Shutters on the Beach Reviews

Shutters on the Beach

Santa Monica, CA

4.6 out of 5 rating, 37 reviews

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4.6 out of 5 rating

4.6

Very good

37 reviews

Recommended by 92% of couples

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Quality of service
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Rachel Sent on 12/06/2016

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BALLROOM ON THE BEACH!
Dream Come True!

My then-fiancé and I were getting desperate to find a reasonable yet classy venue near a beach in LA area. It had been months of researching venues online, scheduling walkthroughs, and then coming home disappointed and looking for more leads. Finally one night, I gave my now-husband my ideal venue description (thinking it would never happen anyway): I told him I had always dreamed of getting married with a perfect ocean view as the sun goes down (obviously without random beach-goers in the viewable background or god forbid walking through our wedding with their dogs, volleyballs or frisbees, because most beaches are public and they can do all that freely) AND I wanted a terrace overlooking the ocean AND a ballroom all in the same venue. If this is your dream too, look no further!!!

Shutters is simply the best. I know a lot of reviewers say that because they remember their wedding fondly, but we HUNTED for this venue and we knocked down a lot of similar venues along the way. For the price, location, service, and the amazing catering, you will get no better! The catering was exquisite, the service was attentive and friendly (not stuck-up at all). There were no ridiculous hidden charges like so many other venues bill after the wedding.

THEY LET ME DECORATE MY OWN WEDDING!! For those who don't know, most upscale venues will make a fuss about hiring vendors for EVERYTHING. Shutters understands that not every couple wants fresh flowers or rented decor. Being the picky bride that I am, I custom-made all my own elaborate and fragile centerpieces and decor and the Shutters staff happily set it all up with a little written direction! AMAZING!!!

The cherry on top: They pampered us by leaving chilled Champagne, sweets, and other goodies in the bridal suite when we retreated after the reception. And the night was on them. Bliss!

GET MARRIED AT SHUTTERS! And tell Bruce and Kristie Sam and Rachel Schaffel say "hi!"
Samantha Sent on 11/16/2016

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We did both our ceremony and reception at Shutters and it was perfect! We wanted to do our wedding at the beach, and Shutters provided the perfect backdrop. Liz and her team are so easy to work with and very accommodating! From the initial meeting, to the walk throughs to the tasting to the big day and so much more, they made all of our guests feel welcome. I have always loved Shutters and now it holds a special place in my husband and my hearts and we know it is a place we can always visit to reminisce about the best day of our life! The team at Shutters is genuine and kind and work with you to make sure your dream day comes true, and they did just that. The event spaces are exceptionally beautiful and they worked efficiently with our vendors to transform the spaces into the perfect wedding backdrops. Thank you Shutters team!
Katherine Sent on 08/17/2016

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FANTASTIC and magical place. We were married at Shutters on August 5, 2016. Everything was PERFECT! We had the BEST coordinators, Lee-Andra and Bruce are truly phenomenal to work with. They seriously went above and beyond to make sure our wedding was spectacular in every way!! The food is AMAZING and the setting can not be beat. Shutters is the most romantic and beautiful place for a beach wedding.

Jewell Sent on 05/25/2016

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Absolutely fantastic to work with as well as they provided a fabulous venue for wedding and reception. The best. Food, service were top notch! I am a chef. They were fantastic!
User851109 Sent on 06/04/2012

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Shutters was the perfect venue to host my wedding last month. My husband and I live in Orange County and only checked this one venue in LA among the several others we scoped out in OC and it was love at first site when we saw the hotel, ceremony site, and ball room. Liz is the events manager that was working with us and she helped me every step of the way from the first meeting to the wedding day, and several dozen emails and phone calls in between. She and her team are extremely accomodating and went out of their way to make the ceremony and reception come to life just as I had imagined. The venue is gorgeous, the staff is amazing, and the day was perfect. I highly recommend Shutters to any bride!
Becky Sent on 08/09/2011

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Our reception venue had to be changed at the last minute, after the invitations had already been sent. We contacted Shutters and amazingly, there was a room available for our reception. Toby Lent was our contact at Shutters and we could not have been happier to meet him and work with him. The location was perfect, the food was amazing and the day was beautiful!
Marianna Sent on 03/21/2011

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We couldn't be happier to have had our wedding at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, CA.
This hotel is the perfect place for an intimate, warm, and beautiful wedding celebration!
The food and service deserves more than 5 stars!!!
I worked with one of the catering managers onsite and he was wonderful, easy, responsive, and efficient!
Our ceremony was on the beach and reception was in the grand ballroom.
They made our day beyond memorable, it was amazing!!!
Brandy Sent on 01/27/2011

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I knew Shutters would be my venue as soon as I walked in. It was exactly what I had envisioned for my intimate beach wedding... simple yet elegant. Michael, the catering sales manager, and his staff were excellent to work with! He always responded promptly to emails and phone calls, and provided access to the venue whenever my planner and I needed to see it. Everything was done as agreed upon. The service provided by the catering staff was outstanding! I was looking for a package deal (food, drinks, cake, ceremony and reception site) and felt that the service and quality matched the price. It even included an oceanfront room for the wedding night. I highly recommend this venue!
Denise Sent on 01/13/2011

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We could not be happier with the way our wedding turned out at Shutters, Toby Lent did a tremendous job. Our guests were thrilled with the great service and smoothness of the event. The food was delicious, the entire hotel staff was fantastic - they handled things before I even had to ask. We held two brunches at Coast and they were equally as accommodating. The suite is beautiful, staying before and after is a must.
Unlike most other hotels, it is nice having a per person cost so you are not surprised by the grand total. It is expensive, but worth it.
Only improvement would be offering Susie Cakes as an option (its served at the restaurant but not a package option). THANK YOU TOBY !!!
Heather Sent on 11/24/2010

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Shutters on the Beach was extremely professional and attentive to everything I needed for my wedding. The hotel is absolutely beautiful and my wedding there was breath taking. The staff was kind and very courteous I was so pleased at all their hard work. Michael Kossart is one of the best!
Billy Sent on 11/19/2010

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Our wedding day went exactly as planned. Couldnt have asked for a better venue, better day, better location. Everything was perfect!
Robyn Sent on 09/20/2010

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Everything was beautiful and Shutters on the Beach is extraordinarily perfect for a small wedding of 1-50 people. They recommended excellent vendors and provided true value at every turn. Michael Kossart, the catering manager is very fair, kind, professional and wonderful to work with. He made the entire event fun and effortless to plan.

Armando, the banquet manager, perfectly executed my every wish during the event and is also very kind and professional.

It was undoubtedly our dream wedding and many guests have commented that it was a flawless evening!
Brenna Sent on 06/14/2010

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Michael is extremely helpful and flexible. People raved about the tray passed appetizers. Did ceremony at church, so used pool deck for cocktail hour. Beautiful.
David Sent on 04/21/2010

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Shutters made our dream wedding come true!
Stacy Sent on 12/18/2009

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We had a small wedding and went to Shutters following the ceremony for dinner. They seated our entire party of 9 at the same table infront of the fireplace. The setting was formal and warm and I did not feel out of place in my wedding dress. The food was lovely and everyone had a great time. They also gave my husband and I each a glass of champagne on the house.
Mary Sent on 11/03/2009

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The location is lovely - they have a terrace overlooking the ocean where the ceremony can be held. The rest of the hotel is beautiful and Michael Kossart, one of the events coordinators there, was especially attentive and fun to work with.
Greg Sent on 10/20/2009

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The experience was amazing. We did a surprise wedding, so anything could have happened, but Michael and his staff made everything work perfectly. The venue and atmosphere was as great as we hoped it would be. Thank you for making it a special day and for pulling off the surprise! Greg & Mariko
Stacy Sent on 10/20/2009

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Excellent service and professionalism but still felt like I was able to talk with Michael (the catering manager) about my ideas and feel heard. Michael was very responsive in handling requests and e-mails. Shutters on the Beach is a beautiful place and everyone said that our wedding was like a fairy-tale, much credit to the venue I think.
Ericka Sent on 10/19/2009

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Everything was perfect! The team at Shutters made sure the day was exactly as we had hoped. We wouldn't have changed a thing.
Erin Sent on 05/20/2008

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Shutters on the Beach is a wonderful venue . . . beautiful view of the ocean, close to many hotels for guests to stay in, attentive staff . . . just make sure to book at least a year in advance because times to get married fill up fast!
Christine Sent on 09/08/2009

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Shutters was high class all the way. Th catering manager was easy to work with, answering questions promptly. The venue is itself is stunning - views of the ocean and a gorgeous ballroom
Nikki Sent on 06/29/2012

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Shutters on the Beach was an amazing and beautiful place for our beach wedding and reception. We had our ceremony on the beach and then had our reception in the Oceanside/Beachside rooms. The rooms are beautiful with beach front views. We looked at a lot of places and this was by far the best location for an intimate wedding like ours (we had about 30 guests). It may seem pricey per person, but keep in mind that the price includes the ceremony on the beach with chairs, the reception rooms (1 for cocktail hour, adjoining room for the reception), dinner service with 2 entree choices (the food was amazing- especially the halibut), choice of 6 passed hors d'oeuvres, 5 hour premium open bar, cake from a choice of 4 vendors (we went with Vanilla Bake Shop- so amazing!), valet, and an oceanfront suite for the bride and groom the night of the wedding. Simply amazing! Oh, and Toby Lent is awesome! I would highly recommend Shutters on the Beach for any bride who wants an elegant and beautiful beach wedding.
Therese Sent on 12/09/2010

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We had both our ceremony and reception at Shutters and have no complaints. Zero. The Catering Manager, Michael, was thorough and professional from the day I met him to the wedding day. He was punctual at all meetings, great with correspondence, and answered my many, many, many questions. On the day of the wedding he was standing by making sure everything ran smoothly. Yes, it is a pricey venue but very well worth it. The food was delicious and guests told me it was the best wedding food they'd ever had, which was wonderful to hear because I'm a complete foodie. Shutters also gave us a gorgeous suite the night of our wedding, which was decorated quite nicely with candlelight and plates of food after we returned from the reception. A very nice touch and definitely set the mood for a romantic evening. Their flat-rate price does include taxes, gratuity, cake, open bar, etc. which actually added up to being less expensive than other venues we researched. They did give our guests a block of rooms at a less expensive rate on room rentals. I have nothing but good things to say about Shutters and Michael!
G Sent on 04/29/2010

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Michael Kossart at Shutters was fantastic. From beginning to end, he helped make our wedding a very special day. We would recommend our Shutters experience to anyone.
Michael Sent on 03/19/2010

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Shutters is an amazing venue. Everyone associated with property and our event did a great job. Everything went off without a hitch. The staff was extremely helpful and courteous. If you're willing to spend the money, I'd highly recommend getting married there.
Srivitta Sent on 09/09/2010

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Shutters made our wedding the most memorable day of our lives. Here's our review of each facet of our day:

-Ceremony area (Pacific Terrace): What a gorgeous place. It's quiet, with greenery, flower shrubs,and a fireplace. We didn't need to amplify our music, just a simple acoustic guitar. I heard our musician just fine.

-Catering: Our catering manager, Toby, was great. Always professional, prompt, and efficient. I'd email him with endless questions, and get a response in a few hours. Or if I'd call, I'd get a call back within the day. I never felt stressed out working with him. You are in good hands with Toby!

-Banquet captain: They served everyone on time, without a hitch. To our pleasant surprise, they saved the top layer of our cake for us and delivered to us when we checked out the next morning!

-Bar: We designed our own cocktails, with a few exotic ingredients like basil and lychee. Could they do it? Of course, they could!! And, the drinks were DELICIOUS. I will note that I heard a few guests complain that they wouldn't serve shots---just ask for the drink over ice and you're fine.

-Hotel Suite: Perfect, perfect, perfect. The bridal suite was bigger than a 1 bedroom apartment! We had an ocean view, with huge bathtub, closet space, cozy couches, and turn down service. The staff did a fantastic job of cleaning our room after the tornado of bridal party prep, so that we could enjoy it the evening after our wedding.

-Some improvements I'd recommend would be to update the ballroom carpet and some of the common areas, but other than that, no complaints! One other downside is that it is expensive. If you don't care about chivari chairs, or special linens, or crazy pink uplights, then you'll save money. Spend it on the venue!

Shutters on the Beach lives up to being a "Leading Hotel of the World", and I can't wait to go back for our anniversary.
Brenda Sent on 07/13/2010

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I am so happy we booked Shutters. Everything was perfect. The wedding package is actually quite reasonable and included a choice of cakes (Cake Divas or Vanilla Bake Shop), and open bar for 3 hours. The food was delicious, the space was beautiful, the staff was attentive and professional. Toby was a joy to work with. Our suite was amazing and we got a great deal on it for the night before the wedding so that it would be ready for the bridal party to get ready in. My only negative is how early the guaranteed room block expires. They release the block 90 days before the event - which is 2 weeks before invitations are supposed to go out. It was very difficult on some of our guests to plan that far out so we had to arrange a second hotel block as well.
Alicia Sent on 10/18/2009

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michael made sure our day was exactly what we wanted. he was a pleasure to work with. all of the details were taken care of. it was expensive... but what do you want to pay for perfection?? overall, the weekend exceeded our expectations. we would do it again in a heart beat.
Mary Sent on 04/05/2008

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Shutters comes with our highest recommendations! My husband and I can't imagine having our wedding anywhere else. It was so important to us to find a location that was equally beautiful, welcoming, and warm so our families would not only be impressed by how lovely everything but never feel uncomfortable on our big day. First and most importantly, the menu was perfect on the day our wedding! The staff was great and room service always brought things to us within ten minutes whether it was grabbing things from our hairdresser's car which was valet parked, extra towels, extra chairs, or snacks for the wedding party. They really went the extra mile to make sure that everything was perfect.
Heather Sent on 06/27/2020

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Sad to cancel our Wedding due to Covid19

We hired Shutters but due to Covid19 we are cancelling and getting married in our backyard... or at the courthouse. We have nothing but nice things to say about Shutters and recommend them to everyone.
Em Wedw Sent on 08/06/2013

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I can't say enough about the beauty of this venue for a wedding. The ceremony site overlooking the ocean was breathtaking and cocktails over looking the sea was so special. Everyone commented the food was some of the best they have ever eaten period, not just at a wedding. The catering staff exhibited the utmost professionalism and service levels throughout. It is a high price point but the value if definitely there.

My only complaint was with the hotel itself - and how they handled check in and lodging. Given this is what they do every day I was a little shocked that this was the achilles heel - but boy was it. Make sure your contract stipulates *what* type of suite you get (ocean view) and that you double check it when calling or arriving for check in. Front desk staff was totally unhelpful, room wasn't ready until 4PM even though I had requested early check in and the staff was just plain uninterested with the fact I was hosting a wedding there. They really couldn't have cared less which was a let down.
Aileen Sent on 12/22/2008

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What a BEAUTIFUL place to get married at!! Though extremely expensive, Shutters was worth every penny. The ceremony took place on the pool deck with the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. The backdrop of the beach is gorgeous in all our pictures - you simply can't put a price on that.

The staff was accommodating and helpful despite how busy they were during the holiday weekend. However, a staff member of the hotel decided to get in our Cheesy Photobooth and take pictures of himself flicking the camera off. It was funny to see this, but not what I was expecting to see from a "fine, full service hotel" such as Shutters. Niall, our hotel manager, is an easy man to deal with and very nice. He was slow to answer emails early on in our planning process (can't blame him since he probably has tons of other brides to deal with), but once we got closer to our wedding date Niall was always there to answer our questions.

The food tasting was probably the best part about planning a wedding. We tried 3 different appetizers, 3 different salads, 4 different entrees, and 3 different desserts. All this in regular dinner-sized portions!! We were stuffed but were happy to take the rest home in a goody bag! Shutters' dining experience is delicious!!! However, I was rather disappointed that the reception dinner wasn't as spectacular as our tasting we had at their One Pico restaurant. My hubby and I weren't really surprised because we kind of expected this since food is being mass produced. Don't get me wrong, the food wasn't bad - it was rather good - but it wasn't outstanding like our tasting.

Shutters uses Cake Divasas one of their cake vendors. During our tasting at Shutters Cake Divas brought over their cake samples for us to try as well. Everything was yummy! In the end, we chose red velvet that tasted and looked GREAT! Beware - Niall told us that the cake was included in the reception dinner, so we took that to mean we didn't have to pay for it and it was incorporated into the price of dinner. Not true. You will be charged $8pp for cake which is like a cake-cutting fee. This isn't bad, I guess. If you brought in your own cake vendor (and paid for the price of the cake) then you'd pay an additional $8pp for the cake-cutting fee.

I would recommend Shutters to the chic and classy bride with deep pockets. If you're on a budget, then this isn't the place to have your dream wedding. Things you didn't budget for add up quickly (e.g. an extra night at the hotel, valet parking, service fees, bartenders, taxes on everything, etc.). There were a few times when my hubby and I were about to cancel our contract and lose the deposit because we felt we'd go over our budget, but we just couldn't let go of the breathtaking and priceless view of the beach. We don't regret getting married at Shutters and it was worth every penny!
Megan Sent on 07/13/2008

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Shutters is about as romantic as you can get. It is a dream place, inside and out. Elegant yet comfortable. Understated and blissfully gorgeous-- especially at sunset.
If you're torn between two places as we were, choose Shutters! You will not regret it!
Alice Sent on 10/16/2009

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There is no doubt that Shutters is a beautiful venue and if we were to re-do the wedding again, we probably would still pick Shutters as our ceremony and reception venue simply for the view and the ballroom it offers. It is pricey, but the view from the Pacific Terrance is phenomenal. The food is good too. Like another reviewer had stated, the food was better at the tasting than at the actual wedding but that is expected especially for a buffet/food station style dinner. The only reason why I took some points off the review is because of my catering manager's attitude. Don't get me wrong...he had been very responsive and my general experience with him was good up till the day of the wedding. However, on the day of wedding we were supposed to get a suite for wedding party to get ready but when we checked it we found out that all the suites were sold out night before and nothing was going to be available until much later in the day. They did manage to find us a room for everyone to get ready at but it was significantly smaller and was quite crowded with 2 make-up artists and 5 people from the wedding party in there. On top of the move from the room to the suite threw off the schedule for the wedding day too. Since we were already on a tight schedule I had to send my MOH to talk to the catering manager regarding the room confusion but he was extremely rude to her and his attitude was not something that one would expect from a staff of hotel of its class. The general manager did make some reconciliation after but it was very frustrating that we had to deal with something like this on the day of the wedding. It may just have been a single instance since my make-up artists had worked at the venue multiple times and she told me that it was the first time that she had seen something like this.

As I said, if we were to do the whole thing again we probably would still pick the same venue, maybe just a different catering manager.
Kristine Sent on 07/18/2010

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We decided to have our wedding ceremony and reception at shutters on the beach hotel...and Im conflicted if I would choose this hotel again or not..but lets start on a positive note:

The positive aspect is that the promenade outdoor ceremony area overlooking the ocean is amazing! The ceremony and cocktail hour set up are amazing and I can not say more positive things. The tray passed appetizers were a hit with the guests and everyone was pleased including myself.

The negative aspects are as follows:

1. You are not allowed to do many things at shutters in terms of your ceremony. For example, you may not have ANY form of amplified music. This means if you want music to walk down the wedding aisle to, you must hire a string quartet. Even with our string quartet and piano player, the music was not loud enough...thank goodness our piano player brought an amplifier just in case...because we desperately needed it. We amplified the quartet even though shutters said not to. If you truly use no amplifier you need 2 string quartet groups in order for music to be loud enough to hear outside. That would be a total of 8 players.

You are also not allowed to use fireworks of any kind..including sparklers. You may not use a confetti cannon for the same affect as we were told that shutters staff would have to clean that up...but isnt that what were paying thousands of dollars for???

2. DO NOT be fooled by the food tasting you do at shutters. The quality you receive at the actual reception WILL NOT be the same! We had the Alaskan Halibut and Filet Mignon at our wedding. On our first tasting the halibut tasted dry and old and our catering manager stated that the halibut at that time was "out of season" and to come back for a second halibut tasting in June because halibut would be fresh and in season then. The second tasting was amazing and our catering manager/ event specialist stated that the halibut would be fresh just like this second tasting we had.
The halibut on our wedding was dry and uneatable and not one guest ate it...it was truly embarrassing. We actually had guests comment on how awful it was.. this is not what you want to hear on your wedding day and after spending over $180 per plate per person. The catering manager should not have allowed the fish to leave the kitchen.
The guests did enjoy the steak and salad however...

3. You are spending a great deal of money to have your wedding at shutters..but if you want any form of "extras" such as a blocked room rate or discount room rate, chiavari chairs, ect...you WILL NOT get it..unless you are willing to pay a premium, they will not negotiate... we finally managed to get our chaivari chairs from the sister hotel next door (casa del mar) for 4 dollars a chair... thats the amount we paid for 133 chairs for shutters to walk them next door...per chair...so with their taxes it's basically 5 dollars a chair.... keep in mind this is their sister hotel 10 feet away and no one was using the chiavari chairs at that hotel on that day....

4. Our catering manager/event coordinator.....I felt several times that he was annoyed doing his job...I am not a difficult bride and I am totally easy going, so for me to get the feeling that he was annoyed was a little unsettling. Our wedding was 40,000...and I couldnt help but feel a little uncomfortable when he would use the comment "cheap" in reference to our monogram gobo for the dance floor and throughout the wedding process. Which he managed to leave out on our wedding reception... stating that he could not hang the gobo...

On the wedding day, after ceremony I asked if there was a quick way to our room to touch up my make-up before going into the ballroom as our room was far away and in order to get there, you would have to manage to get through the crowd of guests. He did comply and take me through the kitchen stating that "usually only celebrities" would get to go through the back way , but he would allow me to at this time...

Our event manager/catering manager also stated "maybe I should let you pay for your valet this time".( after coming to our second tasting for our halibut.)
Even if he was joking...I didnt find this professional or pleasant. I replied with " dont worry we have self parked at every other meeting we have had here."

I wanted to write this review because I wanted to give a truly honest response to the quality of service we received. The hotel and or catering department have not offered anything to rectify the problem that occurred with the food and or service at this time.
Alexis Sent on 12/06/2011

3.3 out of 5 rating
- Quality of service
  3.5 out of 5 rating
- Average response time
  4 out of 5 rating
- Professionalism
  3.5 out of 5 rating
- Value
  3 out of 5 rating
- Flexibility
  2.5 out of 5 rating
Positives:
- lovely space for a wedding of 50 people (Oceanside and Beachside rooms) with a great view
- while overall expensive, actually not a bad lunch package price when you look at the other options in the area
- we eventually worked out a nice vegan entree which was important to me
- we had a great time and our guests seemed to as well, but we picked all our own vendors not on Shutters list

Negatives:
- planning process was stressful, they didn't give me much info up front and it was hard to get answers to even simple questions
- most of my requests, such as for a signature cocktail, were met with a lot of resistance so I had to be very insistent to get anything I wanted
- not much variety at the tasting, only 2 apps, 2 salads and 3 entrees even though we could choose 3 entrees so we just went with what we tasted. We never tasted any of the hor d'oeuvres
- they ended up getting much of the menu wrong on the big day
- they were very hands-off and require you to hire a coordinator
User1906239 Sent on 02/16/2015

0.5 out of 5 rating
- Quality of service
  0.5 out of 5 rating
- Average response time
  0.5 out of 5 rating
- Professionalism
  0.5 out of 5 rating
- Value
  0.5 out of 5 rating
- Flexibility
  0.5 out of 5 rating
If you are looking to just spend money, time and a lot effort and in return be charged for every single drop of soda and receive absolutely ZERO service then Shutters is the place for you. Even though we made the best of what we could Shutters was not responsible for any of it. They have the most unprofessional team of wedding catering sales staff to coordinators. They will forget your name, forget when your wedding is and give you information last minute. We were insulted over countless emails about our hiring a wedding coordinator of our choosing. We were given a rehearsal time option just two weeks before our wedding, which was a destination wedding. After flying 3000 miles for a tasting we were told we never made a reservation even though there are confirmed emails between Shutters representatives and myself. I can't express enough to go some place else if you are looking to work with real professionals. Having your wedding at Shutters would be a huge waist of money and in the end all you will remember is how unprofessional everyone was but how quickly they will charge your credit card without your authorization. We had 10 couples stay the weekend at Shutters who also left us envelops at the front desk that mysteriously disappeared. Worst experience of my life which should have been one of the best memories I should have had.

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