I don't write one star reviews, but I have a friend who is currently wedding planning and went to this establishment for a tour and experienced such blatantly rude, ignorant and xenophobic behavior that I feel like I have to write a review just to warn/prepare prospective wedding planners. First off, the venue coordinator was generally rude and condescending the entire time, asking my friend repeatedly if he had read the email she had sent them, while also commenting on the fact that she expected them to have more questions? Wedding planning is obviously stressful but part of the job is customer service and you can NOT be actively rude! Anytime they asked a question that she clearly didn't have a good answer to she would downplay it by responding condescendingly and make them feel weird for asking . One example that felt particularly alarming to me was that my friend asked if they have any single person restrooms to accommodate non-binary guests, or families. She responded by saying that "we've never had that issue before, we've had trans here before but they just used the mens room". While I won't try to begin to unpack all of the insane parts of that response, I just want to say that a normal and sane way to respond would have been "yes, we have single person bathrooms" or "no we do not have single person bathrooms". Then at another point in the tour, my friend asked what the biggest issue they tend to have at the venue is. I feel like this is a common enough question that event planners and owners of venues should have a quick response to, but instead this woman again had an alarming reply. She basically said that "timing" is difficult because some people run late which makes things complicated at the venue, and then she SPECIFICALLY said that "island people" (read: black people) tend to run late and that's causes issues. Not only did that not answer the question at all, she basically said "problems that this venue has? Well when we host black people there are problems". Excuse me????? Who do you think you are??? Literally writing this is making me laugh out loud at how ridiculous of a response that is. The only reason my friend toured this place was because he had gone to a wedding here before, and ironically after this insane experience he called that friend and she told him that while she loved her wedding 100% if she could do it again she would do it somewhere else because the venue coordinator was so awful. Apparently local businesses also avoid working with this place because of this woman. Overall, this was just a horribly and unnecessarily awkward experience for my friend, and I just hope that any couple looking at venues reads this before touring to spare them the stress of having to meet with this woman. Its a HUGE shame too because it really is a stunning venue! They should just get new planners :) read more

Independence Harbor out in Assonet, MA is a nice place for an outdoor wedding. Flowers were a blooming in August. While we weren't allowed to begin arriving till the half hour leading up to the ceremony, they had plenty of parking and a nice site. The ceremony was held at their classic white gazebo, then we were led indoors into the banquet hall with 16 large round tables each able to seat 10 guests, and a long table along the side for the wedding party. Beautiful carved floral decorations were set about the stationary displays while smaller carvings were to be found on the trays carried about. The passed appetizers were pretty tasty. The chowder was okay. The prime rib and accompanying sides were pretty good. Service was fine. read more

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It's been a long time but when I went to events here it was fun and food was good also staff was helpful and friendly

I've been married 2 years now and the only thing I regret was getting married here. First the two women running the administrative offices (the Dunnings) are wonderful and happy to take my money. Grounds are beautiful. The issues I had is they won't let you choose your own catering, staff was extremely unprofessional and no follow up. I thought ok they must have great caters. They invited me to a brunch with delicious food only to serve reheated food for your wedding. Trust me your food will not taste like that at all!!!!! The lovely ladies pushed my wedding off to be managed my this guy who "helped" the day of the wedding. he was drunk that day we met and the day of my wedding. I will just say he smelled of strong alcohol. The day of, I got there panicking and he was trying to rush me out and I told him I wasn't walking without my sister here so he had to deal with it. My cousin was the hype man and he tried to interject with that too until I intervened. They brought out appetizers maybe 3x not enough to feed my guest, the took away the fruit and cheese very quickly. I got the prime steak and it was so hard that if you throw it could cause permanent injuries. They also forgot my dessert and cookies. When I reminded him he bought out frozen cookies and desserts. I was disgusted after seeing a waitstaff hitting a cookie with a knife to joke with another waitstaff. The also didn't hand out my party wands for after we said "I do". All the other reviews makes me feel like we was treated like this because we are people of color. No one called to follow up and say how did everything go, or anything. The staff is not diverse at all. I do not suggest this banquet hall to any couple especially if you are a different ethnicity. Never again read more

Attention overwhelmed brides who are in the process of looking for a venue!!! I am here to help. Let me give you some information about this one... The FAQ section of this website offers unclear information about if there's a minimum amount of guests needed or not for hosting your wedding at Independence Harbor. Since they don't adequately offer info on the minimum amount of guests on their website, I took the trouble of calling to find it out. I am here to share the knowledge I gained with you all. Basically "there is a minimum, but there isn't one." Allow me to explain, it depends on the time of year and also the amount of people. Long story short, it depends on if you have enough people that they can charge you for 100 guests or more, and if you don't have 100 guests, they will add on a surcharge of the difference, for whatever amount takes it to charge you for 100 guests. Makes sense? It did to me. But I was also given some EXTRA UNSOLICITED advice about my personal wedding! Keep reading to find out what it was!!! When I called and asked about the minimum, the lady on the phone asked me to tell her a little about my wedding. I said that I had close to 40 guests. Disclaimer!!! I know, by wedding standards that's not a large wedding, but we want an intimate wedding. She could have just said "sorry our minimum is 100 guests" and I would have happily hung up. But she didn't, after I described my guest count, she explained the, "there is but there isn't a minimum" policy. THEN she told me "We just aren't suited for a wedding like yours," followed by "Why not just have your wedding at a restaurant with those numbers? Anywhere else you call you're going to keep running into the same issue." OUCH. Wow! Unsolicited , belittling advice. Just what ever overwhelmed bride wants to hear. Please know, ma'am, I have been thinking about it for over an hour and I am not going to have my wedding at a restaurant. I never was. I deserve to have a real wedding, like all the other brides who don't have big families or loads and loads of money for the exploitative wedding industry to eat up by creating elusive minimums. Here is my unsolicited advice for your venue: list a concrete minimum on your website so that the woman who works at your desk doesn't have a chance to talk down to potential customers who call for information. I think it will save everyone a lot of trouble. read more

My daughters wedding was planned, the pandemic stopped this from occurring. The venue was completely shutdown, yet they would not refund. They would only allow a reselected date. Fast forward to the selected date and my daughter is now pregnant, the maid of honor is pregnant and the groom is deployed. They would not reimburse. A new home, a new baby and the pandemic. Independence Harbor is ruthless, heartless, and the kids had to get a lawyer to only get back a partial refund. Independence Harbor kept a large portion of the money, and the kids got nothing in return except no wedding and disappointment with the venues actions. Please think twice before booking, I feel eventually Karma should and will catch up to them. Being a past resident of Assonet for over 25 years, and supporting local businesses when there are so many options, then being kicked in the face with a business keeping money they never earned. They were told ahead of time, they never lost a dime. They now kept money, had the date open for someone else if needed, and never had to buy a thing. Shame! Karma is my wish. I will be watching faithfully for the day to arrive. read more

This place is incredible. Came here for a wedding shoot, all the staff was incredibly pleasant and kind. The venue itself was beautiful! Great place for any event! Extremely accommodating and the food was out of this world. Definitely recommended this venue to anyone ever getting married...ever. read more

Independence Harbor - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Assonet, Massachusetts

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My partner and I are 100% satisfied with our experience at Independence Harbor. We were married on a Friday night in April (6:00-11:30 PM), which means we received a discounted price at an exceptional rate. We were able to go through the entire planning process and have our night without worrying about our budget, because the venue has so many affordable options. The gardens are gorgeous, and we used the gazebo for our ceremony. The April gardens had daffodils and cherry blossom trees that were absolutely perfect for photos. We visited the venue multiple times to meet with Anne and Connie leading up to our event, and they were extremely responsive to e-mails and even met our requests to meet additional times to go over fine details - they always made time for us and worked with us to make our day everything we wanted. We attended brunches at the venue leading up to the wedding day to try food, and Anne always checked in with us at brunch to make sure we had no concerns. The wedding suite was perfect for privacy and taking photos. It gave us a space to store all our belongings and go out of sight of our guests as needed. Our guests have been raving about the food since the wedding day. Complimenting the appetizers (the beef Wellington is absolutely worth the price upgrade), as well as the Caesar salad (we swapped out the garden salad for Caesar salad at our buffet). People were claiming that the Dijon chicken, fish, and lasagna were incredible. The dessert was out and taken away a little too fast, but that is also because people were busy dancing and didn't necessarily pay attention. The venue looked gorgeous, great transition from outdoor to indoor, excellent food, and AMAZING price. Many people have had weddings here over the years, so of course you hear rumors and complaints, but unless you have attended a recent wedding here within the past year, do not make judgements and totally take advantage of this absolute gem of a venue. read more

Absolutely beautiful grounds for an outside wedding All the food was great. Cheese & Crackers with fruit station very nice. Appetizers were super....stuffed mushrooms, scallops wrapped in bacon and cocoanut shrimp. Dinners were also fantastic.... Prime rib and stuffed chicken. Only one issue was having only one bartender for 130 people wedding party. Just not enough. Too long of a wait. read more

I went to Independence Harbor for the first time as a wedding guest on Jan 5, 2019. It was pouring when we went in to it was hard to get a grasp on the outdoor decor, but they had the trees lining the walkway all lit up and a beautiful gazebo decorated for Christmas. The interior was a bit dated, but definitely a step up from the basic banquet hall and the food and service was excellent. The dance floor was a decent size and the stone fireplace created a nice ambiance. I have heard their gardens are beautiful in the spring and summer, so I'd love to go back and check it out. read more

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I'm Roland of Roland video and photo out of Dedham, Massachusetts. I have covered 2 weddings here in Independence harbor. The venue is great as it was really created and designed for a wedding. In both weddings I covered here, the guess just had so much fun in the dancing floor. The fireplace area was wider than other fireplace areas in the other venues that I covered. So it was a great place to take those big family shots. The stone veneers in fireplace made it more nicer as it looked like a fireplace in a vacation house but only a lot wider. And the good thing is that it works during the wedding. There were lots of flowers outside. I guess the management must have a full time gardener taking care of the flowering plants and the lawn. I also like the French doors. All in all, everything went smooth. A recommend for me. The ceiling was not too high which is good for me as a photographer as I can easily bounce light from the flash. read more

I called to book Eater Brunch for two people. The rude person taking the reservations refused and said reservations under six were not allowed. I don't understand how they can discriminate this way. Some people are older and most of their family and friends are gone. Does this mean they can not enjoy a brunch with the only person they have left in their life? I think this is cruel and very discriminating. I hope the person who rudely answered the phone and the management that implemented this policy all end up alone someday with nowhere to go on a holiday. read more

I loved the grounds and was hoping to have my wedding here. We wanted to give a deposit but was told they couldn't book until exactly two years before. On the two year mark I called to book and was told my date and time was already taken.. I was very upset as I had expressed interest in that date and time but wasn't allowed to hold the date. The least they could have done would be to call me before it were booked. I also felt that they were not flexible at all as far as time frames and outside vendors. It's very upsetting that they do business this way as the grounds are so amazing. After reading other reviews it appears I have dodged a bullet. read more

As many other reviewers have previously stated, the owners and staff of this venue are incredibly difficult, rude and irrational. Be warned.

First off, had a great time here. So, if the wedding couple reads this: none of this reflects on you! Now, where's the harbor? Was here for a wedding. I understand people doing half-open then cash bars, but I don't understand a place that probably charges an arm and a leg to the wedding couple (just a guess, the place is nice) and then bilks their guests too. $8 for a well liquor martini, $5 for Bud Light, disappointed. Beautiful grounds, simple building, nice bartenders. read more

I am planning my wedding for this year here. We booked years in advance. The staff has always kept us updated on the diffrent steps that we needed to take We stopped in for breakfast one time and we were blown away. I am sure that all my expectations will be met... and next time I update will be after the wedding so I am sure that you'll all find out the good news... read more

Not a fan of this place. However, it had beautiful grounds but but service was not that great. The bartenders (who were discussing that they all worked their a LONG time) made the worst drinks ever. I and another woman agreed that our drinks tasted like water. The glasses were tiny and FILLED with ice so by the time they put a little alcohol in it, the ice melted. Not to mention the guys' warm beers. Dinner took forever to come out. We didn't eat until 10pm and the food wasn't even that good. It's a good think I love the people who got married or it would have been one terrible night! PS It had a tiny dance floor too. read more

I attended a family wedding here this past weekend and it was amazing! Usually it's a "you've seen one wedding you've seen them all", but this one was different. The grounds were gorgeous and the perfect backdrop to highlight the beauty of an amazing couple getting married. However, as lovely as the venue is that's not what separated Independence Harbor from others. The staff was so very kind and attentive to all of the guests. As I was very noticeably pregnant one of the staff offered me ginger ale for the champagne toast so I could still participate in toasting a great couple. When I asked for decaf coffee it arrived within 5 minutes when a request like that at other venues could easily have taken 20 minutes. And finally when we had to leave a little earlier than we would have liked, a wait staff offered to box a few pieces of cake for us (which was much appreciated for an overly pregnant woman as you can imagine). And the food was phenomenal! Definitely a great venue and worth taking a look! Thank you so much for a wonderful evening for my beautiful aunt and new uncle! read more

Went here for a wedding the other day. The grounds are gorgeous, but do not wear pointy heels as the weddings are outdoors and you will sink into the grass. The food was ok, but service was uneven. My date was without his salad for a good 10 minutes while the rest of us had already been served. The dance floor is small, but serviceable. We had a lot of tall people and they were almost unable to jump around a lot :) As others have mentioned, the liquor costs a ton and they don't give you a lot of it unless you get a martini. The other staff were quite helpful in getting the dress bustle to look nice. read more

Wedding venue was gorgeous!! Bartender was rude, so rude in fact that I only tipped him the first time I went to the bar. He behaved as though we were putting him out. Sort of disappointing..... read more

So, we just met with Connie from Independence Harbor to look at the venue for our wedding. All I can say is: attitude check!!! We went to IH for brunch to scope out the potential wedding venue in the fall, and then today had an appointment to meet and talk about some wedding details. The food when we went to brunch was fine, and the grounds are beautiful. Connie reminded me of a used car salesman. She walked and talked really quickly, refused to actually listen to my questions, and looked at me in disdain when I had to pause and collect myself. She made me feel like an idiot for asking her questions (it's not like most people plan a wedding more than once, so sometimes you have to ask questions that people may think are silly. I've been to other venues, and all of our questions were answered with care and concern. Not with Connie!) Not to mention, she kept mocking my wedding date for the day and time we chose. Every time I asked a standard question, like "what's the typical timeframe out that people book the venue" or "do you have a deposit fee", I was met with sarcasm and rolled eyes, like she was better than us or something. Like, sure, that's a way to get and keep customers (sarcasm heavily here) Buyer beware if you're looking to get married there. I've never felt so rushed or anxious looking at a venue. I'm happy to say we are certainly crossing you off our list!!! I would give the grounds and the food a three or three and a half, but Connie? If I could give her no stars, I certainly would. read more

I just got married this past weekend (May 22, 2010) and my wedding was approximately 150 people. We must have received about 152 compliments on the selection of the wedding site. The grounds are absolutely spectacular. So much so that you'll understand that they pay meticulous detail to keeping the grounds immaculate. The staff was very helpful and accommodating throughout the entire ceremony. We were never rushed and never felt that there was something being left undone. We chose it because of the ability to have all in one place a beautiful outdoor garden ceremony, patio cocktail hour, a delicious indoor dinner for 150 and an appropriate dance floor with a stage for the band. The flowers on the grounds were gorgeous so even the pictures the family took are stunning. Definitely highly recommended. read more

I called to make reservations for Mother's Day Brunch for a party of 6. We have been multiple times in the past. The women on the phone was not pleasant from the start and said they only have large tables left and they require 7 people. Seems like she made up that number 7 off the top of her head, but it was her attitude that bothered me. Coincidently I was going to also ask about booking the venue for my wedding, but due to their lack of customer service, I think I will pass. read more

Looking for a place for a friend get married and came to this place to see what was theirs wedding packages... First of all the lady that guide us had a really bad attitude, making us feel unwelcome... At the end a second lady came to take over and she was pleasant. This place looks better outside than inside. read more

Excellent wedding spot. Beautiful grounds winter and summer. A cut above many wedding venues as it feels very fresh and professionally decorated, not tired or neglected. Helpful and professional staff take the stress out of the wedding day itself. Very well run and highly recommended. read more

We had our wedding here last October, I can't say enough good things about this place!! The staff were outstanding to work with, providing guidance & assistance whenever called upon. The grounds are stunning, the food was delicious & very well prepared, and quite honestly this place was extremely affordable with multiple options for wedding packages. If you're thinking of a great wedding spot, they have a brunch on the first Sunday of every month. Do yourself a favor & check it out, you will not be disappointed! read more

Ah the Harbor, what can I say other than at end of July, the flowers look awesome, and you should make it a point of getting yourself invited to a wedding here. (or make it to the sunday brunch they have once a month, not sure if they still do that, call first) Be sure to try the honey mustard chicken, lasagna, and tortellini soup. Great staff! read more

I was nervous about using Independence Harbor after reading some the negative reviews here on yelp, but I didn't have anything but positive experiences at this venue. Anne and Connie stayed in constant communication with me since the day I booked the venue, answering all my questions and even helping me along the way with suggestions. Even on my big day, as I was running about 25 minutes behind schedule, the 'day of' staff was calm, cool and collected. Matt and Stephanie made my wedding day flow so easily and were so kind and helpful, no one would have known that we were running late. Guests loved the food, especially the icecream bar and packing up at the end of the night was the fastest I've ever seen. Two huge thumbs up for IH and their staff. read more

My wife and I recently had our wedding here in June after a year of planning and everything from the venue to the food, staff, and the planning process was exceptional. Our guests were thrilled with Independence Harbor's venue and everyone complimented us on the mashed potato bar, the prime rib and chicken main courses, and the ice cream bar dessert. The staff was extremely friendly in planning and coordinating our busy day and our vendors had no issues in working with Independence Harbor. My wife and I highly recommend them both for quality and value and we hope our friends have weddings there so we can enjoy the location again. read more

I had my wedding reception here on 12/01/18, 5:30-11:00pm and everyone had a great time! One thing I really wish we could have done differently was added extra time to our reception. They do not allow any additional time no matter what. The bar was closed at 10:30, the reception ended at 11, and everyone had to be out by 11:30pm. When the DJ played the last song, our guests were shocked that the night was over and they were being kicked out. I really really wish we could have had more time. As for everything else.. Everyone loved the food! When we booked our date, we were given a certificate to go to their brunch buffet to taste some of the food options they had. We ended up picking the Chicken Portuguese and the Prime Rib. Both were to come with mashed potatoes and veggies but I requested that the chicken come with rice/veggies and they did it with no problem! The cheese/cracker/fruit display was amazing as it was decorated with food carvings! We also had soup and salad, and the salad dressing was delicious! I was very impressed with the soup, it was so good and it was a full bowl (not just a little half-filled cup)! I was nervous that we couldn't taste the soup or any appetizers before the wedding but everything came out great!! (we had veggie egg rolls, stuffed mushroom caps, tomato bruschetta, and chicken and pineapple skewers!! So good!) I also loved the grounds, even for December everything looked beautiful and they had lights in the trees and the gazebo! While planning Anne and Connie were very very flexible with certain things, but somewhat strict with others (but during the night of it wasn't a big deal!). We were able to set up as many meetings as we wanted, and even when we asked the same questions at each meeting they always answered them and helped us make decisions (we booked our wedding two years in advance so it was no wonder that I had forgotten the answers to the questions we had asked 1+ years ago!) In addition, Anna and Connie always answered our emails very promptly! In the week prior to our wedding we met Matt who was there on the night of our wedding, and he really was awesome to work with! He explained everything to us and answered all of our last-minute questions! The night of our wedding the staff was great! very attentive and friendly! Over all it was a great night and we thank Independence harbor for helping to make our special night so amazing! read more

We had our wedding here and I couldn't of been more happier with the food and attentive service!

What a great place for a wedding!! Beautiful grounds to have the service. The reception hall was well designed. The food was great.

Went for Easter Brunch..Buffet was limited and over priced.. We were a party of 18 and everyone agreed it was our Worst Brunch as we go out every year and try different places..The manager actually quoted us the wrong price over phone and did not make good for it as she said her phone rings all day and sometimes she just quotes estimates.. Manager was absoutely horrible and to think she is the owners wife.. Would highly NOT recommend this place!!! It left a Very bad taste to say the least!!!! read more

Ok let me start off with this...Independence Harbor was not my first choice to have our wedding and just for the simple fact that I had 2 of my family members also have their weddings there so I was looking for some place different....that's all. Well... When push comes to shove and your Mother says "I am paying for this, it's in budget, and I like it there.". Well we didn't really have a lot of say at that point. Well...mothers know best and there has got to be a reason why my family members both had their weddings there because the venue and the staff were amazing!!! Did I mention how amazing the staff is...Connie, Anne, Matt, and Martha all the praise in the world for them and the rest of the staff! My mom isn't made of money so I knew I had to stay in budget. We had our wedding the third Sunday in March of this year, an afternoon wedding. Because it was still there "off season" we had our dream wedding at a fraction of the price and we didn't scrimp when it came to the details of the food and booze for that day. We had around 120 people I can't begin to tell you how many people to this day keep raving about our wedding...how great it was, how amazing the food was, how wonderful the staff was, how beautiful the place was, etc. If you have read the other posts from Yelpers everyone talks about how breath taking the grounds are there and it is no exaggeration, even in the middle of a so so New England March and if you live around here you all know how crappy the month of March can be (cause the week before my wedding we had a big snow storm!) Those grounds there were immaculate and gorgeous! You could probably eat off the ground itself that is how perfect they look! Even with no leaves on the trees and a little tiny bit of snow in the back ground our wedding pictures near the river were breath taking! Thank goodness it was a nice, warm, sunny day. For a bride and groom on a budget or with endless money I would highly recommend this place to anyone. The staff knows what they are doing, they are very helpful and kind and at first it may seem like they have a lot of "rules" but they are in place to make your special day go off with out a hitch. Trust me this is what these people do for a living and the fact that they only do one function a day is great because you know all their focus is on your day. read more

I had my wedding here. The grounds are beautiful, the staff nice and the food is delicious. But... The owners and day of wedding coordinator are rude and not professional at all. Anyone having a wedding here should know what they are getting into. Expect a beautiful, if badly run cookie cutter wedding and rude upper management. My husband and I experienced some of this rudeness directly, but what appalled me most was that I received complaints about this venue after the wedding from my guests and wedding vendors as well! To start, two of my relatives stopped by mid-afternoon to take a quick look at the venue a couple weeks before my wedding since they were so excited about it. As they were walking up the pathway, they noticed the outdoor area was being set up for a wedding. They were barely inside the grounds when they were accosted by the owner asking what they wanted. They explained they were passing by and wanted to take a peek at the place. Instead of telling them they weren't open to tours right then because they were setting up for a wedding, the owner told them that they were "trespassing" and had them escorted off the property like criminals. On the wedding day itself, one of my vendors reported to me that they arrived at the venue to set up and as soon as they set foot on the property, the owner spotted them and without asking who they were, immediately told them they didn't belong there. They also said the wedding coordinator was unhelpful and spent more time complaining about his wedding couples than actually doing his job. When he made a personal complaint about my husband & I, the vendor got mad and told him off. A completely different vendor told us this same coordinator was snappy towards them as they were trying to do their job. This coordinator was in charge of making sure the processional went smoothly (as we were assured it would be). We were given a form to fill out before the wedding on the order of the processional and who was escorting whom. This was COMPLETELY ignored the day of the wedding! The groom and pastor were sent out AFTER all the groomsmen were sent down the aisle. I've never heard of such a thing. The groom is always at the alter before the processional starts. To make matters worse, the groomsmen were supposed to be escorting the bridesmaids down the aisle. I chose couples instead of single file because the ceremony was outdoors and I didn't want my bridesmaids walking down the grassy aisle alone in their heels. Without the men to hold onto, one of my girls fell down twice and all the bridesmaids had to kick off their shoes before continuing. The bridesmaid that fell twice could've easily sprained her ankle. Coordinator FAIL One personal experience we had was a sit down discussion with one of the female owners. We asked her about the price for children. She told us 3 & under was free. For older kids, it was the same as the lowest priced adult meal. Then she CONTINUED and rudely gave us her unwelcomed opinion that children shouldn't be invited to weddings at all and that she didn't think they belonged there. Wow... way to make all my guests feel welcome, lady. We then asked what they gave to kids under 3 for food (I was thinking she would say something like a fruit cup & a chicken tender). She blinked at us and said "nothing." So if they are two & 1/2 years old, dinner is unnecessary and wasted on them. If you're a child under 3, you apparently starve or beg for scraps off your parents' plates. Needless to say, I'm not impressed and neither were several of the vendors and guests. If you do choose to go with this venue for your wedding, then your wedding will be beautiful and the food delicious but expect bad coordination and ill mannered owners. read more

Went here for a preview brunch to see the space and meet to coordinator to discuss potentially having our wedding there. The grounds are lovely, but you really don't see the harbor. Our waitress was a sweetheart and very helpful. The reception site was okay, with a very small dance floor. The bar is just outside the reception site. The food, was okay, but genetic brunch stuff, though the fruit was really delicious. Our problem begins when we finally speak with the coordinator. I believe her name was Connie. In her emails she seemed nice enough, but upon meeting her....WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! She was snippy, rude, seemed annoyed to be there and seemed to immediately assume that our wedding would not make their venue enough money, only because I mentioned we might not be more than 85ppl ( I know that they have a minimal balance we would need to spend and was willing to pay it, but she wasn't willing to hear me out before rudely dismissing our event). She said that " it wouldn't be worth " bringing in their staff for any less than 100 people. I rather have a smaller wedding and pay for the extra staff to make sure that everything ran smooth and that our guests didn't feel crowded. We would have probably booked our wedding that very day, but Connie made me feel so bad about having a smaller budget and a smaller wedding that I left feeling horrible and with a horrible taste in my mouth. The only good thing about the whole experience was our waitress who was kind, and gracious and who should really be promoted to be the events coordinator instead ( even she noticed how upset I was after meeting Connie, she tried to make the rest of our brunch go well, and tried to turn it around, but it was too late. ) Not sure what we did to make Connie be so rude to us, but it just made us realize that we can go spend our money someplace else that won't judge us by the size or our wedding. Good luck to anyone getting married there and dealing with her. read more

We returned here recently for a family celebration. Once again, the food is terrific. Also, eye catching is the beautiful grounds with an overabundance of blooming flowers. Back to the food ... enjoyed the roast beef at the carving station and side dishes. If available for an appetizer, go for macaroni and cheese served in a martini glass then chose your own toppings. It is like making your own sundae. Service was attentive and professional. read more

My daughter and I brought my husband here to celebrate Father Day. What a wonderful place. The atmosphere is lovely. The grounds are gorgeous, we even took some beautiful pictures of us. It was our first time here. The Father Day Brunch is delicious. The prime rib, delicious, an abundance of wonderful food, salads, pasta dishes, chicken dish, eggs benedict all very good. The desert just perfect. Now for the service. OUTSTANDING!!!!!!! Thank you all so much, my husband enjoyed his Father's Day Brunch so much! See you again for another brunch for sure! read more

Independence Harbor has the best grounds i have seen in some time!The food was great and the staff was there when i needed them.The only real compliant sorry to say is one of the managers I think his name was Matt.Was half the time staring at my youngest child she was only 18.I just was trying my best to be a good guest for my friends wedding.At any rate i did have a good time and dance with my wife:) read more

My husband and I got married at Independence Harbor last month, and we cannot say enough good things about this place! We had been looking for a venue for nearly a year, and we just couldn't find a place that had some personality as well as enough room for our large guest list. As soon as we saw this place, we knew this was our venue. First of all, the grounds are spectacular. The flowers are pristine and changed out each season so there is always an abundance of colorful blooms. We had our ceremony in the garden at the gazebo, but there is also a beautiful stone fireplace inside the function room where they will conduct the wedding ceremony in foul weather or during the winter. The dance floor looks a bit small, but our guest list was rather large and we all had plenty of room to dance around (usually very, VERY badly!). There is also an outside deck full of comfy chairs where guests can chat and get some air, and it was so beautiful the night of our wedding that we made great use of it. I read a few bad reviews about the bar service, but they must have made some serious changes since then, because we had many guests come to us to tell us how strong their drinks were, and how generously portioned as well. Trust me, there were no watered-down drinks! The food was PHENOMENAL. We chose a buffet with a lot of crowd-pleasing options (prime rib, pork loin, and lobster risotto...so yummy!). Once again, people were stopping by the table - sometimes more than once as people were going for seconds and thirds! - to rave about the food. We also had an ice cream sundae buffet for dessert, and that was excellent. There was one weird thing: they keep the bridal suite locked and don't let you leave anything in there. This led to a couple of awkward situations, as the bridesmaids and I had changes of shoes with us, and one of them had a breast pump, and we had to leave it all at our tables! The other awkward situation this caused was when the woman who attended to me and my husband, who was excellent at what she did, tried to bustle my dress on the deck as I was talking to guests....without even checking with me. It was very uncomfortable (especially since I was talking to mostly male guests!), but she was trying to be helpful, as my sister-in-law was using her breast pump in the bridal suite and this woman apparently was under the impression that she wouldn't want me or the other bridesmaids in the room while she did so. We are all related and very close, so I wish the attendant had just asked me what I would prefer to do, rather than trying to crawl under the back of my dress on the deck! The rest of the evening was so perfectly lovely that this just gave us a good story to laugh about. We had a tremendous time and I would highly recommend Independence Harbor to anyone looking for a beautiful wedding venue with a lot of character. read more