Merrimack Valley Golf Club — Restaurant in Methuen

Edit: After posting this review, the management team reached out to address our concerns. They truly seemed to care about our overall satisfaction with our wedding, and they made it right by us. We now have a much better feeling about using this venue again in the future.

Note: due to length, some of my original review has been removed.

Merrimack Valley Golf Club is a beautifully appointed venue for a wedding. Some of my favorite features are the outdoor ceremony area (more about that later) and the food & service staff.

The Equinox Ballroom comfortably held 150 guests without feeling cramped. The foyer and patio area that overlook the grounds, and bridal suite are a must! This gives guests flexibility if they want to get some air or mingle away from the action. Chiavari chairs are standard, and the dining tables are 60" round tables that can comfortably seat 6-8, up to 10 guests. The outdoor ceremony area has a large, four-post, circular arbor and has gorgeous views over the grounds, as well as a waterfall feature.

The service staff were incredible! The waitstaff did a beautiful job setting the tables, and were courteous, friendly, and attentive. The bar staff despite a very sluggish start to the evening, quickly corrected course and the drinks were delicious and well-made. Chef Diego prepared a delicious buffet selection. The food was delicious and fresh. I have gotten many compliments from my guests about the quality of the food.

MVGC was a good value as well, undercutting many other venues in both the cost of the venue and food, and they did not have seasonal or weekend pricing. However, today, they have readjusted most of their pricing, and now charge more for many options, because of the time and effort needed to host a wedding over a different type of event.

Over the 17 months we had the venue booked, the price of our preferred buffet option increased by over 60%, or almost $20 per person. We were told the food pricing was subject to change until final payment, and was due to the rising cost of food, which such a drastic and quick increase was a hard pill to swallow. Thankfully, we were able to negotiate as the latest and most drastic increase was only several weeks before our final payment was due.

On account of the rainy forecast the week prior to the wedding, we had contemplated moving the ceremony indoors, but due to the cost we decided to chance it anyway. The morning of the wedding, we were informed that it was too wet and muddy to have the ceremony outside, and that we would have to have it inside. Our options were to have it in the reception hall, or we could book the Aurora room for $1000, less the $250 ceremony fee we had already paid. Mind you, the Aurora room for our rehearsal was only $600 for 3 hours. This doesn’t even consider that the event coordinator was not aware that they only has 250 indoor chairs, leaving 50 chairs short in the ceremony room, which nobody from the venue offered a solution for. My wedding party and several of my guests had to take chairs from the ballroom downstairs and bring them upstairs and then back down afterwards. This was tacky, and in my opinion, unacceptable on the venue management. [The management agreed this was unacceptable and apologized after the fact].

Also, while my wife and I were doing our first look, my family members were harassed by the event coordinator for my credit card for the fee for the Aurora Room.

Despite the many hurdles of planning a wedding at MVGC the wedding itself along with food and atmosphere, were all great. I still would recommend MVGC as a wedding venue because of that alone. In my opinion, Blue Birch Management needs to address their communication and professionalism standards if they want to continue to expand as a reputable and professional company. Like any big purchase, make sure you ask lots of questions, get things in writing, PUSH COMMUNICATION, and be aware of changing costs.

[Although I wish my concerns were better addressed day-of, thank you Kirby and Jen for reaching out and...

Having organized our wedding at Merrimack Valley Golf Club (MVGC), we strongly urge caution when considering this venue. The event planning overseen by Blue Birch Management LLC left us deeply disappointed and disheartened. Our experience was marked by gaslighting, poor communication, unprofessionalism, deception, fear-inducing tactics, and other issues. Let's delve into the specifics.

Our interaction with MVGC and Blue Birch Management began in late 2021. Initially, we were drawn to the venue's gorgeous online pictures but noticed a lack of recent reviews. Ignoring this red flag, we proceeded with a positive meeting with the event manager-turned-owner. They provided a detailed price quote and mentioned a potential 10% (at the most extreme and unlikely) price increase due to inflation.

In December 2022, we discovered a change in the event management team. Another meeting in January 2023 was pleasant, with a new event manager proposing a streamlined wedding menu. We revised the pricing accordingly and the event manager agreed that the prices looked good to her. However, the updated Banquet Event Order (BEO) still had a disclaimer indicating price changes. Seeking further clarification, I inquired if this estimate could be considered our final quote. In response, the event manager asked if I had finalized the guest count (RSVPs) yet. Since I had not yet obtained the final count, I interpreted the event manager's reply as indicating that the guest count was necessary to secure the final price, implying that the prices would remain fixed, we would just need to provide the final head count before locking in everything.

Troubles began in March 2023 when we received an email showing a 33% increase in menu costs compared to our previous discussion. This discrepancy was a stark contrast to the 6-10% range mentioned earlier. We demanded a meeting, but it took 20 days to finally address our concerns. They suggested using their social event menu as a resolution, but I still had stress and anxiety over this.

During those 20 days, we explored alternative options and sought legal advice. Eventually, we reached an agreement that aligned with the original pricing from 2021. We chose to play nice and proceed with the planning, hoping for a fresh start.

In May 2023, we had a final meeting to finalize pricing based on RSVPs. We provided layouts and preferences for the room setup. We also discussed the availability of the Aurora room, which was mentioned as an option with only a ceremony fee. The event manager assured us that nobody would book it.

However, six days before the wedding, the event manager informed us that another organization was interested in booking the Aurora room. We decided against paying an additional deposit, leaving us with two options for the ceremony. This change was unexpected, as we were previously assured the Aurora room wouldn't be booked.

During the rehearsal, the event manager explained that even with good weather, they might consider the grounds too wet for an outdoor ceremony, which was never communicated before. This lack of transparency was compounded by conflicting information about the need to pay the $1,000 deposit.

On the wedding day, my aunt and cousin had to set up everything, despite assurances from the event manager. Guests reported subpar service, but we focused on creating positive memories despite the venue's mishaps.

To our astonishment, while on our honeymoon, the owner emailed me, demanding that my cousin remove her honest review on Google. This act of intimidation and fear tactics violated consumer protection laws. It was later revealed that they had threatened other couples to remove negative reviews as well.

We advise MVGC and Blue Birch Management to prioritize exceptional service, transparency, customer satisfaction, trustworthiness, and professionalism. Attacking customers and gaslighting them is unprofessional and illegal. Allowing customers to express their honest opinions fosters genuine satisfaction and...

Edit: It is truly disheartening to receive such a response, or lack there of, from a business in this day and age. As an individual with my own autonomy, I fully stand behind my true account of experience I had with your venue. Furthermore, I purposely did not call out your staff by name to protect their identity. It is a shame you do not show the same respect to your clients. It is my genuine hope that you are able to take the feedback and better your business in the future.

Review for wedding venue- While the location has the potential to be beautiful, we were beyond disappointed with the overall experience.

My friend was married at Merrimack Valley Golf Club this month. As a member of the wedding party I was apart of the planning from start to finish. And at almost every opportunity they failed to deliver. The lack of professionalism and poor communication was evident in almost every interaction.

To start, the quoted price for the meal was guaranteed to fluctuate no more than a set percent. But well exceed that quote when the time came for payment. The bride and groom had to pivot and select a different menu to stay on budget.

The rain option (plan B) was a separate event space and we were told if no one had booked it. It would be made available for our use. Less than 1 month prior to the wedding the bride checked and was willing to put down a deposit for this additional space but was told not to worry. That no one had booked it and probably wouldn’t. Then on the Sunday before the wedding she received a text from the event coordinator that there was interest in the space and that if they wanted it for the 30 minute ceremony they would have to put down $1000 to secure it.

The event coordinator was snarky with me personally when she was late to the rehearsal and on several other occasions. She stopped communicating almost entirely with the bride. For someone in a manager level position she lacked the organizational and interpersonal skills required to handle herself professionally and did not represent the company well.

The correct tables were not set up at the rehearsal and we were reassured that it would be taken care of by the morning. We were unable to set up the guest book/memories/and seating table as planned. So several members of the brides family came early the next morning to do that. But the tables were still not set up as promised. So they handled it day of.

Also, at the rehearsal we were informed that regardless of the weather we would not be permitted to hold the ceremony outside as planned. It had rained hard on Friday and the grounds would be too wet to be on Saturday. As this is a golf course we were upset but again pivoted. That is until we arrived Saturday and not only was there golfers out on the grounds but the golf carts as well. Really goes to show you the priority of the venue is not to deliver on what was promised.

I would strongly advise any couple to consider alternative location for their special day! And hopefully the management team is able to address these egregious wrong doings to better serve their clientele...