The Secret Garden at Rancho Santa Fe

The Secret Garden is a true gem in the wedding industry! My husband and I recently were married there, in June 2022. Choosing the Secret Garden was one of the easiest wedding planning decisions we made. Julie assisted us from the first day up until a week before. She is exceptional! Julie is so kind, responsive, helpful... it was a gift having her as a line of support. In every way, the staff at the Secret Garden worked with my husband and I to give us the day of our dreams. The venue site offered everything we needed. It is a charming wedding location! Aside from the beautiful location, the all inclusive package made our choice an easy one. We had so much less stress because of this, and we were able to seamlessly plan our day, even living out of state. I cannot recommend the Secret Garden and its friendly staff enough!

When my husband and I were in search for venues, there was something in me that just knew The Secret Garden was the one. I made 4 appointments, with the Secret Garden being the first... after touring the venue and meeting with Christian, we cancelled all of the other appointments. Every person we met with and worked with through the entire planning process just provided more and more comfort.

We booked this venue Pre-Pandemic and were part of the sad group of post-poners. I already had so much appreciation for the owners of the Secret Garden, but the way they handled my wedding, and all of the other postponements is unmatched. Many of my friends who were in the same situation as me weren't as lucky as me and my husband, and I truly believe that this is because Julie and Christian care about their couples, and they've created a team of staff who also exude that same level of care. If I had a question, there was always a answer. When the stress and anxiety started to creep in with the pandemic, and ultimately as the day finally neared, there was endless amount of peace and comfort provided.

For the more logistical stuff; the Secret Garden offers convenience that can't be beat, they have an array of stock and decorations that made my whimsical vision come to life, the florist Geri is NEXT level, the team of coordinators is quick and responsive, the catering company that works with them is phenomenal, our DJ Pure Energy was amazing and really took the time to understand and create the vibe that we wanted, and I can't event verbalize how absolutely incredible the photography team was. ALL OF THESE COME ALONG WITH THE VENUE... it's a steal!

Additionally, the venue itself is beautiful! The garden is serene with many photo spots, the indoor ballroom area is huge with high ceilings, beautiful chandeliers, and drapery. The bridal suite is perfect, my bridesmaids loved it!

I cannot post this without highlighting 3 more people that we got to work with at the venue because I honestly miss them! Christina was our day of coordinator, so we worked with her through our rehearsal and the day of our wedding. She is the kindest soul, and really took all of my stress away. Mike was our second shooter (which I highly suggest adding on if you're having a big wedding), my husband is not comfortable in front of a camera at all... in fact he hates it, but Mike really eased him in and helped guide him! Last but not least, our main photographer was Kristina; who is a literal angel. Once I had the photography meeting with her and we combed through the details... I felt like I could breathe, she made me see that everything was going to be great and work out just fine. To top it off, I received a sneak peak of my photos... what a talent!!!

If you've made it this far, as you can see by all of the reviews, this is where you should be. Don't hesitate!!!

We must of looked at almost 10 venues before we found this one and we are so glad we picked it! We knew this venue was the "one" when we first spoke with Julie. She was so down to earth and provided us options that could work with our budget. Talking to Julie was like talking to a friend. She was so easy to work with and so sweet and kind. Her husband Christian was also very nice and it seemed like they really wanted to get to know us as a couple. It definitely felt like we were in great hands and we really were. From start to finish- the wedding planning process was so easy. Daniel was our wedding coordinator and we absolutely loved him! He definitely made our wedding dreams come true. We-well mostly me :P wanted a garden venue/wedding and it was absolutely beautiful and perfect. This venue was all inclusive with floral, DJ, photography, catering, beautiful cross back chairs, and choices of different colored napkins and set ups all included. This was seriously an amazing deal. The price was very reasonable. Of all the venues we looked at, The Secret Garden was a steal! It made wedding planning that much less stressful because everything was all in one place. Everyone we worked with was absolutely amazing. They were all so nice and really worked with us to give us the best wedding! The beautiful floral hoop was definitely a photography hit for our guests! The eco catering company was also amazing! We loved working with Christine. The food was delicious! Definitely received compliments from the guests. Thank you so much to our epic photography team- Mike & Alex, Leah- our florist, our epic wedding coordinators- Mary, Daniel, Julie, Jazmin, and Christian for working so hard to making our wedding visions come to life. We really appreciate everything you did for us! :) I highly recommend future brides to book them! You won't be disappointed- especially if you want the perfect wedding.