The River View at Occoquan — Attraction in Lake Ridge

My experience at The River View at Occoquan was nothing short of a disaster, and I would strongly advise any couple considering this venue to run in the opposite direction. From the moment we stepped foot on the premises, it was clear that this place lacked any semblance of professionalism, hospitality, and culinary prowess.

Let's start with the food, which was nothing short of a nightmare. The menu promised an exquisite culinary journey, but what we received was a tasteless, overcooked mess. The main course was so bland and unappetizing that even the most generous sprinkle of salt and pepper couldn't salvage it. It felt like the chef had abandoned the kitchen and left an amateur in charge. We were embarrassed in front of our guests who were expecting a memorable feast. The hors d'oeuvres were equally disappointing - stale and clearly reheated. It was evident that the management had no regard for the quality of their dishes.

But the dismal food was just the beginning of our misery. The staff's unprofessionalism was palpable from the outset. They seemed disinterested, untrained, and completely disorganized. It felt like they were doing us a favor by being there rather than attending to our needs. The waitstaff was inattentive, neglecting to refill glasses, clear plates, or even offer a smile. They seemed more interested in chatting amongst themselves than providing any level of service to the guests. Our special day was reduced to a mere inconvenience for the staff, and it was disheartening to see them treat such a significant event with such indifference.

Hospitality, or the lack thereof, was a recurring theme throughout the entire event. The event coordinator, if you could even call them that, was practically nonexistent. We were left in the dark leading up to the wedding, with no clear communication on arrangements or timelines. It was like pulling teeth to get any information out of them. On the big day, they were nowhere to be found when we needed assistance, leaving us and our guests to fend for ourselves. The essence of hospitality is to make guests feel welcome and cared for, but that notion was lost on the staff at The River View at Occoquan.

To make matters worse, when we tried to address our concerns after the event, the management was defensive and dismissive. They refused to take any responsibility for the disastrous experience we had endured. Instead of offering an apology or a gesture to make amends, they shifted blame onto us and tried to downplay the issues we had raised.

In conclusion, The River View at Occoquan. was an utter disappointment. The subpar food, unprofessional staff, and complete lack of hospitality made it a day we'd rather forget. We entrusted them with one of the most important days of our lives, and they managed to turn it into a nightmare. Save yourself the heartache and seek a wedding venue that truly values their clients and takes pride in delivering a...

Pros: The venue is just beautiful in and out. It so so new, modern, and open. If you are lucky enough to have a sunny day, all your outdoor pictures with the lake, park, pier and homes around will be amazing. Plenty of parking Lots of good spot for photoshoot and first look The catering company tries to accommodate your preferences and it's pretty good for wedding food The event coordinator (Hannah) is helpful throughout the process You're allowed to bring extra desserts, dishes, etc... if you get the full food package (appetizers and entrees)

Cons: The appetizers were not enough, lot of our guests didn't get to try any of them, let alone all of them The bartending service is very slow. We paid for the alcohol package for everyone and the line was super long. What's the point of paying for an all you can eat package when guests cannot get drinks in a reasonable amount of time? It seemed like they were just trying to save money by handing out less drinks. The signature drinks should have been pre-made. We asked if one bartender was enough for a 100 people and they said yes, but it definitely was not. All our guests had to wait long period of time in line They forgot to play the slideshow we provided to them The venue coordinator the day of (Daisy?, not Hannah) was extremely unpleasant to my wedding coordinator, vendors and friends trying to help set up. That was very disappointing, she didn't want to help at all, that just added stress to the whole preparation experience. There is no fridge space for a large wedding cake. They will tell you there is some fridge space but won't give you any measurements or tell you how much space We got a champagne toast package that wasn't poured to guests during our toast or anything, it was just randomly poured in the middle of dinner, so that was a few hundred dollars wasted. We didn't have actual champagne when making a toast during the cake cutting as planned. I was told the venue staff would put all the linens on tables and set them up with the center pieces, same with cocktail tables, the day before so that we don't have to worry about that the day of. So I had other decor plans for my wedding coordinator. The morning of the wedding when I got there, NOTHING was done. Why they chose to not set up the tables anymore? I don't know. When I asked the venue coordinator, she said that's not her job even though I was told it...

Sneaky business practices and not good for small events. My partner and I went to tour this place a few weeks ago for our small event. They gave us pricing sheets at that time so we could make a decision about budget. What they didn't include was that the minimum catering was $8000 for their chefs or $6000 for pass thru service (you buy the food and they just serve it), which doesn't include an administrative fee and tax. Doing the math, the true minimum is between 8500-9000 since the contract doesn't even state what the administrative fee for catering is. Also, they don't do desserts, so if you want a sweet treat, then you have to provide that yourself.

They also have a mandatory photography release in the contract, so if you were hoping for a private event it's simply not going to happen. They will require you to release your event photos for them to publicize.

The contract also states you can't have helium balloons, or adhesives. I'm seriously wondering how they expect people to decorate if they can't use tape or command hooks to hang things.

Overall, seriously disappointed that we weren't told these minimums up front when we mentioned the small size of our event. The catering cost alone is more expensive than we were budgeting for the entire event. Maybe if you had a large event, it wouldn't matter, but definitely not for smaller events.

That being said, the place was mostly nice. They were cleaning up after an event the previous day when we went for our tour. They have shadow boxes with historical context in them, so make sure to read them when touring. There was a missing piece of the floor right in the middle of the doorway that could easily catch someone's foot or heel, so be careful to watch your step. Overall, the place was gorgeous, with nice natural lighting and overlooking the river, but it's simply unreasonably expensive for less than...