Martha's Orchard
6578 S County Rd 400 E, Clayton, IN 46118, USAAbout
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Added by Jopie, at 19 May 2011
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7 Reviews
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21 October 2017
We had our wedding here on October 14th, 2017. The orchard is very beautiful and the new additions they have made to the inside of the barn look great but sadly, I had some troubles with them so I had to only give them three stars. Gary, the venue owner, made it difficult to make requests and was very pushy about certain things.
The main issues we had: Gary never responded to half of our emails and he made it very difficult for us to use anyone but him as our DJ. If we wanted to use anyone else, they could not use Gary's DJ equipment, mic's, or even the dance lights that are mounted to the ceiling. Another issue was that they wanted to charge us a $1 or so to cut each slice of the cake so our event coordinator offered to cut it for free. They said if it's their cake then they are the ones who cut it. They say they have a bonfire. It is not a bonfire. It is a regular sized campfire. They give you a discount if they cater the event so we bought that service and asked for a fajita bar. Sadly, the food was not good. The black beans and rice were okay but they were really bland. The chicken and beef were low grade in quality. I didn't even know meat was there at first because it was all covered up with uncooked green bell peppers and onions. I understand it's buffet style but it was like cafeteria food. And lastly, but definitely the WORST thing that happened and the reason why I am leaving a somewhat negative review, was that he was supposed to queue a song right when we kissed and he missed the mark. Missed it by a MILE because we had to walk halfway back down the aisle in silence. It was awful.
The things they did right were that they did play the songs that we brought on a USB drive. They put the wedding arch out in the orchard after we decorated it and we had no problems. We DID get to use mic's for the outdoor ceremony which was awesome because everyone could hear us pretty well! We had no issues with setting up the keg. The apple crisps and ice cream were a HIT and everyone absolutely loved them. Gary's family and helpers were really helpful and if we asked for something they DID help immediately. They got us smores and put them near the campfire and the kids loved it.
I believe that the number one thing they can do to improve is to listen more and try to control less. I know you've been doing this for a long time. But these people are scared and worried and they have never done this before. Don't butt heads with them and be sure to reassure them often that they made the right choice going with you. Respond to emails as soon as possible and make them a priority. Everyone uses email these days. It's a necessity. As someone who works in marketing, redo your website. Website's are vital to your businesses image. I almost passed you guys over three times because the website is so outdated. Go on Wordpress and make your own and you'll get much more business I promise. Your son could probably figure it out in a weekend after watching a few YouTube videos if he doesn't know how to do it already. Put more effort into the food. Use higher quality meats, look up gourmet recipes and step it up a notch. Listen and let people tell you they don't like something without you getting offended by it. Just say, "Okay, no big deal" instead of trying to argue why something else is better. Your son and wife are right about the walls. Stain them all and make them look like the new wall. Your plans for the stage sound AWESOME and love the ideas you mentioned.
All in all, I have to be honest about my feelings and if we had not been planning this from NC and on such a tight timeline, I would have probably went with a different venue. I do not recommend Martha's Orchard as they currently run things. But, I strongly believe that they could be the perfect venue if they made some adjustments. I hope that this review is taken in stride and used as fuel to prove me wrong. I wish Gary and his family the BEST and I hope that in a year they are making a killing and doing very, very well.response / report this review -
05 October 2017
Very pleasant and quiet surroundings. Apple trees, hickory trees and fresh open air. Attended a company picnic here and totally enjoyed the setting. It is also equipped to handle weddings and other special occasions. Absolutely worth checking this out.
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05 November 2016
We recently attended a function here. And it was the most amazing experience. Actually 2 at one time first and last. The venue is beautiful, however when you see the price, make sure you ask for the all the additional fees. Inside chairs, outside chairs, DJ options(not) Refrigerator options (not) catering options (not) Tables, and how many electrical plugs can be used at one time, and if it's a wedding, check out the storage/dressing room. It may seem like a less expensive option but after he takes all the incidentalsit's not.
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28 June 2014
Martha's Orchard is a beautiful outdoor wedding venue with a rustic feel. You can have your ceremony under the apple trees or in an open, shaded area. We had ours under the apple trees and it was absolutely beautiful! The reception was in their barn and was also beautiful. We made a lot of decorations to spice up this area. Some of their decor seemed a bit outdated, but you don't have to use theirs. We also had games outside (corn hole, ladder ball, and stuff for kids) which was a HUGE hit! Our wedding consisted of about 180 guests.
Although the family has been in the wedding business for many many years, they could make some improvements. There is a "bridal changing room", but it is really a storage room (they take some stuff out so that you have room). They will set up a table and chairs for you while getting ready. We were told they were going to redo the room and make it nice over the winter, but no work was done prior to our wedding in June. Oh well, it worked.
Food is really reasonable and good (we had pulled pork, green beans, mac & cheese, fruit salad). They have a DJ for hire, but we hired our own.
They also don't have a table chart to show how many tables will fit into their barn. This complicated things when it came to me ordering linens (they don't provide them). Martha's told me that I would probably need to use a mix of rectangle and round tables to make enough room for dancing, but they couldn't tell me exactly. They said we wouldn't know for sure until setup. So I had to buy both kinds of tablecloths which was an extra expense. In the end we were able to use all rounds which was best!
They will provide styrofoam plates and cups as well as plastic silverware. I choose to buy plates that looked like fine china but were actually disposable as well as silver colored plastic silverware. We also bought our own plastic cups that matched our wedding design.
The main issue we had with Martha's was their approach to problems. During set up, if we did something they didn't like (tables too close and we bought too big of cups) they would come in all fired up. If they were a bit softer in their approach and not come in so fired up it would have been much more pleasant working with them. Nice peoplebut don't upset them!
Overall our wedding was absolutely perfect and I was pleased with Martha's. Many people told me it was the best wedding that they had ever been to!response / report this review -
08 January 2013
Very nice pleasant place.people are.just as nice.
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17 May 2012
Our wedding was this past Saturday. We had our ceremony outside and the reception inside at Martha's Orchard. I loved that fact that we were able to setup Friday prior to the rehearsal which saved me from a lot of headaches! Gary was very helpful and just a phone call away. I needed to add more chairs in the reception hall and he brought them right out. Gary also served as our DJ and was terrific. There were a few songs he didn't have that our friends requested, but that's bound to happen. We gave him a few CDs at our rehearsal that we wanted to play and he just added them in with his mix. During the planning process, I may have been a bit overbearing with my emails. I just kept following up to make sure everything was running on schedule. That's my personality though. The Orchard is incredibly laid-back and beautiful setting. The retired apple trees are perfect for bridal party photos as well!
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26 May 2011
My husband and I just had our wedding there and it was a fantastic experience. I had been tearing my hair out trying to find a wedding venue that didn't required a $15,000 or more catering minimum. Our entire budget was $10,000. I had tried all of the places that brides in Indianapolis would think of. The IMA, Scottish Rite, Fountain Square, The Montage. All ridiculous.
Then my husband found Martha's Orchard. It is a retired apple orchard with a refinished barn where you can hold the reception. The owners, Gary and Jo Ann Rifkin, are some of the kindest and most flexible people I've ever met. They were so willing to work with us and didn't charge us for anything that we didn't use. They have the pretty white chairs and tables and a pretty white archway all to rent right there at prices competative with any party rental store. We had initially wanted our wedding to be outside but the weather was so iffy that we ended up just having it in the barn which wasn't ideal but it worked out fine. They have a stage where you can put the bridal party tables or the DJ and they also have a bar area if you wish to have alcohol. If it's just beer and wine you just need a responsible adult to keep an eye on things. If you have hard liquor, they require a licensed bartender which we had. (If you need a bartender, contact Felicia Howard. She is fantastic!)
Jo Ann caters and Gary can DJ (and has quite the set-up if you use him!) and if you use either of these services, the cost of the orchard and barn for the entire day is $600 with their most expensive catering option being $15 per person. The only thing that you can't rent from them is tablecloths (for which I recommend A Classic Party Rental on 86th just east of Westfield.) They do use paper products for dishes and napkins so if you want something fancier you'll have to rent that as well. But it seriously didn't matter.
I highly, highly, highly recommend checking them out.response / report this review
