more important, in my opinion, that the public at large be informed.
As the Mother of the Bride, I cannot express with more disdain, the treatment, I experienced and as a result ruined what should have been a glorious occasion for me. I have narratives from each vendor that explain what occurred from their perspective, however for this notation, I am limited by word count. My daughter's godmother, wedding planner, photographer and deejay all said they either witnessed Barker disrespecting someone or were directly disrespected during the cleanup or setup process. Please read Lauren L. review (my daughter) or respond here with your email for all narratives.
Our deejay, a 54-year-old African American man, stated that he introduced himself to Barker before the event began and was immediately told not to have music blasting. "I said I know the routine 80-90db. He was like right because when you play Drake it can peak past that." Our deejay, who did not break a single venue policy, walked away feeling profiled because of his race.
Kay (Wedding Planner) explained to me that at approximately 10:55 that the manager extended an additional 10 minutes for the cleaning crew to finish cleaning. I asked did she confirm that the additional 10 minutes would be at no cost. She said no so I approached the Barker to confirm and clarify. He rudely responded, "You will be charged..." He raised his voice, interrupted me before I could finish speaking, and repeated that the 10 minutes would incur a cost. My first concern was the manner in which he responded. My second concern was the inconsistent messaging he gave throughout the night. He would offer additional time without sharing that it would cost to one person, then state that it would cost to another. In my opinion, it was in an attempt to increase additional costs. Then he continued from 11 o'clock to 11:04 to scream out the exact time to inform the entire group of how many minutes we were over. He would scream, "It's 11:02, you'll be charged... its' 11:03 you'll be charged, it's 11:04 you'll be charged.” Meanwhile the bridal party and guests were frantically ignoring him and cleaning the facility.
It's worth noting that the wedding group was not a loud, combative or disruptive group. We did not garner a single complaint from neighbors. Still, Barker talked down to us.
I have to warn anyone reading this not to book this venue in support of equitable treatment of all people.