Our experience with Silent Grove Weddings was extremely disappointing, particularly regarding the condition of the venue and the handling of our security deposit.
Before and durin...g our wedding, we encountered several issues with the venue that were not what we expected based on our experience booking it. The barn had multiple gaps in the walls that allowed bugs inside. The day before our wedding, my mom and I had to wipe bugs off the tables before decorating. On our wedding day, after the tables had been decorated, there were numerous dead bugs on the tablecloths, napkins, and silverware. We had to go back through the tables and clean them before our guests could use them.
The ceremony benches were also in very poor condition, with ripped and broken wood that made some of our guests uncomfortable sitting on them. We had previously been told that the tops of the benches would be redone before our wedding, but that was not completed.
After the wedding, we were informed that our entire security deposit would be retained because of an alleged flooded upstairs bathroom and wine stains on the concrete floor. I respectfully requested photographs documenting the alleged damage, as well as an itemized breakdown of the cleaning or restoration costs. I also explained that several people had attempted to locate a plunger during the reception but could not find one. We were not provided with documentation showing what specifically caused the flooding or what damage resulted from it.
As of this review, the owner has not responded to my request for photographs or documentation regarding the alleged damages, and our security deposit has not been returned.
I understand that venues need to protect their property, and I would have been willing to discuss any legitimate damage supported by documentation. However, retaining an entire security deposit without providing the documentation I requested left us extremely frustrated, especially considering the pre-existing maintenance and cleanliness issues we experienced during our wedding.
I would strongly encourage anyone considering this venue to carefully review the security-deposit terms in the contract, document the condition of the venue before the event, and ask questions about how damages and cleanup are documented and charged.
Our wedding day itself was incredibly special because of the people we celebrated with, but our experience with the venue and the handling of our deposit was not what we expected.