Skip to main content
Weddings

Top of the Bay Reviews

Top of the Bay

Top of the Bay

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
4.5 out of 5 rating, 35 reviews
View more information

Reviews

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
  • Quality of service
    4.5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.2 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.4 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Ken
    Ken D. Sent on 06/25/2024
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating

    Ken & Carol 1994

    We got married there 30 years ago this year. Back then it was known as the Plum Point Officers club. Our guest still talk about how great it was!
  • Lauren
    Lauren Sent on 09/04/2019
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating

    Wedding of our Dreams

    Not only was the venue GORGEOUS but Dean made our experience unforgettable. I can honestly say our day was right on time and Dean kept things flowing accordingly. He was quick to answer questions and introduced us to everyone who would be working our big day! Our guests are STILL talking about how beautiful the venue is and how AMAZING the food is. We cannot thank Top of the Bay enough for helping make our wedding day incredible!
  • L
    Lisa Sent on 09/04/2018
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Dean was amazing to work with!!! We had kosher guests and Dean worked with our kosher caterer professionally and effortlessly. Even with a broken foot, he put everything together and even at the last minute went out to buy the type of beer my daughter wanted. He ran the ceremony so well and he was there every step of the way. He made the day so terrific and amazing. Thank you so, so much for helping us to have my daughter's dreams come true!!!
  • illustration stars

    Are you interested?

  • L
    Lisa Sent on 10/29/2017
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Great Food, great help and attentive to every need
  • U
    User2915847 Sent on 12/18/2016
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    We had an awesome experience at the top of the Bay. Held my wedding here and everything was beautiful. Dean, made sure my experience was fabulous and everything I could ever imagine. We had one hiccup, the fire alarm went off right before the ceremony was to begin. Dean handled it professionally, quickly and compensated my husband and I for the disturbance. I highly recommend this venue, the food was great, staff very attentive and professional. I am still receiving calls on how wonderful everything was. We had a really good time. Memories to last us forever. Thank you so much Dean!!! You're the best!
  • M
    Megan Sent on 10/07/2014
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    I was extremely happy with this venue! Amazing views, the staff was awesome. Richard was so helpful and made the planning much easier. The food was delicious. Beautiful venue and amazing price. I know where I will be renewing my vows!!!!
  • B
    Becky Sent on 07/23/2013
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    We had our wedding at Top of the Bay on July 5th and we couldn't have been happier how everything turned out! Teri and Richard were awesome and made sure our day ran smoothly from start to finish and they were willing to meet with us whenever we wanted before the wedding. The staff was very professional and the food was beyond fabulous!!! We had the Crabcake and Prime rib dinner and have received nothing but compliments from our family and friends. We had our wedding outside on the patio and then the reception was in the ballroom, it was absolutely beautiful!! We would recommend the venue a thousand times over for sure!
  • C
    Courtney Sent on 07/03/2013
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Beautiful location and perfect wedding day!
  • U
    User873906 Sent on 12/04/2012
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Top of the Bay was the perfect place to get married! I couldn't imagine a better place! It is affordable and gorgeous! We got married outside, looking over the bay. It was extremely hot because it was the summer, but well worth it.

    Terry and Stephen were amazing to work with! They were very helpful in helping me plan the ceremony/reception. They shot out ideas from experience and gave me advice. They were very patient with me. My husband was away, due to being in the military, and we had to change the date several times due to military duties. They were ok with that and worked in the date we were able to get married, as long as another wedding was not on that day. Anytime I saw Terry, she gave me a huge smile and hug, asking how I was. She is very sweet and cared about my big day.

    Stephen was so helpful the day of my wedding. He was making sure everything was in order and also helped set up. As my girls were walking down the aisle, he stood right there to make sure everything went as smooth as possible. Even when it came time for me to walk down the aisle, he helped me by letting me know when to go. That was a huge help because I was so nervous about the timing of the music with me walking down the aisle. But Stephen helped with all of that! Stephen made our plates of food, with everything on it, as well as brought it to us.

    The food at the reception was AMAZING! We never taste tested food, I just picked what sounded good and what I thought the majority of my guests would like. I was quite nervous, but once I took a bite of everything, my fears were squashed. Everyone at my wedding raved about the food. I would have eaten more, if I wasn't so nervous! :)

    All in all, it was the perfect night! Beautiful venue, affordable, amazing food, and just all in all the perfect place to get married. I highly recommend having your wedding/reception at Top of the Bay. It was the best choice I made and I am so glad I did!
  • U
    User884946 Sent on 08/01/2012
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    We chose Top of the Bay at Aberdeen Proving Ground for our wedding ceremony and reception. Top of the Bay was our top choice for several reasons. It is absolutely beautiful inside and out and the costs were very reasonable. The event planners at Top of the Bay that we worked with were Terry and Stephen. Both were extremely helpful, professional, and knowledgeable. They gave helpful advice and guided us through the whole planning process. We were a little nervous with the ceremony/reception being located on the military base and didn't know if it would be difficult for our guests gaining entry but Terry and Stephen assured us as long as our invited guests were on the guest list and had their ID's with them there would be no problems (and there weren't any problems). Top of the Bay also provided the catering. The food was delicious. We were impressed with the entire meal as was our guests. The whole day was absolutely perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything more. We HIGHLY recommend Top of the Bay.
  • L
    Lindsey Sent on 09/11/2008
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Everything was wonderful, especially the food! Just be careful with the pay as you go bar method. If you have a lot of drinkers, the bill adds up fast!
  • L
    Kelley Sent on 09/02/2008
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful....definitely recommend!
  • C
    Cassandra Sent on 07/11/2008
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    This was the best place i have ever seen i had the wedding outside the cocktail hr was in the first part upstairs and my reception was downstairs with the beautiful window... i loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • K
    Katie Sent on 07/02/2008
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Awesome! Awesome! Brides, if you are looking for a place that is going to make your wedding day fun and affordable, Top of the Bay is it! The cost includes the food, linens, & the beautiful establishment, and will give you names of vendors and suppliers if you are looking. The area is beautiful. I would recommend using a photographer and other vendors that have been there before since it is on the ARMY Base, and there are certain things you have to do. The only pitfall I can think of is that you have to enter and leave through the base gates which got confusing for the guests at night. Address the departure at the beginning of the reception when the entrance was fresh in their mind. Teri, the catering director, did everything humanly possible to make sure that the night went perfect. If something happened to go not as planned, she would take the bull by the horn, and fix whatever it was, and make sure that you are not even aware that something was off. However, she did let my mom know because that is professional and did not want any surprises.
  • D
    Dan Sent on 08/11/2016
    4.9 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Fantastic! Perfect Planning with Dean Piccoli. Top of the Bay provided a winning atmosphere, and a caring staff, who made the Bride and Groom special. We started looking at the APG military base due to family military ties, and found a professional staff who helped us along the way. We got a great Price, a great Place, and the Professional Planning of Mr Piccoli!

    Dean is truly a people person, and made things work so well for us. The spring-time food/catering tasting and wedding planning event was a great opportunity to get some ideas, and show both families and key members of the bridal/groomsmen party the venue.

    Pre Planning with Dean Piccolli ensures Perfect Performances. He follows up with details a few days ahead of time for the big day also.

    only tip is this: Dean is a gentleman and an old fashioned people person. He works best with personal telephone calls vs impersonal texts or emails.


  • S
    Stephanie Sent on 12/20/2014
    4.9 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Stunning place to have our wedding! The food was amazing, all of our guests enjoyed very much!
  • Kesslertobe1018
    Stephanie Sent on 10/20/2014
    4.9 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    All we can say is amazing! Terri was awesome to work with and she made our day so much better. She took great care of us and made sure everything went smooth. The venue is stunning and the view of the bay is excellent. Our wedding was held at night time and we had up-lighting for both the ceremony and reception... OMG it was beautiful. The staff set up everything so nice and did a great job. The food was great as well and everything came out in a timely manner. I also love how the bar has its own separate room so we didn't have guests standing in line out in the reception hall.

    All I can say is that it was the best choice we made in picking a venue and wouldn't have changed it for the world.

  • H
    Hannah Sent on 01/09/2015
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    I had my wedding at Top of the Bay in May, 2014. The location and interior are so beautiful, it really set a great mood for the day wedding! When my dad first recommended looking at Top of the Bay, my first thought was that it would look like a VFW hall. I could not have been more wrong! The website does not do justice! The place is totally renovated, very chic and classic and the scenery is unbeatable.

    For someone who wants an outdoor ceremony, there are a lot of risks and concerns with weather. With Top of the Bay, I did not have to worry at all. I knew that if the weather didn't permit an outdoor ceremony on the gorgeous deck overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, there was a beautiful interior hall just next to the deck that was perfectly suitable for a ceremony as well. Thankfully, the weather was fantastic and the huge deck and dining hall accommodated our 200+ guests without hassle.

    Richard was such a professional and helpful point of contact. He made sure all the items we brought were set up how we wanted it. He made sure all our vendors were well set up and never got overwhelmed in the hoopla of the day.

    I priced plenty of catering halls, and Top of the Bay was half the price of venues of equal calibur. I have worked in the wedding business for most of my life, and the food is very good quality, served hot and served quickly. To me that is the most important. We went for the buffet option. I was not interested in a culinary masterpiece. I just wanted good food options that would satisfy our guests, taste good and be served promptly. At Top of the Bay, that is exactly what we got!

    I did not worry on my wedding day, as all my questions were answered before the big day.

    I highly recommend Top of the Bay. You will have great memories (and great photos)!
  • K
    Kimberly Sent on 07/22/2012
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Top of the Bay is an absolutely gorgeous venue, overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. It caters to Military families, so the price is unbeatable for the amazing value. And no matter what day you have your wedding (Thurs-Sunday) - the venue costs the same. No "premium" rates for Saturday weddings. You get 5 hours for the wedding and can add additional hours for a reasonable price!

    The Top of the Bay is perfect for pictures too- the Officer's Club is gorgeous and you can't beat the views. We found a little bridge to take pictures on, as well as some TANKS (if you enjoy a fun pic or two).

    Terry, who books the place is hilarious, down to earth and very up front. She is rough around the edges, but a pro. Top of the Bay only recently started doing weddings (in January 2012), so I think there are a lot of kinks that they are working out still - sometimes it's hard to get a hold of them (it is also provides a full service lunch for the base). It's also difficult for any guests that arrive late to the wedding, as they have to go through the military gate.

    The food was delicious (even though I didn't get to eat much). All of our guests thought they had a full meal, even though we only served hor d'hoeuvres. They even gave us the leftovers (which was great because there was a blackout in Maryland that weekend!)

    The bar was the best part because you pay for only what people drink. It was so refreshing because we have a lot of teetotalers in our family (and a fair share of party people).

    This wedding was so beautiful. It felt and looked 4 times more expensive than it was. If you're lucky enough to have some sponsor you here.
  • prov3130grl
    Andrea Sent on 07/19/2010
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Teri and her team worked so hard to make my wedding turn out just the way I wanted it. Top of the Bay is so beautiful AND affordable! It was definitely the best value of anywhere around (and, trust me, I looked for months). My wedding was everything I hoped it would because of all their hard work. I couldn't have been more pleased.
  • J
    Julie Sent on 10/07/2009
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    I loved my Wedding Reception at Top of the Bay. It was Beautiful and Terri the catering manager worked with me and all of my last minute changes. I literally changed stuff up until the 2 week mark.
    I booked this reception site because my Husband and I met at a wedding that took place there so it had a lot of sentimental value. That wedding was 2.5 years ago and the prices went up dramatically.
    The staff was kind and the food was great. We booked the downstairs room and there was plenty of space and the views were great.
  • K
    Kristen Sent on 09/30/2008
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      4 out of 5 rating
    This place was great to work with. They were able to solve any problem I would run across. They have strict time slots for weddings so I wasn't able to have the time that I wanted, but other than that, I had no problems with them. In fact, I realized I forgot to buy a bottle of wine to give away for the anniversary dance and mentioned it to the coordinator. She immediately went to the bar, grabbed a bottle of wine, found a gift bag and had it all ready by the time the anniversary dance ended. That is what I call exceptional service!
  • U
    User1728476 Sent on 07/23/2014
    4.7 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    The view at Top of the Bay is absolutely breathtaking. We had our ceremony and reception there. The staff was extremely helpful and made sure that everything ran on schedule. The food was excellent and it was definitely a good price.
  • J
    Jessica Sent on 01/16/2015
    4.6 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      4 out of 5 rating
    This is a beautiful venue. There is a plan B for rain. There is a very specific plan for how things will run (i.e. where the bridal party goes after the ceremony and where the card table is, etc. ) but the coordinator is willing to work with different ideas. The interior design is updated and very beautiful, it will work well with many wedding designs and color schemes.
  • E
    Erin Sent on 08/19/2016
    4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    When my fiancé and I walked into this venue we knew it was the place for us! It's very beautiful inside and prices are extremely reasonable. Occasionally, it was hard to get a hold of the venue and there were issues with the directions they gave us to pass to the guests (make sure you have their word on what gate guests are allowed to go through!), but in the end that all worked out and the wedding was fantastic. The food was also very good! You don't usually hear too many compliments about food at a wedding but the food we had was excellent and most of the guests told us the same! Overall, I would certainly recommend this venue to anyone.
  • J
    Jennifer Sent on 05/29/2008
    4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    My husband and I loved Top of the Bay. The grounds are beautiful. Teri, our coordinator was terrific. She really worked with us to make everything how we wanted it. They try to be as flexible as possible, however, it is a military base so there are a lot of events that take place there.
  • N
    Naomi Sent on 03/24/2008
    4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Everyone here was so wonderful to work with! They made planning easy! And the site is absolutley beautiful!
  • U
    User2652685 Sent on 06/18/2016
    4.4 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    Top of the Bay is a great venue. The team was very accommodating by assisting with set up, offering suites for the bridal party and setting up the wedding the exact way expected. The chef was on top of his game because the food was out of this world. The entire team was there to assist with all aspects of the wedding. The price was right for this venue and I would recommended them for any wedding. Our daughters and son-in laws wedding was an absolute success.
  • U
    User1841750 Sent on 10/02/2014
    4 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      2 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      3 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    First let me say that my wedding turned out amazing and I would certainly recommend this venue. The only caveat is that if you are looking for somewhere that will hold your hand through the planning stages this is not the place for you. The responsiveness of the event coordinators was hit or miss prior to the wedding; there would be times that I would ask a question via email or voice-mail and would receive a response immediately, other times I wouldn't get a response at all. Despite the lack of responsiveness prior to the wedding, they were great on the day of.
  • K
    Kim Sent on 02/07/2013
    3.9 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      2.5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      3 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5 out of 5 rating
    If I had to do it all over again, I would still have my wedding at Top of the Bay.The people are nice, the building is beautiful inside (recently renovated) and out, and the venue is definitely your best bang for your buck, especially if you want to get married on the water. You pay a small (in comparison to other wedding venues) site fee and then pay per reasonably priced meal and per drink. With that being said:
    -The main contacts are busy. They didn't always call me back right away, but I always got in touch with them before I needed to and when I did talk to them they were super nice and helpful.
    -We did hear some people had complaints asabout cold food
    -There was some confusion with who ordered what and my main problem with this is that I heard comments about staff not knowing english well enough or being nice enough to work it out so the person settled for the wrong meal
    -I was told someone would be at the door to greet my guests and they ended up being "short staffed" so this did not happen and my guests didnt know where to go so when I arrived (in my wedding dress and everything!) there were many guests standing on the porch watching me walk in. This short staffing caused a few other problems as well, but the worst part is - no one ever came to me or my mom and said "we are short staffed please be understanding." we got nothing.
    -None of the tables clothes had been ironed
    -They were so far behind in setting up that when my photographer got there she couldnt take pictures of the empty room or a lot of the details b/c they werent out yet
    -We did have one guest that couldn't get on base b/c she forgot her ID. This is not Top of the Bays fault, just consider it before booking.

    Again - my outdoor ceremony and indoor reception were beautiful. And I could not have had that many guests at a comparable venue for that price. And the staff really cares about your wedding. They just seem very busy. All the time.
  • Gabrielle
    Gabrielle Sent on 08/14/2015
    3.5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      2.5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      2.5 out of 5 rating
    Top of the Bay is a beautiful venue for a wedding reception. The view is gorgeous. Unfortunately, there were many headaches leading up to our wedding day. There were multiple mis-communications regarding what we were allowed to bring to the venue as well as inconsistency in what we were told. Our point of contact went back on his word multiple times and was not respectful of us as customers. The day-of was handled by Terri and she did a fantastic job in setting everything up and making things run smoothly. If Terri is working with you, we would recommend this venue.
  • J
    Joyce Sent on 06/04/2013
    2.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      2 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      3 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      2.5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      3 out of 5 rating
    My daughter had her wedding and reception at Top of the Bay on September 2012. Everything up until the day of the wedding seemed fine, but when the day came so did several issues. We can start with them being so far behind schedule that my florist could not set up as promised. Tablecloths looked like they were folded for 10 years before placing on the tables. We had not 1 person on staff to help us before or during the ceremony, and I mean no one. My guests had no one to direct them where to go. My florist, My Secret Garden and my DJ, icemanentertainment.com both saved the day, they told me when, where and how to line up and when to walk down the aisle, and I have pictures to prove it. No A/C upstairs, and not even a pitcher of water for the bridal party, or even a staff member to get us one. Stephen never showed his face to us! The reception hall was not ready after the ceremony, leaving my guests to stand with no drinks as my allotted time ticked away. I did see Stephen once guarding the door so no one would enter until they were ready. My guests were served lukewarm and even cold meals, each of them thought theirs was the only one. Many of the staff didn't speak of understand English. The bathroom had not 1 square of toilet paper in 1 stall, the one I chose! Maybe they were all like that?
    I gave Teri ample time, many months, to get back to me about these issues. She did not. I e-mailed her and gave her a 7 day deadline to contact me, again, nothing. If you want don't want any regrets on your wedding day, then go elsewhere. Stay away from the Top of the Bay. I can back up everything with pictures and will gladly show them to anyone!
  • U
    User1033360 Sent on 12/02/2012
    2.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      2 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      2 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      2 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      4 out of 5 rating
    To be honest.. I had heard a ton of good things about top of the bay. It is definitely a beautiful venue overlooking the water! We fell in love with it as soon as we found it! However they were MANY hiccups that stressed me out the day of my wedding because of top of the bay. I had many guests complain that although the food was great it was served to them ice cold. I had many complaints that the bartenders were rude to my guests. I was told the fireplaces would be lit( and it says this in my contract) however when I got there they informed me they could not be lit. The worse part was that apparently the gates to get into this place are CLOSED on the weekends. They FAILED to inform me of this so that i could inform my guests. My guests arrived with the directions i had given them or by using their navigations. When arriving the gates were closed. No-one told my guests where to go and they were driving all over to find an alternate entrance. We actually had about 6 guests turn away and drive home after not being able to find the alternate entrance. I was pissed to say the least. I also provided many candles to light through my entire room. Besides my votives, they were candles with a great scent i wanted to go through the room. Not ONE of these candles were lit. They set the room up perfect which was a plus. They used all of my decor and did exactly what I wanted( besides not lighting my candles).Stephen was nice to work with and the pricing is great. There are no taxes! However, Tina who works there is very rude and unprofessional( do not work with her). I tried calling top of the bay the entire day of my wedding to make some last minute changes to my guest list and NOONE answered the phone at all from 10:00am to 6:00pm. I couldnt get in touch with anyone to make these changes.

    Overall i would recommend the venue itself.. and Stephen... however, some aspects of the venue need lots of improving! If you are looking for the look for less go with this venue..
  • N
    Jen Sent on 03/18/2009
    2.7 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      2.5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      2 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      2 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    TOTB was a great choice from the beginning for us due to the cost of the venue, working with Terry was great, BUT when it came to my ceremony and reception i was told a weeks before the Terry would not be there and she would have a fill in, needless to say not everything went as planned, we started the ceremony 20 minuets late, I was told the room that my guests would be walking through would be neat tidy and presentable, needless to say there were ugly bare banquet tables in the room and it was cluttered with left over seating. When it came to the reception the food was great, but myself, husband and bridal party couldn't see what they were eating due to a tripped backer to the lights on the stage where were were seated to eat. no one ever fixed it the entire night. the AC was never turned on and is was so hot my flowers died by the time dinner was served. we were told there would be a carving station, there never was, the drinks were watered down and more people drank more then normal due top the weak drinks causing our bar bill to be outrages!

    Over all I feel the if Terry would have been there things would have been different. Nothing ruined my wedding day and everything that didn't go as planned wants noticed by my guests, besides the fact it was so warm in the reception hall.
  • M
    Megan Sent on 10/21/2013
    1.5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      0.5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      2 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      0.5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      4 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      0.5 out of 5 rating
    Unfortunately, Top of the bay does NOT do tasting for the weddings. I was torn between two venues and asked to try the food and Richard told me that I would have to come during lunch hours which was only 11am-1:30 Mondays through Fridays. I am a teacher and it is difficult to get off work. I emailed him to tell him that I was able to get off work early one Friday to come and try the food. he said that was no problem. When I got there, they only had buffets set out and they said I could only try what was in the buffet. I said that I was planning on having a crab cake at the wedding and would like to try the crab cake. He said "well we only have that on certain days." I told him that I needed to make a decision within the next week and that I couldn't get off work for lunch on mondays through fridays. He had nothing to say, was rude and unwilling to work with me.....if he is unable to be flexible and accomidating now, what do you think he will be like for the wedding? That scared me and there is NO way I would ever recommend this venue to anyone while he is working there.
illustration stars

Are you interested?