Firstly, we want to stress that our actual wedding day was wonderful. The venue itself is beautiful, and the day-of banquet staff and hotel staff were absolutely fantastic. They were friendly, professional, and worked hard to make sure everything ran smoothly. We are genuinely grateful for everything they did.
Unfortunately, our experience leading up to the wedding was a very different story, and that’s where most of our concerns lie.
One of our biggest frustrations was the communication throughout the planning process. We booked our wedding nearly two years in advance and, over that time, worked with five or six different coordinators. Every time someone new took over, it felt like we had to explain our vision, previous conversations, and decisions all over again. There was very little continuity, and it often seemed like the person we were speaking with wasn’t familiar with our file. Instead of feeling like valued clients, we often felt like we were just another wedding being pushed through the system. Planning a wedding is stressful enough without constantly having to repeat yourself.
The rehearsal dinner was another disappointing experience. We paid over $250 to use the venue for our rehearsal, only to find out about an hour beforehand that no staff member would be there to help us. We had always understood that someone would guide the rehearsal. We’ve never been married before—we don’t know how to run a wedding rehearsal. We questioned what exactly we were paying for if we were expected to organize it ourselves. After expressing our concerns, someone did come to help us, and we truly appreciated that. However, this never should have been something we had to worry about an hour before the rehearsal.
The food tasting was also a major disappointment. I am a Red Seal chef and have worked as a catering chef at large venues across the country. I completely understand that banquet food will never be exactly the same as food served fresh out of the kitchen. That’s simply the nature of catering. However, the tasting felt rushed and lacked the care and attention to detail we expected. It didn’t leave us with much confidence and certainly didn’t reflect the reputation Carmen’s has built.
Another frustrating part of our experience was the downtown construction. We fully understand that Carmen’s didn’t cause the construction, and we weren’t expecting them to magically fix the situation. Our frustration was with how it was handled. We were repeatedly told that the work would be completed before our wedding date, only to have the timeline pushed back into our wedding. We weren’t even looking for compensation, but when we reached out to discuss our concerns, the response from management was incredibly disappointing. Being told, “Call me if there’s anything I can help with that I actually have control over,” came across as dismissive, rude, and completely lacking in empathy. A little understanding would have gone a long way.
There were also details that we had specifically planned that were simply not followed. Our agreed-upon floor plan wasn’t set up correctly, with the podium placed on the wrong side of the room. Our wedding cake, which was supposed to be displayed at the front, ended up beside the bar instead. These may seem like small details, but they’re things we had discussed and planned in advance, and they mattered to us.
The groom’s cellar rental was also underwhelming. The room itself was nice, and the case of beer provided was appreciated. However, the sandwich platter advertised as serving ten people was nowhere close to enough food for ten adults. Considering the room cost close to $900, we expected considerably better value.
We also found the pricing structure frustrating. The mandatory 18% facility fee significantly increases the cost, and we would much rather see the true price advertised upfront than have such a large additional charge added before taxes.
Looking back, the overall planning experience often felt like fast food for weddings. Carmen’s offers a beautiful venue at a competitive price, but it often felt like the focus was on moving weddings through as efficiently as possible rather than providing a personalized experience. The lack of consistent communication and personal attention made us feel like we were simply another booking instead of a couple planning one of the biggest days of our lives.
Despite all of this, we want to end where we began. Our wedding day itself was beautiful, and that was largely because of the incredible banquet staff and hotel team who took care of us that day. They deserve every bit of praise.
We hope this feedback is taken constructively. There is so much potential here, but improving communication, consistency, and customer service during the planning process would make a world of difference for future couples.Firstly, we want to stress that our actual wedding day was wonderful. The venue itself is beautiful, and the day-of banquet staff and hotel staff were absolutely fantastic. They were friendly, professional, and worked hard to make sure everything ran smoothly. We are genuinely grateful for everything they did.
Unfortunately, our experience leading up to the wedding was a very different story, and that’s where most of our concerns lie.
One of our biggest frustrations was the communication throughout the planning process. We booked our wedding nearly two years in advance and, over that time, worked with five or six different coordinators. Every time someone new took over, it felt like we had to explain our vision, previous conversations, and decisions all over again. There was very little continuity, and it often seemed like the person we were speaking with wasn’t familiar with our file. Instead of feeling like valued clients, we often felt like we were just another wedding being pushed through the system. Planning a wedding is stressful enough without constantly having to repeat yourself.
The rehearsal dinner was another disappointing experience. We paid over $250 to use the venue for our rehearsal, only to find out about an hour beforehand that no staff member would be there to help us. We had always understood that someone would guide the rehearsal. We’ve never been married before—we don’t know how to run a wedding rehearsal. We questioned what exactly we were paying for if we were expected to organize it ourselves. After expressing our concerns, someone did come to help us, and we truly appreciated that. However, this never should have been something we had to worry about an hour before the rehearsal.
The food tasting was also a major disappointment. I am a Red Seal chef and have worked as a catering chef at large venues across the country. I completely understand that banquet food will never be exactly the same as food served fresh out of the kitchen. That’s simply the nature of catering. However, the tasting felt rushed and lacked the care and attention to detail we expected. It didn’t leave us with much confidence and certainly didn’t reflect the reputation Carmen’s has built.
Another frustrating part of our experience was the downtown construction. We fully understand that Carmen’s didn’t cause the construction, and we weren’t expecting them to magically fix the situation. Our frustration was with how it was handled. We were repeatedly told that the work would be completed before our wedding date, only to have the timeline pushed back into our wedding. We weren’t even looking for compensation, but when we reached out to discuss our concerns, the response from management was incredibly disappointing. Being told, “Call me if there’s anything I can help with that I actually have control over,” came across as dismissive, rude, and completely lacking in empathy. A little understanding would have gone a long way.
There were also details that we had specifically planned that were simply not followed. Our agreed-upon floor plan wasn’t set up correctly, with the podium placed on the wrong side of the room. Our wedding cake, which was supposed to be displayed at the front, ended up beside the bar instead. These may seem like small details, but they’re things we had discussed and planned in advance, and they mattered to us.
The groom’s cellar rental was also underwhelming. The room itself was nice, and the case of beer provided was appreciated. However, the sandwich platter advertised as serving ten people was nowhere close to enough food for ten adults. Considering the room cost close to $900, we expected considerably better value.
We also found the pricing structure frustrating. The mandatory 18% facility fee significantly increases the cost, and we would much rather see the true price advertised upfront than have such a large additional charge added before taxes.
Looking back, the overall planning experience often felt like fast food for weddings. Carmen’s offers a beautiful venue at a competitive price, but it often felt like the focus was on moving weddings through as efficiently as possible rather than providing a personalized experience. The lack of consistent communication and personal attention made us feel like we were simply another booking instead of a couple planning one of the biggest days of our lives.
Despite all of this, we want to end where we began. Our wedding day itself was beautiful, and that was largely because of the incredible banquet staff and hotel team who took care of us that day. They deserve every bit of praise.
We hope this feedback is taken constructively. There is so much potential here, but improving communication, consistency, and customer service during the planning process would make a world of difference for future couples.