I want to start off my saying, my wedding was absolutely beautiful. Getting to the day of my wedding was an absolute disaster that no bride wants to endure. The lack of communicati...on coming from anybody at The Meritage Resort was absolutely terrible.
I met with Tracee (the senior event sales manager at the time) to see the venue and received emails back right away. I was given 50% off the site fee, waived champagne cutting, and waived cake cutting. I received the first contract, with the entire site fee. I forward my email about the 50% off, contract is changed, so I sign it. After that I don’t hear from Tracee. I’m suppose to be receiving a link to book rooms with the discounted code, crickets. I send multiples emails, no response. I finally get a response back (months) later and get introduced to Sara. All is well, until the tasting. I send dates for the tasting, I don’t hear back. I keep emailing and finally get the tasting booked and then the week before I receive an email at 4 pm. Saying I need to have my selections in by 5 pm otherwise the chef might not be able to accommodate our selections. Shouldn’t I have been given a little more time? Tasting goes well, now onto the wedding weekend.
Starting off, we had our welcome dinner at the Vintner’s Deck. After an hour of standing around, all my guests decide to seat themselves since no one was there to let us know food was ready. That continues the rest of the night, as no one was clearing plates, refilling water, refilling the food. The food was left out in 90 degree weather, (charcuterie boards without ice? Lol). On top of that, the food was absolutely disgusting. What was suppose to be a $15,000 meal (charcuterie board, pasta dishes, burrata station).
For that price, I could have made the most luxurious charcuterie board you have ever seen. Instead I got slices of bologna, salami, and olives. I had guests talking about hitting up Taco Bell after it was over. Talk about embarrassing. When complaining about the night and my worries for my wedding the following day, Sara offered a comped lane at the bowling alley. So all 75 of my guests could go share a lane after having the most disgusting meal. I was also told the bartender went over an hour and we wouldn’t be charged. Was I suppose to tell the bar tender what time to leave?
Now onto the wedding day… Every bride wants a stress free day to drink champagne and get ready with their friends/family. What did I have? A day filled with Sara (the Senior Event Services Manager) calling me and my mom all day about paying the bill. The bill I never received. The bill that should have been paid months before the wedding. So all day, Sara is calling, yelling at myself and my mom. Also I failed to mention before, but the week of the wedding I’m receiving emails saying it’s going to be an extra 1k for table set up, extra money for alcohol, cake cutting (which was a waived fee in my contract) was suddenly $5 a person, bartender went from $200 to $250. I understand costs happen, but when items are in the contract how can that be raised? I wanted a breakdown of every charge for the day, because they were trying to go over my head and charge all these extra’s. I never once declined the bill, I just wanted a breakdown. That shouldn’t be too much to ask for.
Other annoyances from the day, I was taking a car up to the ceremony at the Vintner’s deck. Sara tried to tell my PREGNANT sister she couldn’t ride in the car and had to walk up the hill. Absolutely not. It was only my dad and me in an SUV.
We never received the champagne toast that was a “waived fee”. Talk about embarrassing when you have speeches going and there’s no champagne on the tables. They ran out of appetizers during cocktail hour. Especially when I specially requested to have more than allotted for. During my wedding, a server came up to me and asked if it’s okay to charge us for the cake to be cut. Something that should have been waived (twice) and they are asking me, the bride, DURING my wedding?!
The day after the wedding, my in-laws had booked to stay Sunday night. At checkout time they were locked out of the room. A random employee was walking by and we said we were locked out of our room and needed to get in. He didn’t even ask our names or any information, just unlocked the door and let us in. They had overbooked the venue and apparently my in laws were the chosen ones to get kicked out.
Here we are, 8 MONTHS LATER, still dealing with all the wedding crap that should have been done way in advance. I had a few different employees people reach out to me the last few months about paying the bill. Each time, I responded asking for the breakdown, and would receive no response. Finally, the last lady sent the bill and said I would be going to collections if it wasn’t paid. Once again, asked for the breakdown and finally received it with the full amount of the rehearsal dinner when I was given a discount because of how horrendous it was. I had to send screenshots of the exchange stating it would be discounted. I paid the bill once that change was made and I’m just so happy to be done with the Meritage.
I would never recommend this venue to any bride. I will never recommend this hotel to another person coming to Napa. I should be coming back for my anniversary, but due to the level of disrespect that was received to not only me, but my entire family, I will never come back to the Meritage Resort. There are tons of other beautiful locations in Napa to get married at, I would suggest that. And if you do choose to get married here, keep a copy of every single receipt, transaction, and text/email exchange.