Small Beach front hotel properties are normally friendly family owned resorts and they LOVE weddings. However, the large ones are getting extremely aggressive with wedding coordinators. In the past few years, I only had one very bad experience that I’ve learned to forget about it. But this weekend a recent similar experience brought all those horrible memories back.
My dear couples, if you want an outside vendor like us to service your wedding, please, do NOT coordinate your wedding with a large resort or contact us first to find our which ones are the ones willing to work with the customer in mind. I can tell you right now to avoid the Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach and the Sand Pearl Resort in Clearwater Beach. The both have rude, incompetent wedding coordinators that will make our job extremely difficult or almost impossible.
Just recently, I was insulted by one of the Catering Coordinators at the Sand Pearl Resort because of a childish misunderstanding between her staff and I. This unprofessional and rude young girl came rushing downstairs with “half-truths” and basically insulted me in front of everyone on the beach, just like a 15 year old would at a “school fight”. You can only imagine how hard it was for me to compose myself so that my wonderful couple will NOT notice what was happening and they could have a happy and wonderful day; especially since I was the one getting them married! She just simply took my joy and happiness away for a few minutes and all I could think of was the REAL reason why I was there and try to regain composure (and my sanity!). Can you imagine a Resort whom you are paying $1,500 ONLY for the privilege of using their facilities/beach access (not including your catering and accommodations bill) treating your Officiant like garbage?
I later found out that my couple had their incidents with the Hotel and Coordinator when they promised amenities that were not given, the coordinator never showed up for the rehearsal and when she did, she was incompetent and unwilling to assist my couple. Of course, I will never tell my happy bride what happened because I don’t want to take the magic away from her moment, but I would never go back to that Hotel again and if you are hoping for a stress-free experience, please avoid the Sand Pearl Resorts at all costs. Instead, contact me directly for vendor friendly hotels!
Happy Planning!
Morey
