The Waterfall — Attraction in Claymont

Our wedding was absolutely amazing, and it all started with the venue. My fiance and I visited maybe 4-5 venues, each with their unique offerings, but none with the right balance. We'd been to a wedding at The Waterfall before touring ourselves and it was an absolute blast of an experience; so we're naturally curious about what they had to offer. Our coordinator throughout our entire journey, Abigail, ran the tour and obviously we'd seen the place in person before. What sold us was what we were getting for the cost. We were impressed by the amount of food our guests were receiving, the style and cuisines and were very much sold on the fact that they were training their chefs on Indian and African cuisines. Many other venues did not even have the option for us to bring in our food choices, or a majority of the cost was going towards some part of the package that we didn't care about and could not un-elect. Our guests complimented the food selection most of all, they did not expect such a large array and indeed wished they had more space to carry it all!

Another great perk which came along was a newly renovated suite which gave us the space and ability to get what we needed to eat done before the ceremony and before the reception. Lighting options for the ballroom were also very wide and helped us set the right atmosphere for the reception. The option to decide between and outdoor and indoor ceremony up til the day of was also very much appreciated (other venues required notice well in advance which doesnt make any sense given the unpredictability of weather; luckily for us it was a lightly overcast day.)

Transacting with the Waterfall was very seamless and they were always willing to work with us be it extra services we requested for an game we played during our wedding day or answering our incessant questions about what could and could not be done; Abigail was patient and extremely helpful with us through it all. We shared numerous emails and phone calls confirming different aspects of the day, because you really can't remember everything in one go and as you get closer the more real it becomes and finer the details need to become.

We had a worry when we tasted the Indian food offerings during their annual open house, which was months before our wedding. We were able to relay our concerns and Abigail worked with us and the Head Chef to ensure things went as smooth as possible for our Big Day. The point person/captain they appointed for the day ensured everything went on time, as well and was available at key points through the day.

Honestly, as things were getting hectic through the few weeks leading up, for some reason it felt like Abigail and The Waterfall were taking care of what needed to be taken care of, so it felt like that past was actually getting easier. We really appreciate everything they did on their end to ensure such a perfect day for us. We had bot a traditional Indian ceremony and a reception onsite and between the Waterfall staff and our vendors we didn't have to worry about anything.

It was also delightful to see some of the Waterfall staff enjoying themselves to the music and even our photobooth; we absolutely loved seeing the pictures our vendors sent us.

For any folks getting married soon, get married here! The Waterfall will make your entire experience seamless and memorable!

Thank you, Abigail and the...

Definitely a beautiful venue in terms of architecture, design, the outdoor space. Has it's pros & cons though, speaking from the perspective of the bride.

Pros: -Again, gorgeous outdoor space if you're wanting an outdoor wedding. There is a waterfall, gazebo, bridge with waterfall back drop, etc. -The cocktail hour food selection (I've heard, since I wasn't at the cocktail hour) was phenomenal. Everyone kept telling me there was a plethora of options that they thought that was the dinner portion.

Cons: -The reception food was not as advertised, unfortunately. For example, I selected a poultry option that was supposed to be "stuffed with mozzarella cheese with basil, vodka sauce over ravioli." There was no ravioli with it...it was not stuffed with anything. It was just a piece of breaded chicken with a piece of tomato on top. Had I known that earlier, I would've picked something else. -THE OPEN BAR. This was a nightmare. We were supposed to have 2 people running the open bar. I could see from afar that there was huge line by the bar. I asked Katie (WHO IS AWESOME SHE DESERVES A RAISE) about it & was informed there was only 1 bartender, who I later found out wasn't even friendly to the guests. One guest told me the bartender said to them, "Weren't you just here" & not in a joking way, but multiple people noted how they seemed like they didn't want to be there. So they had to actually pull a second person from the party in the other room (when we should've had a 2nd person the whole time). Which brings me to my third point: -The adjoining party. This is kind of a minuscule point but something to be aware of. I was told that if there was another party booked in the other ballroom, we wouldn't even know they were there. Oh, we knew they were there. The music was so loud that I couldn't even leave our ballroom to take a phone call because I couldn't hear them out in the common area. It was annoying to not be able to walk out of our ballroom to get some peace and quiet because it was actually louder outside from the other ballroom. Not sure if that's really in anyone's control, but again, if you want it to feel like YOUR day and not have other parties there, don't go with this venue because their presence was APPARENT. -Communication could've been better. Our coordinator wasn't even there the night before for our rehearsal or the morning of so some of my items weren't where I wanted them, etc. Also, it was supposed to rain that day during the ceremony so without even asking me, they just started moving tables and setting up to have it inside, which, if they would've communicated with me, we were having it outside rain or shine. -We were the only wedding that day (the other party was a birthday) but when we set up our stuff in the one bridal suite, they made us pick up all our stuff and actually move into the other bridal suite....even though the initial one wasn't even being used. Like what??

All-in-all, not a bad venue. You just need to be very concrete with them if you want something. If there's a certain entree you want, make sure it actually comes that way. If you're supposed to have 2 bartenders, make sure they're there from the beginning. Loved the outdoor space, so that was the main reason for choosing...

After I got engaged, my husband and I started to look for venues and the one thing that REALLY helped us was looking at reviews from other couples. I am not someone who normally writes reviews, but after our AMAZING experience with The Waterfall, I hope other couples can read this and feel at ease to pick this incredible venue. First of all, the venue is absolutely beautiful and in the most pristine condition. In fact, I remember walking in the first time and just smelling the cleanliess of the facility. Everything is beautiful in there, especially the decor. Our main contact was Ashley and she did a wonderful job answering all our questions. Any time I'd call or send an email, she was very prompt at responding and would ask the owners for further clarification if there was something she couldn't answer for us on the spot. One of the most important things to me and my husband for our guests to experience was amazing food and plentiful amounts of it - this place does that justice and then some. I am Lebanese, so being that our culture is so generous, this venue did not disappoint. All of our guests raved about the cocktail hour. I was in awe at how they decorated the entire room and the outside was INCREDIBLE!!!!! We were in the cascade ballroom and so we had access to the outdoor area with the waterfalls and fire pits. Words and pictures cannot do this outdoor space justice. I was so in love and our guests loved the outdoor bar area, the seating, and all the incredible features (ie. waterfall and fire). Some of our guests told us that they thought the cocktail hour was a buffet and so when they saw they were getting entrees, they were so full, they were barely able to eat their meals! The entrees were amazing - hot, delicious, and served right on time. The desserts were fanastic and I heard a lot of great feedback about the cheesecake. We had two people assisting us all night after Ashley left and I want to give them a special shout out, as well. Their names were Amanda and Anna. Anna was with us ALL night and we loved her so much. She truly made our experience magical and helped us with every little detail the night of the wedding. I hugged her so many times and didn't know how else to thank her for your support. This venue knows what they're doing and they do it very well. Their service was impeccable and many of our guests called and texted us to tell us they remembered some of their server's names and even left them tips. They were attentive and added a personal element to the night joking with our guests and complimenting them. We are so happy and wish we could relive the night over again. Planning a wedding can be very stressful and nerve wracking, especially living through this pandemic, but I will never regret choosing this venue. The hospitality and generousity from this venue is above and beyond and I would recommend The Waterfall to any couple looking into them right now. You will not regret it :) All my love to The Waterfall - I hope I get to go back again as a...