I had the pleasure of working with John and Elizabeth for my wedding on September 13, 2014. They made my wedding day perfection. Their attention to detail and their hard work makes for a wedding to be remembered. My wedding day started off rainy, grey and gross... John and Elizabeth were determined to create a day that would still be perfection in my eyes with plan of doing the ceremony here or there, whatever would work best. As the weather cleared up they dropped those plans and moved the ceremony back outside. They and their staff set up my reception area to perfection, they made THE best food, they took care of the cake which was phenomenal, John was there to guide us through every step of the day, which made for a stress free bride and groom who were able to sit back and enjoy themselves. Having the rehearsal, ceremony and reception all in one place made for easy planning and created a home away from home for the weekend. Having our family and friends stay or stop by the Inn whenever they liked made for a relaxing and fun time. The grounds, arbor, Inn, cottage, restaurant and tent all made a lovely backdrop for our beautiful day, not to mention BEAUTIFUL photo opportunities. As my groom still sleeps from post wedding exhaustion I could not help but recount my wonderful wedding day and brag a bit about how wonderful it turned out thanks to John, Elizabeth and the wonderful staff they surround themselves with. If you didn't know about the John Joseph Inn before, You're Welcome because now you do!

Having my reception at John Joseph Inn and Elizabeth Restaurant was a choice I would make over and over again. The Inn and grounds are really gorgeous and well kept. John was out mowing all the lawns in the pouring rain the day before our reception when we arrived to make sure the grass would look just right the next night, and the rest of the weekend continued in that fashion. John, Elizabeth, and their staff went above and beyond what myself or any of my family could have anticipated. We were surprised first by adorable lambs and a beautifully in bloom sunflower field we didn’t expect, then breakfast baskets for all the girls getting ready delivered to each room, then nicely displayed and creatively infused liquors that were a huge hit with guests at the open bar! John was also able to execute my “pinterest heavy” ideas exactly as I had imagined without me worrying about anything except getting my dress on. He also did so much behind the scene to help move the night in the direction we wanted. During the planning process, be sure to be open with him about your ideas, and he will be able to tell you what will work and what won’t. And trust him, he really knows what he’s doing. Over a week has passed since the wedding, and I am still getting daily emails and messages from guests saying it was the classiest, best, most beautiful, awesome and fun, wedding and I received non-stop praise for the food too. Our cupcakes with a small cutting cake and late night taco bar… beautiful and delicious…OH MY GOSH! I really can’t say enough. If you want to get married in Ithaca, I would truly say to look no further than John Joseph Inn. Our wedding day here was a complete dream come true. As my seven year old cousin standing in the apple orchard said “we all went inside the biggest fairytale there is”. Thank you so much John and Elizabeth. –Jessica and Steve~ Aug 10, 2013 wedding

My husband and I were married at the John Joseph Inn on July 13, 2013. I don’t even know where to begin because I couldn’t have imagined our wedding being any more perfect than it was. John Hamilton and his wife Elizabeth have a beautiful venue. The first time I visited the venue, I knew it was the one, and it was in the late in the winter. I could see past the winter climate, I knew the grounds would be beautiful in the summer. After meeting with John I knew we had hit the jackpot. John and his staff do EVERYTHING. The food, the bar, the tent, the tables, the chairs, etc. The only things you need to get outside the inn are the entertainment, flowers, and photographer. We loved that there weren’t extra charges for every little thing. The inn on the property is beautiful, each room has its own personality. The rooms are decorated in a very county, but chic way, including a local favorite, Mackenzie-Childs. I loved that we were able to be on site from Friday to Sunday. We had our rehearsal dinner at the venue and it was absolutely fabulous. We chose the BBQ option, but it was far from any ordinary BBQ. Our wedding day was perfect. The day started with baskets of breakfast goodies from John, which was a great touch! Our whole day was relaxed. We got ready in the inn. I am so glad I didn’t have to go to a hair salon, and then a ceremony venue, and then a reception venue, it was so easy! I loved watching the day come together from the windows of the inn. Our ceremony was perfect, the cocktail hour in the gardens was beautiful, and the reception was absolutely stunning! We chose the plated premier dinner option. The food was some of the best food we had ever tasted. We have been to so many weddings at all different venues and none of them can hold a candle to the food that is prepared by John and Elizabeth, there aren’t even restaurants in the Upstate New York region that can come close to the food selections. Elizabeth made our cake. She did a fantastic job and it was delicious. Wedding cake is usually not something that is raved about, but all I kept hearing was how good the cake was. We chose to have brunch for our guests the next morning. This brunch was just as fabulous as the rehearsal dinner and the wedding dinner. John has an amazing staff. I cannot thank them enough for making our wedding weekend perfect. You could tell that the staff enjoyed their jobs. They were very professional. Trust John. You might not hear from him as often as you like, but he knows what he is doing. Not one thing was overlooked or missed at our wedding. He did things that I forgot about. He is a true artist – he will make your day unforgettable. Our wedding at the John Joseph Inn was absolutely perfect. I cannot complain about one thing, except I wish the days lasted longer! If you are looking for a beautiful venue that has amazing owners and staff, look no further because John and Elizabeth are outstanding. Emily & Mark Zipprich

John, Elizabeth, and the rest of the staff at JJ&E did a fantastic job hosting our 100 person wedding in June 2008. We had several special requests, and John did everything and more that we asked. We found them to be friendly and flexible. Our wedding was outdoors, and the venue is lush and green: hedged garden, trees, apple orchard, and swings. John took care of details, both small and large. For example, we rented and erected an Indian wedding mandap (like a canopy with pillars), and John noticed and made sure that the ceremony tent was raised an extra few feet so that it and the platform would fit underneath. The best part was the food, which was absolutely delicious and unforgettable. Four years later, friends and family still mention our wedding buffet. John and Elizabeth are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America and, in our opinion, run the best kitchen in the Ithaca area. Many of our guests were from India, and half were vegetarians. John therefore developed a highly-customized menu for us and magnificently blended Indian flavors with his specialties. Here are a few items from our menu: - Mustard spiced seared pork tenderloin - Paneer and couscous cakes with cilantro jalapeno oil - Spiced eggplant sous vide with toasted cumin seeds - Cumin and chili crusted seared salmon with mango curry cream sauce - Spice rubbed lamb shoulder grilled and roasted, served with a curried ginger blueberry puree - Amazing seared tofu Elizabeth is the pastry chef and created an incredible tiered spiced carrot cake with cream cheese frosting crusted with candied walnuts. We tried to save the top layer of the cake for freezing, but it was too good: we ate it the next day. JJ&E is a small, family-run business. All contact will be with John, who is the chef and manager. Although he is relaxed and does not always return phone calls, John is a professional and excellent at what he does. He gave us a clear timeline of when things would happen, and he took care of things according to that timeline. Nothing fell through the cracks. The pdf package they provide on the website is clear, with tons of information and pricing details. There were no hidden charges, and we felt like we could trust John. We visited a dozen wedding sites in the Ithaca area, and JJ&E was the perfect one for us.

The John Joseph is a top notch, upscale place to stay just twenty minutes or so away from Ithaca College and Cornell. Run by John Joseph and his wife Elizabeth (both grads of the Culinary Institute of America cooking institution) it is a very special inn which combines a beautiful country property with rooms with modern amenities (gas fireplaces, jacuzees, flat screen TVs etc). The rooms are spacious and have some nice views. The restaurant is fantastic for dinner and the included breakfast (John makes what he wants but you will like it.). One Sunday when the restaurant was closed John brought us breakfast in a basket with home made muffins, yogurt, juice, etc. The property is beautiful especially the gardens. We have stayed here three or four times and is really the best place to stay in the area if you are visiting the colleges. Could use wi-fi as the phone coverage is not great. Not the place to stay if you need room service, public areas, etc. But for a relaxing time (or a wedding!) you just can't do any better.