Birchwoods at Oak Lane

*Full disclosure-I visited (twice) for a potential wedding venue only*

We met PJ at the Hartford Bridal Expo and he was awesome! He gave us so much info and wasn't rushing us away to talk to the other hundreds of people that were there. We told him we were looking for the Thursday before Good Friday, so most guests would already have a long weekend AND we could take advantage of the great Thursday off-peak pricing we've been seeing. PJ was so excited to hear this and started explaining all of the details of the fabulous Thursday packages they were offering at Birchwoods! This package included a cake, a photo booth, a DJ, AND A PHOTOGRAPHER, all for a reasonable price per person!!! After hearing this, we looked at pictures and immediately made an appointment to go visit the venue the following weekend.

I was so impressed with the venue! The decorations are gorgeous, from the second you open the front door to the hallway to the bridal suite to the room you'd have your reception in, which happened to be set up for a wedding that was happening that evening.

We also met Trish during our first visit, and she was also friendly and explaining any and everything we had questions or comments about. She was pointing out all of the decorations that are theirs, which are available for you to use for your big day to save money! PJ had told us at the expo that you can use whatever they have, from centerpieces, to table numbers to card boxes to the Mr. and Mrs. signs for the sweetheart table, all things available to you that you have to provide at many venues.

Now, while we ultimately didn't choose this venue because we found another place where we could have our ceremony outside, rain or shine, Birchwoods ABSOLUTELY had my favorite bridal suite! This was the only one I saw with big gorgeous windows, which would've been great for pics while getting ready, as well as for natural light to come in while getting hair and makeup done! There was also a grooms suite in the basement, which most places don't have! So, they definitely had some great features that not many places had, and it's a place you should check out if you're looking for a venue with a lot of great features, and a reasonable price!

Omg, I forgot to mention something else I loved! The ladies room! Bizarre, right? But this is the only place I saw that didn't have those tiny little stalls where you practically have to straddle the toilet for the door to swing in so you can close and lock it. I swear, between the ladies room and bridal suite I was a huge fan! Those were two things they had that beat the others, hands down!

Trish and her staff were on top of everything. I did not need to worry about anything but myself on our wedding day. The food was beyond delicious. All of our guests are still talking about how our wedding was one of the best they have been to in such a long time. From the beautiful scenery to the decor, every thing was perfect. The waitstaff was great. Made sure everyone was taken care of. Highly recommended if you are planning your upcoming wedding. It was by far one of the best choices we have made.

Trish and the entire Birchwoods team was beyond incredible. Every meeting was wonderful, listened to what we wanted and kept up with our changes throughout planning. This venue has it all! We did a package and some add-ons that included the ceremony, cocktail hour, plated meal service with top shelf open bar, the DJ, photographer and wedding cake plus a dessert set up with pies, donuts and hot apple cider along with an coffee bar. The venue itself is beautiful, the golf course made a gorgeous backdrop for pictures and overall esthetic. 5 stars across the board!!!