The Barn on The Crane Estate

Gorgeous grounds, but no communication on the day

We were so excited to get married at the Barn at Crane Estate, and a lot about our experience was wonderful. Our bridal attendant and several other team members were genuinely kind and helpful and the venue was beautiful. But the lack of communication around changes to our finalized plans took away the calm we’d hoped to feel on the most important day of our lives. Maura was our coordinator and only contact from day one, and she was wonderful throughout the planning process. On our final call, we confirmed every detail, including where I would enter for the ceremony and holding guests in the Barn so I could get to my starting point without being seen. I had asked to walk in from a different side than the venue typically uses, and that was agreed. On the day, I was in the bridal suite when I saw guests already being directed to their seats. When my husband called Maura to ask what was going on, we learned that our entrance had been changed to a different side and that she wouldn’t be our coordinator that day. The entrance we had agreed to was changed without our approval or knowledge, and we found out minutes before the ceremony, when it was too late to adjust calmly. Only afterward did we notice that our finalized contract listed someone named Meghan as our coordinator. The change was never explicitly shared with us. We would have loved the chance to connect with her beforehand, especially since she ended up running our day. Even a quick call or email would have made a big difference. Instead, Meghan didn’t introduce herself until I was literally about to walk down the aisle with my father. Because the venue doesn’t allow on-site rehearsals and our entrance had changed, we weren’t sure where to go or what the path to the altar looked like. Fun fact: the venue’s usual aisle walk is uphill, which was never mentioned. My ceremony went from an L-shaped walk to a U. When my Maid of Honor asked Meghan for help, Meghan told her she was too busy and that we’d need to time our own entrances. I had to send my MOH back a second time before Meghan finally came up to help. I had understood from my conversations with Maura that someone would cue the bridal party for the ceremony, especially since rehearsals are required to be off-site. The wedding cake was also missed. Our contract said it would be served at the dessert table, with leftovers packed up for us to take home. It wasn’t served with dessert, and no one told us about this change either. It was a small thing, but our guests had been looking forward to it. The rest of the evening went smoothly, and the food and drinks were delicious. Our guests are still talking about their dinner! The grounds are beautiful and the team members who helped us were lovely. I just wish someone had told us about these changes in advance.