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Weddings

Deer Creek Overlook Reviews

Deer Creek Overlook View more information

Reviews

3.8 out of 5 rating
17 Reviews
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70% Recommended by couples

Awards

17
  • A
    Amy Sent on 05/29/2015
    5 out of 5 rating
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    Great experience, venue, and staffing!

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    Thank you so much for the kind words. We make every effort to make every event here the best that it can be for al of the guests.
  • M
    Melissa Sent on 05/27/2015
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    I absolutely loved this place. My husband and I got married very quickly and the representative Sharon Wheeler did her absolute best to fit my wedding in with such short notice. This place was extremely flexible. I was able to come in the morning before my wedding to set up everything. This allieviated a lot of stress and gave me ample time to set up. Sharon Wheeler helped me every step of the way. She even offered to be a server to help keep costs down. I absolutely loved my reception and would definitely recommend this place because it is beautiful and the staff works with you every step of the way. I personally do not know much about weddings, so it was very nice to have Sharon Wheeler help me. She was very informative and offered a lot of insight. She really is what made my experience and Deer Creek Overlook so amazing.

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    Thank you so much for the wonderful review. We all work hard here to make each and every event the best that it can be. It was an honor to help such a sweet couple and I wish you both all the happiness that life has to offer. You had an amazing Wedding and I was glad to be of service!!
  • J
    Joy Sent on 05/18/2012
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    I really appreciated being able to do whatever I wanted with little to no restrictions for my wedding and reception. There are guidelines that must be followed, but not as strict as other venues. Deer Creek Overlook is a beautiful setting for weddings and receptions or any other special event. Location has several great views and backgrounds for pictures.

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    Thank you for your kind words!
  • illustration stars

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  • User942600 Sent on 09/21/2012
    5 out of 5 rating
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    We originally planned to get married on our farm but it was way too expensive! DCO gave us the farm/woodsy feel but at a much better rate! The kitchen, Tables and chairs were included in the price but paid a little extra for the rehearsal time but that's okay, they had to be paid for their time! A great venue for our 240 guests! Everyone said it was the best weeding they had ever been too!
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    Megan Sent on 10/21/2012
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    Beautiful venue for our wedding! I couldn't have been happier with how things turned out in the end. Despite some scheduling issues and staff turnover making communication difficult at times - I am very happy. Denise is great to work with!
  • N
    Natasha Sent on 06/14/2010
    4.6 out of 5 rating
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    We loved this place. It was so beautiful outside and the trees that surrounded the area created the perfect back drop for pictures. Staff was very friendly and helped us with any issues we had. Please come here!! Soooo affordable! (under $2000)
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    Caitlin Sent on 05/27/2009
    4.6 out of 5 rating
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    They were very flexible with my florist but they were a little stingy when it came to letting the caterer come in earlier.

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    Greetings, We are a non-profit and have to consider all of our costs. The option available at the time of your event was for a 7 hour event which allowed for 1 1/2 hour decorating and set up the day of the Wedding. the event price at that time was very low and simply did not allow for extra staffing and utilities for extra decorating time. Our new Wedding package allows for 2 hours decorating time the day before the event as well as additional time on the day of the event. We have paid attention to your comments and used them to improve our service to future rides. Sharon Wheeler, Camp Administrator
  • Becca
    Becca M. Sent on 10/02/2019
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    Great service

    We met with Darlene Monday night (9/30) and was very helpful in showing us the grounds and giving us advice on how to use each space! Although we did not choose this venue, I'd advise anyone who is working with a tight budget to check it out. If you are a nature person, you will love it!

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    Becca,

    It was my pleasure to meet with you and your family to show you what we have to offer. I am delighted to hear that you found a venue that suited your needs and your vision of the perfect wedding day. I wish you the very best that life has to offer and thank you for your kind words. Maybe will see you down the road for a different type of rental.
    Darleen
  • Josh
    Josh Sent on 11/24/2019
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    A joy to work with

    The staff at Deer Creek Overlook, at the 4H Camp in Harford County, were fantastic. They were helpful and flexible. The pricing was also great. Thank you so much!
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    Allison Sent on 01/30/2013
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    Denise did a great job&quickly responded to emails. I ccidentally mailed my final payment to DC (didn't know they had a PO Box)&the $ was about a week late. Most vendors would have had an issue but Denise said it was no problem! She was there to offer suggestions for me at the final meeting which was very helpful.
    Lighting is an issue for evening weddings inside. Lights are not on a dimmer. You have the option of on, half, or off. I'm thankful for my DJ's uplights. They provided a few lamps&2 lighted trees.
    Price was a little high but it's also the wedding industry. Since I had an off season wedding I had no scheduling issues. I wanted to move the hours of my rehearsal&they were easily able to accomodate us.
    Bathroom comes with "care baskets". Very clean and still NEW looking. Beautiful woodland area. Has a separate "bridal room" where you can stash belongings/get ready. Tables&chairs are provided which is great. The chairs are not fancy but they were very comfortable&are wider than most chairs. Very nice&clean kitchen. Large ice maker. Guests liked the landscaping and chairs on the porch. This was perfect for my woodland theme wedding. It has 4 beautiful windows in the hall and a gorgeous porch area. One friend said it felt like a gym hall before we set everything up but once you decorate and have tables and linens done it brings it all together. There is a bridge nearby for photos. There is also a gazebo and the woods made a beautiful backdrop. Inside there aren't really any "pretty" backdrops so you would need to make one.
    Verizon doesn't get reception but AT&T got it. Ravens had a PLAYOFF game so my DJ suggested a small TV by the bar to allow people to stay tuned in.DC doesn't have cable. This lead to about 20 people sitting in the bridal room&outside listening to car radios &an AM radio.
    Overall I would definitely recommend Deer Creek Overlook. ?'s email me @ allison.mosley39@gmail.com.

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    I am glad that you have good memories, We are working hard to improve our Wedding and event programs and do pay attention to your comments. Best Wishes, Sharon Wheeler, Camp Administrator
  • User1889510 Sent on 10/27/2014
    4 out of 5 rating
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    We got married at Rocks Lodge (a smaller lodge just up the hill from the larger Deer Creek Overlook). I fell in love with Rocks Lodge from the first time I saw it. It is warm and homey and was perfect for our intimate rustic wedding. We loved having our wedding here. The volunteers are very friendly, and the value for the price was outstanding. We also were able to rent the bunk houses so our family and friends could stay the weekend with us, which was exactly what we were looking for. Since we were staying the night, I also got to have my all night dance party (which was one of my must haves) which was going to be a challenge at many other venues.

    We did run into a few problems along the way: the site coordinator we were working with left before our wedding leading to a transition period where it was difficult to get timely responses, the chairs and tables we were planning on borrowing were sold the week before our wedding, and someone drove through wet ground at the outdoor site where we were planning to have our ceremony creating deep divots and leading us to move the ceremony into Rocks Lodge as well. However, everything worked out in the end, and Rocks Lodge is such a beautiful space and was our rain plan location anyway. If you do go with this venue, perhaps be prepared for some unexpected issues.

    Despite these challenges, I wouldn't have changed our choice. We found everything we were looking for here and I couldn't have been happier with the end result.

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    HI I am the New Camp Administrator and am deeply sorry for any confusion prior to my being hired. The actual tables and chairs that you saw were moved to our craft lodge and we brought in newer tables for your use. The old ones were REALLY OLD and we were trying to make things better for you. If I had known that you wanted them, I would have brought them down for your use. I am glad that you do have good memories for your Wedding and that we were able to accommodate your requests as much as possible. I would love to see some photos from your Wedding to add to our Website. Please send me some if you have a moment. Sharon Wheeler, Camp Administrator events@deercreekoverlook.com
  • A
    Anna Sent on 06/18/2015
    3.4 out of 5 rating
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    This venue is very affordable but also very DIY. I had to make sure I was on top of things at all times. Sharon, the person I worked with, is basically there to help you with the contract and the use of the facility. You are responsibly for everything else, which means, set up and break down of the tables and chairs inside and out, all decor ect. You are also required to clean the facility at the end of the night, including the kitchen. During your event your facilities rep does not help with anything, they are there just to make sure everything is OK with the venue. They do not assist with setting up, deal with vendors or guests. Having a wedding planner is a must with this venue!
    Their event chairs are black and plastic and can not be taken outside, so renting nicer chairs is best.
    I recommend renting extra time on your wedding day and your rehearsal day if you plan to set everything up yourself- you'll need it!

    I had one major problem with the venue:
    The day of my rehearsal (the day before the wedding), the venue was double booked, which I was never told about. There was a birthday party happening at the same time I was setting up for the wedding so I had limited access to certain rooms. This caused me to run late. Their facilities rep was very rude to me about this even though it was their fault. I emailed someone on the board of directors and she apologized and told me she would handle it.

    Overall, this venue is nice. The outdoor ceremony space is beautiful. The hall needs uplighting and decor or it is just your average hall, but you do have the ability to bring in any vendors you want. If I had to do it all over again I would choose a venue that is full service and has a planner to help you.

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    HI Anna,
    I am so glad that you enjoyed the outdoor Venue for your Wedding. We now have a new Wedding package that offers time to decorate the day before and an extra hour on the day of the event. We have listened to our Brides concerns and changed our services to accomodate their suggestions. Our prices are so reasonable because we do not do the set up or tear down. This is how we can offer such a beautiful space at sush a reasonable price. Your reception room looked amazing by the way!

    I wanted to address the double booking issue. I am so sorry for the mix up. I got a last minute request to have a child's party in the conference room from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Your decorating time started at 3:00 p.m. but we let you in early. I had spoken to the party in the conference room ( Not your reception room) and was assured that the little girls would be gone before 3:00. I am really sorry that this did not happen. The decorating time that you had purchased for the night before was for the large Reception area and typically most brides do not decorate the Bridal Dressing room but just use it for storage. I have taken note of this and it will nt happen again. I would love to see some of your Wedding Photos as I saw how hard you all had worked to Sharon
  • User913509 Sent on 08/27/2012
    2.9 out of 5 rating
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    I picked this venue because it raises money for the local 4 H in my town. Looking back I wish I would have not underestimated the luxury of a venue that provides the caterer, linens (good ones not plastic), clean up ect. The facility was expensive for only supplying a pretty backdrop for pictures. The field in which they advertise you to get married in cost $300 to use but if it rains you do not get any of that money back. The director stated there would be no refund because the field being rented by us prohibited others from renting (It would be raining...who would rent it anyways). In a matter of 11 months they had 3 different directors. I originally planned and paid for our setup and rehearsal dinner to be Friday night like most weddings. The one director called me 2 months before my wedding and asked if I could switch my setup (which was a lot...remember they do none of that for you) to Saturday and move my rehearsal to 2 hours later. The reason for this change was so another bride who was recently engaged wanted to get married Friday afternoon. I declined stating that Saturday morning of my wedding I would be doing hours of pampering like most brides do and would rather not spend it stressed about setup. I just thought it was incredibly insensitive to a first time brides needs. Another director called my home owner insurance and tried to change my policy without me knowing. I couldn't believe it until Liberty Mutual read me the phone transcript. The director blew it off as a misunderstanding. I was highly disappointed with the facility. My pictures looked great though.

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    Greetings,
    I was saddened to read your review and see how stressful the situation was for you. I am the new Camp Administrator and my position was run by our Facilities director as a volunteer for many months. I am here now and giving each event my full attention and making sure that EVERY Bride had the best experience possible. We have listened to your comments and the field is not longer rented separately from the venue. You must understand that we rent out our facilities as a way of raising funds for the 4-H Camps and the many children who come through our camp system. WE are still one of the least expensive options in the area and one of the few that will allow you to do your own food and drinks. Many of our Brides enjoy a huge savings from this process. I am deeply sorry for the difficulties that you had and wish you all the best in the future. Sharon Wheeler, Camp Administrator.
  • T
    Tim Sent on 05/22/2015
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    We fell in love w the venue (rock's lodge) b/c it was rustic, in the woods, and priced perfect. Everything started off smooth and we were so very excited, UNTIL the day before our wedding. Sharon, the camp admin who is in charge of events, was NO WHERE to be found and NEVER once answered her phone or called me back(which she advised she would)or responded to email. There were SEVERAL issues with the place (including it was filthy! we spent 3 hrs cleaning the floor of trash, all the windows and walls from spider webs and dead bugs that were all over and scrubbing the counters, to name a few of the things, thankfully we rented it for 2 days so we could clean! and set up). Then everything that was promised to us (golf cart to assist guests, a room for me to change into and parking attendants to assist guests) were non-existent. If it weren't for my amazing family and friends things would not have gone so smoothly. Sharon did finally respond via email (after my wedding) making excuses for herself and essentially not taking any responsibility. I spoke with Darleen, the Facilities Director, and expressed all my concerns, I hope she takes action so the next bride-to-be doesn't get the nasty surprises we got. If the venue staff got their act together, it would have been a more positive experience. Only positive was the place looked great b/c of the hard work my family, friends, husband and I put into it. (PS the roof leaks in several areas! the camp knows about this issue but never disclosed it to us, we found out the hard way)
  • klareese
    Klareese Sent on 03/16/2014
    2.3 out of 5 rating
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    Denise was great and was able to accommodate sit downs around our work schedules. Everything was great with this venue until the night before the wedding. At the rehearsal, which was supposed to be outside because the wedding was planned for outside the women that was assigned to our wedding was not very kind, unfortunately we had to move the rehearsal indoors because it was down pouring and she would not let us inside, she expected us to do the rehearsal in the pouring rain and on the drenched field. After complaining she eventually let us inside. Then the day of the wedding, she went to our guests during the reception and proceeding to tell them (including the grandmother of the groom) that they needed to make sure that they were all gone by 10pm when we had rented it until midnight. Just based on the service not by denise but by the women overseeing the night before and night of my wedding I would not recommend Deer Creek Overlook. However if Denise were to oversee then I would. This women was not very people friendly at all and should not be allowed to oversee important events such as these.

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    Greetings, I am the new Camp Administrator and wanted to say that I am sorry for your treatment by our staff. We do try to stick to very specific hours on our events due to the high costs of operating the venue and paying our staff. We are a non-profit and try to conserve where ever possible. We are working hard to improve our Wedding experiences for everyone involved and as Administrator, I am present on site for most Weddings now. I realize that this will not change your experience, but please know that we saw your review and have corrected the situations. Best Wishes, Sharon Wheeler, Camp Administrator
  • Amber
    Amber Sent on 11/16/2017
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    I was looking into this location as a possible wedding venue. They are near impossible to get in touch with.

    My initial email, sent through the "comments and questions" box on their website was answered about 2 days later. By the time I received the reply, I couldn't remember what questions I had even asked.

    I ended up sending them a 2nd email this past Sunday asking for availability. I knew I would most likely not get a response until Tuesday given that it took them about two days to respond the first time.

    Monday evening rolls around, no reply. Tuesday afternoon rolls around, still no reply. Now I'm wondering if maybe I should've just called. So I call them, using the number provided to me in their email. The phone rings and then goes to an answering machine. I leave a message.

    Wednesday rolls around, still no reply. I try calling again, it goes to recording. I don't bother leaving a message this time. Why would I when they haven't bothered to answer the first one?

    Thursday comes, I still have not gotten a reply despite their recording clearly stating that they usually reply within 2 days (except when they very obviously don't). I call again, recording. But this time I notice that within this message is another phone number. I just want availability, so I call the new number.

    FINALLY I get an answer. Apparently, the woman (the only person in the entire organization, I presume) who usually answers the phones and emails was sick all weekend. She can't answer my questions because she hasn't been in the office, but promises that when she is done running personal errands and makes it back to the office, she will reply!

    I finally got an answer Thursday evening, at 4pm. But the aggravation of jumping through hoops just to find out availability has left me sour.

    Customer service this shoddy doesn't deserve the reward of my business with them.
  • User2148890 Sent on 05/27/2015
    1.4 out of 5 rating
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    May 21,2015
    Harford County 4-H Conference & Retreat Center also known as The Deer Creek Overlook and Rocks Lodge at Harford County 4-H Camp at the Rocks 6 Cherry Hill Road, Street Maryland was a management failure and fraught with deceit. The management and Board of Directors demonstrated no business morals, compassion or ethics for those who they deal with or those using their facility. This was especially significant since the event was a wedding. They decided surreptitiously not to provide the services that their representative/agent Administrator Sharon Wheeler had promised for a wedding without any notification prior to the wedding. Even going to the extreme to tell the event manager to not answer calls or return calls 24 hours prior to the scheduled wedding as stated by Sharon Wheeler who followed their instructions to the letter ----

    The old saying “Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!” is quite appropriate for others considering dealing with this facility and their management. After some research this is not the first time they have demonstrated their lack of concern for commitments which has been confirmed by Darleen (the facilities director). There seem to a mind set that does not change. I would fervently suggest looking elsewhere for any event to which you attach any importance.
    -----=====
    There is a longer story and more details that would not fit in this limited review site. Happy to fill you in.
    Should you like to contact me regarding my evaluation and opinion on using the Deer Creek Overlook for a wedding, you may do so at: deercreekoverlooked@aol.com

    Deer Creek Overlook's reply:

    I am sorry but your review is not complete. You forgot to add that I visited you in Rocks Lodge on the day before the Wedding several times and checked in to see if there was anything that you needed. Each time you said no. I had offered you a dressing room during our planning meeting and you never mentioned it on my visits the day before the Wedding. Darleen Binns also visited you on the day before your Wedding several times and received the same response.
    On the Day of your Wedding I met with the groom as soon as I arrived on site and asked if everything was going well and if you were going to use the dressing room. I was advised that you could not find it the night before and had decided not to use it. I am not sure how this is my fault. I also checked in with the groom as he was finishing up decorating Rocks Lodge and asked if there was anything that I could do. We met once again before I left the site on business. I am not sure how this is being unresponsive? If I met with your group no less then 7 times in the 24 hours before the Wedding and each time was told that everything was fine, I am not sure what the problem was. I have the contract and Pictures of the Groom in the Lodge if you would like to see that you declined the parking attendant and that you had only rented the Rocks Lodge for 2 days. You also took my comment about not checking voice mails from my house out of context. I have sent you an email with pictures of the Groom in Tux at Rocks Lodge the morning of the Wedding. I believe that you need to reconsider the accuracy of your comments, considering I will be happy to provide proof that you are incorrect.
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