Bella Elegante

OMG! My husband and I had our ceremony and reception at Bella 10/29/11 and we had the time of our lives ;-) If I could do it all over again I would not change a thing. The food was great and decor was beautiful for a very affordable price. As the bride I did not have to stress about anything related to venue. Tabitha, the wedding coordinator, was amazing! We meet with her a few times and communicated via email and phone to come up with my dream wedding. I basically told her to "you know our colors, have fun, and work your magic...and that's exactly what she did! Ladies, I highly recommend Bella Elegante for your Big Day.

I really enjoyed Tabitha and had a lot of fun planning my wedding. She was extremely knowledgeable in vendors and locations for all the little details. She also had a lot of wonderful ideas and is very creative. She recommended a fabulous florist and DJ that were both amazing. I had so many compliments on my reception from the food to the decorations. Many people said that this was the best reception that they had been to. I would not have changed anything about my reception. I have already booked another event with Bella Elegante and would highly recommend this venue to anyone.

I went to an open House here and was very impressed. Unfortunately I did not have my wedding/ceremony here I chose Le Jardin, but this venue is very lovely. It was in the process of being remodeled when I viewed it, but for the most part it was nice. The staff was amazing, the food was outstanding. I just wanted an outdoor wedding and an indoor reception and this venue could not offer that. I was also kind of worried about parking for my guests and if they would be confused on where to park, etc. since this location is downtown.

Eight months ago, we met Tabitha for the first time (as a last minute appointment and she graciously accommodated) and she gave us a tour of Bella Elegante. We were immediately impressed with the facility. All of our most pressing questions were answered on the spot. We were both looking for not only a great facility and location, but also a place that was flexible, affordable and would meet our specific needs. We lots of little details and ideas for our wedding, so flexibility was super important. That’s exactly what we got from Bella Elegante.

Throughout the past 8 months, we planned our wedding from scratch. This being no easy task, as we both lived miles apart, we had tons of questions for Tabitha. She responded promptly and professionally answering all our questions. She even allowed us various ways to communicate with her including e-mail, phone, and text. We utilized every single one of those methods. We were so thankful that she answered our questions and put any concerns at ease. She also met with us every time we wanted to meet face-to-face, and gave us some great recommendations on vendors we could use.

Needless to say, the wedding turned out to be everything we could ask for. Our guests were so happy and most importantly we were happy! We heard that day and the rest of the week how beautiful the wedding was… and we couldn’t have asked for a better night. We highly recommend Bella Elegante to all our family and friends and anyone else who will need a great venue and work with a great person.

If you are looking for an unforgettable wedding, look no further than in DOWNTOWN at BELLA ELEGANTE. I would HIGHLY recommend Bella Elegante. I can't imagine having had my wedding any place else! Tabitha did an Amazing Job with everything. She was always available any time i had any questions, and when you are with her she directs all her attention towards you! The food was delicious, the table set-ups were beautiful (they provided linens, and vases for our centerpieces). We opted to add the Valet package and everyone said how great the service was. At the end of the night everyone said that our wedding was one of the best they had ever attended =)

My husband and I got married on March 19th and we couldn't have been more pleased. I found Bella Elegante after viewing several different venues and I am thrilled that I did. Everything was PERFECT. Tabitha handled our every request and was so incredibly accommodating. I wasn't worried at all when the big day finally rolled around because I knew we were in good hands. I can't tell you what a relief that is as a bride!!!

This venue is absolutely FULL-SERVICE. Tabitha had her hand in every detail from the flowers and linens to the food. The food was FANTASTIC! Where else can you find a chef who will literally cook ANYTHING you want!?! We had chicken piccata and a carving station and the food was divine. My husband wanted mashed potato martini's and not only did we have regular potatoes, but mashed sweet potatoes as well! We also had cupcakes instead of a cake...nothing was impossible!

We were a little unsure of what things we wanted and didn't want and Tabitha helped a great deal with coming up with a clear and perfect plan. She had our best interests in mind every step of the way and had no problem going shopping with me to get ideas! She was more like a best friend than a wedding coordinator with the amount of time and energy she dedicated to planning this wedding.

My family and friends are still raving about how wonderfully the wedding was! Tabitha commits 100% to making your wedding special and memorable. She definitely delivers!

My husband and I decided to have our wedding reception at Bella Elegante (formerly The Plaza Downtown) after visiting several other venues mainly because of the beautiful Grand Ballroom and the package they offered. The downtown location, plus the affordable pricing was exactly what we were looking for in a venue for our reception of 150 guests.

In the beginning we ran into several road blocks including a change in catering and management. We were very concerned moving forward, but after meeting the new Director of Sales and Events, Tabitha Smith, and discussing the improvements to both the menu and staff we decided to stay with the Bella. Tabitha helped me plan the remaining details for my reception including working out a menu to accommodate all of our guests while keeping within the budget. Following up with the vendors and our wedding coordinator, Tabitha made sure every expectation we had was met and often exceeded. Tabitha provided decorating ideas and was genuinely happy to be a part of the planning process. Every request was met with a quick response and carried out to the greatest detail. I did not have to worry, or think about a thing, exactly what a bride (and groom) wants at their wedding. The ballroom was gorgeous and I am still getting phone calls and emails about how great everything looked. The food (though I had little of it!) was amazing, particularly the almond stuffed figs wrapped in bacon. Our guests also enjoyed an attended pasta station with their own choice of veggies and protein as well as a carving station. The bartenders were also excellent, keeping all of our guests with drinks throughout the night. I had the best time of my life and I did not want the night to end. When we arrived at our hotel (included in our package) we discovered Tabitha had been busy setting up our room with rose petals, a welcome surprise.

From beginning to end our experience with the new and improved Bella was without a question among the best a bride and groom could have. The service, the ballroom, and the overall experience was deserving of the name Bella Elegante, it was absolutely beautiful and elegant.

I feel very lucky to find the Bella, I strongly suggest to all brides who are looking for a venue to speak to this organization.

The venue looked absolutely beautiful, food was outstanding. Tabitha Smith is a great asset to this facility, she was superb, very helpful .

Great value for such a beautiful wedding and wedding experience for your guests. Tabitha was so flexible with my work schedule and she gave such great service. All my guests loved our wedding and the venue. If you don't want to be dead broke with half the service, I would suggest visiting this place and seeing wedding pictures there. This place it really nice and Tabitha knows what she's doing, she's there for you every step of the way!

We needed a plan B due to rain 4 days before our wedding! Bella Elegante was available, well-priced, and beautiful! Everyone said it was as if we had planned it there all along! Thank you!

WOW!! What more can I say. Everyone had a great time at our wedding and loved everything. Tabitha helped us out so much. She was there through the whole event checking on us making sure everything was going smoothly. The food was outstanding!!!! We rented out the whole place-both ballroom and each one was set up wonderfully! I am so very pleased with how my wedding went! Thank you to Tabitha and her staff for making our dream wedding come true. It was more than we could have imagined.

My wedding was everything I wanted and more. Everyone from the chef to the director were wonderful. It wasn't just a place to have my wedding. It was a place that became my own! I suggest to make sure you are aware everything you are getting. Also, double check if there is anything that is going to change. If there is make sure its to your liking.

From the day my husband and I stepped into Bella Elegante we knew it was the perfect place to host our reception. From the entrance to the ballroom the decor is beautiful! Our consultant for the venue, Tabitha, was absolutely amazing! She worked within our budget to make our dream wedding come true. She also took her time to guide us through every aspect of our reception and assisted us with constructing ideas for centerpieces and table decor. Everything that we asked for we got with no problems! I can honestly say that all of my hopes and expectations for my wedding reception we're exceeded!

I had my wedding at Bella Elegante and was really nice. Tabitha was always prompt attending my requirements and all my texts and calls. They lovely accept all necessities for all the cultural food we had since I am from Brazil and my husband from France. They were right on top with our schedule and time. The food that they provide was amazing good, all guests loved and they are still talking about it. We had a really nice time and they made sure that our wedding was in our way.

I was ecstatic when I first received a quote from Tabitha upon contacting the plaza for information on wedding packages. We did our ceremony reception style to keep costs down and she was more than happy to work with us to help the package fit our budget. We talked about the details we wanted included in our ceremony, as well as room design. When we booked we were a little over 5 months before the wedding so we were already cutting it pretty close on time but she reassured me that all would be taken care of. I was very worried about having so little time to nail down details so she gave me her cell phone and email and left me with a feeling of confidence that we would get everything done, and to email with any questions.

This is the point where the frustrations began, I sent numerous emails to Tabitha as well as text messages over the next couple of months asking questions and letting them know when we would mail a payment. After a few months of no response I suddenly get an email saying that Tabitha wouldn't be available to help us due to personal commitments and we would now work with her associate, San. This worried me because we hadn't discussed any details with him, so not only did we have to explain everything again, we didn't have a clue that most of the things we spoke with Tabitha about, he wasn't even aware of. We set up a meeting with him to go over questions and details, to make sure all was covered, as well as taste the food (which was excellent by the way.)

Not to mention in one of my many emails or texts to Tabitha, I asked for our balance because at this point we were down to 30 days before the wedding, and we needed to pay them their remaining balance. She responded to me saying the only payment they had received was the one I handed to her the day we booked. She advised us that none of the payments that we had mailed (totaling $2100 --and an additional check that was mailed for $500)were received, even though a couple of months before we called and asked them to hold a check and they agreed, only to turn around and deposit it anyway, majorly overdrawing our account but they didn't remember this? So we had to provide them with proof that those checks were in fact debited from our accounts. That in itself was frustrating. All of that was finally straightened out--the night before the wedding.

Another frustration is that a couple of weeks before the wedding they hired a new employee and then all of the sudden I'm working with the new employee (Jill) and although don't get me wrong she was sweet, but here we are, AGAIN working with someone who didn't have any idea of what we wanted. She was on top of her game, making sure to confirm things with me and do everything as she knew it to be but I must say I felt this was pretty unprofessional, because although she was apologetic when we got there for the rehearsal and number of things were wrong,(no centerpieces on the tables, the napkin setup on the table were all wrong. It would've been so much better to keep her in the loop so things were done right the first time.

The chef, Veronica, and her staff were excellent in making changes to correct them to what we expected. Even on the day of the wedding when they were short a centerpiece she was excellent in searching to find the last one that we needed. Her food was great, and she helped make sure it was all taken care of, God Bless Veronica, she was a shining light in this whole experience. Don't get me wrong the price was great for the services they provided ( after all the kinks were FINALLY worked out) but you have to not only beg for responses but make sure you're keeping all of their representatives aware of your choices if not beware because you may end up with something all wrong.

First and foremost, I went through a lot of stress with this vendor. I booked the venue 11 months before our wedding and thought by signing the contract, my mind would be at ease. I think the most stressful thing about working with this vendor was that I went through 3 different venue coordinators throughout the course of wedding planning. And to make matters worse, I wasn't even told that the previous person had left until I called after weeks of unanswered emails. Then I was told that I'd have to print out and forward copies of all email correspondences to the new coordinator since they didn't have access to the previous employees' email and some of the notes in their files didn't match what I was told in emails.

Another staff issue that I had was there was a switch in chefs and I was not informed. We had gone to a food tasting 5 months prior to our wedding and selected a menu, then we happened to stop by the venue a few months later and noticed a new chef walking around. That's when we were told about the new chef, and so we requested a new food tasting. Come the day of the wedding the sauce on our entree selection was different from what we selected and they told us that since we never came in for a food tasting with the new chef, he prepared the sauce to his choosing. What?! I was very disappointed!

Also on the day of our wedding we ran into a few frustrations with the staff and arrangements. Most noticeably, they didn't have our valet parking for guests which was very frustrating since we put on our invitations that it would be available and complimentary. Our guest kept driving around the block looking for the valet. It was in our contract that this would be available and on the day of, it was not. And even though the coordinator apologized and threw in complimentary glass and stemware, it couldn't hide the fact that this was a big deal. Also in my contract they included a small gazebo since I was having our ceremony there as well. They even sent me pictures of what it would look like so that I could arrange for our florist to decorate it. On the day of the wedding, there was no gazebo and in it's place was an archway of some sort. It still worked out, but I was promised something different. I was also told a few weeks before our wedding that Tabitha, our day of event/venue coordinator, would be popping in and out throughout the event. I hardly saw her that day and mind you, my wedding was during the day and only lasted 4 hours. Even my private wedding planner, who had meetings to coordinate with the venue, kept asking me if I had seen her around because she had been looking for her. Another problem that we ran into on the day of the wedding was that the video screen in their foyer area was out of service. I had even made sure to ask them the week prior to our wedding if we would be able to use it for our event since I had never seen it being used and they said yes. Funny how it stops working on our wedding day.

Lastly... and I was prepared for this since I had read a previous review... they had no record of one of our payments. I kept copies of everything for my my own peace of mind, so I had no problem giving them a copy of the cashed check. Something I'm glad I did. So just beware of something like this. I guess somewhere in the midst of their staffing issues, there was some inconsistencies with accounts. And just a note for those considering this venue, when you draw up your contract make sure you have EVERY LITTLE DETAIL included in it. I found out that they charge extra for plate chargers, table runners (I thought this was included in linens, but evidently not), draping, glassware, cake cutting, cake plates, stemware, centerpieces (I went to one of their open houses and they had these vase and candlestick looking centerpieces that I liked and it turned out that those are extra charges), and child meals.

Overall, I was not very satisfied with this vendor. Prior to the wedding I was becoming a bit stressed from all the staff changes, and even after I was told that I could be rest assured on the day of (and after numerous meetings and phone calls), I still had some disappointments on the day of our wedding. I thought I had hit a home run when I was able to negotiate a great price with the venue... I guess I got what I paid for.

Hello from Demers! Thank you for allowing us to be part of your network. We look forward to working with you in the near future! www.demersbanquethall.com

Bella Elegante provided wonderful service, and the staff definitely made sure we were taken care of. We had a great time photographing one of our May weddings here!

I had the pleasure to shoot a wedding at Bella Elegante in the month of March, 2011. I was very pleased with Tabitha's work ethic, professionalism and attention to detail. Needless to say, the place is beautiful and so its very easy to get amazing photographs. I am looking forward to shooting another wedding at this venue again this year in the month of November.

A beautiful facility and the staff is remarkable, with elegance and beauty surronding you. Tabatha and her staff will ensure your day is perfect, down to the smallest detail.

SoundSource Entertainment.com (AustinDJ.org / DallasDJ.org / EastTexasDJ.com) highly recommends this company! Are you using this vendor for your event? They are one of our preferred vendors! Call 877-266-6935 and we will provide you with a $125 voucher to use for your special day.