Running Deer Golf Club — Restaurant in Pittsgrove Township

My husband and I got married at running deer last month. We were so excited to have our wedding here and had seen so many positive reviews. We were somewhat disappointed with our experience. It was not all negative, there were so many positives. I've gone back and forth about even leaving this review because of how many things went right, but there were also more things that went wrong than there should have been.

We had a great initial experience. Kate was so helpful at our tour and through email as we nailed down our date. Jessica, the wedding coordinator/planner was great at our meeting and helped us figure out some decisions.

Our problems didn't start until the day before the wedding. We had a check mailed for our final deposit (via the bank so this was something we had proof was sent and a specific delivery date). Jessica claimed they had not received the check even though on our end it said it was delivered. This caused some stress of needing to find another form or payment and then getting confirmation our check would not be cashed once it was received since we had to pay another way. We were promised that it would not be cashed - after the wedding it ended up being cashed anyway and had to be refunded. It was also disappointing that there was very little communication about details of our wedding the couple weeks prior but that the only communication we received was about money.

On our wedding day things seemed disorganized. We found out that one or some of the staff had called out that day and there were some other people filling in. There were so many amazing staff members who helped us and made sure we had what we needed and we are so grateful. It was not all bad. Probably the biggest disappointment was when there was miscommunication between staff members and my husband saw me walk through the foyer before our ceremony.

The layout was difficult prior to the ceremony. We constantly had to make sure guests weren't around as we were walking around because they were let inside even though we were having an outdoor ceremony.

Jessica seemed absent through a lot of the disorganization. Our guests did not know where to go after the ceremony and my husband and I were not guided where to go after our photos for our entrance into the reception, so we had to hide from our guests and wait for someone to come tell us where to go, which ended up being our DJ.

Our photographer stepped in many times to do things that seemed like they should have been the venue's job.

At the end of the night they really seemed to be rushing to get us out before our contract end time. I assumed it was our end time the way it felt but once we left I noticed we still had time.

We were happy overall but we were disappointed in the disorganization. It seemed like it was an off day for them because there are so many amazing reviews!

(A huge positive was the catering staff. The food was amazing and we heard our guests say. it all night! That part was very organized...

We chose this venue for our rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and our reception venue due to its rustic feel. This venue could not have been more perfect for us. The planning process was incredibly easy to do with Miranda and Kate. They would answer my countess emails in a timely manner and with specifics on what I was looking for. They were so accommodating with any changes we wanted to make to the menu or if we wanted to do anything to decor. While we are on the subject of food, WOW just wow. There was not a menu item I didn’t like. We chose a buffet for both rehearsal and wedding dinner and it was the best option for us because we were able to get the variety we were looking for. Kate jokingly said in our final planning appointment that if our guests leave hungry then that is their fault and that could not be further from the truth. There was SO MUCH FOOD. Our guests raved about our food. Even those who don’t typically like buffets were blown away. Finally, I want to talk about the day-of. At weddings I would attend, I would typically see the bride and groom never eat nor enjoy themselves due to being pulled in multiple directions. That was never the case for us. During cocktail hour our concierge (or our fairy godmother) set out plates of cocktail hour food for us to enjoy privately before we went to mingle. It was so nice to enjoy food together alone before we socialized. For dinner, we were sent into the buffet room to pick out what we wanted to eat and it was served to our table while everyone else went up to eat. While we were dancing or talking to people, our drinks were never, NEVER empty. There is one thing I would change and these things can easily be requested for future brides. Before the ceremony, we were in the ballroom while guests were in the bar next door waiting to be able to go to our ceremony. They could see us through the bar doors and the windows and I wish we were somewhere they couldn’t see us to get the wow factor when we walk down the aisle. Regardless, I have honestly been trying to convince future brides that I know to get married there because I want to go back...

My husband and I got married at Running Deer Golf Club in April 2024, and I can’t express enough how impressed and grateful we are with this venue.

We first booked our wedding back in July 2022, and ever since they’ve been absolutely amazing to work with every step of the way. Communication was amazing, and I always got a reply to all of my emails. I don’t think I had a single email go unanswered. All of the planning milestones were very organized, clear, and easy to understand. We worked with Miranda, Kate, and Jessica ahead of our wedding, and all of our meetings and correspondences were helpful and a pleasure. They’re all so kind, enthusiastic, hard-working, helpful, and willing to answer any and all questions we’ve ever had along the way.

The wedding day staff were also amazing! Our concierge, Donna, was unbelievably helpful and just so on top of everything. She helped us from the pre-ceremony through the end of the night, and she was just fantastic. She made sure we always had enough to eat and drink and helped us be wherever we needed to be throughout the night.

Everyone at Running Deer helped our wedding day go smoothly, and it was truly the best day of our lives. And the food and drinks were fantastic! We got so many compliments from our guests. They also had the most amazing preferred vendors list, which helped us find several other incredible vendors for our wedding. Our wedding rehearsal the night before was so organized, and all of our decor on our wedding day was laid out so beautifully in the exact ways we wanted. The venue itself is rustic and so beautiful! Also, it's dog-friendly! Our dog was allowed to come for photos and the ceremony (prior to any food/drink being served).

I could go on and on about Running Deer. We 1,000% recommend this amazing venue to...