1/5 Deanna M. 3 years ago on Google
My
fiancé
and
I
toured
the
Mansion
Porch
House
on
Saturday,
January
29th.
We
have
had
to
cancel
our
wedding
twice
now,
so
we
were
looking
for
a
venue
that
could
possibly
accommodate
us
for
an
outdoor
ceremony
and
reception.
My
interactions
with
the
Director
of
Sales
was
quite
cordial.
She
was
very
helpful
and
friendly,
answering
all
the
questions
I
had
prior
to
our
in-person
tour
of
the
venue.
These
cordial
interactions
continued
through
the
tour
up
until
today,
when
we
contacted
her
to
discuss
finalizing
our
wedding
date
and
securing
the
venue.
We
were
provided
with
a
list
of
approved
caterers,
which
we
have
been
contacting
since
Saturday,
hours
after
we
left
the
venue.
We
wanted
to
first
confirm
the
caterers
availability
and
ensure
that
they
were
both
within
our
budget
and
served
a
menu
that
we
as
a
couple
would
enjoy.
After
emailing
over
ten
caterers
on
the
approved
list,
we
located
a
vendor
which
was
not
only
affordable,
but
had
great
reviews
on
Yelp
and
a
menu
that
we
would
enjoy.
We
contacted
the
caterer
only
to
find
that
they
were
already
booked
for
the
date
that
we
had
chosen.
So
we
were
back
to
the
drawing
board.
After
my
fiancé
and
I
reviewed
the
contract,
we
noticed
under
the
"catering"
section,
that
the
venue
would
consider
approving
a
vendor
that
was
not
on
the
list
they
provided,
for
additional
fees.
We
then
reached
out
to
the
Director
of
Sales
to
discuss
how
we
would
go
about
having
a
caterer
of
our
choosing
approved.
This
is
when
our
interactions
completely
changed.
We
initially
had
to
leave
a
voicemail
where
we
politely
explained
our
dilemma
and
advised
that
we
really
wanted
to
utilize
a
black-owned
vendor
(from
what
we
understand,
none
of
the
vendors
on
the
approved
list
are
black-owned).
The
Director
of
Sales
then
returned
our
call
and
shut
us
down
immediately.
She
said
that
approving
another
caterer
was
her
decision
to
make
and
that
she
would
not
consider
any
other
vendors
that
were
not
on
their
list.
We
were
surprised
at
her
response,
because
she
never
ever
asked
us
what
caterer
we
wanted
to
use,
she
automatically
assumed
that
the
vendor
we
would
select
would
be
unsuitable.
She
stated
that
this
was
due
to
covid
and
the
zoo's
reputation.
If
anyone
has
been
to
the
zoo
within
the
last
few
years,
that
excuse
was
laughable.
Additionally,
why
open
your
venue
for
event
rental
if
you're
indeed
concerned
about
covid?
It
wasn't
as
if
they
were
testing
and
screening
our
guests
and
other
vendors
upon
arrival
to
our
event.
We
mentioned
to
her
again
the
portion
in
the
contract
she
had
just
sent
us
hours
before,
which
clearly
stated
that
it
would
be
considered.
If
this
is
what
the
zoo
considers
consideration,
they
may
as
well
just
remove
this
portion
of
the
contract.
Now,
I
have
spoken
to
MANY
venues
who
have
had
strict
policies
on
the
vendors
that
they
allow.
The
Maryland
Zoo
on
the
other
hand
only
had
the
requirement
for
the
caterer,
with
the
stipulation
that
I
mentioned.
Her
abrupt
dismissal
left
a
horrible
taste
in
our
mouths.
Mind
you,
we
were
reminded
on
several
occasions
that
the
rental
fees
assist
with
the
upkeep
of
the
zoo.
So
you
would
think
that
they
would
be
more
flexible
seeing
as
though
the
zoo
has
been
closed
for
months
due
to
covid.
My
fiancé
and
I
are
currently
reaching
out
to
the
zoo
to
discuss
our
experience
further.
I
am
hoping
this
review
will
prompt
someone
to
reach
out
to
us
to
discuss
this
incident.