The Millstone — Attraction in Jonesborough

I had not intended publishing a review until I saw the owners’ comments on Facebook accusing the guests of harassment for posting honest reviews which were then deleted to prevent the public seeing them, and some of the comments on Google Reviews defending the Millstone, from people who were not there and did not witness events. I can assure everyone that my review is an honest account. It is important to stress that there was no confusion about when the bar would shut, or when the party would finish. This was not a frat party, but a wedding celebration with mature, professional people. Problems arose because as soon as Lisa arrived she immediately started giving instructions to the bride in a very abrupt and rude manner, in the middle of her Wedding Party, on how she should clean up the venue. The bride explained she had been promised the venue until 11am on Sunday by Wendy with whom she had made the booking and plans were in place to have the venue cleaned and tidied by then. At this stage Lisa said Wendy was no longer employed by the Millstone, and told the bride to start packing up because another bride was coming at 9am the next morning. The bride’s family explained they had been promised an 11am exit time but Lisa’s condescending response was she should have read the contract. People on the Millstone Facebook page who were not at the wedding have chipped in saying she should have read the contract. The owner was contacted on Saturday, and although he wouldn’t speak to the family, he sent a message saying she should have read the contract. The bride and groom did read the contract and on their copy of the contract it stated they had to leave by 9am “if applicable”, (why have the words “if applicable” if not to confirm flexibility), and here is the important part, they were promised by Wendy that they could have the venue until 11am and they made their plans accordingly. When the Millstone took a booking for 9am on Sunday they should have informed the bride who could have made alternative plans for the clean-up. It was obvious from her reaction that she had been misled. The owner could have said, don’t worry and enjoy the rest of your wedding reception and we will bring in people to tidy in the morning, but instead he just ignored what his employee had promised. What a disgusting way to treat a young couple on what should have been the happiest day of their lives. To those who had a great experience at the Millstone in the past, I am delighted for you. Now stop and think how you would feel if the bride at your event finished up in tears? Please do not comment on an event you did not witness. To summarise, the venue is stunning, but the day was ruined by The Millstone’s despicable customer service, and the owner’s contemptible attempt to hide behind a misleading contract rather than try to help defuse a very upsetting situation and put things right. What about the moral contract you have to provide the best wedding experience possible? Future brides beware, the venue is beautiful but do you want to trust your special day to a business run like this? Do not trust verbal assurances, and make sure anything agreed is put in writing. People in business make mistakes, but the true measure of a business is how they respond to put errors right, not to hide behind a piece of paper. The owners of the Millstone should hang their heads in shame and apologise to the Bride and Groom for...

It was a pretty good experience!

The venue is reasonably priced and I love that it comes with tables and chairs! It's a GORGEOUS place with lots of unique features. I'm glad that we got to end up spending the night -- we were exhausted.

I do wish that their parking situation wasn't so inconvenient. Also, I wouldn't call our experience with the employee who was present during the wedding 100% pleasant. She showed up much later than we originally told she would (which was fine, because we didn't need her). Once she got there, she was very pushy trying to organize things that we had already figured out prior to her arrival. She was also kind of bossy to our wedding party during cleanup. She was okay, I guess. I just wish she hadn't been so pushy.

We didn't have alcohol or a late wedding, so I can't say anything about what it might be like dealing with the Millstone on those things.

Overall, I would recommend this place for someone looking for a small, quiet, simple wedding...

Nice place just outside Historical Jonesborough TN, very well laid out, plenty of space for events. Has nice accommodations on site, plenty of parking, along with a full kitchen if you event needs that. The main event space is very spacious and easy to decorate for your event. Their website also provides a great list of vendors, which work well with this venue. The grounds are very well maintained, and staff constantly checks before and after the events to make sure your time there is enjoyable and relaxing. For weddings, there are separate areas for the bride and groom to relax and get ready for their big day. There is a man cave for groom to relax in, plus a bridal suite for the bride and company to relax in. Owner is very accommodating and takes pride in offering you a great place...