I’ll start out by saying that Pine Lake Ranch is a beautiful property that is pristinely taken care of. Our outdoor wedding underneath their ancient oak tree was flawless. However, the 2 star review is due to miscommunication amongst staff members, complete disorganization in the planning stages, and a surprising lack of acknowledgement for mistakes.
The venue was recently purchased by new owners, and I understand the “growing pains” involved. Yet, the last few months of the planning process was incredibly frustrating. Sarah was our main point of reference from the beginning, but three months prior to the wedding we were told to communicate with Heidi. Therefore, we received an email from Heidi asking for us to fill out forms and address issues that we had already completed with Sarah. We asked that these forms and additional paperwork be passed amongst themselves and they were understanding, even apologetic at first. However, the owner Stormey, reached out to us via email one month before our wedding and again, asked for ALL of the same information and paperwork. Beginning to get frustrated, we expressed our concerns to her—that our messages and paperwork do not seem to be going to the correct individual. No response from Stormey, the owner, but we did receive a response from Heidi who said that she would be our point of contact moving forward and also be on site day of for any questions.
She, however, was not on site day of. There was a total stranger waiting for us. The bridal house, though beautiful and equipped with a full kitchen, did not actually have any utensils present at all. No cups, plates, forks, etc. In addition there were no towels, washcloths, or even extra toilet paper in the bridal house bathroom, nor the groom’s house. One of my bridesmaids had to dry off with her shirt. When we asked Maribel, the PLR on site coordinator, for towels her impolite response was “well you’re suppose to bring your own.” We were not aware of this because, again, it was not communicated.
Four hours before the ceremony began I noticed that there were only 8 chairs per table set up in the reception hall, when there were suppose to be 10 per table. Not only was this communicated by myself months prior, it was also passed on by the day of coordinator I hired. When this issue was brought to Stormey, she unapologetically said they would add two tables, even though we only had 8 vases.
It worked out, but only with the help and ingenuity of my bridesmaids and friends.
Lastly, my husband’s duffle bag was accidentally left in the grooms house after the reception. We called the following day to be told that nothing had been recovered. We asked that if a duffle bag is found to please let us know. After our honeymoon, a week later, we call again only to find out that they did find his bag. When we arrive to pick it up there is a sticky note attached with our name on it. They did not bother to call.
Our wedding was perfect and all of our guests had a wonderful time. But I caution anyone planning to book this venue, at least right now. They definitely have issues that need to be addressed. This is NOT a cheap place to get married and I honestly believe that we deserved better for all of the money we spent. Luckily, not being the bridezilla type, no stress fell on us day of. This review is simply to help others, and hopefully help PLR...
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