Crossed Keys Estate — Attraction in Green Township

From the moment we saw Crossed Keys Estate online, my fiancé, now wife, fell in love. And then we went for our tour, and I also fell in love with it. It was the first place we looked at and the last. We loved the large space that could accommodate both our big families, all of the dancing guests and we knew the grounds would be breathtaking in the fall. Danielle was very helpful from day one, and really made us feel welcomed. Our second meeting with Jessica was OK. We had filled out a whole form with specifics on the florals, pictures, etc. and we didn't feel as if she was prepared going into it.. We communicated with her via email to get a little more specific, and scheduled one more phone call, and everything turned out beautifully for day of the wedding. In addition, Kyle, and Kiersten were very helpful leading up to the wedding via emails. Katherine, the owner, was pleasant leading up to the wedding too. She even told my dad that "we only have one chance to get it right," and he said he's going to hold her to it. Unfortunately, the day of the wedding she was unfamiliar with the spreadsheet we had prepared through the venue, wasn't aware that we were having a 360 Photo Booth, although it was on the spreadsheet and we had been given the OK many times prior... and gave my mother a tough time about all the personal items we brought into the place to decorate (including the memory table), although it didn't seem to be a problem at first mention. This caused some stress the day of, although, my wife and I were not aware of it until after the wedding day-- Thank God, because otherwise, it really was the perfect day. I really wish it wouldn't have been so difficult bringing our vision to life-- our wedding truly was one of the most simple weddings, and we weren't asking for much on their part--plus, it was a huge guest count and we were timely with all of our payments and professional throughout. We had our planners helping with setup and another florist working with our church florals-- it truly didn't need to be a problem. Jessica stopped by the Playhouse in the early morning and so did Katherine to check in on the females-- as well as Jessica's assistants who dropped off the bouquets and the corsages/ boutonnieres . Although, there is no social media footage on our wedding (this was one of the reasons why we were told we couldn't provide our own florals) we do appreciate their presence making sure everything ran smoothly day of. We just wish there would have been more compassion and professionalism with Katherine's interactions. In the end, the flowers were gorgeous, and we were very happy with them. At our reception, Katherine came up to both my wife and I and told us: "you better write a good review." This didn't leave such a great feeling with us, especially because reviews are about being honest - and we hadn't yet known all of the unprofessional approaches she had had with our families the time, but after we found out, that comment didn't sit well at all.

Overall, the guests had a beautiful time-- the food was so tasty (the lechon station was a hit!), the dinner, and dessert was so great, and the venue itself was gorgeous. All of the bartenders, and waitstaff were professional and personable, and Kyle kept saying how great a wedding it was. Everyone is still raving about all of it, and it truly was the best day of our lives, regardless of all of the hiccups getting in the way of our vision. We loved this place and would choose it 1000 times over again, however, just please be kind to the people who are providing you...

This venue is absolutely breath taking. For that reason, that is why we kept ignoring the red flags along our wedding planning journey hoping it would all be worth it. From our very first meeting, my mom and I were 7 minutes late to our tour due to traffic and the VERY first thing Katherine said to us was “didn’t think you guys were ever going to make it,” with a condescending tone before she even introduced herself. That set such an awkward and uncomfortable tone for our very first tour and opinion of the property and management. During the planning process, I often felt like my needs/desires had to fit the mold of Crossed Keys versus the opposite. CK has A LOT of requirements to hold your wedding there, including paying hundreds of dollars extra to stay on the property the night before. My husband is from another country and we had a lot of concerns about his family being alone in the hotel room, the night before, morning of, etc while we had to stay on the property. I am a local and we had plans to stay at my dad’s house just 2 miles down the road, have a family breakfast etc. then go get ready at the venue. When I voiced these concerns the only response I received- quite condescendingly from Katherine, was that this is how it has been done for 30 years and that was that, no exceptions.

I understand CK are the experts and have been doing weddings for decades, however, throughout the process I often felt like just another transaction to them. I often felt like I was being bossed around and into decisions even after I voiced my opinion/discomfort other wise (e.g., time, schedule of wedding). Mind you I am a very laid back and easy going person and often just say “yes” to people to avoid discomfort and conflict, but being told when I should have my wedding and when I need to take pictures, eat, etc. after I stating my specific opinion of the contrary was frustrating.

Then the pandemic hit and my family and I were very understanding that everything was very unknown and no one could predict the future. However, I know quite a few friends getting married now/during the pandemic and their venues were MUCH more accommodating when it came to refunds, communication, and other options. Unfortunately, we could not reschedule the wedding because the only options we were given was to have it outside for the same amount of money, or on a Thursday of the following year with increased prices.

I understand venues are losing money, but families are losing their dream weddings AND lots of money. It was very disheartening that my parents lost nearly $6,000. CK’s defense was that that money was for services rendered. The services they were referring to were a tasting that 25+ couples attended and a floral meeting which we waited nearly 1.5 hours past our appt time for... to us, that was not $6,000 worth. In addition, after hearing how many other families/brides had more positive experiences during this crisis, we were extremely disappointed. When my parents tried to contact CK regarding this, they have ignored them repeatedly.

I am a local to the area and have dreamed of my wedding at this estate, however, I wish we listened to the opinions of others from the area and the red flags we saw from the beginning so we could have saved ourselves from disappointment and thousands of...

My husband and I got married at the CKE this October 2024. There aren’t enough words to express our gratitude to their entire team for all of their hard work to make our visions and dreams come to life. Each and every staff member was kind, and helpful. If you had a question you’d get a response promptly and always with a “let’s see what we can do attitude”. Katherine (the owner) made you feel a part of the CKE family and always was looking to make the planning process seamless and easy for us and our family. The CKE floral and design team made our big ideas all come to life- we had a visions of big branching centerpieces with florals tucked in, that Jess and her team absolutely delivered on. On top of that, we asked for an installation over our sweetheart table. Jess and her team have many suggestions and shared they visited Home Depot at least 3 times to see how it would hang, and the final installation beyond exceeded our expectations. The talent and grace their team exudes is what ever bride and groom look for in a team. The planning process was also so seamless due to their amazing coordinator team. We worked with Katrina, the kindest, most professional coordinator we have ever met. Katrina was available at every step of the planning process, providing thoughtful recommendations due to her very obvious experience. Katrina also was there for our wedding day of helping to manage the schedule, set up, constantly checking in, and making sure it all went according to plan (which it did). In addition during the reception Katrina was checking with us throughout the night to see if we wanted to pivot anything or if we needed anything. We are extremely grateful for her support! In addition, Kyle was our maitre d’ for the evening and he did an absolutely wonderful job. He made sure to check in with my husband and I as well as our immediate family members. He was so kind and professional!

Lastly but very importantly- the food and drinks! Most of all of our guests shared that this was the best wedding food they have ever had. It is no small feat cooking for large groups and every aspect of the food from the cocktail hour to the dinner course was absolutely fantastic. These are a few quotes from guests: “The food was gourmet.” “This is the real deal.” “The sushi… Oh, the sushi! So fresh!” In addition, the bartenders crushed it! Everyone was impressed by the quality of the drinks and we never had a line at the bar- they were fast and catered to our guests.

I would highly recommend the CKE to future couples getting married. The aspect of the family business really shows and ensures you have a tailored experience for your wedding. The entire staff is kind and down to earth- always willing to help. We wish them nothing but the best for their future...