Thunderhead Pines

Run! If you are considering this venue, turn around and look elsewhere. It’s a stunning property but unfortunately is plagued with an owner that demands to dictate every moment of the wedding/event day and fails to deliver on promises they made for the day of. Not to mention it’s overpriced. I was part of a wedding here in the fall of 2024 and the vibes with Christina (owner/coordinator/micromanager/spawn from below) were off from the start. I didn’t know people that worked in hospitality could be so cold off the rip. It’s very unfortunate since the place is stunning. The entire day of the wedding Christina did nothing but exude negativity. Here are some key examples of the unfortunate experience we all had to endure: 1) Stressing the bride out: The night of the wedding Christina came up to the bride with every potential issue no matter how small. When in reality you’d think they would not only try to mitigate issues but also avoid stressing the bride out. It was incessant and completely unnecessary. 2) Strange Policies: There are several buildings at Thunderhead Pines. Truly gorgeous spaces that are unfortunately cursed with Christina being the caretaker. After the cocktail hour, the reception was in a different building. The building the cocktail hour was in was then locked and people were unable to retrieve personal items even after requesting them from staff. Strange to treat guests this way. To say that there is a control obsession with these people is an understatement. Not to mention several personal belongings were missing/taken mysteriously by the end of the night. 3) Failed to Deliver: Christina and her team were paid additional amounts to shuttle the guests from the hotel to the venue but did not show up to get guests before the ceremony. This caused most guests to be late and they then had to drive themselves to the venue. Not a huge deal but should have refunded the bride for not delivering on what was agreed upon in writing. Also, there was ONE bartender all night and the people waited in line for over 30 minutes for a canned beer. Then they told the guests the alcohol ran out only a few hours into the night. Which is curious since they wheeled out cases of leftover liquor and drinks the bride had paid for at the end of the night to return them to the bride. These people are prudish, clearly don’t know how to have a good time and do everything they can to ensure their guests dont either. I could go on and on about how Christina kept the security deposit since someone threw up in a corner of the gravel parking lot or how Christina failed to do so many other things that were agreed upon in writing but we can stop here. A wedding is meant to be a beautiful day to celebrate and smile. If you are not going to try to help create that for people, perhaps its time to host funerals.

Christina and her team are amazing. From booking until the end of the night of our wedding we received the customer service of a lifetime. The whole team went above and beyond our expectations. Every meeting I had leading up to “I do”, I left feeling better than when I walked in. Day of the staff were on top of everything and communicated with us as things unfolded. The venue itself was stunning and knowing we were the only couple there all day gave us peace of mind. We saved so much money on decorations thanks to how stunning this venue is! The bridal suite was amazing for getting ready and we stayed warm and relaxed all day leading up to the ceremony. I cannot recommend this venue enough - booking here was the best decision of the entire wedding planning process.

Overall terrible experience. It’s incredibly embarrassing to have to talk with a wide variety of our guests, all of which had negative experiences throughout the night. We had many issues but I wanted to narrow it down to a few that I hope to make others aware of. 1. Christina was incredibly controlling throughout this entire process. And this really showed up on the wedding day in a number of ways. Specifically she heavily restricted the alcohol that our guests consumed the entire night. There was a ridiculously long line due to her VERY strict one drink per person policy. This even applies to a husband not being able to get a drink for both he and his wife at one time. We were assured that they would put multiple servers behind the bar if this were to happen but this was never the case. Instead we had huge lines consistently throughout the entire evening. Christina has told us both on our wedding night, and multiple times since that this is because “she has never seen people drink the way that we were”. She even went as far as to stop serving the drinks, lying to both us and our guests saying that we had run out of alcohol. We later found out that this was far from the truth and that she was actually just cutting us off from the alcohol which WE HAD BOUGHT. Specifically the drink everyone wanted that night were high noons, which we ended up with over 10 cases of the original 16 that we bought. Since then she Insinuated that everyone was hammered and drinking far too much and that this was the reason for her decision. while this was blatantly wrong to anyone who attended as this was an incredibly tame wedding, I wanted to give evidence and draw this back to actual numbers to support my side of the argument. We spent $2,400 on alcohol, this was inclusive of any beer liquor, any mixers, etc. and have just today received a check back from the distributor who we originally bought them for $1,100! Nearly half of the alcohol purchased was never drank. So Christina stopped serving us alcohol even though our guests actually had very little. I’m not sure why this is something I have to even argue but this is what you will deal with when going to thunderhead pines. We had family and friends come from all across the country, with over half of our wedding staying at the local hotel. I’m not sure why we weren’t allowed to enjoy the night the way that we had wanted to. 2. This was previously brought up in one of my wife’s reviews but wanted to give an update. Christina offered her shuttle service to us and we accepted. Ultimately she sent the shuttle to the wrong hotel from what we had blocked off. So we had guests waiting ahead of our ceremony who ultimately had to drive, and at the end of the night we had people who had to walk in the dark down the street as her driver refused to drop them off at the CORRECT hotel. It wasn’t until my wife and I, on the very last shuttle got to the wrong hotel and ultimately pressed the driver to go to the CORRECT hotel. While this was incredibly frustrating, it is a mistake and an oversight which can be understandable and happen from time to time. The part that I find unacceptable is Christina’s lack of accountability for even such a black and white issue such as this. While she clearly made a mistake, she denied and refused that this were the case. And even though we have dozens of guests stating their experiences to us, Christina just refused to recognize that a mistake had even happened.

While the venue itself is beautiful and our wedding was the best night of our lives thanks to our loved ones and vendors, I’m not sure we would choose Thunderhead Pines again if we had the option. The venue is located on the residential property of the owner, Christina, and her family, which understandably comes with very strict and, at times, overbearing rules that negatively impacted our guests' experience. Broken promises regarding transportation: We had initially booked transportation (to/from the venue and hotel) with another vendor, but about a month before the wedding, Thunderhead Pines (TP) promised to provide a shuttle service, leading us to cancel our original vendor and lose the deposit. Unfortunately, at 4:10pm (Guest arrival time for the ceremony was 4:15pm) the TP shuttle service still hadn't picked up anyone before the ceremony, as it went to two incorrect hotels and at least 20 guests ended up driving to ensure they made it in time. Afterward, it dropped guests at the wrong hotel, forcing them to walk. Our hotel block had been reserved since November 2023, and this was clearly noted in our planning documents. The lack of accountability for this oversight was the most frustrating part. During the reception, three issues were brought to us—one significant in the owner's opinion, and two minor. In my opinion, all of these could have been handled without involving us, which detracted from our celebration. Rude and unpleasant staff: The TP team may claim that our guests were difficult, but this was one of the most low-key weddings I’ve ever attended. Even guests who laid low shared negative feedback about how they were treated by staff and the overall operations. Bar service: We were concerned about bar service for our 150 guests and considered hiring an additional bartender. We didn’t, based on TP's reassurance that their team would step in if necessary. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen, and long lines persisted throughout the night. A strict rule allowed guests to take only one drink at a time, whether it was for a spouse sitting down or someone celebrating with the Bride and Groom on the dance floor, which further slowed service. They also refused to hand out cans to speed up the line, insisting on pouring each drink into a cup. While I understand the policies in place, the lack of flexibility to improve the guest experience was disappointing. To add to this, I was told they had run out of liquor and I was refused a mixed drink, when there were still bottles available. This was shady. Parking Lot: I understand that guests should not be hanging out in the parking lot for a lot of reasons, but the staff following guests to the parking lot was excessive. Two particularly concerning incidents were a guest who went to her car to pump and was followed, and another guest who was refused permission to retrieve their jacket. Prior to the event, Christina was helpful in our periodic meetings leading up to the event, and her structured approach may be beneficial for those not used to planning events. However, the lack of flexibility can make things challenging. In summary, this venue was not a good fit for our wedding and I hope my review helps you consider if it's a good fit for yours. While Thunderhead Pines did an excellent job catering to us as the bride and groom, the overall experience was too restrictive, rigid, and the guest experience suffered as a result. I don't believe their priorities are where they should be.