Anderson Terrace Weddings & Events Venue — Attraction in Cedar Park

This is a long review split into ten sections: unprofessionalism, bride & groom, cake, utensils/glassware, food, DJ, décor, alcohol, taken-back ideas, and bright side. This is meant to give a complete overview so you know what to expect.

1.The Unprofessionalism: Shari was so nice to the couple and the parents, but it seemed like the fake smile faded as she interacted with guests as at least 20 of the 60 guests mentioned negative comments about her. With any negative feedback she tries to minimize and places some other blame, rather than taking it to improve.

2.The Bride & Groom: In the responses to negative reviews she says the bride gave them 5 stars to discredit, but the bride has not. Instead the couple has been trying to remain professional by emailing Shari to discuss their disappointments. I live in the same house as the couple and know it is stressful for them to have to deal with all of this, when all they want to do is be worry-free in their honeymoon phase.

3.The Cake: Cake was brought by the couple, and coordinator was given the topper but forgot to add it. Then cut the cake late and poorly, and many guests had to cut it themselves (although she agreed to cut and serve it). Then, she put the large amount of left overs in a container and would not give it back

4.The Utensils/Glassware: The couple paid extra for enough proper utensils/champagne glasses. They got plastic ware and plastic flutes (that when empty, littered the dancefloor as the breeze knocked them off tables). The champagne toasts had to be handed out by the guests as the venue was running behind and understaffed. The bar had only a few wine glasses of which they ran out of before the reception.

5.The Food: The first major concern came when there were no tastings of the caterer that comes with the venue. We know now why. The rice was just boiled from the box, I love salmon and to my disappointment could not finish because it was so poorly cooked, the mashed potatoes thankfully weren't bad. It seemed odd they tried to serve the first table each two salmon then ran out before the last table.(There was no headcount change so this was just poor planning and lack of experience.)

6.The DJ: Asked for a playlist and then only played 4 of the songs requested. Messed up in every announcement made, especially the introducing of the bride and groom and then the send-off. Was drinking and on her phone through the event.

7.The Décor: Shari told the bride she would set up all of the table décor, a few weeks after that 2 of the brides friends offered to come early so that they can make sure all the details are just how the bride wanted. The day of, the venue was not ready and made them do majority of the set up- without their help the venue would not be ready in time.

8.The Alcohol: Shari was seen by the groomsmen and guests taking beer away from the bar and storing it in her personal area inside throughout the event. Through the night she supplied the DJ and herself with plenty of alcohol. At the end of the night we gathered the left overs and she said that was all, however when we visited the kitchen area hidden alcohol was discovered. (Also their bartender had no bottle opener and we had to pick one up from HEB)

9.The Taken-back Ideas: One of the initial meetings at the venue Shari suggested sending off lanterns, then said they could not last minute (even though she was the one who suggested they buy them). She also told them there would be a fire she set up for smores. But it was just a giant pile of leaves to burn which ended in a huge smoke- not ok for smores. Then 3 guests tried to and were scolded, despite the promise to the couple a smore station.

10.The Brightside: The wedding was successful thanks to the many friends that made sure that the couple would have their great, beautiful planned wedding no matter what.

I hope this is helpful in whatever event you are planning, and if you booked with them then hopefully they can only...

I ran out of stars on here to give, so we will add another 50 on the side. I cannot say this enough.....TERRACE ANDERSON IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

Let me start by saying we used this beautiful venue for a wedding. Shari, Christina, Zelinda and Barb were the best to work with. We had a guest list of around 50 people and this place did not deliver......THEY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND! My bride is from overseas, so most of the planning landed on my shoulders. Anderson Terrace provided a great all-inclusive package, that although affordable, was certainly not cheap in quality or service. After working in customer service for over 25 years, working with Shari and her staff was such a delight. They actually care in their words, actions and constant communication. They are all very transparent and are there to serve the customer. Christina was our assigned coordinator and she felt more like a friend than a business contact. She took care of so much for us, took interest in our love story, and helped in all the details from selecting our decorations, colors, music, program, food.....YOU NAME IT!

Was the food good? Ummm....yeah! We had the BBQ and our family and friends loved it....hardly had left overs. The cake was more than enough for all of our guests and if I may suggest....get the bottom layer chocolate....our guests sang praises on how the staff served BOTH vanilla AND chocolate in one serving. Family asked for the leftovers.....so it disappeared the day after.

What about the DJ? He kicked A$$! Got the feel for the multicultural and multi-genrational crowd and hit it right on the money. If he didn't know it, he invited our guests to step on up and request what they wanted. He was a crowd favorite!

What about the bar tender? You ever have that cool friend that loves to make drinks at home and have fun? That was our bartender! Another crowd pleaser!

Photographer? (haven't received our photos...it's only been 2 days, but I am sure they will be great).... He was amazing as well. He got creative and remained active the entire night and he even took requests. As a hobbyist photographer, I can say that he really worked the crowd, got all the angles I was thinking about and then some. Gave me such peace of mind.

Our officiant, Cookie, was the sweetest! My bride and I spent quite some time over the phone the week before the wedding so she could get our story, gave us a bit of her own story and was able to so graciously accommodate a special Indonesian custom into our ceremony. She executed with care and sincerity...we loved her!

The scenery was gorgeous....open field in the background with the sun peaking in and out of the clouds as it set. I swear, this place even negotiated with the weather because it was perfect. The inside of the house, including the serving area, the cake room (I don't know what to call it lol) the bathrooms, and the bridal and groom suites were SUPER CLEAN, very nice and super comfortable. I even took a nap before the wedding because Christina, Zelinda and Barb were so proactive and took care of all the guest favors, flowers for our parents....everything!

Finally, our guests were just so amazed on how wonderful the venue was and how down to earth and fun it was. The parents knew the staff by name and Christina even got to know so many of our friends and family. If you are on the fence and are looking something to fit within your budget, go talk to Shari and her staff. She is a straight shooter, but hands down, is there to make sure you have a GREAT experience. I felt that from the start and she won me over. People first, and everything else is second.

THANK...

Please read this if you are planning a wedding, I helped plan a March wedding and wish we would have known these things going in.

Pros Beautiful venue ‎Large bridal and groom rooms ‎Sherry (coordinator of the venue) was very friendly and helpful to the couple leading up to the wedding and provided advice and some free decorations

Cons Sherry stole some of the couples alcohol, was seen by many taking beer that was brought by the couple and stashing it away. She also was drinking this alcohol and giving it to all the caterers during the wedding and as they enjoyed themselves rather than ensuring the success of the event ‎She also said there we no leftovers but a large container of food was found in her kitchen full of the cake that was brought Sherry was extremely rude to guests that were not the bride/groom and parents The day of the wedding the venue was not ready and thankfully family friends were able to come early to set up the recommended dj and "caterer" were just friends of the venue owner and the dj was inexperienced and the food came out late and the last served guests did not receive the main entree (it tasted alright) ‎They also recommended sending off lanterns so the couple bought lanterns and told her. Then the day before she told them they could not light them (an understandable concern as lanterns are lit but she was the one that suggested it to them) they ended up compromising and allowing 1 instead of the 40

My overall recommendation: go ahead and book a non-wedding event here if there is no alcohol. BUT if you are planning a wedding or serving alcohol proceed with caution. For weddings, be aware that you should get your own caterers and that they may overpromise on what they will do, so be prepared to set things up yourself. Has potential but too many issues to ignore.

*Update: (To clarify any confusion from the owners response) -The groom was not aware of or "appreciative" of any of their activities with the alcohol as the bridal party handled it so the couple could enjoy their day -On no platform (please feel free to check) does the bride have a 5 star review. This is just false. -I actually enjoy salmon and the types of food served, it was just the quality of it that I was reviewing -And yes I did a sweep through of the entire venue before leaving like the bride asked me to do to get everything and that is how I found the things you had taken for yourself

Reguardless, this review is meant to be a holistic information source for anyone curious. If anyone associated with the venue would like to further discuss any detail please feel free to contact me with contact info from the bride. I would be willing to help you improve your operations, customer service management, planning and vendor selection process as I actively volunteer to help non-profits and small business in the Austin area believe a shift in many of your business practices could greatly benefit both you and...