We just got married at River’s Edge this past weekend and it was the BEST choice we could have made for our venue. The team is so easygoing, accommodating, and fun to work with, from start to finish they made everything easy on us. Our guests couldn’t have had better things to say about the venue, the staff, the FOOD, and the overall experience at RE. We were blown away and would do it all over again if we could. Having the hotel so close is such a bonus. The amenities at the hotel should all be taken advantage of because everywhere you look, there are so many thoughtful touches. We love you guys! Thanks again for making the best day of our lives seamless, fun, and full of support!

Firstly, we want to stress that our actual wedding day was wonderful. The venue itself is beautiful, and the day-of banquet staff and hotel staff were absolutely fantastic. They were friendly, professional, and worked hard to make sure everything ran smoothly. We are genuinely grateful for everything they did.

Unfortunately, our experience leading up to the wedding was a very different story, and that’s where most of our concerns lie.

One of our biggest frustrations was the communication throughout the planning process. We booked our wedding nearly two years in advance and, over that time, worked with five or six different coordinators. Every time someone new took over, it felt like we had to explain our vision, previous conversations, and decisions all over again. There was very little continuity, and it often seemed like the person we were speaking with wasn’t familiar with our file. Instead of feeling like valued clients, we often felt like we were just another wedding being pushed through the system. Planning a wedding is stressful enough without constantly having to repeat yourself.

The rehearsal dinner was another disappointing experience. We paid over $250 to use the venue for our rehearsal, only to find out about an hour beforehand that no staff member would be there to help us. We had always understood that someone would guide the rehearsal. We’ve never been married before—we don’t know how to run a wedding rehearsal. We questioned what exactly we were paying for if we were expected to organize it ourselves. After expressing our concerns, someone did come to help us, and we truly appreciated that. However, this never should have been something we had to worry about an hour before the rehearsal.

The food tasting was also a major disappointment. I am a Red Seal chef and have worked as a catering chef at large venues across the country. I completely understand that banquet food will never be exactly the same as food served fresh out of the kitchen. That’s simply the nature of catering. However, the tasting felt rushed and lacked the care and attention to detail we expected. It didn’t leave us with much confidence and certainly didn’t reflect the reputation Carmen’s has built.

Another frustrating part of our experience was the downtown construction. We fully understand that Carmen’s didn’t cause the construction, and we weren’t expecting them to magically fix the situation. Our frustration was with how it was handled. We were repeatedly told that the work would be completed before our wedding date, only to have the timeline pushed back into our wedding. We weren’t even looking for compensation, but when we reached out to discuss our concerns, the response from management was incredibly disappointing. Being told, “Call me if there’s anything I can help with that I actually have control over,” came across as dismissive, rude, and completely lacking in empathy. A little understanding would have gone a long way.

There were also details that we had specifically planned that were simply not followed. Our agreed-upon floor plan wasn’t set up correctly, with the podium placed on the wrong side of the room. Our wedding cake, which was supposed to be displayed at the front, ended up beside the bar instead. These may seem like small details, but they’re things we had discussed and planned in advance, and they mattered to us.

The groom’s cellar rental was also underwhelming. The room itself was nice, and the case of beer provided was appreciated. However, the sandwich platter advertised as serving ten people was nowhere close to enough food for ten adults. Considering the room cost close to $900, we expected considerably better value.

We also found the pricing structure frustrating. The mandatory 18% facility fee significantly increases the cost, and we would much rather see the true price advertised upfront than have such a large additional charge added before taxes.

Looking back, the overall planning experience often felt like fast food for weddings. Carmen’s offers a beautiful venue at a competitive price, but it often felt like the focus was on moving weddings through as efficiently as possible rather than providing a personalized experience. The lack of consistent communication and personal attention made us feel like we were simply another booking instead of a couple planning one of the biggest days of our lives.

Despite all of this, we want to end where we began. Our wedding day itself was beautiful, and that was largely because of the incredible banquet staff and hotel team who took care of us that day. They deserve every bit of praise.

We hope this feedback is taken constructively. There is so much potential here, but improving communication, consistency, and customer service during the planning process would make a world of difference for future couples.

Could not ask for a better venue and team - The River's Edge and Arlington Team were simply the best. Start to finish they were kind, helpful, easy going, supportive, and more. They were extremely organized and made the process so simple and easy - I was shocked. As someone who loves to be organized, I was floored at just how much of a well-oiled machine they have made with their processes. The venue was incredibly beautiful, and the staff were beyond supportive. This place truly has it all and made our special day even better by making it easy to plan and execute. Sabrina, Ashley, Cailey, Rosanna, and everyone part of the team from planning to day-of: words can't thank you all enough! Our day was beyond perfect and we have you all the thank!

Myself and my husband got married here last weekend and it was nothing but amazing! The venue is absolutely gorgeous and the cocktail space is perfect for the amount of people we had. We had the maximum number of guests which I believe was 155. We had our ceremony against the beautiful windows that oversee the Grand River and it was very picturesque. The only complaint I had were about service here and there. The food was tasty and all the guests loved the meal! They did not have any dressing on a lot of the salads that were served, but promptly brought dressing to the salad that were missing it. I would recommend that when they have a large group of 155 people they should require two bartenders even though the one that we had was absolutely amazing and she was able to keep up with a very high demand crowd! The staff from start to finish were so helpful kind and flexible. I highly recommend getting married here! It was the best weekend of our lives.

got married this past sunday and it was an absoulte dream!! the venue was beautiful the staff were amaing and the seemless planning between the decor options and the cake provided really didi make the wedding planning much more seemless. thank you so much

I got married this past Saturday and I couldn't have asked for a better day. To start off, we went through approx. five different contacts due to maternity leaves/staff leaving, and each contact was helpful and efficient. Ashley, our coordinator was amazing. She received so many emails from me and she always answered them promptly and the answers were always helpful. Our MD for the day, Kelsey was great. She kept reassuring me and telling me how calm I was, even when I felt anything but calm. She answered anything we asked her throughout the night; she was great! Sandra, our bartender was great as well. I heard from multiple people that they loved her and how nice she was.

The food was exactly what we expected and the venue was set up how I had envisioned it. I couldn't have asked for a smoother process throughout the wedding planning and it is all thanks to the staff at River's Edge & The Arlington Hotel.

The process from start to finish was easy. We booked two years prior to our event so over the course of the time there were a few changes with coordinators but we had wonderful communication overall. The start of the experience was with Sabrina and she did a wonderful job with the introduction and tour- she completely sold the venue and team. Our coordinator we worked with the longest was Ashley- she was absolutely wonderful. She was very easy to reach, worked with us on the changes that occurred a few times and helped ensure the entire day was planned to the minute. It was very helpful as this was the first time we had planned/hosted such a large event. Our day of team, Cora and Kelsey were amazing! We could not have asked for a better group of ladies to help us get through the day- everything went so seamlessly. Our guests had such a wonderful time as well. The wait staff and bar staff were amazing and the food was very tasty- any concerns they handled it. I even had a drink spilled on me fairly early and the staff swooped me into a separate washroom and we got the dress cleaned up. I seriously could go on and on about how amazing of an experience we had. Thank-you so much to every member of the team for making this the perfect day!

I have to say I was so happy with how the day turned out!
From the beginning the staff were so helpful and friendly!
We had a few meetings along the way and once the big day came, our vision came to life!
I couldn’t have been more thrilled

We recently were married at the River’s Edge at the Arlington, and are over the moon with both the space and the service! The team at the Arlington went above and beyond to help bring our special day together. They were flexible and supportive, and were always there to answer our questions. We’ve received so many compliments about our day, the food and venue being among the top of them. We plan to visit again in the future!

We stayed and got ready here for our wedding. When booking we were under the impression that the getting ready spaces were included in our package but later through emailing trying to confirm details found out that the spaces for bridesmaids/groomsmen are not included in the package and have to be booked and paid on top of your wedding package. They did say I wasn’t the first person to think this so maybe communication is a bit unclear there. The room itself was good, clean standard hotel. Breakfast in the morning was alright. Aside from some miscommunication our stay was good.