The Founders Inn and Spa

Booked them for my wedding and ceremony. I planned my wedding in a short period of time and they were so flexible. I was having a small wedding (50 people) and they worked with me as the number kept creeping up higher and higher. We ended up with 80 people! We had the ceremony in the Atrium and it was beautiful!! All of my guests enjoyed the food. The service was great! It is so nice. Lisa Aguiler is the best and really helped keep me on track. We had a pre-wedding meeting a week before the wedding and they really thought of EVERYTHING!! The caterer was the greatest!!

Be sure to get confirmation in writing of all wedding expectations from the facility providing services.

I have little good to say beyond the food is very good and the site is gorgeous. We were married around the holidays and it looked absolutely amazing. However that's where the fairy tale wedding I was planning ended. My coordinator suddenly stopped returning phone calls, e-mails and had absoultely no communication with anyone less than 2 months before the wedding. I called over and over again with no response. Finally a week before the wedding someone called me back. To my horror everything we had done was lost! They didn't even have the date correct. The menu was gone, the seating, virtually everything. I am aware that it was no fault of the person who took over my event, but someone should have returned a phone call much much sooner. I put so much faith into this place that I thought would be my dream wedding location only to be sadly let down. The day of my wedding I walked down the aisle with 5 mouth ulcers! I have NEVER had an ulcer until this. I would like to believe that this mess will soon be sorted out and future brides will be more lucky than I and some others but I am skeptical. At times it was wonderful, but the lack of professionalism was unreal. If an even planner is no longer in the department then their voicemail and e-mail should be forwarded to the manager, or who ever is in charge of this, not left to collect messages that no one will ever check. And you would think that the planner's clients would be contacted immediately and informed of this change, but that never happened either. I don't reccomend this site, not until they go through some serious changes.

Since childhood, every girl dreams of her wedding day: a flawless ceremony, delicious culinary creations, and breathtaking details. When my soon-to be Husband and I found the Founders Inn, we knew immediately that it would be our ideal location. The menu online looked superb and the resort location was perfect for our out of town guests. Upon our meeting to book with Charlese, she was busy and late. What we didn?t realize then, it was just the beginning of the lack of organization and professionalism required to host a successful event. Over the following months, multiple emails and phone calls were made to Charlese regarding the details of our date, many of which were never returned. It took my wedding planner, Malissa Murphy to get any sort of response from Charlese. On the day of the wedding, we were put in a conference room above the atrium. The room was steaming with heat and after three calls to the front desk, nothing was done. Further, we requested a mirror and we were told, ?there were no mirrors available.? While my bridesmaids, parents, photographer and I were all running back in forth to the bathroom for mirrors, there was a wedding going on below us. I felt sorry for that bride, because I know her guests must have been distracted by what was going on above. The 5:00pm wedding below was too closely booked to our 6:00pm starting time. Therefore, at 5:50pm there will still no chairs set up for my ceremony because they were still using them for her ceremony. This caused chaos because no one knew where to sit or where to place their gifts, the ushers didn?t know how to direct our guests, and it made the Founders Inn look unsystematic. During the cocktail hour, tens of guests commented that there were not ANY appetizers. A few of the guests did get one chicken skewer and when asked for seconds were told, ?we are out.? That is mortifying. How can you have a cocktail hour with nothing to eat? My husband and I didn?t even get any appetizers, not even a bottle of water. In our contract it stated during our photo session, we would be giving nonalcoholic drinks and appetizers. The three bites of each that were put out, were eaten before my husband and I even saw them. Once inside the reception, we immediately noticed there was no fish. We paid per person for Rockfish amongst other entrees under our contract and there was no seafood. A few of our aunts only eat fish, so some of our guests were stuck with nothing. Not only was it a breach of contract, but a huge embarrassment. Feeling so overwhelmed, we made our way over to the bar where we noticed two more unbelievable mishaps. None of our requested beers were present and the bar tender had put out a tip jar (after being instructed not to do so). Later, the DJ announced it was time for the ?cigar bar.? [Charlese suggested the cigar bar during one of our earlier meetings. It was in our contract that the Founders would provide cigars and we would provide guillotines and matches.] Not only were there less than ten cigars, but also the matches were nowhere to be found! So, tons of people were asking the wedding party, the servers and me ?Where are the cigars?? And yet, for another time that evening, guests were told, ?we are out.? Yet, by that time it was too late, everyone had felt the stress and discomfort. After the night ended, I was informed that the Founders Inn gave the kitchen an incorrect and outdated contract. Therefore, the contract used was not signed and not agreed upon. With it being over a month since out October 17th wedding date, I have not received one apology, one dollar in refund, or one ounce of recognition in fault. One could only assume that an institution such as the Founders Inn would be prompt in rectifying this problem. In the mean time, I want to make sure that no other brides will have their wedding day ruined by this utterly disorganized location. UPDATE**** Under a new catering manager, the Founders Inn DID apologize and we can to an agreeable settlement. It seems that they are taking the time and the effort to ensure wedding mishaps like mine will not happen to future brides.