Ritz-Carlton-Philadelphia

A completely 5-star, magical reception, except for a few things. First, the staff of the Ritz are completely out of this world! Our guests were treated like celebrities and they were swept off their feet. Our wedding cake was jaw-dropping! But we did hit a few bumps along the way that we weren't happy about.

First, they suggested we do a 'show cake', which is a fake, foam cake that you cut the bottom of, then they serve the guests sheet cake from the back. That is so NOT my speed. This is the only day of my life I could ever have a large, elaborate cake, and it would not, I repeat, WOULD NOT be FAKE. They said they do fake cakes because the sheet cake in the back "plates better to the Ritz-Carlton standard". Translation: it's easier on the staff. After the price tag of holding an event at their location I was not concerned with allowing the staff to cut corners. Anyway, they made us a real cake but then did not know how to handle it. My cake topper was not secured properly by the baker and it fell off and shattered on the dance floor in front of all my guests (and us) when they attempted to move the cake. They were very apologetic and professional, however, and bought us a new topper that arrived when we returned from our honeymoon. They claimed the accident happened because they are not used to handling real wedding cakes. Um, really?
Also, during the planning phase, any questions we had about diverting from their 'Ritz-Carlton norm' was met with much resistance. I was also made aware of how many other weddings the event coordinator had besides my own... and this was only after contacting her a few times for questions. I finally gave up and had my Mom contact her with questions since I didn't want to experience the coordinator's bad attitude the weeks leading up to my wedding day. She was a little nicer to my parents, who were paying the bill. Funny how that works.
In conclusion, on the actual day everything went smoothly except for the cake topper accident, and our guests were very, very impressed with the service and their experience at a Ritz event. My husband and I were also happy about the reception otherwise! That's why it was strange for me to write this review and be honest. It was a dream come true at the Ritz, but with a few kinks. The most frustrating part was dealing with them during the planning process... and we were no where near demanding or difficult. This is just a warning to anyone wanting to book them. I truly think you should have your wedding here because it will be a dream come true... but it might be harder than usual to plan.

Everything here was perfect. On the day of the wedding, they treated me like VIP. The food was mouthwatering. No one could believe how delicious the food was. The steak was done perfectly, and even the vegetarian option was out of this world, not your typical pasta dish. The cake was unbelievable.

The space itself is gorgeous. The marble columns, the fancy lobby, the stylish chandeliers in the cocktail hour room, and of course the ballroom - it's pure, exquisite luxury.

As for the planning part, I thought there were times I felt I was working too hard to get in touch with our wedding coordinator. But in the end, everything was perfect.

We also got a great value here because of last minute corporate cancellation :)

Everything here was perfect. On the day of the wedding, they treated me like VIP. The food was mouthwatering. No one could believe how delicious the food was. The steak was done perfectly, and even the vegetarian option was out of this world, not your typical pasta dish. The cake was unbelievable.

The space itself is gorgeous. The marble columns, the fancy lobby, the stylish chandeliers in the cocktail hour room, and of course the ballroom - it's pure, exquisite luxury.

As for the planning part, I thought there were times I felt I was working too hard to get in touch with our wedding coordinator. But in the end, everything was perfect.

We also got a great value here because of last minute corporate cancellation :)