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Weddings

Garden Grove Event Center Reviews

Garden Grove Event Center

Garden Grove Event Center

Carbondale, IL
4.9 out of 5 rating, 46 Reviews
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Reviews

4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
46 Reviews
99% recommend it
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    4.9 out of 5 rating
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Awards

46
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
Weddingwire
4.9/5 46 reviews
Google
4.5/5 131 reviews
  • Jenn
    Jennifer Sent on 12/06/2022
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    10/10 recommend

    Absolutely beautiful venue and experience. The staff was so amazing and made sure everything went perfectly.
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    Hayli Sent on 09/28/2018
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    Having our wedding at The Wedding Garden was one of the best choice we made throughout the entire process. Everyone was so wonderful and professional, but yet so caring. Our day couldn’t have been anymore perfect. I would absolutely recommend anyone to get married here.
  • rachlynn7
    Racheal Sent on 11/19/2016
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    Melissa and the staff at The Wedding Garden were truly a blesssing for me and my husband in the months leading up to our wedding and especially on our wedding day! She helped me all the way through with planning and deciding on tiny details and made sure I was never stressed. I was so impressed with all the services conveniently offered through them. And the food.... the food was AMAZING! You hear all the time how terrible some wedding food is, but this is definitely not the case here! It was so delicious! You really can't ask for more in a wedding venue. It's gorgeous inside and out. I could go on about everything the staff did for me but simply put... best place to have a wedding hands down!!
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  • A
    Amanda Sent on 11/20/2016
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    My husband and I got married October 15, 2016. I had the wedding of my dreams at the Wedding Garden. It was perfect! They did everything for us and made the day completely stress free. It was beautiful and everything flowed so smoothly. The staff at the Wedding Garden were wonderful to work with! Highly recommend it to anyone for any kind of event! They do it all!!

    Thank you The Wedding Garden!!
  • M
    Michelle Sent on 10/15/2016
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    To definitely have your wedding day here we had the loft absolutely breathtaking
  • G
    Gary Sent on 09/11/2016
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    The Wedding Garden is an AMAZING place for a wedding and celebration. Melissa is a wonderful lady and totally takes care of things from the initial visit to the end of the evening on the wedding night. She and her staff worked all evening from serving dinner (which was so delicious) to keeping tables cleared to just being so nice and professional. My daughter had the wedding she always dreamed of due to Melissa. In closing as her father, all I can say is, "Don't count the pennies, only count the smiles, as the pennies will go but the smiles will last forever!"

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Hi Gary! Thank you so much for the amazing review. We absolutely love serving our clients and it's so nice to be appreciated for what we do. We will remember you and your family forever. Please let us know if you need us for anything in the future and we'll be ready to serve!! Best wishes to you and your family.
  • M
    Michael Sent on 08/25/2016
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    I would not consider any other venue. Melissa and her team were fantastic. We have not stopped smiling. Thank you so much.

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Thank you Michael you were an awesome dad to work with and we absolutely loved working with you and your family. One of my favorite moments was standing outside the gates with you and Lauren right before she went down the aisle. Just unforgettable!!
  • B
    Brittany Sent on 08/02/2016
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    This is a world class business that is there for you every step of the way. They work with you to stay within a budget and don't pressure you into something that you aren't interested in. On the day of the wedding, the staff is there for you the minute you arrive to assist with anything be it big or small. A 5 star rating is well deserved.

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Thank you so much for the world class review!!!
  • M
    Moriah Sent on 08/05/2016
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    I loved every second of our wedding here. Our specific venue was The Loft and Terrace, and it was just perfect for us. The prices may have jumped a little too high for my comfort, but it was well worth it in the end. If you`re wanting a smaller intimate wedding, the Terrace is the place for you, but it might get a little cramped if your guest list is exceeding 150. The other venue The Wedding Garden is made for bigger weddings. All in all, if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for making our wedding so memorable!

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Thank you for the great review Moriah and for choosing The Loft & Terrace! They always say you get what you pay for and with your wedding the choices you went with were absolutely beautiful!!! We are delighted that you wouldn't change a thing. Best wishes for a lifetime of happiness!!
  • K
    Kim Sent on 10/26/2015
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    This venue is absolutely breath taking for an evening
    Wedding. From the string lite pagoda, to the
    Lighted water features and fire pit on the outside
    To the color lite reception area inside. The wedding
    Coordinator Melissa Ray gives you her undivided attention.
    She was fabulous!!!! Her attentiveness to both my
    Daughter(the Bride) and myself throughout
    the event was above all expectations. Checking closely
    With us to make sure every want or need was
    Taken care of!!! THE FOOD was FABULOUS!!! We have
    Received so many compliments on the venue and
    Food!!!! The staff were all so friendly and and
    Professional!! So if you want the BEST forget the rest
    And book with MELISSA and her STAFF at The Wedding Garden!!

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    It was awesome working with you and your family Kim!!! Thank you for the review!!!!
  • User2424265 Sent on 11/13/2015
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    Our day was absolutely perfect, thanks to Melissa and her entire crew. Even though we procrastinated on a few things, and changed our minds at the last minute on some details, Melissa and team handled it with grace and ease. We are still in awe of our day, and are still getting compliments on how great everything was at the Wedding Garden. The food was OUTSTANDING, the venue was GORGEOUS and the Staff is TOP NOTCH. All of our worries were calmed by Melissa and there is no doubt she is the best at what she does. Thank you Garden Grove Event Center for making our day so incredibly special.

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Thank you so much for the amazing review, we're blushing a little :)
  • M
    Marcey Sent on 11/09/2015
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    Could not be happier with the service that I received. Everyone was great from the planning stage all the way to the clean up. Staff was extremely helpful and had smiles on their faces the whole day. No worries for me which made me smile all day long.

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    We loved working with you Marcey, thank you so much!!!
  • User2404793 Sent on 11/02/2015
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    I was blown away at how Melissa was able to take my small ideas and make them into a beautiful wedding. I am beyond thankful for the way everything turned out and would definitely recommend this place to friends. Thank you again for an amazing wedding!!

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
  • B
    Brittany Sent on 10/16/2015
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    The entire staff at The Wedding Garden was FANTASTIC! Every single guest said it was the best wedding they had ever been to!! Melissa was always quick to respond and helped guide us through what we needed to do and when we needed to do it every step of the way. They were very professional and still fun to work with, which is very rare. I would recommend everyone get married here!! Thank you for making our day so special and for making us feel like family!

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    We loved your wedding Brittany!!! Thank you so much for the review!!!!
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    Rebecca Sent on 12/25/2014
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    We are so excited for our venue. We got to go to an open house and we are soon doing a private tasting to pick our menu. Melissa is great and print to respond!

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Can't wait for your wedding, you guys are wonderful to work with!!
  • J
    Jen Sent on 10/18/2015
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    Melissa and company did everything I asked and MORE!!! Everyone there went above and beyond my expectations. I had random thoughts and Melissa turned those into an elegant, cohesive evening. The dreams I had were blown away with Melissa's reality. We got so many compliments about how personalized our wedding was.

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    We loved working with you Jen! Thank you so much!!!!
  • User2021358 Sent on 01/24/2015
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    The Wedding Garden has made me feel special, offers the largest variety of services in Southern Illinois, and is breath takingly beautiful. I have loved every wedding I've attended there and am so thankful they were available for my wedding.
  • L
    Linda Sent on 06/10/2015
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    I was the wedding coordinator for a wedding held at the Wedding Garden in May, 2015. I was really impressed with (and grateful for) the flexibility and patience shown by the staff in dealing with our indecision, on the wedding day, about whether or not to have the ceremony inside or outside. Because of the rainy weather, we went back and forth with the decision. The staff, led by Melissa Ray, dried the chairs off several times before we finally decided to have it outside. Also, Melissa had precision radar tracking of the rain storm on her phone! She told us, "We can do it, but it has to be right now!" We went for it and the ceremony ended just before the next rain storm started. The staff was so kind with us. I really appreciated their help and support. They made a difficult situation and decision much easier for the couple and I to deal with! I highly recommend the Wedding Garden.

    Linda Greene, Chicago, IL

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Rain, Rain go away! You were wonderful to work with!!!!
  • S
    Samantha Sent on 05/25/2015
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    I was planning an out of state wedding, I came across The Wedding Garden when I saw pictures of a former brides wedding. Melissa and her staff did everything and more to help me coordinate my wedding from out of state. The day of the wedding the only "issue" we came across was the fact I forgot my garder and we had to have someone leave 20 before the wedding to buy one. The staff was super unstanding and they pushed back the ceremony. During the reception they made sure I had everything I needed they went above and beyond to make sure EVERYONE was having fun

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Samantha you were such a wonderful bride to work with. We wish you and Brandon the absolute best. Thank you again for choosing The Wedding Garden!!!
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    Stephanie Sent on 07/02/2015
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    Our wedding would not have been the dream come true it was without Melissa Ray and the staff at The Loft at Garden Grove Event Center. We had people all night ling RAVE about how gorgeous it was and how fabulous the food was (we did stuffed pork loin and chicken--both phenomenal along with the sides!). The chef came around to each table to ask how the food was and to offer seconds! Set up was an absolute breeze with everything they have available at your fingertips décor rentals to china and flatware! The music system (we did our own) was top notch and the addition of the new lights made the dance floor feel like a swanky club! The bar and bartender were awesome and courteous. The outside deck was transformed into a place to hang out and sit with friends after the ceremony, I think most of my guests sat out there and enjoyed the beautiful weather and lights. I could go on all day about how awesome this place is. I will be telling everyone I hear is planning a wedding to use Garden Grove Event Center!!!

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Stephanie you were so fun to work with and such a wonderful couple the whole way through. We really enjoyed every second of it! Thank you so much for the wonderful review!! We'll miss you!!!!
  • M
    Micah Sent on 05/18/2015
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    Being from southern Illinois, there were only a limited number of places to have your wedding, until NOW! I never would have imagined a place like The Wedding Garden coming to Carbondale! You always hear how stressful it is to plan a wedding, and how mean and stressed the brides are, but I couldn't imagine Having a wedding anywhere else! Melissa is literally a saint! She always kept her composure, never seemed stressed, and always had a smile on her face! Of course when the big day came, I was worried about a couple things, but Melissa calmed my nerves, and made sure everything went EXACTLY as planned!! Not only that, but the venue is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! There are multiple different areas to take photos, the ceremony space is beautiful even without decorations, and so is the reception space! If your looking for a one stop shop, with beautiful scenery, AND a stress free, layed back environment, THIS IS THE PLACE!!! 5 stars all around!

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Thank you so much Micah, you and Gary were so wonderful to work with. We enjoyed being part of your big day and your "first look" was priceless, one of our favorites. Thank you for choosing The Wedding Garden and congratulations again!!
  • T
    Traci Sent on 02/25/2015
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    We held our Company Christmas Party at this Venue in December 2014. It was AMAZING!! The staff was beyond helpful and I heard nothing but wonderful reviews. I continued to get compliments on how it was the best Christmas Party our organization had ever had. On that evening we booked our Christmas Party for the following year.

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Thank you so much Traci, it was wonderful working with you and your holiday party was so much fun! We can't wait to see what this year's event will be like!
  • A
    Alex Sent on 11/16/2014
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    Melissa was fantastic! She went above and beyond for our expectations! She made sure everything that I wanted was perfect. She gave me great professional advice when I needed it and made me feel like her focus was all on Jake and I. She worked with me on everything I wanted and made exactly what I had in my mind come to life. The reception was gorgeous, my flowers were perfect, and the food was phenomenal! I as a Bride had no worries about one thing that day and I have Melissa to thank for that! All of the other staff members were great as well and I was very pleased with all of their hard work and effort! I would highly recommend The Wedding Garden Grove Event Center to anyone planning an event!

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Thank you so much! We appreciate the review!!!
  • Katie
    Katie Sent on 11/05/2014
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    Finding the Wedding Garden for my wedding was literally a godsend! From coordination to decor to catering, dj service, flowers, and transportation, they have it all covered if that is what you want. They have a terrific and talented team of vendors and in-house staff that can literally handle everything. It is a one-stop route to a impressive stress free wedding.

    I got so many compliments on how beautiful and unique the venue was, how great the food tasted (and it was.. delicious), and how smoothly things went. It was everything I had hoped for.

    Melissa is an extremely organized, accommodating, and patient coordinator (even with an OCD bride like me with tons of questions)! She was with us through the entire process start to finish and it is very clear that she takes great pride in and enjoys her work. If anything started to go awry she and her staff stepped up and had it handled, even if was outside of their typical job description.

    Melissa and The Wedding Garden are worth every cent and gave me a dream wedding that I will never forget.

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Katie it was really fun working with you, we appreciate the wonderful review!
  • N
    Natalie Sent on 11/10/2014
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    Choosing The Wedding Garden was a great decision. Melissa helped us with everything from decorating to food to what time to do everything. The Wedding Garden is one stop shopping if a person wants it to be. I would recommend The Wedding Garden to anyone!

    Garden Grove Event Center's reply:

    Thank you so much!!
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