The Marmalade Lily — Local services in Hamilton Township

I understand that many couples have had a great experience with The Marmalade Lily, but unfortunately my fiancé and I did not. I am only sharing our experience because of the lack of empathy and circumstance my fiancé and I faced. Back in April, I had reached out to the venue regarding a wedding date Devon and I had been hoping for: Saturday August 27th, 2022. Side note- Devon is in PA school and there are limited dates we could choose from, which we discussed with the owner Laura. We were told by one of the coordinators that Saturday August 27th was available and that we could schedule a tour. Couple of weeks later we went on a tour (loved the venue), and booked/signed our contract, which had the date of Saturday August 27th, 2022 as we had planned. When communicating with the venue through email, I had sent a message saying I was nervous to wait too long to tour because I didn’t want the August 28th weekend to be booked. That was the only miscommunication regarding the date although we asked for the Saturday 27th and our contract stated the 27th. After I had booked my photographer and scheduled food tastings, I was going through emails in August (3 months later) to continue wedding planning. In one of the emails later on in our conversation, I had noticed one of the coordinators had mentioned the 28th. I called the venue the next morning to make sure the date was the 27th as the contract stated and we were told that they booked us on the Sunday and another bride on our date, that Saturday. Long story short, they told us that we had the be the flexible couple and move our date because we were the ones who miscommunicated the date. When I told them that we signed the contract first and the contact states Saturday august 27th 2022, they said “how do you know who signed the contact first”. We know we signed the contract first because it was back in April and they told us the date was available. Not that that even matters since you should abide by a contract. Through a family friend who works for a lawyer, she told us that it did not matter what was miscommunicated in person, emails, etc., it is what the contact states. When asking what they could do for us if we had to switch our date (which the dates they had left available would of been stressful for Devon d/t school), they told us they could give us some arbor flowers and a few additional flowers. The venue is also a flower farm which is the owners property. We told them we did not want to sound ungrateful but that was not a reasonable offer for what we lost- our date, photographer, other venues we liked were already booked due to limited dates we could do and limited availability since it was only one year away. The contract should have been read back in April after it was sent back to them, and none of this would have happened. My fiancé and I did not get a lawyer involved, but it was important to us to share our experience to make sure it doesn’t happen to future couples. In the end, due to the situation and inflexibility, we will not be getting married at The...

Nickel-and-Diming, Dishonesty, and Unprofessional Behavior

Marmalade Lilly may seem like the perfect venue at first glance, but do yourself a favor—look elsewhere. Our experience with Laura, the owner, was a complete nightmare from start to finish, and her lack of professionalism ruined what should have been a joyful experience.

Let’s start with the money. Laura charges a 20% gratuity on the bar package, but that doesn’t go to the bartenders. Instead, they’re left relying on tip jars, and if they don’t put them out, they won’t get tipped. To make it worse, bartenders have to turn in any tips over $100! This is downright exploitative, leaving staff and guests in the dark about where the money actually goes.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Laura also tacks on endless upcharges for EVERYTHING. In addition to the 20% gratuity we had to pay the caterers (which is their own fee and doesn’t go to Laura), she charged an additional 20% caterer fee for the simple use of her kitchen for setup. Talk about nickel-and-diming!

After we toured the venue and signed our contract, Laura decided to add hideous lights in the main barn where our reception was to be held. When we asked her to take them down, she refused unless we paid her $150. Seriously? Charging us to remove lights we didn’t even ask for? And it didn’t stop there. Two weeks before the wedding, she suddenly bought new patio heaters and said we could use them—for another $100 fee. It felt like every time we turned around, she was trying to squeeze more money out of us for something trivial.

And now for the real kicker: the morning after our wedding, Laura called my wife to FIRE her. My wife had worked for Marmalade Lilly as a bartender for four years, but because I had questioned Laura’s shady practices regarding gratuity, she decided to blame me for her decision to let my wife go. Firing a bride the day after her wedding is not only unprofessional—it’s malicious. This was a blatant attempt to stir up drama and punish us for daring to speak up.

To add insult to injury, Laura tried to hold our security deposit hostage by accusing my wife of stealing silk flowers, an accusation we later found out was completely baseless. It was just another way for her to create problems for us as newlyweds.

Marmalade Lilly may look beautiful on the surface, but working with Laura is a disaster waiting to happen. She will nickel-and-dime you for every little thing, and her lack of integrity and professionalism is astounding. I wouldn’t recommend this venue to anyone looking for a stress-free, joyful...

Marmalade Lily's crew is a step above. Laura was AMAZING in our flower meeting; she knows her flowers and she knows how distill what you want in a bouquet, even if you don't really know yourself! I found wedding planning to be an overwhelming amount of decision making, but this group gave suggestions/advice when I needed it, and supported my choices when I made them. They were very clear about everything they could offer, and how much it would cost. I was worried about wedding spending, so this put my mind at ease. There were no hidden fees, and I didn't feel pressured into anything; they worked with me to find the best options for us. I had access to spread sheets with all the information about my decisions and costs for reference throughout the planning process. Meetings were pleasant and productive. Corinah was with me every step of the way, (and patient with my every question!) She communicated with everyone and remembered all the details. I could rely on her throughout the process, which was such a relief! Corinah is truly in her element as a wedding coordinator; I've never met someone more personable, genuine, thorough, and organized. She was a joy to be around! There was nothing to worry about day of; it was all under control and went according to a well established plan! The venue is BEAUTIFUL. If you're looking for an outdoor wedding, this is your stop. There are multiple places on the property to hold the ceremony, and there was beauty at every turn, from the trees, to the lake, to the patio overlooking the garden! All the flower arrangements and bouquets were out of a fairytale: precise, magical, with every detail considered. We went with Chef's Catering and had a lovely experience. The bar and drinks options were also well considered. I felt like I could have the alcohol I wanted without breaking the bank or being wasteful. They also have a spacious bridal sweet, so I didn't feel stuck in a corner before the ceremony. Overall I couldn't be more pleased with my experience at Marmalade Lily. This is a group of women dedicated to their craft. Everything about what they do is handled with care, attention and sincerity. Weddings are a LOT, but I felt supported every step of the way. They assuaged my fears and brought dreams to life. Laura has created something truly special. I was hesitant to reach out, but I'm SO glad I did. This team has...