The Ballroom at Bayou Place — Local services in Houston

My Husband and I were married here. The venue is nice. However from the moment we signed the contract, we have been through hell. Craig and his team are unprofessional, difficult to work with and lack customer service. After signing the contract, communication with Craig dwindled. I would have to text Craig multiple times just to get a response. I have an iphone so I can see when Craig reads my messages and doesn’t respond. However, he’s quick to text when it’s regarding any money that he’s owed. He needs to hire a TEAM to communicate and schedule things with clients. I had to reach out to him multiple times just to get the decor and food appointments scheduled. We asked Craig several times about the food tasting as well and he was very off putting. It was not explained to us before hand that we were limited on the decor budget. They recycle decor so what exactly are we paying for??? Our decor looked nothing like we imagined it. It was decent, it just was not what we asked for. We were promised a backdrop and it was non existent! At every turn we were constantly having to defend what we wanted for our wedding. I also wanted to have a vinyl floor installed at the venue, because the floor that was offered looks like someone’s old school kitchen floor. If the venue is supposed to be 5 stars and hosts the cities biggest events, you would think the dance floor would look alot better. I tried working with Craig on wrapping his floor but he made it so difficult to work with him on it that I just gave up. In our contract we agreed on a 1 hour open bar during cocktail hour and then at the start of the reception the bar would be converted into a cash bar. However, I asked Craig if there was any deal that we could work out so that my wedding party was taken care of that night since the wedding party usually takes pictures during the cocktail hour. I wasn’t asking for anything for free just for him to merely work out a deal. Again I was met with an attitudinal tone and blatant rudeness. He asked me why my wedding party isn’t heading to the cocktail hour the minute the ceremony is over. BECAUSE WE NEED TO TAKE PICTURES !!! The day of our wedding was a nightmare. Craig said that we would have a coordinator on the day of and we did not. When the coordinators I hired arrived, there were empty beer bottles and trash left everywhere from the wedding the night before. Craig also double booked an event in the suite downstairs where the groom & groomsmen were getting ready. It was 90 degrees outside and my husband and his groomsmen were left standing outside waiting for the ceremony to start. The lights went out right before the start of our ceremony and my Husband and I had to get married in the dark. Craig said that it was due to a rolling blackout from Centerpoint. There were no other buildings in downtown without power. The lights in the reception area were on and the lights downstairs in the suite where the groomsmen got ready were on as well. Seems like a bold face lie to me. We had a guest there who worked for Centerpoint tell us that there were no rolling blackouts in the area. It was so hot and we were beyond embarrassed but the show must go on. To compensate for the blackout, He offered an open bar for the night. About 2 hours into the event, He comes up to my family and I and says he is closing the bar because of the behavior of the guests and also proceeds to say “I don’t know why I feel sorry, this was Centerpoints fault”. HOW INSENSITIVE! Later that night, I apologized to his bartenders and even asked them if anyone had been rude or cursed at them. His bartenders said “oh no, no one was rude and no one cursed us out”. Now after the wedding, he is displaying just how horrible his attitude is and how arrogant he is through his rude responses to the reviews. He lied saying my Husband and I sent a video to him saying how much we enjoyed the night! FALSE! Do better, learn how to communicate, respect your client’s wishes, and hire a team to assist with making sure the little details of the wedding...

As we pulled up to the venue the GROOM And groomsman were standing outside. For many it is tradition that the groom and bride not see each other prior to the wedding so this was a problem. After they were moved somewhere else, we were guided to the room that was supposedly meant to be for the groom and groomsmen before heading to the room we would be waiting in. We hadn’t been in that room long enough for me to put my heels on when I heard we had to move due to another event happening in that room. Where were the groom and groomsmen to go now I wondered? Still strapping on one shoe we were guided to a staircase. We were lead up 2 large flights of stairs, down a hall and into a small, hot room. As we waited we were told that there’s was no power in the room where the wedding was being held. Trying to stay in good spirits we sang, talked and made last minute adjustments waiting to be told it was time. Suddenly ALL the power went out. We were sitting in pitch black. We were told this was due to rolling blackouts. A generator seemed to kick on and some lights did come on but only what appeared to be emergency lights for safety reasons. This hit everyone hard. It even brought the bride to tears. But again we were going to stay in good spirits and prayed. As time passed the decision was made to have the wedding in the dark and open as many windows as possible to allow as much natural light in. This whole time the groom and groomsman are standing OUTSIDE in the heat FULLY DRESSES. Once lined up and ready to enter the lights were still out.During the cocktail hour we were told as compensation for the power being out drinks would be free. Just as cocktail hour was ending we were told only the bride, the groom, their parents and the bridal party would be allowed free drinks.We were told guest were getting loud and rude but no such behavior had occurred. The lights were still out however music could be heard playing on the other side of the curtain which separated us from the reception. I’m curious why not supply power to the area were the wedding was taking place first? The reception continued as planned FINALLY with power. Those who were in the bridal shower had to do intros one more time into the reception before newlyweds. As guest ate salads. When we got to the dance floor it was plain, there was supposed to be a cute sticker which said the newlyweds names, there wasn’t sadly. After that we were able to sit and eat. Once I received a salad, I applied dressing, I got up to go get a drink from the bar and when I returned my salad was gone. I had not even taken one bite before it was taken away. I let it go and waited for the main course I was able to take a few bites of that however after getting up to go get a drink for my fiancé, my food was taken away before I could finish it. Why they would take it without asking me if I was finished was some what rude especially since it wasn’t even halfway done.The wedding was ultimately beautiful due to the love that the couple share and all the positive encouragement and support of loved ones. I really wish the venue experience had been better. As a soon to be bride also planning a wedding it’s quiet nerve racking to know such things can occur day of despite all the planning put into it. It is also a little disheartening knowing that a venue owner would try and flip things on to those who are paying for a service. I have read the reviews involving this wedding and I’m disappointed in the responses made by the owner. Name calling, name dropping and blame placing is never professional. It seems as though preparations on the venue’s side along with communication were lacking that day. Blackouts aren’t a new thing and being a venue preparations like a strong enough generator to power lights in the building should be a minimum. I hope that the Ballroom at Bayou Place will instead take these reviews and use them as critics to improve they’re overall customer experience and not to bash those who simply trusted you to help make their...

I’m the father of the bride of a wedding that took place on 10/2/2022. The valet for the guest was located on the Smith St side of the venue. There is one elevator on the Smith St side of the building. The said elevator is not working!!!! The guest had a choice of walking up 23 stairs, or walk around to the complete other side of the venue to catch the elevator. Elderly guests with wheelchairs, and walkers were forced to trek half a city block. The elevator the owner Craig states is working is around the corner on Texas Ave. Once you get on the elevator it takes you up to the ballroom which is the reception area. You then have to trek half a city block to get back to the side the wedding is on. The electricity indeed went out for at least 1.5 to 2 hours. Craig claimed it was due to rolling blackouts. Unfortunately for Craig I’m intelligent enough to look up rolling blackouts on the CenterPoint website. I also had a guest attend the wedding who works for the City of Houston. The guest looked up the blackouts and came to tell me there weren’t any. My response was yes I know, I looked it up also. Also why would CenterPoint have rolling blackouts in an area where there are live venues. Your having a concert and the power goes out??? A five star venue should have a back up generator that powers the entire venue. My daughter had to get married via natural sunlight in a hot room. Of course the guest were sweating because no electricity means no air conditioning. Also the DJ couldn't play music to entertain the guests as they waited. The owner Craig stated he'd have an open bar all night as compensation for the rolling blackouts. Craig’s offer of an open bar was a fake gesture. Shortly after volunteering the open bar, Craig had a change of heart. He stated to my wife and I, that it was CenterPoint’s fault and why should he be paying. So he created a false narrative that guest were demeaning his bartenders. He also claimed guest were not tipping and ordering multiple drinks at a time. So Craig announced that the open bar was now a cash bar. I advised Craig that guest were bringing drinks to people at the same table and his reply was this will slow them down. My daughter apologized to the bartenders for guest demeaning them, and they replied that it never happened. So before you tell lies Craig, please inform your staff of the lie they should be telling. Also you stated that my wife shut down the bar. The facts are, you told my wife guest were drunk and belligerent. My wife then asked the bartenders to close the bar, and the bartenders stated they had to contact you first. Later on we found out that no one was drunk or belligerent. The bride and groom didn't have their Monogram on the dance floor as they danced as stated in the contract. Its your job to make sure that what's in the contract is done. For you to insinuate that my daughter was happy about the events that took place is laughable. This wedding was in shamble’s as a result of your mistakes. My daughter simply made the best of a bad situation. What else was she supposed to do, it was her wedding day. My daughter planned to get married one time in life, and this was that day. Craig you screwed this up pretty bad. Yes people were smiling it’s a wedding. Please do not bring up buying people drinks or giving the bride and groom a ride in your Bentley, its irrelevant. I’m sure you would be happy if all this happened at your daughters wedding. Admit to your mistakes and show some dignity. Do not make claims that I work for the wedding planner, that would be...