Stonehaven Hall at The Milestone

BRIDE’S WARNING

Our experience was incredibly disappointing and stressful. What should have been one of the happiest days of our lives became an experience where my family felt misled and left to handle things ourselves. From the beginning, we were given the impression that we were paying around 5,000 for the venue and were not required to use their vendors or day-of coordinators. We specifically asked what we were committing to. When we went to sign the contract, I asked if we should read through it. Instead of being encouraged to review it, we were told that everything in the contract had already been covered with us. Looking back, this was misleading. We should have been encouraged to read every page before signing. Most importantly, once we signed, we were essentially locked in. Even if we had realized afterward that this wasn’t the arrangement we wanted, we would still have been required to pay 90% of the total wedding cost. There was no realistic way to walk away without a massive financial loss. We ultimately spent over 25,000 on the venue and their required vendors for approximately 160 guests. Additional fees included a 1,500 fee to bring in outside catering. Promotions were also unclear; the promotional amount covered only certain items, with additional charges beyond that. We were also told a day-of wedding coordinator was included. Our coordinators switched shifts, and one was also responsible for the wedding at the neighboring venue. I often couldn’t find our coordinator because she was helping with the other wedding. Instead of having our coordinator handle setup, I, the bride, ended up helping put up decorations. I ran about 30 minutes behind and missed getting-ready photos with my own mother—something that can never be recreated. My photographer was more helpful with coordination than the people we were paying to coordinate it. We also had approximately 10 guests attend who were not included in our final RSVP count. We understand unexpected guests can cost more, so we asked about additional chairs. We were told it would be 100 per additional seat, plus a late fee. We ultimately had to figure it out ourselves because we weren’t willing to leave our guests without somewhere to sit. I understand weddings are stressful and things happen. We never expected perfection. What we expected was honest communication, transparency about costs, and the coordination and service we were told we would receive. Instead, I was worrying about setup and logistics instead of enjoying the moments I had spent so much time and money planning. Please read every word of the contract yourself before signing. Ask what every fee covers, what is NOT included, and get verbal promises in writing. Do not rely solely on what you are told during the tour or assume something is included in a package or promotion. You only get one wedding day. I hope others learn from our experience. If I could go back and do it again, I would choose a different venue.