There is no perfect wedding...each wedding will have some glitches and the success of the celebration depends a lot on how you can adapt and if you have competent staff around you to solve the problems that arise.
Through the entire planning process, I was very impressed with the resort's co-ordinator, Sarah Webb. She was always professional, friendly and very knowledgeable. If I had a problem Sarah had a solution and that was never more true that on the wedding day.
My wedding was supposed to be in the garden with a cocktail hour in the garden and a reception in room 10a.
I spent the previous night in resort with my 2 bridesmaids (room 436) and had a wonderful late dinner. Even with us being the second last group walking into the restaurant the food came out hot and delicious. The daily soup was a Chicken noodle and it was as good if not better then the one my grandma makes (please do not tell her that). I had the salmon and the girls had the seafood pasta...the portions are big and the food just like the one at the tasting was absolutely delicious, giving me confidence in the following night's reception dinner. We had a very nice waitress (feel so bad that I did not take down her name) attentive and courteous. The fact that even if we were the last ones to walk out of the restaurant probably past the closing time we were never rushed with a bill..she patiently waited for us to ask for it (and not at the table next to us as some waitresses do when they want to rush you)...meant a lot to me even if I felt bad when I realized how late it got...
I received my bridal room (433) before noon and it was beautiful. Very modern and elegant with a huge window perfect for some wonderful shots and a jacuzzi that was very inviting just steps from the bed.
After a good night sleep we ran off to the Tim Hortons just down the road...a girl must keep some kind of routine....a Starbucks would have been much appreciated but it was to far.
Now the one thing I must mention is that just 2 minutes drive from the resort you will find a Tims, a Walmart and a Dollarama...this came in hand as I was able to buy some stuff I forgot home and did not have to drive 2-3 hours to get them.
Once we returned to the resort the "fun" started...when I went to check if my decorator arrived a strong sewer smell hit me as soon as I walked into the room. It took less then 30 seconds for someone to notice my presents in the room and when I mentioned that I am the bride and that the room stinks the staff member immediately reassured me that they are aware and that both cleaning and maintenance staff were looking into the issue (and the 4-5 people roaming around like busy bees were a reassuring sign) the door leading to the patio were also propped open to help air out the room...so I walked away a bit worried but trying to remind myself that it was only 10am and the wedding was at 5.
An hour later the smell was less pungent, but not gone and I was getting scared...all I could think about was my guests trying to enjoy dinner with that smell...and by the time I made my way to the front desk I worked myself up pretty bad, and I had to take a big breath when I was told that Sarah is in a meeting and they can not reach her...but they will tell her to call me as soon as she is out. Some very long 10 minutes later (long because time moves so slow when you are stressed) Sarah met me in the lobby and her smile and positive attitude just calmed me down. She knew my concerns and requirement for the reception room and before I could even say one word she already apologised for the issue with the room (not that anyone could have foreseen this...but apologising shows that she/they care) and moved on to the solution. Her solution?...an upgrade to room #41 a much bigger and elegant room then the one I initially booked.
I tend to be a pretty realistic person and far from the age of temper tantrums...I know that problems can always arise and there are always issues that are out of anyones control (like the plumbing issue) so it is more important to me how the staff reacts when faced with a problem and how they deal and respond to a less then happy client. Sarah Webb, is a perfect example of how staff should react. Acknowledge the issue as soon as brought to her attention and how serious is to the client, apologies (even if not in her control, apologising for the inconvenience caused to the client does not mean that she accepts blame but that she is aware of how this situation affects the client/bride), and more importantly then anything have a solution for the problem. Doing this not only removes any of my reasons to complain, but made me feel taken care of...in very good, capable and professional hands.
My next issue was when the weather outside turned for the worst and instead of clearing up it started to rain and the temperature dropped even lower...it was 3:30 by now and I had to make a quick decision where do I want the wedding. There was a room on standby just for this kind of glitch but when Sarah mentioned that we could just as easily use the Chapel, I had to go with that knowing how much it will mean to my grandma....and when I walked into the Chapel and saw the fresco of blue sky with pillowy white clouds and rolling green hills made me feel (with a bit of imagination) that I am outside...it was a perfect compromise between my dream garden ceremony and my grandma's traditional church wedding
Frankie Emerson, the food and beverage manager was the staff member that took care of us from the moment the celebration was to start...he was the one that called my room to tell me when all my guest have made it to the Chapel and it was time for me and my bridesmaids to come downstairs. The fact that the elevator took me from the floor that my room was on straight to the floor were the Chapel is located was an added bonus.
Frankie was careful to ensure that every person walked in at the right time (we had La Vie En Rose playing for the girls and Vivo per Lei as the bride song).
After the ceremony Frankie was again there to help....gathering everyone for the group shot and when I mentioned wanting to take a golfing type shot he immediately suggested the small course (sorry not a golfer so I have no idea when it comes to the different terms) that was located next to the parking are at the begging of the Wedding Garden.
Because we were running late I was very concerned about the food and not messing with the kitchen time...and even when Frankie kept on reassuring me, I was adamant about being seated at the time we have previously agreed on....so the time we spent taking photos in the garden was cut short...to the happiness of my daughter and the bridesmaids that were freezing (I was running on adrenaline).
Somehow we managed to make it back in time and be seated only about 5-10 minutes late....As soon as we sat down Frankie had all his staff organized and the dinner started without anyone knowing that we are not on schedule.
Our waitresses name was also Sarah and she was very pleasant and friendly....there were a few extra things I requested from her over the course of the evening and she was always happy to accommodate me.
Having an European background I tend to drink my wine as a Spritz (a mixture of wine and pop ...pepsi for red and soda or ginger ale for white), Sarah knew exactly what I was talking about and quickly retuned with a perfectly balanced Spritz of red and pepsi. I also asked her not to remove my plate, but go ahead with the dessert for the other guests....this is definitely not how a dinner is served, but it was what I asked and the fact that I was accommodated counts a lot. I wanted to finish my food and the speeches and other things kept me from being able to enjoy my meal uninterrupted...Sarah, promptly covered my meal when I was not at the table to keep it from cooling off.
Sarah was very pleasant and impressed the other guests at the main table just by doing what we all expected of her...serving us with a smile and being professional.
Our bartender was Jordan, a young man full of energy and charm that knew his job very well. I am not a big drinker and as a result I do not know the name of all the mixed drinks so when I went and asked him for something not too strong but a bit sweet he nailed it.
By the end of the night we had heard a lot of compliments from our guests about how professional and friendly the staff was but more importantly how good the food was.
Food at a wedding is very important...it is the one thing that people will remember especially if it was not good. It is hard to please so many different pallets, but they did it...We did not hear one complaint and our family and very close friends would have no issue wording any concern to us.
By the end of the night I was over the moon. I knew that even if the weather was not on my side the resort has pulled through and made this wedding one to be talked about....so much that some of our friends are now seriously considering this venue for their next celebration and one of them may have their wedding there.
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| our room was arranged to offer us a nice welcome |
Even if it was not part of the usual services offered by the hotel Frankie went out of his way and helped us by storing the rest of our cake in a fridge until morning when he brought it up to us in person with some plates and utensils so the guests that had stayed over night can enjoy some cake after breakfast.
We met our overnight guest for breakfast and opted for the buffet as it offered the usual stuff that we would have, but if a buffet breakfast is not what you prefer the resort also offers a A La Carte menu. This 2 option breakfast made it easy to have everyone at the same table even if some of our breakfast meals were from different menus.
Ok...I could stay here and write about how impressed I was for ages but I will tell you that we would recommend this place in a heart bit to any friend, relative, or acquaintance.
Until next time
Happy travels
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