Thursday, September 3, 2009

Wow!!! What a Terrific Thank You Letter for a Hawthorne Hotel Wedding

From: nst*****
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2009 7:07 PM
To: Christine Turner
Subject: Thank You from the Harts & Johnsons

August 31, 2009

Dear Christine…

Meaghan & Matt have been married exactly one month today…and there is no better time for our family and the newest branch of the Hart family to thank you and the entire staff at the Hawthorne for providing a beautiful setting for the wedding and making it a great party! From the moment Meaghan & Matt chose the Hawthorne, couples married one year or 50 years would tell them about their Hawthorne wedding, saying they wouldn’t change a thing! Even family and friends from out of state remembered weddings they’d attended at the Hawthorne over the years. So to say that you had a reputation to uphold is not an understatement. You not only lived up to these high expectations, you exceeded them!

The hotel’s location and atmosphere were perfect. We had lots of out of town guests, and there was so much for them to see and do between wedding events. Many of them especially enjoyed taking the Salem Ferry into Boston. And, there wasn’t a single time we came down into the hotel lobby or restaurant and didn’t find a group visiting or sharing a meal or a drink.

The wedding package was elegant, beautifully done, and allowed Meaghan & Matt to choose so many things (from the food to the décor) that were a reflection of their preferences and taste. They were even able to incorporate the Red Sox theme in the table names and on the favor table! The package included so much that you coordinated (the wedding cake, limo, the bridal suite, the table flowers) that it really reduced the number of things this busy couple had to think about. Can’t tell you how many times we said, “This is almost too easy!” And the cost, compared to other locations and based upon the value of what was provided…very reasonable.

Finally, we cannot say enough about the stellar customer service. The communication with Meaghan & Matt and with us was wonderful. Your guidance, expertise, sense of humor, calmness, and flexibility made us very comfortable and reassured us that everything really was under control! This was especially important when we had to move the ceremony inside at the last moment because of the weather. Everything went so smoothly that it was impossible to tell that the ceremony was not planned for that space!

To you, Christine, for making the whole planning process fun and easy, to Jessica at the front desk (who carried Beth's clothes upstairs and hung them in our room when she saw Beth juggling her luggage), to the servers in the restaurant and at the reception, and to Lindsay Otis, the coordinator who made sure that the night went perfectly…thanks for going WAY above and beyond! In a time when great customer service often seems like a lost art, the Hawthorne does it right. We noticed and our guests are still talking about the graciousness and attentiveness shown by all of the staff.

The biggest compliment we can pay you is that we hope that our younger daughter, who was Meaghan & Matt’s maid of honor, will have a Hawthorne wedding!

Please feel free to share any/all of this email and the pictures in your blog.

Meaghan & Matt Hart Beth & Tim Johnson
The Bride & Groom The Parents of the Bride