The Ribault Club Reviews

I have been lucky enough to DJ and MC for a few weddings at this incredible historic venue. I have also attended several weddings there as guest. I DJ-ed there again this past Saturday and it was a truly magical night. The venue features a number of great indoor and outdoor areas for dancing, eating, cocktail, etc. The dining hall is gorgeous with ample seating for groups large and small. The trees and nearby marsh are a photographic goldmine for capturing lifelong memories on film. The staff are a pleasure to deal with. Huge kudos to Summer, one of their in-house planners, for making sure my most recent event was nothing short of perfect.

I could go on but rest assured that Ribault Club is truly a premier wedding and event venue in Northeast Florida!

From when I first stumbled across photos of The Ribault Club, I knew this was where I wanted to have our wedding. Guests could not stop raving about how perfect and how unique of a setting it is! The areas for getting ready were perfect for my bridal party, and the groomsmen even had their own space with a bar to get ready in. Marie was great in assisting my husband and I with all of our logistics and was there throughout our wedding day to ensure everything was how it needed to be! My husband and I cannot recommend The Ribault Club enough!

My husband and I fell in love with the Ribault Club's historic Old Florida charm the moment we checked it out. From the old oaks draped in Spanish moss to the palms and the SPACE that this beautiful venue offers, we were never disappointed. The staff at the Ribault Club was just as amazing as the property itself and were easily one of the best vendors to work with. Marie, Madi, and Haley did an outstanding job of communicating, helping, and truly going above and beyond to make our day absolutely wonderful. Our guests are still commenting on what a magical night we had and how absolutely breathtaking our ceremony and reception were (both out back).

We had our wedding at The Ribault Club on a Friday and it was even more perfect than we could have hoped. From our initial tour of the venue, it was love at first sight. We visited multiple times between that initial visit and our big day and were awe-struck by the natural beauty and the Old Florida feel of the estate every single time. The grand oak was the idyllic backdrop for our ceremony, and the ballroom was a lovely setting for our reception.

We were looking for a venue that was both affordable and gorgeous, and The Ribault Club fit the bill flawlessly. We loved being able to pick our own vendors (hello, taco bar!) and having enough space to dance the night away. They also provided all of our tables and chairs, which really helped us in keeping the cost and additional vendor involvement to a minimum.

The staff was always professional and warm to us. We mainly worked with Marie, Madi, and Deborah, who were all welcoming and accommodating. Emails and phone calls were always answered promptly. They were flexible with us and did their best to ensure our day went exactly as we pictured it.

And last but not least, our day-of coordinator, Summer, knocked it out of the park. We went with the in-house coordination and it was one of the best decisions we made. She was so attentive and ensured our special day ran smoothly from start to finish. Her knowledge of the venue and her experience in wedding coordination were apparent from day one. We could not have had such a perfect, stress-free experience without her, and we are beyond grateful for her and the whole Ribault Club staff.

If you’re considering The Ribault Club as your wedding venue, you can’t go wrong with them. The grounds alone guarantee a gorgeous wedding and their staff will make sure you have a beautiful, unique day!

Years ago, I visited Ribault Club for a wedding and knew that was the venue I wanted to have my special day. It was the second venue my husband and I viewed together and he fell in love with it as well! Maddie was awesome to work with and flexible when we needed some additional tables the day of. Thank you to Ribault Club! I can't imagine our wedding taking place anywhere else!

Although we didn't end up going with this vendor due to distance, the venue tour was amazing and the price was even better. We had the option of having our wedding ceremony in the back lawn under beautiful oak trees and then moving into one of their two dining rooms for the reception dinner. It was really a perfect venue with its classic look and beautiful riverfront views. I have recommended this facility to a friend who is currently looking for a venue.

Wonderful! Angie was the best!

The Ribault Club Is THE Place To Get Married At! My Husband And I Loved The Old Southern Feel And Charm! The Staff Went Above And Beyond Too Make Our Day Special!

My husband and I absolutely loved this venue for our wedding ceremony and reception! We knew right away that it was the place we wanted to get married at. We loved the big oak tree in the back, and we loved all the greenery outside, as well as the simplicity inside. It was exactly what we wanted and we couldn't have been happier! The staff was also really great and a big help!

Chrissy at the Ribault is wonderful. We were married shortly after Hurricane Irma and she did everything she could to make sure power was back on and the grounds were cleaned up. I left my flash drive there after the reception and she saved it for me knowing it was important. The venue is breathtaking with the big oak tree and the outside dance floor we rented. I was able to piece our wedding together exactly the way we wanted it and Ribault didn't give us any problems.

The Ribault Club managers and staffing were absolutely amazing. They were very responsive and professional, and helped plan during the set up meeting when my coordinator didn't show up. It was a BEAUTIFUL venue!!

Ribault Club is beautiful inside and outside. I could not have dreamed up a better venue. The staff is also extremely helpful and super sweet. Chrissy went above and beyond to make sure my vision was met.

The Ribault Club was the perfect place for our wedding! First place we visited, and we booked later that day! We chose to marry in front of the house, opposed to the popular tree backdrop. It was beautiful! The staff was flexible with everyone we hired to pull off our special day and the second floor was spacious and comfortable for myself and my bridesmaids to get ready in!

We found the Ribault Club to be the perfect location for our outdoor wedding in early November, 110+ guests. There was ample space for the bridal party to get ready. Ceremony under the tree was perfect. Lorna was our contact, she was fabulous and clearly had a handle on everything.

When weather became a challenge, the variety of rooms made for great backups. Lorna worked well with our vendors (brought our own alcohol, Chef's Garden for catering, Brooke Raulerson and Aubri Bleil at Artistic Florist for floral and day-of planning, Christina Karst Photography, St. John's Illuminations lit the trees and dance floor, and Casey Powell and Sara Jane Maples at Modern Classic Beauty for hair and makeup) and she gave good advice and structure at our pre-wedding meeting. Ultimately, our guests were blown away with the beautiful setting.

Cons: roads to the island were a challenge.

Pros: Gorgeous, ambiance, size, indoor/outdoor, historic, natural, southern charm, flexible and accommodating.

Thank you to all the staff at The Ribault Club for helping to make my daughters wedding amazing!!!! Love the club, love the grounds - great private location for our special day!!!!

Venue was fantastic!! All the guests at my daughter's wedding loved it!!

In my opinion, the Ribault Club is hands down the most beautiful ceremony and reception spot in the Jacksonville area. The location on the marsh, the giant oak trees and spanish moss, and the historical/vintage appeal of the club are just unmatched. We had wanted our venue and reception to have a romantic, timeless, and vintage feel, and the Ribault Club totally delivered - the location and venue were ah-mazing! (However - one thing to note is that all of this natural beauty and intimate-ness does come at a slight cost - the venue is pretty far off the beaten path, and it may require you to provide transportation for your guests, depending on their familiarity with the area and whether they'll have rental cars...We used school buses from Patten Transportation, and everyone enjoyed the scenic drive to the Club).

A huge benefit of the Club is the ability to totally create your own vision - there are hardly any limitations on what decorations you can and can't bring (as I found with other vendors). The ability to bring in your own caterer is huge - not just in terms of choosing the perfect menu that suits your personality and vision, but also in terms of value. It's just so much more flexible and affordable than a hotel-type menu with a food and beverage minimum. Another big plus is the Ribault Club's in-house wedding planner, Lorna, who was truly a godsend for us. We planned the wedding from DC, and we were so grateful for Lorna's experience and suggestions (for vendors, day-of scheduling, everything) and her take-charge attitude on the wedding day. She kept things on schedule and running smoothly.

We are still hearing rave reviews about our wedding from our guests now - everyone was totally charmed by the Ribault Club and its natural beauty. Cannot say enough about how gorgeous our wedding was!! You can also see our wedding here: http://www.stylemepretty.com/florida-weddings/2013/05/10/northern-florida-destination-wedding-from-threaded-together-photography/

My husband and I really wanted a rustic outdoor themed wedding. We were going for the "Vintage wine country theme" and with this venue I think we pulled it off. The gorgeous tree out back is where we said our "I do's" and the pictures were breathtaking. I loved the look and feel of this venue and the southern vibe. Lorna and the rest of the coordinating staff were very easy to work with. I got married on a Friday (my choice) and what a great thing...they offered a cheaper rate! I would highly recommend this venue...so many things you can do with it!

Beautiful location inside and out. You can definitely save on decorations since the natural foliage is so beautiful itself.

The Ribault Club is one of the finest facilities available here in Jacksonville. My guest were awed by the location and the beautiful clubhouse. The rooms were in perfect condition and invoked the "old Southern Charm" that we were striving to achieve for the reception. There are no words to express the praise and respect I have for the staff at the club. Lorna, their wedding coordinator, was invaluable to us in planning every aspect of the wedding and she satisfied every request we had. The week before the wedding she handled every detail so that all we had to do was enjoy ourselves. If you are looking for a professional, caring and enjoyable facilitly to work with, the Ribault Club is the perfect place for you.

The Ribault Club is beautiful! You have a lot of space to make the wedding however you want. It looks stunning with few decorations or a lot. I had an outside wedding planner but the staff was always very helpful and we had the wedding set up how WE wanted it with no problems. Everyone loved it!

You can't go wrong. This is a beautiful setting. It was perfect for our wedding. You might want to get transportation though, as it is a hike from hotels :)

I received so many compliments on my venue, it truly makes for a unique wedding experience for you and your guests! We live in St. Augustine, FL and spent the first year of our engagement just visiting and researching venues but our hearts were instantly captivated by the Ribault Club. It creates natural beauty so you save money not needing to "spruce things up" with decorations and it makes for unbelievable photos. The Ribault Club will always have a special place in our hearts and we plan to visit it every year to remember the best day of our life for a romantic picnic on the grounds.

We held our ceremony and reception on site here- it is absolutely one of the most beautiful places in Jacksonville/Amelia Island to have a wedding. Our wedding coordinator was Lorna Meehan, and I can't recommend her highly enough- she made everything so smooth, and her advice was priceless. The wedding went perfectly- we couldn't have done it without her!

The Ribault Club was the perfect setting for our wedding! Maggie and Aurora both helped to make our special day just that, special. Maggie worked so hard and fixed all the little situations that came up without me even knowing! Everything stayed on time and beautiful. We really appreciate all of Maggie and Aurora's hard work!

The Ribault Club was the perfect venue, we had a gorgeous outdoor ceremony and a beautiful inside reception. It had everything we were looking for and the staff was always very sweet and accommodating, both to us and to our guests.

A wonderful and unique venue that can hold the kind a wedding you want and not just a cookie cutter wedding. There are some bugs and it is a little ways away from everything, but it is a beautiful property. I would highly recommend the on site planners (Amelia Occasions) if you are planning your wedding here. There are a lot of details to work out and they can help with every step.

We had our wedding at the gorgeous Ribault Club in Fort George Island, FL. This venue is absolutely stunning from the outside and the inside. It is very spacious and allows for a great number of guests. The club is also very flexible, allowing you to choose where you would like specific events to take place. The Ribault Club is the perfect place to hold the beautiful elegant wedding of your dreams!

Make sure you hire the wedding coordinator for the entire wedding prep, not just day of.

The Ribault Club and the wonderful staff who work there were absolutely fantastic! They were a tremendous wealth of knowledge when it came to choosing a florist, DJ, caterer, etc. If I were planning an event anytime soon, I would most definitely go back to the Ribault Club! It was most definitely the most special day of my life!

I loved getting married at the Ribault Club. It was a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful day at at beautiful place. The setting is so picturesque and the possibilities in planning a wedding there are endless.

Once I visited the Ribault Club, I knew I wanted to get married there. It is absolutely beautiful! Snapshots at my wedding look fabulous because of the venue. The Ribault staff is very accomodating and friendly.

We held our ceremony and reception on site here- it is absolutely one of the most beautiful places in Jacksonville/Amelia Island to have a wedding. Our wedding coordinator was Lorna Meehan, and I can't recommend her highly enough- she made everything so smooth, and her advice was priceless. The wedding went perfectly- we couldn't have done it without her!

We were in love with the idea of getting married in front of a beautiful large tree, an outdoor wedding. Unfortunately we had a Northeastern where it pour like crazy so we had to ditch our outdoor plans for indoor. At the end of the day, we weren’t disappointed. Outdoor or indoor, the ribault club was the perfect setting. They even gave us a jar of rain water, to baptize our baby.

Other pros are the flexibility with bringing your dog, other vendors, etc. 10/10

The Ribault Club is just a gorgeous venue with so much southern charm. We immediately fell in love with the live oak tree and were determined to get married beneath it, even when our wedding ceremony was threatened with rain all day long! The only downside was that hurricane Irma brought in a fair amount of mosquitoes. Unfortunately the cost for mosquito treatment is not included in the cost of the venue, so we had to come out of pocket for that ($150). We called the city to have them spray since that is typically covered by tax dollars, but state parks like the Ribault Club require a special kind of treatment with organic sprays, or something like that. While it did rain for most of our wedding day, it stopped just long enough for us to get married under the beloved live oak. Guests danced the night away inside the north ballroom, where we had a wonderful reception and plenty of room to boogy. I would recommend the Ribault Club to other engaged couples, especially for the price alone. The cost of the venue was relatively inexpensive in comparison to a lot of other similar venues (Chandler Oaks Barn, Bowing Oaks Plantation, etc). A big thank you to Chelsi and her team for being so responsive and for taking care of us the day of our wedding. One of our stands was broken and we needed one to set up our welcome sign in a pinch, and luckily the gentleman working that day was able to bring us a few that had been left at the venue. It worked out great. Thank you so much for everything!

We loved having our wedding at The Ribault Club! It was actually my sister-in-law that suggested we visit the Ribault Club when we were searching for venues and I'm so happy she did. It was the perfect size for our 100-person wedding and the location is just stunning. They were great to work with, we loved getting ready upstairs, and the pictures are just stunning with all of the beautiful details that the Ribault Club has to offer.

Ribault Club is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The venue is back in the cut, and surrounded by nature. The backyard area is perfect for guests to catch some fresh air after dancing inside! My guests kept raving about the whole surrounding. I can't say enough about the Ribault Club, it is perfect. I would highly recommend it!

The Ribault Club was a great setting for a quaint Southern wedding. It was such a beautiful historic site, that was loved by the bride and groom along with the guests. I highly recommend the Ribault Club!

My wedding was a dream come true. I would recommend this venue to any bride looking for an elegant, yet comfortable, beautiful and wistful day!

This was an absolutely perfect venue for my daughters perfect wedding. When the weather made an out door wedding impossible the staff bent over backwards to help our inside plan B work and we can't thank them enough. The day of planner really tried to make the day exactly what my daughter wanted. We only wish our communications prior to the big day had felt more clear and concise but it all worked out. Were SO glad that this venue although perfect for an out door wedding under the magnificent wedding tree, actually has an indoor option that we could use at the last minute!

The Ribault Club's beauty speaks for itself. The grounds are incredible and the clubhouse is just perfect, especially for brides who want a Southern plantation feel. The space is large enough for a large wedding, but small enough for a smaller wedding, because different areas can be used. Lorna and Chrissy, the coordinators there, are wonderful. They were always responsive, which is helpful for couples like us who were planning from out of town. Lorna and Chrissy were also knowledgable, experienced, and provided a lot of suggestions and advice. We got married on Sunday, which was a better value. I only gave a lower rating on flexibility because being in a state park, it seemed hands were tied on certain regulations and restrictions. The only other downfall of the Club is that it is quite far from guest accommodations. We were initially worried about the long drive for our guests, but it was not a problem. It also feels more private because it is on state park land so is secluded by trees. I highly recommend this beautiful venue.

I knew even before I saw it that the Ribault Club is where I wanted to get married. It is absolutely gorgeous, historic, Southern, with lots of space and parking. It's unlike any other venue in the Jacksonville area. My one concern was about the staff, about whom there were mixed reviews on Wedding Wire. Lorna, the former venue coordinator, was extremely colorful and a little pushy when I first met with her, but she has since left the Ribault Club and Chrissy, the current venue coordinator, was very sweet and helpful. It was great having tables and chairs included in the cost of rental. The price is a little high, but as I said, there's just no other venue that comes close to having everything I wanted, so it was worth to me. I definitely recommend seeing the venue before you book though because it is very far away (35-40 minutes) from any hotel/civilization. So this requires an extra layer of planning and it's best to know what you're getting into. Because it's in a state park, the road to get there is winding and not well lit at night. For the safety of our guests, we used Amelia Island Trolley as a transportation option, which was a huge hit. Overall, our wedding was my dream come true in every way and the Ribault Club was a huge part of that. I would definitely recommend to other brides!

The Rebault was a beautiful venue for my daughter's wedding. The staff was very accommodating and responded timely to our requests and questions.

The venue is beautiful and allows many possibilities for how to set up your wedding day. I'm utilizing one of their wedding coordinators which has been extremely helpful since she is so familiar with the venue and the preferred vendors.

The Ribault Club was the perfect back drop to our very classy romantic wedding, I knew the moment I walked onto the property that this was the place to have our wedding. This venue is a bit on the pricey side but the grounds are breathtaking! The ribault club does offer there own wedding planning services which I decided to use. There were a few issues with the wedding planners that we experienced but in the end everything turned out perfect which is all that matters to me.

The Ribault Club was an amzaing setting for our reception. It was a truly magical evening. We had several guests comment on the beautiful grounds and the unique setting. We loved the fact that it felt like we were hosting the recepetion in a beautiful Southern mansion and not some stuffy ballroom or reception hall. We used the entire Club (every room and had a tent on the back lawn) and the the flow through the reception was wonderful--much more fun and relaxed than your typicl "everyone crammed in one room" reception. In 2 words, the Ribault Club is "Southern Elegance"

Very friendly and accommodating staff- Chrissy and Susan have gone above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect

Ribault Club is a beautiful, historic building. We fell in love with the secluded setting and the live oak in the back. We are very happy we had our wedding there and recommend it. However, there are a few quirks that may be helpful for couples to know:

1. You have to hire a planner.
They have at least one on staff but it's an additional cost.
2. Event end time is 10pm.
Ribault Club is relatively easy going regarding decorations, restrictions, etc. The most unfortunate resriction, in my opinion, is the 10pm end time. You can pay additional for up to two more hours.
3. Coach buses cannot use park roads.
Due to the narrow road through the state park, traditional coach buses cannot drive to Ribault Club. This limits your transportation options if you choose to provide a shuttle.
4. Alcohol cannot be served until after 5pm.
(So if you want to serve alcohol during cocktail hour, your ceremony will need to end by/after 5pm.)
5. 20 min drive to the nearest hotel.
6. You'll need to get insurance (not a big cost, but it is extra)
Around $150-$200
7. Tables included can be used outside, but chairs cannot.
You can rent outdoor/ceremony chairs for an additional, affordable rate.
8. Can't access bridal suite until 12pm.
The space upstairs for getting ready is great. Two spacious rooms and bathrooms. HOWEVER, they recently changed their policy which now prohibits access until 12pm. If you have a bridal party, that is too late to start hair and makeup in time for an afternoon ceremony.

The Ribault Club staff were very nice and helpful. The wedding/events staff were difficult to reach at times. Also, a little strange that I never met them, even after scheduling visits a couple times before the wedding. Overall, really great service from the staff we did meet.

This is a beautiful venue that gives you the freedom to pick all your vendors. And the pictures by the water are priceless! If you're prepared for the extra effort it is totally worth it.

While I did not deal with the venue directly (my wedding coordinator did) I can say that we could not have picked a more perfect venue for our wedding ceremony and reception. We looked at Ribault first among 9 other venues and kept coming back to it time and time again. Many of guests came from out of town and they were blown away at how beautiful the property and surroundings were. I would recommend this site to anyone looking for a wonderful outdoor ceremony (best spot in Jax!!!) and an indoor/outdoor reception.

From a venue, or looks stand-point, I felt as though we could not have picked a better place for our wedding, that also matched the vibe we were looking for at a respectable price. The Ribault was an incredible backdrop, offering multiple locations for ceremony (the beautiful tree in the back), cocktail hour (driveway up front), reception (2 rooms inside, which for us, served as Plan B options, we fell in love with the back lawn and chose to be outdoors), and other areas throughout the property for photos. Each time we visited, it always had the same charm - and left me excited for our turn!

The one thing I will say about the venue was that communication definitely could have been better. Perhaps it was only my experience - but I did feel that I was always trying to hunt down people for answers, updates, even final payment towards the end, which was something I felt the staff should of been more on top of. The silver lining of it all is that the venue is pretty much a la carte. So if you have good vendors that are familiar with the venue - they will take care of you, especially since they probably have relationships with the staff there already.

Regardless, we had a fantastic experience using the Ribault Club for our wedding. The setting could not have looked more magical! I highly would recommend looking into the Ribault Club for not only its quintessential Southern charm, but also its affordability, and the fact that it is a blank slate; therefore it transforms itself with your vision, whatever that may be!

The Ribault Club was a great location for our wedding! Our pictures turned out fantastic! The staff was great to work with!!

The location was just breath taking!!!
But I suggest not using there planning services, or day of services because they only help you during the rehershal dinner and thats pretty much it.

This was my dream location. I was so glad to be able to book it on the date that I wanted.

The Ribault Club was the only place I wanted for our wedding and I couldn't have been happier. It is best to reserve far in advance, as they book up very quickly. I was not crazy about the first person I was assigned to, but spoke up and was quickly re-assigned to Lorna Meehan, with whom I got along with fabulously. She was such an incredible resource for me and I couldn't have done it without her! I trusted her taste and, if she recommended a vendor, I knew I would be in good hands. I didn't have to worry about anything the day of, as she was on top of it all. She is a real pro and a valuable asset to me during the planning process. The venue itself it gorgeous, uniquely Southern and very private. It was exactly what I was looking for and I wasn't disappointed. Yes, as it's a State owned facility, they are very strict about what you can and cannot do on the property, but it didn't hamper any of my plans.

We hosted our wedding at the Ribault Club on Friday, July 24th 2015. After looking at well over 15 venues throughout the greater Jacksonville and St. Augustine area we settled on this venue for the price and flexibility. The Ribault Club is hands down the most affordable venue in Jacksonville and includes Chivari chairs, tables, and a beautiful backdrop to make any vision come to life. With the flexibility given, we book a Friday event to cut the price in half and then loved that we were able to bring in our own food and decorations. We ended up having a food truck which was an unbelievable hit, so delicious, and such a money saver! Overall, I give the club 5 stars for the location, ample parking, price, and value included within the rental fee. Where my review drops is the people you will have to interact with at the club to make your vision come to life. Chrissy, the one and only event manager currently on staff, was distant and difficult at times. It was frustrating not being able to get the answers I needed to have peace of mind for our event which is the job of a venue event manager. I regret having to write this in a review but want others to be aware. Should this overlooked? I would say absolutely! Despite the customer service and lack of response, it was still the best venue choice and our wedding was so GORGEOUS! I wouldn't change anything in the world. Just be prepared to put in a little more effort with this vendor than with others you may book. I hope this is helpful in making your upcoming wedding decisions!

We fell in love with the Club the minute we saw it. Our wedding was beautiful with minimum decorations due to its natural beauty. I wouldn't have had my ceremony and reception anywhere else. The Club assigns you a contact person. Our first contact person wasn't great, but she left and then we had Aurora who was fabulous! She met with us for 2 hrs before the event to get all the details, and responded quickly to every question and concern. She really thought about what we would want. That being said, a bit of warning. There are a lot of rules and the place books quick! That's why the low points for flexibility. You cannot hang anything from walls or trees, are limited to what you can toss when you leave, cannot have a dove release, etc. Just read the rules carefully ahead of time and see if its a deal breaker.

Beautiful venue but pricey.

The Ribault Club is by far the most beautiful venue in all of North Florida. I feel so lucky that I was able to have my wedding here! That being said, the venue is not easy to deal with and have extremely strict rules and regulations about who/what/where/when/how things can be done. When you pay for the venue, you are paying solely for the venue, nothing, I repeat NOTHING else is included in this price except for tables and chairs. You will be responsible for providing every last detail from food down to tablecloths. You must also be sure that every vendor you work with is LICENSED AND INSURED. The Ribault Club will not allow any vendors to do work there otherwise. My husband and I made the mistake of assuming there are lights outside over the dance floor area because that is what is shown in literally EVERY picture on their website. We found out a month before the wedding that these lights are provided by Shaken Not Stirred bar-tending company; one of the venues "preferred vendors". There are virtually no other companies who provide these lights so we decided last minute to cancel our bartender and go with this company which in turn gave us a discount on the lights. Another big thing that shocked me was that you are REQUIRED to have a certified wedding planner! They will gladly offer their wedding planning services to you for an extra $700 some odd dollars on top of the $5k it costs just to use the venue. Luckily I had a friend who was certified but otherwise I would have ended up having to spend that extra money because they will not allow you to have your wedding there without a certified planner. Kind of a silly rule especially considering how much money they are already charging for just the venue. Like I said, I am so happy I had my wedding here because it was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL and I wouldn't change it for the world but I just want brides to be fully aware of what they are getting into before they get their hearts set on this place.

We got married at the ribault club in may. It is such a beautiful venue! The ceremony and reception we wonderful. The only downfall was the wedding planner and her lack of communication to the other venders. She was unorganized and ran the wedding on the original timeline, which started the wedding at a later time. My mother and I had given her and spoked with her about the new updated timeline many times. There were several things that she was supposed to do and did not. My recommendation would be to hire Lorna, since she is the head wedding planner there. DO NOT hire the other wedding planners that work under her. Taylor seems great as well, however she handles most of the final info and does not seem to plan as many events there so it might be harder to get her. Our wedding planner was also late to our rehearsal and someone was getting married there the day of our rehearsal.

I really liked this venue but the woman who runs it is not professional at all. Here's my story...

I went to look at the place and it was just what we wanted so we signed the contract that day and gave deposit. Skip to the day before our wedding and my now husband called the lady to get the keys for the venue (we rented it for 2 days so we could set up) and she tells him that no one has rented the venue, she doesn't know who we are, and she doesn't know if someone else has booked it for the next day. I freaked out. I don't know how she missed it when we were with her for quite sometime, signed papers, and saw her write it down in her planner. wtf.

Finally we get it sorted out and that she lost all our info. Thank the universe no one else booked that weekend. We get there and it is a mess. Tons of trash from a previous event, flower pedals everywhere (picked up by hand took my sister and I at least an hour), and it was kind of dirty. We cleaned up everything and it was fine.

We had asked the lady to turn off the sprinklers for the night because if the weather was nice were having everything outside. She said that they didn't come on until 4am and that "don't worry we will do that, just in case". Nope, they came on at 10:30 and everything and everyone got wet. Including my dress, I was so muddy they dry cleaner gave me looks. In a scramble to put away stuff so it would not be destroyed we put things in the venue. We came back the next morning (not excited about that) at 8am to get everything. The lady shows up showing the venue to some new people and told my husband that "she could have charged us for another day because we were not out". She didn't, but she was very nasty about it, we were cleaning her place before 9am and clearly nothing else was booked for that day because she didn't even have us on there.

Lastly, she was not prompt about getting our deposit back. We had to call her 3 times and it took more than a month to get it back. Lame.

I have loved the Ribault Club since I first laid eyes on pictures at this venue. There is so much beauty at the Ribault Club with the trees and the marsh and the pretty white house. And that's about where my favor ends for the club. I approached everything about my wedding with fun and positivity, and if someone was not nice, I didn't use them. Too bad I had already paid my deposit at Ribault Club. I first interacted with Lorna- and she was a bossy nightmare. I then worked with Chrissy and she wasn't bossy- she was basically absent and just walked around looking pretty. The park rangers were more helpful than the girls from the Ribault Club the day of the wedding. They really left a bad taste in my mouth. I ignored their snide comments and just enjoyed my day- but I cannot say I recommend the Ribault Club. I did originally pick the club because I liked the option to bring in all my vendors, but found there were issues with bringing in vendors not on their recommended list outside the DJ and caterer. And the club is expensive to rent. Just be mindful how much renting the space can really add up- even though they provide tables and chairs.

The Ribault club is a ripoff. They knew we wanted an entirely outdoor wedding and they purposely lied to us and told us there would not be Yellowjacket’s in our December wedding and that the venue would treat for them and that by December they would be gone. Come our wedding day they moved the entire wedding indoors without asking us and then refused to move the tables back outside because of the yellowjackets being so bad. They ruined my wedding and charged us over $6,000. They also got the table layout completely wrong after multiple times we gave them the correct table layout. I want my money back.

I would like to start off by saying that the Ribault is very beautiful and very private...perfect for a southern classic and elegant wedding...you can do it without decorating much as that is needed anyways because it is very expensive compared to other venues however you are allowed to get your own caterer. However I experienced many issues while planning my wedding there. I believe most of them had to do with Maggie being there and she is no longer there but everytime I had questions about their wedding planning services or got a tour from someone the next time I email or called they had left the company...that is a problem because you want to know who will be with you during the process so that you can click with them.

While I was trying to book the venue I had many family and medical issues going on and they had told me that they were holding my wedding date for me in order to send the deposit in...I told them that I would let them know when I was sending it so that they would know and could contact me if anything came up. I go on booking vendors and planning my wedding then the day I go to mail the deposit she tells me that she booked that wedding date after a few weeks without telling me and just assumed that I may have changed my mind...needless to say this was very close to my wedding and I had to change my entire list of wedding vendors. They were not apologetic at all and I had to change my wedding to a Sunday which forced most of my family who were out of town and had jobs to not come because of work and school.

She had told me that on the Sunday it would be a half rental and she would let me use the other room anyways for my 1 hour cocktail hour then after the deposit she said that was not possible and charged me for the full rental....it was a terrible experience and horrible staffing problems...almost no service at all and my wedding was in May 2011 however the property is nice and is private unless you don't want guests to have to drive so far out...it was also hard for vendors to find. I would suggest to highly consider the service issues the Ribault has it will make the process of planning your wedding very diffcult and unenjoyable but the house is beautiful. Also, you can not hang anything on the walls and it is hard to decorate if you have a vision to but it is easy for you to use a natural decor theme.

When we came outside it was like a scene from African Queen when bugs surrounded us and began to bite., We have big welts on our hands, face, neck and in our hair, all areas that were not covered. Someone passed around a can of bug spray but by that time it was too late. Need bug candles or pre spray.

The venue itself is gorgeous with great character. If you get married on a Saturday, the rental fee is double. The air conditioner in the dining room is inadequate to cool 60 people, let alone 100+! The only thing included in the rental is chair and table set up in the dining room, nothing else. You will be charged extra to have them place chairs under the wedding tree. The workers are just present to supervise and remind you everything must be brought to their dumpster even though they are present and a cleaning woman comes in at the end. However, having to dump to take trash to the dumpster in a tux or evening dress is ridiculous!!!! One worker Joshua did help me retrieve the linens from the shed on the property. I would think twice about having a wedding here if you are watching expenses due to a la carte vendors (on your own), insufficient cooling, and dragging and emptying your own trash into the dumpster while facility staff stand by.!!

I unfortunately was one of the few who had a wedding that was impacted by hurricane irma. However I have never seen such unprofessionalism in a venue before . Specifically the manager Chrissy is not the most pleasant and seemed to care less about my feelings . I was informed 24 hours before my wedding day that the venue would be closed and my wedding had to be canceled. Unfortunately I was informed via email in an unsympathetic manner. Not even a recommendation of what I could do in this type of emergency, or even suggestions for rescheduling . She just like that left us hanging with little to no notice . We weren't even reassured that we would be getting our money back. It was beyond unprofessional and I wouldn't recommend this venue to anyone. Luckily our wedding was moved to a far more beautiful location and we had an extraordinary wedding at the winterbourn inn. I couldn't be happier that the ribault club canceled on us, it was a blessing in disguise.

WARNING!!! Where do I begin? I had my heart set on The Ribault Club, because of the property's undeniable southern charm and breathtaking natural elegance- with so much potential, it's a shame that the staff completely spoils the appeal. The Rangers are the ONLY sweet people at The Ribault, and this review is in NO way directed at them. The other employees, however, namely Lorna & Taylor are a COMPLETE nightmare. From the beginning, the woman who appears to run the property, Lorna, was impossible to deal with and very two-faced, getting involved with our vendor contracts to try to make them do what she wanted, rather than us (for stupid things, like where the dance floor was to be put).. She was also supposed to have been our day of planner, but pawned us off last minute to an inexperienced, ignorant, rude little woman named Taylor, who was not only absolutely useless, but rude to my mother- telling her that she had "better get up and hurry up because you have to be out," when she was having a brief conversation with one of the vendors just after my husband and I had been sent off- while she, herself, sat around continuing to be useless. Not only was this extremely unprofessional, but it was inappropriate- especially coming from someone who we paid to do absolutely nothing (unless you count pointing and micro-managing my guests and family to help with set up-- the woman is a joke!!). Literally the only nice thing I have to say about the Ribault is that it's pretty, with a lot of history-- but so are a million others in the area, and the two women you have to work with there ruin the entire appeal.. Trust me, not worth it!!!!!

Beautiful location but the company the state has contracted with to manage it are crooks! They will scare you into making a deposit to 'hold the date' and later you will find out that your 1,00's of dollars are non-refundable. Senior people at the company are rude and do not honor commitments. AVOID A CONTRACT OR DEPOSIT UNTIL YOU HAVE ALL TERMS IN WRITING IN ADVANCE OF ANY DEPOSIT.