In planning and executing a wedding, we assumed that some things may not go as expected. This is…read moreinevitable. My husband and I are giving this five-star review not because our experience with Church Ranch Event Center was without complication, but rather because their staff handled a challenging situation concerning our wedding with grace, compassion, understanding, and follow-through.
My husband and I are a same sex couple, that were seeking a rustic-chic event space and Church Ranch's space was absolutely perfect. The outdoor area was a beautiful and unique space for our fall wedding, of 100 guests. After we paid the initial deposit to Church Ranch, we received their planning packet and were surprised that all of the language in the packet was customized for an opposite sex wedding, without options to make selections that would apply for a same-sex couples (the language referenced "brides", "maid of honor," "bridesmaids", and traditions that would not apply or be relevant to same-sex couples). This concerned us and we edited the form, as much as we could, to reflect our intentions for a same-sex wedding with persons of different genders in both wedding parties. We then went to our first wedding planning session and they had chairs setup for us, with a wrapped "bride" ribbon on one, and "groom" on the other. On the day of the rehearsal, the event planner came in and asked for the "bridal party" to stand on one side of the room. I interrupted her, stating that there was no bride and that there were two grooms.
After this third incident, we called Church Ranch, less than 24 hours before our wedding was to occur, and spoke with Lillian about our concerns. Lillian handled this difficult conversation with grace, understanding, and regret for our experience. She was not defensive for one moment and took immediate responsibility, stating that Church Ranch should and would do more training with event staff on handling same-sex weddings. That night, she contacted all of the people who would be helping at our wedding to remind them of our same-sex wedding the next day and to discuss the appropriate language to use/steps to take to ensure that the event was executed appropriately. She also indicated that Church Ranch had changed their planning forms to be inclusive for same-sex weddings, based on some comments that we previously included on our wedding planning form.
The next day, on the day of our wedding, the event planner apologized to me, in person, for the mishap during the rehearsal. Her apology was genuine and she was committed to ensuring that we had the memorable, magical, and special day that we had been planning. The event planner was very understanding, expressed remorse, was not defensive, and did everything in her power to make our special day what we had hoped for. Ultimately, on the day of our wedding, everything was executed perfectly. The venue was beautiful, our guests were so impressed, and we felt that Church Ranch created an event that honored our love and commitment, as a same-sex male couple.
We all make mistakes. Including Church Ranch. Their willingness to recognize when they make a mistake, not be defensive, and take actual steps to make the situation right, is uniquely admirable. It is refreshing to see a buisness, like Church Ranch, listening to feedback, being open to how weddings are evolving, and being willing to make changes in their operations to make sure that their customers have an amazing experience on their special day.