Testimonial

Looking back on our wedding weekend in late September 2004 brings nothing but happiness and joy to our thoughts! The entire weekend from bridesmaid and groomsmen lunches, rehearsal dinner, and ultimately our fabulous wedding day surpassed our every expectation of what a dream wedding could be for us. We now have timeless memories that will always be remembered by our families, our friends, and the two of us forever. The weekend could never have been such a success if it were not for the leadership, organization, support, professionalism, and creativity of the Kelleys Island Brewery team led by Patti Johnson and Doug Murayi. We started the process not even knowing Patti and Doug, and by the end of our wedding weekend, we considered Patti and Doug to be dear friends and sincere, honest professionals that are kind, considerate and passionate about their business. We had people travel all over the country, and some even from England, to attend our wedding and we wanted to make it very special for not only ourselves, but every person that traveled so far to be with us. Our family and friends still talk about the wonderful time they had at our wedding, which means a great deal to us.

Our wedding day was filled with wonderful weather, wonderful food, wonderful surroundings and wonderful family and friends, but behind the scenes making it all flow seamlessly were Patti and Doug. Patti began working with us in early February 2004 at the very beginning of our 8 month journey of planning a 240 person wedding on Kelleys Island, on September 25th. We live in Columbus, so much of the planning was done over the phone and through email, and it all worked out flawlessly. Patti was patient with us from the very start and was eager to assist with offering recommendations and pricing on food and beverages, finding the perfect wedding ceremony and reception location, assisting with lodging for my guests, transportation on the island, coordinating planning for all weekend events, and creating an overall amazing experience for all of our wedding guests. She understood how important this day was for us and she was willing to devote her time during the Winter, Spring and Summer to ensure that our wedding over exceeded our expectations in every way possible. She spent countless hours meeting with us over the phone and in person, and she was with us every step of the way during our wedding weekend, which put our minds at ease and helped us relax and enjoy the most important day of our lives together. We never worried once knowing that Patti and Doug were leading the coordination of the entire wedding weekend from start to finish -- always with smiles on their faces and enthusiasm for us to have a wonderful day!

Patti and Doug's knowledge of the restaurant and catering business proved to be a critical piece in the event planning for our wedding because it turned out that not only did they understand all details and organization needed, they are amazing cooks and created meals for our family and friends that were absolutely delicious as well! All food is created with top quality ingredients that Patti searches out based on your preference. Our preference was to have a high-end wedding on a very casual island, and Patti made it all happen for us by researching the best food and beverages at the best prices, and she delivered on all of her promises. Patti created a rehearsal dinner for close to ninety people, as well as a wedding dinner for 240 people, along with family brunches and bridal party meals over a three day period without ever missing a beat in terms of service, ingredients and exceptional quality. She was very flexible and eager to make changes based on whatever we decided would be best with our budget and our preferences.

Many close friends and family members mentioned to us that they were amazed at how much effort Patti and Doug put into coordinating our wedding, and they were in awe at how well they led our entire event planning while running a full time restaurant all summer long! Their ability to coordinate teams of servers and support staff, food, decorations, deliveries, equipment and genuine concern for our wishes was exceptional!

We both have worked in Corporate positions with high level Executive leaders, and we are convinced that the leadership exhibited by Patti and Doug throughout this process was some of the best we have ever worked with. We are proud to tell people that our entire event was coordinated by Patti and Doug of the Kelleys Island Brewery and we feel very blessed and very lucky to have had them leading the success and happiness of our entire wedding weekend!

Thank you Patti and Doug -- we hope to spend many more great times with you on Kelleys Island!

With great fondness and sincerity,

Shelly and Kyle Marks
Columbus, Ohio