We really couldn’t have asked for a better wedding coordinator! On the day of the wedding, we were also introduced to our maitre d, Mike, and we have too many great things to say about him. He made sure my wife, our parents, and I were taken care of the entire night. Ensured everything transitioned from the cocktail hour to the reception flawlessly. Was so personable. Our guests were even coming up to us and saying how great she is. With that, we could not have worked with better people at Ballyowen. The food was amazing, the venue is absolutely beautiful. We are blown away.
Helping to manage our list of guests staying at the resort she was very responsive to emails and calls. The professionalism and experience of all the staff was so amazing, from Brett the Banquet Manager to Hector the Maitre d' to the assigned Bridal and Groom attendants made the whole weekend a fantastic affair. Even the chef came out at the reception to check on how dinner was...and it was amazing. Our guests all raved about the wait staff, bartenders, the food and accommodations. They really know what they are doing and have the staff to help you every step of the way. It was truly a memorable affair.
Our Maître d and Bridal Attendant were extremely attentive and helpful throughout the entire night - we were able to enjoy the night because of their coordination and help. And the cherry on top - we hosted our after party at the Biosphere Pool and it was a HUGE hit!!! People will talk about our wedding for years to come because of the pool…We would 10000% choose Crystal Springs Country Club again (I honestly wish I could go back and throw our wedding all over again!) They are a well-oiled machine that makes wedding planning easy and delivers a top-notch experience for both the couple and the guests.
We got married at Black Bear Golf Club, part of Crystal Springs Resort. We toured 3 of the whole resorts possible 5 venues, but knew that Black Bear was it. Crystal Springs as a whole was the only venue we looked at and before we left that day, we knew we didn’t need to go anywhere else. The fact that we could get an all-inclusive package, a hotel, and transportation was a no brainer. We loved everything about Black Bear from the gazebo ceremony space, to the open windows throughout the cocktail hour and reception space, and the overall intimacy of it all. We met Julie for the tour and we couldn’t imagine going through the whole process with anyone else. She was amazing, always answering our emails, being willing to follow up with Minerals (the hotel we used), and anything else we threw her way. She was also our coordinator, which originally we were going to be working with Silje, but she went out on maternity leave and we only met her at the food tasting. Which we actually almost missed, but Julie rescheduled another one when a snow/ice storm caused us to not go. Again, she’s amazing! And speaking of food tasting, the FOOD was to die for. We went with three of the four entrees we tried at the tasting, but we truly believe we would’ve been satisfied with any of the choices we would have picked. We still have guests say “those mushroom raviolis were awesome!” We didn’t even get to all of the items I wanted in our cocktail hour because guests were enjoying them so much the kitchen ran out! Kim was our Maitre d’ and she is a rock star! Every time we turned around she was there to see if we needed anything. She made sure we had food from the buffet, drinks always full, and even food and cupcakes to go. She was truly amazing in making sure we were taken care of, even before the reception kicked off and we were just hanging in the bridal suite. Black Bear was the perfect venue for our wedding of almost 150. Julie and Kim provided such a level of service beyond what we could have asked for from start to finish (even when I had to email her days later because we left something behind in the hotel!). Black Bear, Minerals, and any part of Crystal Springs Resort is a place we would highly recommend!
The venue itself was wonderful — cocktail hour in grand rotunda was beautiful and the spread was ridiculous. More food than I’ve seen in my life. For me and my husband they set up our own private cocktail party in the bridal suite so about 10 min before cocktail hour ended we headed there to eat and relax before the party.
The bridal suite is insane! It’s a full suite with living room, kitchen, bathroom, balcony with fire place, and huge room with vanities to get ready.
The grounds are incredible and there are so many good places to take pictures, rain or shine!
I love that grand cascade is connected to the golf club, that way guests who stay don’t have to go outside to get to the ballroom and back again to their room . The amenities are awesome too— sweet indoor pool so go early if you can! You can have an after party at the pool so extra $$$
We had our rehearsal dinner in the Napa room in the wine cellar — it was private and super fun ! Daniel was also at that helping me out because I had no idea what to do :)
You honestly can’t go wrong with this place — it rained earlier in the day ans we got married inside and it was just as nice as outside! They re did the ballroom — gray and white neutral colors and it looks so much better.
Did I say the food was amazing? Because it was!!
Last thing - we got married on a Friday and I totally recommend because the hotel is less crowded !
We met Laura, our wedding coordinator in March and were extremely impressed with her attention to every detail. Her experience and expertise shown through during our final detail meeting. The day of, she did not disappoint in the slightest! Everything was absolutely perfect and we could not have asked for anything more. She even added special touches to make the day the best it could possibly be! Throughout the process, we kept hearing about the amazing Daniel, the Maitre D who could bustle even the longest train and paid extremely close attention to every detail. He completely lived up to the hype and more! One of my favorite moments of the day, was when he took my husband and I a little early from cocktail hour to go look at the ballroom before the guests came in. I was absolutely overwhelmed with emotion because everything looked so beautiful and I couldn't believe we were there! Then, he took us to the bridal suite where him and the bridal attendant had set up a special table for us with Champagne and food from the cocktail hour. They gave us 15 minutes alone to just relax and take everything in. This a moment I will cherish forever! During the reception, every time we needed a drink, Daniel was there! My bustle also came undone, and he was there to fix it! There is no way the day would have gone so smoothly without him. We are so grateful to have been able to work with him! We also had an afterparty at the biosphere pool and it was one of the best decisions ever! We and our guests had a little bit too much fun and it will be something that will stand out in our guests minds forever. It was an absolute blast! What other venue offers an after party at the pool with a waterslide?? If you are thinking about visiting any of the Crystal Springs properties, DO IT! You will not be disappointed, especially at Grand Cascades. :)
The true magical moment and what I talk about the most from our wedding night is after we saw the ballroom, Daniel brought us back to our cleaned up bridal suite to a table set for 2. Complete with all the cocktail hour foods and champagne. It was a moment I will never forget as he said, now you have 10 minutes together with no interruptions. Enjoy each other. I could never express to Daniel what that meant to me that he did all of this for us. I wish I could list all the ways he made our wedding truly amazing from his extremely fast bustle to keeping a drink in our hand- I couldn’t imagine our perfect wedding without him. I know the entire staff works extremely hard and I hope they know how thankful we are for them. If you are thinking of having your wedding at Crystal Springs Resort, you will not be disappointed. We can’t wait to go back for our anniversary!
He gave us space when appropriate and was right next to us when we needed something. Whether it was bustling my dress in no time flat or always having drinks at our table, he was a huge part of why our wedding was as perfect as it was. In addition, the food at Crystal Springs was fantastic! Our guests are still raving about the cocktail hour. We couldn’t have asked for a more fun or special day thanks to the wonderful staff at Crystal Springs!
Everything was set up meticulously and beautifully. They both made sure to watch me walk down the aisle and held on to both my dress train and veil to make sure they didn’t blow away on a super windy day. We were then introduced to our Maitre’D for the evening, Mike. Mike was our right hand man for the rest of the day. From bringing us plates of food and champagne in the bridal suite for some alone time after the ceremony, to making sure our band had enough time to play, to keeping us laughing all night long, Mike was absolutely phenomenal. I truly feel like Julie, Lee and Mike are now family. We’ve received endless compliments about how beautiful the venue was, how amazing the food was and how much fun every one had. The icing on the cake was how affordable Ballyowen was compared to other venues we inquired about with less than Ballyowen’s top notch service. If you are thinking about booking Ballyowen as your wedding venue, just know that they will completely exceed all of your expectations!
They kept me calm with knowing the possibility of rain and luckily it did not rain during the ceremony. Getting people to and from the ceremony to cocktail hour to the reception was handled great and they got everyone where they needed to be in a timely efficient manner. Michael was AMAZING he was there for anything that me or Anthony could have possibly needed. He really was the star of show. He not only took care of us but made sure our parents were taken care of whether it was with food or with drinks. I felt like I didn’t have to lift a finger with him. I cannot tell you how many calls we got since the wedding about how amazing everything was. From how smooth the process went from going from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception to how AMAZING the food was. It was truly a magical day. Please let me know where I can write reviews…5 stars across the board!
Dana has a real fair for decorating, and she had all the wedding paraphernalia arranged perfectly. From start to finish, I appreciated Dana's reassurance and support. We got even more attention when Kaya arrived on the scene. As personal assistant to the bride, Kaya calmed my daughter's nerves and made sure she had everything she needed. From getting water for the wedding party, to making sure the bride and groom had appetizers, to driving the couple and aged grandparents around in the golf cart, Kaya did it all. Her most wedding-saving task was dealing with the wardrobe malfunction of the bridal gown. The bustle came out, and Kaya literally sat on the floor pinning it back in place. It was so nice not to have to worry about ANYTHING the entire night. Even after the event was over, the staff took down our string lights. I thought for sure they'd be a tangled mess, but they were perfectly wrapped and ready for my niece's wedding. This wedding team knows how to host a stress-free wedding! In addition to the wonderful staff, the venue itself is gorgeous. The ceremony is intimately nestled amongst lovely flowers. The pavilion can best be described as rustic-charming. The father-daughter dance was perfectly set with a twilight backdrop of the mountains. Perfect photos! The hotel offers a one stop fun zone for the entire family. Those who weren't golfing spent the morning by the pool. We also had a rehearsal dinner and brunch at the hotel. Both events were as terrific as the wedding. The food was delicious and plentiful. It was so nice to have so many wonderful events in one place. I can't thank Nicole, Dana, Kaya and all the friendly hotel staff for making our daughter's wedding such a special, memorable event for all! You can't go wrong with this venue!
She truly did not miss a beat, she knew exactly when we needed her and what we needed, she transported us around on the golf cart to the perfect photo spots and even allowed us to drive it too. If you read this Kaya, just know how much we appreciated you all day. Before wedding day I spoke primarily with Nicole and Dana who were also amazing. Nicole answered my million different questions I had in a very timely manner and had no problem with the amount of times we changed our minds. She was very knowledgeable on all the information needed regarding the wedding, and overall extremely helpful in our planning process. Dana was a gem to work with, she helped create my vision for our ceremony and reception space come alive. We did our final detail meeting with her and even though we forgot to print out the paper, she kindly made no issue of it and helped us fill it out. She was awesome on the day of, decorating and helping with any last questions we had. We are so grateful for the staff here for helping us achieve our perfect day. Other than the staff the whole hotel is worth the booking, from our arrival on Thursday (other than some minor room issues) we were able to greatly enjoy all the resort has to offer. My husband played basketball with his guys while we relaxed in the pool after our rehearsal dinner. The pavilion itself sold us when we did our tour, it is so unique and beautiful, you do not need anything special to make it more beautiful than it already is. I overall give them a 15/10, thank you to all the staff for exceeding our expectations, we cannot wait to visit again on our anniversary!
On the day of the wedding, we made the last minute decision to move cocktail hour inside, as the threat of a hurricane blowing in loomed above us. The cocktail hour space was lovely inside, although it got a bit warm and humid inside with all our guests. We were able to take pictures outside and Kaya (the bridal attendant) had clear umbrellas waiting for us in the event the sky opened up. Our guests raved about the food the whole night! We also were able to get shuttles to take guests to the pavilion, which was beautifully decorated by Dana and our florist. Due to international travel restrictions, we still ended up having a smaller wedding of about 65 people but the way the tables were set up around the dance floor the pavilion felt full and not empty which was a big worry of ours. We danced the night away, and even in the hour that it absolutely poured outside the pavilion, our guests had no clue it was even raining. Kaya and Terry made sure that my husband and I always had a drink in our hands and food in our bellies. Everyone happily danced the night away! We also timed it perfectly so when the rain did stop, we were able to sneak outside to play with the sparklers and get some photos outside! Overall it was such a magical evening and it was so worth every minute of stress of replanning a wedding during a pandemic.
Everyone was where they needed to be for pictures, and no one felt confused as to where they needed to be and when. When we got back to the bridal suite after the reception the room was set up so beautifully with the bouquets, rose pedals and my vail laid across the headboard plus a bottle of champagne waiting for us. A ton of our food was packaged up for us and waiting in our fridge. Not sure many brides can say this but we had absolutely nothing go wrong and it is 100% thanks to Dana and Kaia. Cannot recommend highly enough. 1000000000/10