MARAVILLA GARDENS

While the venue is absolutely gorgeous, the owner and staff are not the most professional bunch. I was part of a wedding party this past weekend, and unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worst as the celebrations were set to begin. As it poured down on the guests, the owner was initially nowhere to be found, staying dry in her house which is located on the property. When we were finally able to reach her, she offered no help, instead listing off excuses as to why there was nothing she could do, while the bridal party attempted to come up with solutions to the problem. We were quite shocked at her rude responses to any idea we could think up, and her impolite and unhelpful manner throughout the situation. As a recent bride myself, I would caution anyone from using this as a venue unless they get everything in writing to their liking. The owner is friendly when things run smoothly, but if something unexpected happens, you can count on her to run away and offer no contingency plans or solutions. The last thing a bride needs on her special day is a rude owner offering no help and adding stress to an already unfortunate situation. The venue itself deserves five stars. If I could give the owner zero stars for professionalism and helpfulness in an imperfect situation, I would. Thank goodness for the great catering staff and the nice people over at the Padre Serra Catholic Church who came through and saved the day! Without them, the day would have been a complete disaster.