The Big Sur River Inn hosted both our rehearsal cookout, our wedding ceremony and reception for 130 friends and family. We worked closely with Selena and Andrea during the 9+ months leading up to our big weekend. Their expertise and calming nature contributed immensely to our own confidence going into the event. Every detail was considered and planned for. Although the Big Sur River Inn hosts a number of weddings each year and is well-versed on all the coordination necessary, we still felt that each decision and detail was very much customized to the way we imagined it and not to a "standard package". They remained flexible and understanding as we and our parents pieced all of our decisions together. Having traveled from Berkeley to the Inn a number of times for planning purposes, we felt by the time October arrived, that it held a sense of home to us.

All of our guests were able to stay at the Inn both Friday and Saturday nights. The Big Sur Pub just next door was an easy and perfect 'after party' venue. Our guests and families were extremely complementary of the Big Sur River Inn staff and overall experience. We could not imagine a better venue for ourselves and highly recommend it to others.

I used to visit the Big Sur River Inn as a girl with my family in the summer. There, I would dream of being married on the lawn in the back of the resort, just inches away from the river, under the giant, cooling trees. Still, when my now-husband proposed to me in Cambria, CA (on one of our many trips out to the west coast as adults—we are East-coast dwellers now) we had to look at every wedding site on the Big Sur Coastline. I am so glad that we returned and were later married at the Big Sur River Inn on a warm summer afternoon.

The afternoon, like almost every summer afternoon at the Big Sur River Inn, was warm and gorgeous (it’s true—the coastline can be fogged in to the North and the South and the sun is out at the River Inn). The trees created striking shadows for pictures as well as a perfect breeze through the passage between the buildings of the resort and the trickling waters of the Pheneger Creek as we walked down the aisle. The imposing majesty of this place in my childhood quickly morphed into a romantic setting, perfect for our big day. The wedding planner, Selena Perez, her assistant, Andrea, and their team of people made my husband and I feel that they wanted to create the wedding that we wanted on the property. They left nothing to chance as they worked tirelessly to ensure that everything went smoothly. All the way through, thanks to these efforts, we felt as though we were a part of the River Inn family.

The twenty rooms on the property were filled with wedding guests making this a “wedding destination weekend” for many them. The rest of the Big Sur River Inn staff was great too in responding to any needs that our guests had during their stay. Even at breakfast in the mornings, staff welcomed our guests by remembering their names and greeting them with a smile.

After the wedding ceremony, we ate dinner on the lower deck just before dark. The food (choice of steak, salmon or “marathon pasta”—yuummmm) was prepared expertly and in a timely manner. Then, we all moved inside the restaurant area, where (a stark contrast from the breakfast table set up) the DJ had set up a make-shift-dance-floor and a large screen to showcase pictures from the years my groom and I had spent together. From there, the restaurant provided the perfect space for us to get-down-Big-Sur-style all night long. We cut cake, had the bouquet toss, even provided late night munchies (Selena’s idea) for our guests a few hours after dinner. When people left, they remarked about how beautiful the site was, how effortless it all looked, how exquisite the flowers were and how much fun they had.

Looking back, our wedding was so much more than I ever could have imagined. I am so happy that we trusted Selena, the staff and the Big Sur River Inn, to host this special day for us. For the years to come, I will have new memories to one day share with my children about such a special place in the heart of Big Sur. And who knows, maybe one day, we will have another family wedding there.

Why we love Big Sur River Inn
1) We got the most bang for our buck at this location. Not only was it an amazing beautiful place to hang out for our celebration, but it was also a bargain compared to all the other outdoor venues were were looking at. If you're looking for an outdoor wedding, do yourself a favor and check this place out!
2) The food was AMAZING!! We had a ribs, brisket and roasted squash and people are STILL talking about how amazing the food was.
3) The serving staff was so friendly and accomodating. I felt taken care of the whole time without feeling like they were hovering. The bartender even helped my cousins come up with the "Matthleen" drink!
4) Selena and Andrea were so responsive to my every need. There's basically no need to hire a wedding planner, because this dynamic duo ran around and did everything I wanted just perfectly. Literally everything I asked for, they said yes and executed exactly how I wanted it. Selena even bustled my dress when my bridesmaids couldn't figure it out :)
5) You cannot take a bad picture at this venue. How could you? The river...the wooden deck...the trees...the landscaping...Since the venue was so beautiful, I got to save money on decorating, because I really didn't need to do a whole lot.
6) Most importantly (in my opinion), everyone at Big Sur River Inn genuinely like working there. You can tell Selena and Andrea like working with brides and creating what their vision is. The staff was all smiles and added to the happy, feel-good, fun vibes.

I could go on and on...

Loved it! Absolutely loved it! We had the wedding of our dreams at the Big Sur River Inn.

Selena was amazing to work with. She really helped deliver our vision, and made sure everything ran smoothly.

Great food. We went in for a tasting and tweaked the food options. Selena and staff were flexible, and willing to make changes on the fly to accommodate anything we wanted. We had vegetarian options, pasta, chicken, steak, kabobs, quesadillas and drinks. Everyone had a great time. Best wedding food ever. It sounds like I'm gushing, but seriously... All the plates were clean by the end of dinner.

The ceremony was amazing. Last minute we found out that it was going to rain. Selena, like a rockstar found a canopy, booked it, and rearranged our plans to accommodate the weather. She was stellar. We owe her so much credit. Really helping to reassure the bride. Hillary was freaking out before speaking to Selena, and after our 'final' meeting we were both really happy with the arrangements.

Her staff was great. They did the whole setup. All the decorations. Everything. And it came out exactly the way we wanted. Selena has a great eye, and helped ensure the table was decorated but not cluttered. The setting itself is gorgeous, and in the rain all the plants got even greener.

Not only were the mechanics of the wedding perfect, the price was great! This place by far had the best bang for the buck. They were the most flexible with options and delivered it at a great price. The rooms were no hassle and no stress.

I can't say enough good things about Selena and the Big Sur River Inn. If you want to have an amazing ceremony,and fun reception... You need to look no further.

I highly recommend both the Big Sur River Inn, and Selena Perez, their excellent event manager. We had our wedding in Big Sur in September 2010, and hosted our Friday Night “Welcome Event” at the Big Sur River Inn. It was a delight to work with Selena and the rest of her staff. We wanted a low-key and comfortable start to our wedding. We also wanted to welcome our many friends and family that had traveled far to join us in celebration, without breaking the bank. Selena helped us create the perfect event to meet those goals. The space was beautifully decorated and the food and drinks that she recommended were a huge hit. Many of our guests also at the Big Sur River Inn for the weekend - the rates are reasonable and I know that everyone had an enjoyable stay. Working with the staff to get accommodations organized was quite easy - much more so than some other places in the area. On a more personal level, I can also confirm that Selena is a delight to work with. She is hardworking and well organized, two traits that often matter most to brides-to-be. She has great ideas for how to make events feel special and unique, which is impressive given the number that she regularly puts on. Most of all, Selena is kind, considerate, and thoughtful—working with her is a breeze.

The Big Sur River Inn was an amazing place to get married!! Tucked in the Redwoods by the creek, it was an absolutely magical spot for a very special ceremony. The staff is warm, generous, polite and ultra helpful. From the first meeting to the last dance we felt we had made the best choice. The food was incredible and the menu was catered to our wishes. I loved the fact that everyone in our family could stay in rooms right there making it easy to spend the maximum amount of quality time with them before and after the wedding. The only sad part is that we cannot do it all over again. I have nothing but love for the folks at Big Sur River Inn who helped make our wedding unbelievably magical!!!

In June 2010, we held our 125-person rehearsal dinner here and we had a WONDERFUL experience. We could not have been more happy. Our guests loved the location and we had many people tell us that it was the best rehearsal they had ever been to.

We also got great feedback on the food, with its huge portions, delicious flavors and easy-going staff. The wedding/event planner there, Selena, is awesome...so easy to work with and accommodating. She made the months of planning fun and exciting.

This place is gorgeous and a perfect setting for your loved ones. It was incredible to look at the scene with friends chatting together in Adirondack chairs IN the river, people lounging on the grass, family on the back patio...it was perfect.

You AT LEAST need to stay here, get dinner or have your honeymoon here! Oh, and the pricing is amazingly reasonable for the area and unique setting. 5 stars for sure!

We chose to hold our wedding at the Big Sur River Inn because we were able to do the ceremony and reception in one location, plus they offered accommodations for our guests. Selena and Andrea were great, and made sure everything was taken care of and ran smoothly. They took care of everything, even putting together our bouquets and flower arraignments, so we were able to buy flowers wholesale and save some money. The venue is so beautiful naturally that we really didn't need much for decorations. It was absolutely magical, and I cant imagine a better place to get married. Plus we used the excuse of getting married in Big Sur to sneak away to "nail down the details" when the planning process got a little too stressful. It was the perfect excuse to visit one of my favorite places in the whole world!

My husband and I got engaged in Big Sur and knew we wanted to get married there. We looked at a few places for our wedding but knew immediately that we found the place when we saw the Big Sur River Inn. It was exactly what we were looking for. We were able to have our ceremony along side the Big Sur River, dinner out on the huge redwood deck, and dancing inside the restaurant. To top it off, we were able to stay there and so was our wedding party and family. It was nice to have our wedding in one spot and not have to worry about driving. The manager, Selena, was very accommodating. We asked to have our reception extended another 30 min and had no problems.

This is a beautiful venue for anyone who loves Big Sur and the outdoors. The staff is amazing and it was such a relaxed environment for our wedding day. We had NO STRESS because we got married there.

This setting for a wedding is amazing. The ceremony is held outside on the lawn with the river in the background and the reception is in their restaurant. It is a lodge type setting and the ambiance is great. The only drawback is that if you have a large wedding party the hotel only has 20 rooms and the manager will only allow you to hold 5 of those rooms total for your guests. This was not made clear to me when I reserved the venue with the wedding coordinator/restaurant manager and all of my guests started making reservations when really only 5 rooms were supposed to be allowed for my guests. This became a big issue with the hotel manager and general manager. So make sure to be aware of this or talk to the general manager about letting you reserve more rooms. However, there are many other great hotels and cabins in the area around this venue that my guests also stayed at. I would recommend Glen Oaks Motel and Ripplewood Cabins.