Willow Pond Reviews

Name: Willow Pond
Address: 200 WT Lewis Rd, Monticello, FL, 32345
Telephone: 8502224400
Rating: 3.3

Willow Pond

Monticello, FL

3.3 out of 5 rating, 26 Reviews

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Reviews

3.3 out of 5 rating

26 Reviews

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65% Recommended by couples

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Whitney M. Sent on 02/11/2019

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Meet and greet

I first meet with Mr. Clyde the owner of Willow Pond the last week in January 2019. Upon arrival I knew instantly that this venue was just what I was looking for. Its rustic charm immediately captured the vision I had imagined for my perfect wedding. I know instantly that this was where i would say "I Do" to my future husband. We have meet with Clyde and his staff on multiple occasions and every time they are flexable with working around our hectic schedule. I am looking forward to saying our vows at willow pond.
Kristin Sent on 03/20/2012

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The site was exactly what we wanted! Gorgeous ceremony locations on property, the prettiest of which is the pond-side gazebo. The Party Barn is so charming and fit our personalities and needs to a tee!

There was a rash of downpours on our wedding day and our ceremony was seamlessly moved indoors to the reception area. We rehearsed the outdoor ceremony and our Plan B for rain... I'm so glad we did!

Their rates offer a lot of bang for your buck and have some fun and convenient offerings as well. Kimberly was patient and communicative throughout the whole process.
Melissa Sent on 01/29/2010

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Willow Pond is a gorgeous natural setting for an outdoor ceremony. We were blessed with beautiful weather and our wedding was picture perfect- right down to the horse drawn carriage. Kimberly is incredibly professional and an excellent resource when it comes to planning the ceremony and reception. The Carriage Moon Cafe was a convenient on-site reception site and was able to accommodate all of our guests and vendors with ease (includes a full kitchen for catering). Simple, elegant, beautiful.

Louise Sent on 05/09/2008

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Willow Pond is the most beautiful place to get married and it offers as much or as little as you need for your wedding. They offer a horse and carraige that makes the bride feel like a real princess on her big day. The owner works with what ever request or need you have and they make everything perfect on the wedding day so you don't have to worry about a thing. Nearly everyone who attended said that they had never been to a more beautiful ceremony.
Kristin Sent on 10/06/2008

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Willow Pond is the perfect setting for an outdoor wedding. I felt like a true princess when I was rode in on a horse carriage and everyone was watching. Walking over the bridge and having everyone's eyes on my dad and I was amazing too. The gazebo where the ceremony is held is perfect. The guests are seated all the way around the gazebo, so people can get pictures from all directions. There is an oak tree that the photographer takes you to for photos and the scenery is stunning. Between my photographers, Studio Heart, and Willow Pond, my wedding was a dream come true.
Jeanne Sent on 04/16/2012

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Kimberly was gracious, and Willow Pond was wonderful. While we ended up spending more than I originally thought - to include the horse drawn carriage, the linens, etc - it was a beautiful wedding and reception. Both my husband and I would say it was worth every penny.

Kimberly responded to my emails very timely, and she answered my questions every step of the way. I was a bit disappointed not to use sparklers, but given the fact that another party had burned their deck down in the past, I can understand the safety precautions. This was really the only rule they had! My favorite part about choosing this venue overall was that we had it at 10 am that morning & all evening until 2:30! Most places only give you 5-6 hours for a reception. The setting is gorgeous and rustic and it fit our desires perfectly. We stayed in the honeymoon cabin that night and I could not have found a single thing more welcoming than the huge whirlpool tub.

If you are looking for a rustic country wedding, this is your place.
Madeleine Sent on 05/25/2011

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Kimberly at Willow Pond was amazing, and while yes, there were certain things that she at first would not bend on, liek settin gup the night before, a lot of stuff, she helped with. She set up our table cloths and was amazing about letting us leave a lot of the stuff there the night before since our wedding was in the morning. You get so much for your money because you get ceremony site and reception hall, and you don't have to get a ton of decorations because of all the natural beauty of the place. We had so many guests rave about how beautiful and different it was. I would absolutely recommend this place to any bride and would do it all over again the exact same!
Melissa Sent on 01/31/2008

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after being frustrated at the catholic church we turned to an outdoor wedding. Kimberly was amazing and the site was perfect.
Adam Sent on 05/01/2015

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Good payment arrangements, will to help find vendors at discount rates.
Lauren Sent on 11/03/2009

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Everyone at Willow Pond was wonderful. The location is beautiful and perfect for every season.
Cassie Sent on 10/24/2011

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We overall had a wonderful experience at Willow Pond. There are acouple of rules they wont budge on, such as sparklers, that was previously mentioned. Their unity candle we rented through them had been used many times and therefore wouldn't light. I would would recommend bringing your own if you are wanting one. Kimberly was wonderful in helping us w our needs. I highly recommend them. It was a wonderful place for a southern wedding!
Erin Sent on 10/27/2008

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Willow Pond Plantation was the perfect place for a "Southern" wedding. We were very happy that our wedding and reception could be outside and right next to each other. It was very convenient. And we loved the bridge across the pond. It was a beautiful backdrop for our pictures. Kimberly was helpful and very accommodating to make sure everything went as we planned. I had a horse and carriage, pond, twinkle lights, chairs and tables, bartender, and beautiful landscapes for pictures. We had one a tiny disappointment. The foliage hadn't bloomed as we thought they would. They planted some extra plants, but they weren't in bloom either.
Jennifer Sent on 04/27/2010

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Kimberly at Willow Pond was a pleasure to work with. She was always just a phone call away and if you had to leave a message she would always return your phone call (no matter what time it was). Willow Pond can provide all your wedding necessities including a horse drawn carriage so it's like a one-stop-shop. It does get expensive and there are things that the venue does not budge on for example you cannot have any sparklers, you cannot use the honeymoon cabin to get dressed in and you cannot set-up the night before the wedding. However, with the natural beauty of the venue you can save a lot on the florist!
User1742387 Sent on 07/31/2014

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This place is perfect for a rustic wedding. A little hot in the summer but would be beautiful in the fall and spring. They are a little unorganized, but they are also very flexible so that is a good thing.
Rebecca Sent on 06/23/2008

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I loved the beauty of Willow Pond. The outside was so pretty. The inside reception area is nice, but was hot b/c the ac didn't exactly work that well for the large area it was supposed to cool. The kitchen was below average. The staff was courteous, but some things were not as promised. Overall, I was happy with it. Just some small problems here and there but no deal breaker.
Joellen Sent on 07/22/2008

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The venue was definitely very pretty and Kim was available to us as needed. However, we were misled by the efficiency of the a/c and in July this was a critical miscue. It never got below 80 degrees in the reception hall. As host and hostess we were embarassed. It made us look cheap. Also, promises made about the ice maker (would refill in a day), dying the pond blue (no sign that any attempt was made), roadside torches to guide our guests out never materialized, and the wedding couple stayed in the honeymoon cabin where the TV didn't work and no goodies were provided to make it special in any way. I would be careful with a summer wedding and double check that promises made are fulfilled.
Ashley Sent on 05/10/2010

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The venue was gorgeous, but we were not happy with the customer service at all. Would not recommend the venue for that very reason.
Emily Sent on 05/16/2015

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We are not endorsing this location by it being tagged. It is a beautiful location if you can get passed the eyesore at the entrance of the property, however, the owner, management is impossible to deal with and doesn't live up to his responsibilities or agreements and is not there when you need him. As a matter of fact, he is completely absent at all times. Absolutely would recommend you steer clear of Willow Pond for a special occasion. The only way this was as special as it was, is beside we brought a complete team with us of coordinators who were able to make last minute changes and emergency saves in spite of it all. Not everyone would have such an amazing team there to make that happen and I would be so sad if that would had happened to a bride or a corporate party or a party that someone had worked so hard for.
Jana Sent on 06/29/2009

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Beautiful site for a wedding and reception, just make sure you do it in the winter months when it is cool.
Before anyone entered the reception hall the temp on a late June day was 85 at 6pm and it never cooled off inside any further. There are doors around the bar area that are like barn slats and no insulation. This was a great disappointment and embarrassment for us and the 100 guest's that we had sweltering in the place. The bride's dressing cabin another joke, 1 small window unit and no insulation, we ended up taking turns standing in the flower cooler. The pond had scum all over it despite the fact we were told it would be cleaned and dyed blue for our event.
I do not like to be mislead and although Kimberly is nice she is a sales person.

Stay away from this venue in the summer months in Florida
User2564976 Sent on 03/30/2016

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The location was pretty and the wedding was beautiful, but the owner and the service were terrible. A lot of money was spent for this venue and he kept trying to get more and more money out of us until he was called out on it. The night before the wedding, nothing was set up as it was promised, the owner never came down to the venue after he was called, until later that night and he went off on me for no reason. The night of the wedding the A/C was leaking and left our sweetheart table soaking wet and a huge puddle on the floor. Be careful with the prices and what he promises because he did not honor his promises to us.
Katherine Sent on 03/29/2012

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We were going to hold our ceremony and reception at Willow Pond. Upon arrival, we learned that our business would not be welcomed because we were a gay couple. The owner told us it went against his values, therefore he didn't want us married on his property.

I tried to complain to a local new's station, but then the owner claimed that the only reason he refused our business was because he required a valid marriage license to have ceremonies on that land. Complete bull, since discrimination was his one and only excuse both when we spoke to us and then later when I confirmed their stance over the phone.

This place has all the Southern charm, but also all the Southern hate. Don't waste your time having your beautiful wedding owned by people who aren't true Christians or Southerners. No one should hate so much. I really hope that this beautiful venue finds new ownership - and soon.
User1089866 Sent on 02/12/2013

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I was in the wedding party. The venue was nice, it had the rustic feel the bride and groom were going for. However, the night of the rehersal dinner, we were told there would be lights, which there were none. We all had to eat in the dark. Also the owners provided the catering for the rehersal dinner and the wedding. The food was horrible!!!! There were no condiments to go with our meal for the rehersal dinner. we would have been better off ordering from steak and shake and having it delivered. The rehersal dinner made us worried if this was any indication of how the wedding food was going to be. The wedding day arrived, it was beautiful. The wedding party and family stayed behind after the ceremony for pictures, while the rest of the guest went to the reception. Once we arrived to the reception the guest had already had their food and all the food was gone. So aproximately 40 people did not get to eat. They were supposed to prepare enough food for 205 ppl. Horrible. We ended up having to order pizza just so the wedding party and family could eat. Also, the owners are VERY RUDE!!!! I recommend for venue/looks only. Hire outside for catering.
Not W. Sent on 03/13/2012

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The venue was dirty!! The day of my sisters wedding, There was NO HELP FROM ANY OF THE STAFF! The chairs that we payed an extra $500.00 to use were rusted and dirty at the reception! At the ceremony, The white chairs were also dirty and when the guests got up to go to the reception, they had white powder or something all over their clothes! (tht would not come off easily). I think that for the price they ask to rent this venue, they would atleast have everything clean for the services going to be held at Willow Pond. Not to mention, the DJ was awesome. But the wedding planner at the venue acted like a child all bc the DJ set his equipment up in the most appropitate place approved by the brides parents, rather than the dark and awkward corner suggested by willow pond. When we told the lady the DJ was fine where he was at and we did not want him in a corner, she left and did not return to the ceremony/reception. I would not recogmend this venue to anyone. There are places a lot cheaper and nicer than this place! NOT WORTH THE MONEY!
Kate Sent on 04/22/2013

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I would NOT recommend this place to anyone. Although it is beautiful - I received the most unfair, awful service. When I was looking to book my wedding, Willow Pond was one of the places I liked most. I was then highly pressured by the coordinator to decide because "she has someone else intersted in the date." I ended up choosing Willow Pond and paying in full (something just shy of $3000). Being 6 months pregnant, I verified over and over again that if there were medical problems with myself or the baby that I would be able to receive a refund minus my deposits. I was told over and over again that those would be circumstances that would definitely entitle me to a refund. Unfortunately, medical problems did arise with myseld AND the baby and not minor issues. I called Kimberly as soon as I was able and explained the circumstances which we're not good. I explained that we would both recover soon but expenses arose that werent anticipated and I ended up being out of work a good bit of time longer than planned which limits funds too. I explained that the wedding was the last thing on my mind and focusing on getting healthy and having a healty baby were top priority. I explained that I would have to cancel and I would call to re-book sometime in the future when everyone was healthy. She stated at that time that a refund would not be an issue but she would have to check with the owner to get it approved and she would call me back within 3 days. After 10 days she contacted me and informed me that I would not be getting any refund. She said too many weddings had canceled during my event month and the owner was not refunding any of the bride's there money. I had to take the issue to my attorney. Since this happened - I was not able to have a wedding because I couldn't afford one because Willow Pond made empty promises and took advantage of someone to put extra money in their pocket.
Jamie Sent on 04/23/2013

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Willow Pond is a beautiful location to get married. I had heard wonderful things. A few months before our wedding, their full-time coordinator changed jobs. We didn't know she would no longer be working with us until I emailed to ask about some things. The person who took over meant well, but just didn't have it together. Fast-forward to the Monday before our Saturday wedding - we had a final meeting with the DJ we booked through Willow Pond (he was their house DJ) to go over music. We were informed that the DJ we booked a year in advance had booked another event, so we were getting his son instead. The son waited until the last minute to check our music, initially said he couldn't get it to work, then said he got it to work the day before the wedding. A few minutes before the ceremony, he told the groom he couldn't get it to work! Throughout the ceremony, we kept losing sound through the microphones, so a good bit of our ceremony went unheard. Other frustrations were that the tables and chairs were not set up in the correct position, so we had to move them when we got there. They also did not put the tablecloths on the tables as promised before we got there to decorate. The final slap in the face was the time and effort it took to get my deposit back. Our wedding was in October. In December, I still had not received the deposit. It took a few phone calls and the refund being sent to the wrong address before I finally got it in January. So again, beautiful venue but not so beautiful service. I was very disappointed after hearing such great things and cannot in good conscience recommend them.

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