We recently had our wedding at Atkinson Resort and Country Club. While the venue itself is beautiful and the staff are very kind, I feel it’s important to share our experience with the planning and day-of coordination so that future couples know what to expect. Leading up to the wedding, the planning process seemed organized, and we had a detailed meeting where we walked through every décor item and timeline element. However, on the wedding day, much of what we were assured would happen did not. We were told we’d have access to the reception room at 3:30 PM for setup, but another wedding was scheduled in the same space until 4:30 PM—and they ran over. We weren’t allowed in until 5:15 PM, just 45 minutes before guests arrived - despite contract saying you’ll have access 2 hours before. During planning, we were told in the case of rain that staff would assist in finding indoor photo options if needed—but on the day of, we were told the backup spaces were already booked with other events. Our photographers were left on their own to find usable areas, and the only suggestion given was to wait for our ceremony room that was also occupied. We were told afterward that we “should’ve booked a backup location in the contract,” which was never explained beforehand. There were also small service issues, like missing drinks for the bridal party during cocktail hour, rude servers / cold food during bridal salon breakfast, and confusion over décor placement for ceremony set up - despite spending over an hour in advance detailing everything with the coordinator. When asked about it, the coordinator told my family “we never went over anything,” which was simply untrue. We had 6 family members and bridesmaids arranging decorations day of so it would be done in time.
When we shared these concerns with the Director of Sales / Manager afterward, we were told that we “had really high expectations” and that our décor plan was “more than a coordinator typically accommodates.” This was especially disappointing to hear, since we were never told at any point that we needed to scale back or bring additional help. It felt as though the focus had been more on securing our booking than on actually delivering the level of service we were led to expect. When we suggested possible ideas for resolution (reimbursement, gift cards for a better experience to make up for it, etc) they were dismissed without acknowledgment, but rather the Director encouraging us to send photos & hoping that we would book another event in the future.
Ultimately, we’re grateful to be married, and we know things don’t always go perfectly—but for the investment we made, we expected more care and follow-through. If you’re considering this venue, I recommend asking very specific questions about room availability, backup plans for weather, and exactly what the coordinator will and won’t be responsible...
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