Guest User
December 18, 2024
Recently attended a wedding here. Asked to arrive 1 HR before ceremony. 45 mins before wedding everyone was ushered up to the roof terrace where the wedding was to take place. It was absolutely freezing. I mentioned this to the wedding organiser she said she would turn the heating up a bit- was too late by this time to get the room warm. Much of the ceremony took place off to one side so only the first couple of rows saw what was happening. Everyone was then taken back to the bar area- too small for 90 guests including children while photos were being taken, this was too much for one barman and it took us over half an hour to be served. Eventually we were taken in for the meal. There were not enough waiting staff for the numbers, our meal order was still being taken when the first tables had actually finished their starter. Everything became rushed and twice a waitress tried to take my meal before I had finished as they were desperate to get us out to set up for the evening, so much so tea and coffee was self service in the small bar area. People were using phone lights to be able to see as the bar lights had been turned down to " create atmosphere". There was insufficient room for guests to drink and very little seating - I and a couple of people ended up sitting in wheelchairs which we found in the foyer. It was at this point we discovered the bride and her father had arrived at the hotel in a beautiful classic car which nobody saw as we had already been ushered upstairs. We went to the bar to get a drink for the cutting of the cake but it was closed and we then sat for almost an hour before it reopened. At the evening reception the buffet was brought out and the DJ had to ask the staff to turn on some lights so that people could see what was available. By 2130 the barman was refusing to accept cash at the bar - many people had put a "kitty" on the table. It was only the intervention of another barmaid that made buying drinks with cash possible. We were looking forward to a lovely family wedding but felt much of it spoiled by a lack of attention to detail. I would recommend anyone thinking of using Gailes as a wedding venue to think very carefully.