“We loved the venue, it had everything we were looking for. A beautiful venue, amazing wine, a beautiful place for our bridal party to stay on site for the weekend. Our day was truly beautiful. Jacque and Amanda did wonders to make everything flow, have our decor set up perfectly, communicating/assisting our vendors, and capturing how beautiful our day was. Early on in the planning we heard a bad review of the catering for Bella Terra and had expressed our concerns with the caterer and vendor. We had also received different quotes/menus from Elegant which made this process confusing. However, Bella Terra handed all of the remaining communication and the final product was excellent. The only true problem that had with our planning process was the lack of price transparency. The initial quote that we received was a pretty big jump from what the final price. We understand that decisions change through this process and we added/removed some options, but we were set from our first meeting despite our interest in the ceremony on site, open bar, cake cutting, and family style; which was not added in total to our quote until 1 month before. Payments kept getting bigger, estimates were never accurate with # of guests/what should be included vs not. Be sure that you are clear and keeping track of all of the add on's and requesting a updated quote/contract throughout. We did not have a correct estimate/contract until 2 weeks before the wedding... We were told throughout that we make payments on a credit card, but there will be a extra charge. We had used our debit acct for all previous payments but anticipated to make the final payment via credit card. It was a shock to learn that apparently we could not make the final payment via credit card? I asked them about this, if it was a misunderstanding and never had a clear answer as to why. We were lucky enough to be able to pull the final payment via ACH. However, if you do not have the cost of any upcharges in your account I have no idea what you would do. Expect upcharges, the cost per person is reasonable but everything is a la carte. We did opt for the open bar, which in reality was not necessary. When you host at a vineyard your guests do not think to order liquor unless you have a signature drink. Our day was truly beautiful and I will never forget it. But the stress and anxiety that built during the planning process could have been avoided if they had more time to iron our organization/ time for communication (they are also a business/restaurant though to just keep in mind). I will always look at our photos and just wish that day was longer. I cannot stop talking about how beautiful that day was, but I think going in and being sure to iron out the few speed bumps we had you will truly have a beautiful day.”

“We had a fantastic time at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. We chose it for its seclusion and natural beauty, and even our local guests were wowed by the “hidden gem” we found. The best of the best: -we did our first look and private vows in the meadow, it gave us a scenic, private backdrop for a special moment. There was a hiker or two, but everyone was very respectful of the moment we were having! -staff is super kind and lovely, everyone I talked to treated us with kindness and excitement -they make it very easy to walk through all the paperwork and materials they need -they recently acquired their own tables and chairs and even helped with the floor plan! Less to rent. -they now have their own alcohol packages and I was thrilled that this was one less thing to juggle as we started planning. We just picked our package and our menu! -they did a great job coordinating with other vendors in terms of the timing of set up and tear down, and from our perspective, everything flowed very smoothly! Things to note if you’re considering: -you have to use one of their recommended caterers. We LOVED Nick at hazelnut catering. He is so nice and a seasoned PBG caterer -you have to rent a tent through Ambasssdor Tent Rentals for most wedding sizes. You’ll also need to rent your linens through there. -they don’t really have a waiting area for guests. We had a handful of guests that showed up generously early. Some snuck into the ceremony area and got in the way until one of the coordinators asked them to wait outside, and two elderly family members were let into the bridal suite by my dad so they had a place to sit until the gates officially unlocked. If the gate is locked, there’s not really anywhere for guests to sit down until they get in unless they walk across the parking lot to the welcome center. I would keep this in mind as you are planning day of logistics. -there are multiple add on packages, and I was skeptical, but they are worth it! The all inclusive package includes set up and tear down assistance, as well as cookie table set up (huge help for a big cookie table crowd). The s’mores and yard games provided an extra activity and was a hit among all ages.”