Summer is wedding season, which means it’s the time of year when the Turning Stone Resort Casino wedding teams shine.

But creating a special day is more than just saying yes; the process starts months or years before.

According to Chelsea Tyszko, senior sales manager for weddings and social events, most couples begin their journey with us at Turning Stone’s Wedding Sales Center, where our team members answer initial inquiries, go over any specific questions and set up a tour of the resort venues later in the year.

Those tours usually start in the lobby of The Lodge at Turning Stone. Sales associates lead prospective newlyweds to the Great Lawn to show them the outdoor ceremony space there, then take them to the Bridal Ready Room and other venues including the Shenandoah Clubhouse, Main Ballroom, Conference Center, Cypress Room, Turquoise Tiger, Crescent Courtyard, and more.

Chelsea said the tour takes 60-90 minutes. Then we treat visitors to lunch, usually at Upstate Tavern.

From there our wedding sales associates describe for prospective couples what sorts of services and packages Turning Stone provides: floral, food and beverage, hair, makeup, setup, teardown, and more. Essentially, we offer everything except for video, photography, officiant, and DJ. And we always provide a list of trusted vendors who provide these services.

Ron Ross, Enterprise Executive Chef, said the biggest benefit of hosting a wedding at Turning Stone is the quality of experience we provide.

“Everything we are making in the Banquets department is the same quality of food you’d get at TS Steakhouse,” he said. “Letting us handle it guarantees your guests a great meal and a meal they’ll remember.”

Once prospective newlyweds sign a contract, we book them for a tasting where they can come back and sample through all the options for food on the big day. We offer these tastings in group settings five times a year. During these special events, wedding clients can taste through all our hors d’oeuvres, signature drinks, and pretty much every food option on our customizable menu.

Dishes are served at stations where clients can sample small bites of each option and see what the full plate of food would look like. Essentially, we set up a party to give clients a sense of what their parties will be.

“I call it the wedding before your wedding,” Chelsea said. “It’s an amazing experience that is designed to give people a sense of everything they can have.”

This event is the last big face-to-face milestone between us and wedding clients before the actual wedding. In the final few months, our wedding services managers work with every bride and groom to finalize the guest list and manage all last-minute details.

While these managers aren’t wedding planners, they are professionals who help with organization. They make sure the bride’s dress is bustled for the reception. They work with each couple up until the moment dinner is over. They are on hand to guarantee the experience of getting married at Turning Stone is a positive one. Because of them and the rest of our team, it always is.