Villari's Lakeside Restaurant

Beautiful Venue, Disappointing Planning Experience

My husband and I chose this venue because we fell in love with it, and it truly is a beautiful place to get married. Unfortunately, our planning experience did not match the quality of the venue itself. Communication throughout the planning process was frustrating and often one-sided. I frequently had to follow up for answers, and at times I received conflicting information from different staff members, making it difficult to know what to expect. Rather than feeling supported, I often felt like I was inconveniencing the staff by asking questions about my own wedding. The biggest challenge came the week of my wedding when my original planner resigned. While I understand that unexpected staffing changes happen, I expected a smoother transition. I had already provided detailed timelines, vendor information, and all of the logistics for our day, yet it felt like that information wasn't being carried over. Despite requesting a meeting with our maître d' before the wedding to review everything, that never happened. I eventually stopped by the venue hoping to go over final details and ask questions, but instead I was simply given another tour. None of the important logistics were reviewed, and I left feeling more uncertain than reassured. On the wedding day, the maître d' arrived late, which only added to the stress. I also have celiac disease, and I made my gluten-free dietary needs clear to multiple staff members well in advance. Even so, throughout the evening the maître d' repeatedly brought me food containing gluten. I had to keep reminding staff that I could not eat it. On one of the biggest days of my life, I shouldn't have had to worry about whether the food being served to me was safe to eat. Both my guests and I felt that the day could have been much better organized. Despite the detailed timelines and information I provided, there were moments that felt disjointed and avoidably stressful. I truly believe much of this could have been prevented with better communication and coordination. In the end, we had a wonderful wedding because of our family, friends, and vendors, but I can't honestly say the venue's planning and coordination met the expectations that come with such an important event. The venue itself is beautiful, but the level of organization, communication, and attention to detail simply did not reflect the experience we were hoping for. I hope this feedback helps improve the experience for future couples.