Love Letters

Mary,
I am at a loss for how to start this letter. I thought a few days to come down from the high of Kelsey and Tyler’s wedding would bring some calmness and clarity so that I didn’t sound like a gushing teenager, but I am brought to tears just thinking about what a wonderful experience we had at Bonnet Island last Saturday (the 14th) at our daughter’s wedding. From start to finish, you and your team were phenomenal!

Since I tried to take a laid back approach and let Kelsey do most of the planning with you, since it was her wedding after all, I can’t speak about too much on the planning side from personal experience but I can tell you that at the end of the night when I asked her if her wedding was everything she wanted it to be, she told me that she would not change a thing so you must have done an amazing job in helping her vision come to fruition.

Now, I can comment about the day and how everything played out…
From the time we arrived at the estate on Saturday afternoon until the time the last car left the lot on Sunday morning, everything was absolutely flawless! If there were any hiccups, we surely were not aware. The property is beautifully cared for and the flowers and greenery are well maintained and make for beautiful photos. The setting on the water just enhances the space, especially during cocktail hour, and just gives that happy, coastal vibe.  All day, your team and staff made sure that we did not want for anything and that everything ran like clockwork, from lunch upon arrival to packing up the cars to go home and everything in between.  Not only were we impressed with all of the extra touches and exemplary service throughout the night, but
our guests have even commented on how wonderful everything was.  The help and guidance we received throughout the day from Nancy was invaluable! She was completely
organized, kept us all grounded and focused and kept the entire process running smoothly. I cannot begin to tell you how touched we were on Sunday when she took some time out of her day to come back in the morning just to make sure we were pleased with everything and to wish us well before we left.

Haley and Brooke were extremely helpful to Kelsey and Tyler throughout the day. Just having someone there who knew what to do, where we were supposed to be and to help us in any way possible, was a blessing. They love the work that they do and their attentiveness and attention to detail make that obvious!

The food was outstanding and plentiful! So many of the guests commented throughout the night about how wonderful and delicious everything was from start to finish. The special attention paid to all of the parents and the bride and groom is such a wonderful touch! It was so nice to not have to search for the strolling dishes or having to wait in line for food while also trying to circulate and officially greet our guests. (I honestly laughed out loud when Frank came around with a platter of ice cream sandwiches just for my husband! You can tell that he cares very much about the happiness of not only the bride and groom but each guest in attendance. The staff, under his care, was exemplary. Many guests commented about how impressed they were with the synchronized dinner service and how it was such a classy touch that they’d never seen at a wedding before.)

Finally, when Nancy stopped by on Sunday morning, I touched on the topic of the overnight manager with her but would like to reiterate those comments here. When I looked over the gratuity guide that you’d sent in mid-August, I saw the “overnight manager” suggested gratuity and thought ‘that’s not a lot but really, what do they do? We’ll all be asleep.’ I assumed she was there to just to be available if anyone needed anything overnight. Well, boy, was I wrong! We were all in bed by 2:30 am, I think, and Kelly must have worked all night gathering all of the supplies and discarded items left about the property. When I awoke at 6:45 am, Kelly had just about everything from centerpieces to randomly discarded shoes all packed up and in the foyer waiting to be loaded into cars. She was preparing the coffee bar with juices and ice and awaiting delivery of breakfast. I honestly felt bad that we had not given her a larger gratuity and told her so as I handed her a bit more so that she knew that her hard work was seen and appreciated.

Please detail the roles each staff member plays and what tasks they undertake so that clients can ensure
they are properly showing their gratitude. Finally, I would like to personally thank you, Nancy, Brooke, Haley, Frank, Kelly the servers, chef and every staff member of Bonnet Island for making Kelsey and Tyler’s wedding day the day of their dreams! We could not be happier with the service and experience all of you provided to us. It will be a day we will never forget and all of you will be a part of our memories for a lifetime!

Sincerely,
Kristi

We were thrilled to work with Merri-Makers and Bonnet Island Estate, and absolutely loved our wedding experience!

Our day was so perfect and magical all thanks to your wonderful team! In particular, we truly loved working with Andrea Muniak on everything. She was extremely thoughtful about helping us plan everything from start to finish, and she made the whole process very fun. She really thought of everything, especially with arranging our timeline to maximize time on the dancefloor! She was so professional, knowledgeable, kind, and very easy to work with. We can’t say enough wonderful things about Andrea and we were so lucky to have her with us!

The food was delicious and we really appreciated the Chef’s Table tasting in advance. It was helpful to be able to try out all of the food options and our guests raved about how tasty everything was. We lucked out with being able to spring for some of the extra items, and they were a hit! The Tomahawk steaks, scallops, and meatball stations were certainly favorites during the night. The halibut was a fan favorite for the entrees and all of the dessert stations went over extraordinarily well. And, we were really grateful that the team set up food for us in the Salon prior to going into the reception. That helped immensely! One thing we did notice was that our actual day-of wedding cake tasted even better than when we sampled the options at the Chef’s Table.

Overall, Bonnet Island Estate truly exceeded our expectations and we couldn’t be happier with how the entire event played out! The Boathouse Chapel space was exquisite and we loved taking photos around the estate grounds. That flower trellis walkway out the Chapel was breathtaking. The Salon and Bridal Suite were stunning (our bridesmaids were thrilled!), and all of the rooms were perfect. The Reception space had the most wonderful configuration, and we appreciated that you all took the time to think about how it would work best with our headcount and dancefloor.

Nancy, Lauren, Haley, and Emily were so helpful throughout the entire event. They were particularly good at making sure I wasn’t seen by Josh once we were getting ready day-of. I can’t believe how many things they thought of and anticipated in advance… it seemed like anything we were going to ask for was already taken care of! It made the whole event stress-free and seamless. We were really able to just enjoy the moments of our special day. And for the evening/next morning, Lou Ann was so helpful with making sure we got everything and taking care of anything we needed. Bonnet Island truly has a Rockstar team that’s assembled of the best wedding superhero’s out there!

After such a magical time, we’re big fans of Bonnet Island in general.  Our only regret of the whole event was just forgetting to get a photo with Andrea, Nancy, Lauren, and the rest of the team day-of. We’ll have to come by for a visit sometime to get a photo later on!

We will absolutely remember our very, very special day for the rest of our lives. Please send our thanks and love along to the whole team there. We couldn’t have had such an incredible day without you all!

Thanks so much!

Emily & Josh

Patrick and I just recently returned from our honeymoon. I can speak for both of us when I say The Ashford Estate and Merri-Makers exceeded our expectations. Everything was better than we could have hoped for. Patrick and I as well as our parents felt so catered to by the staff the whole night. The food was excellent, my only complaint was I didn’t get seconds during cocktail hour! It was all delicious. We appreciate how special we were made to feel on our wedding day.

I would recommend The Ashford, Bonnet Island and The Mallard to anyone because of Merri-makers catering.

Thank you again,

Stephanie & Patrick

Dear Laura,

From the moment we stepped foot on Ashford grounds, we knew this was where we were meant to get married.  We always searched for a “home” feeling, and found it at The Ashford.  Your presence is so inviting and your demeanor so calming and caring.  Every step of this journey has been nothing short of magical and we have you to thank for that.

The Merri-Maker staff is on point with every aspect of wedding planning.  Thank you for the countless calls, emails, tests and visits that you welcomed in the past year.  WE are so grateful for you and are honored to be married at The Ashford.

With love,

Mackenzie & Michael

We were beyond thrilled with the entire staff at Bonnet Island. They are truly the most friendly, organized, and on-point professionals I’ve ever worked with. Nancy and Mary were amazing and melted all of our stress away. The bridal attendants were excellent and anything I would think of or ask for they were already 10 steps ahead of me.

Our wedding day was everything we dreamed of and I would recommend the venue to all of our family and friends. We didn’t eat much dinner because we had too much fun, but our guests loved cocktail hour and the cake. I had asked Nancy to save a slice of wedding cake for Zack and me. When we went the next day to pick everything up, she had it packaged so nicely in containers with leftover flowers and a ribbon tied around with a plastic fork – just an example of the level of quality and attention to detail from all the staff.

Again, we were blown away by everything and everyone at Merri-Makers, but just wish that was made clearer.   We are so grateful to Nancy, Mary, Bonnet Island, and Merri-Makers for making our day truly unforgettable.

Thank you so much!

Danielle & Zack

On behalf of Bianca, Malcolm, Gerard and myself, we wanted to express our sincere gratitude for the wonderful day we had on Saturday.  The wedding was perfect in every way.  You and your staff had all the bases covered and were so attentive to all of our needs, allowing us to relax a bit and truly enjoy the day.  Nancy, Lauren, Kayla, Emily and Jillian did whatever needed to be done to make sure everything ran smoothly and exceeded our expectations.  Debbie took good care of us overnight and the next morning.

Highest praise for Bonnet Island Estate and Merri-Makers from all who attended.  Great food, great venue, great service.

Thank you so much,

Bianca & Malcolm

We cannot thank you enough for your patience and professionalism from the first day we started working with you. You kept us on track and put our minds at ease knowing everything was taken care of so well. We knew we were in good hands. You consistently went above and beyond and truly just made our experience so memorable.

Again, thank you so much!

P.S. Nancy was absolutely incredible. We cannot express enough how exceptional she was for us on our wedding day.  She made my day absolute perfection. She made me feel so safe and cared for. She was so calm and patient. The bridal attendants as well were so above and beyond. Kayla and Summer were so on top of it. They knew what I needed before I even knew. They also made me feel so calm and cared for. You all made my wedding experience a complete dream. John and I will never forget you guys.

Sincerely,
John and Miranda

I will just quickly add that Merri Makers was absolutely spectacular. The food was incredible and every staff member was professional, diligent, and friendly.

Truly an A++ experience. I know Tatiana will provide more praise, but I also wanted to take the time to express my gratitude.

Thank you again for the dream-like experience!

Best,

Gaetano

From time of booking, to the wedding day, day of, the entire MIYC staff has been incredible!

Gianna helped us plan, stayed in contact throughout the entire planning process, and made wedding planning so easy!

The attention to detail from all of the staff made the wedding weekend (because you can stay over on site!) seamless and stress free.

From the food to the service, the breathtaking grounds and bridal suite, I will forever rave about my wedding day and priceless choice to have it at Mallard Island!

Everything was absolutely fabulous. It was everything we could have ever wanted, if not more.

The Merri-Makers team went above and beyond to meet our expectations.

The food was wonderful. It’s not easy to execute a great product at such a large scale and your team crushed it.

The staff was also wonderful. Not only were they true professionals with their expertise and execution, they were also so kind to our guests and helped add the right positive energy to our day. We could not be more grateful.

Thanks again for everything!!!

Best,

Anna S.