Los Willows Wedding Estate Reviews
Reviews
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
-
Featured
Taylor Sent on 11/21/2024Amazing wedding venue!!!
My husband and I got married at Los Willows a few months ago and we HIGHLY recommend it as a wedding venue!! We fell in love with the venue when we first toured it and could not get over how naturally beautiful the location was. Everyone who works there is also extremely communicative, friendly, and attentive!! Our coordinator (Samantha Trejo) was the BEST and was so on top of everything on the wedding day. I felt so confident in the entire Los willows team and the whole day was perfect! -
-
Scott Sent on 01/15/2025
Absolute Perfection!
We can't thank Jennifer Armenta enough for making our wedding day absolutely perfect! From the very first meeting to the last moment of our celebration, she went above and beyond to ensure every detail was flawlessly executed. Her organization and attention to detail made our big day stress-free, and she truly brought our vision to life. We were so impressed by her calm demeanor, her ability to anticipate our needs, and her seamless coordination with all vendors. She made sure everything at Los Willows ran smoothly, allowing us to fully enjoy every moment without worry. If you're looking for a wedding coordinator who is not only professional but also genuinely passionate about making your day magical, Jennifer is the one to choose! We couldn’t have asked for a better partner to help bring our dream wedding to life. Highly recommend!
Also we would be crazy not to give a HUGE shoutout to Lynn, who basically adopted us from the moment we set foot on the property for our first tour! We didn’t just fall in love with the property, we fell in love with Lynn who truly made this decision to book Los Willows an easy one! -
-
![Alaina]()
Alaina Sent on 10/18/2024A dream come true
Los Willows is the ONLY place you should consider. Samantha our planner ensured a night that was a DREAM COME TRUE. Los Willows took our picture perfect wedding and made it a reality. Thank you so much -
-
![Jaclyn]()
Jaclyn Sent on 05/15/2024A magical wedding experience at Los Willows
Los Willows is an absolutely stunning wedding venue! Our wedding day couldn't have been more perfect, thanks to the amazing scenery and the beautifully maintained grounds. It truly is a magical place. Our friends and family had nothing but positive comments, especially appreciating how family-friendly the venue is. We loved the convenience of having the ceremony, reception, and cocktail hour all close by, as well as the breathtaking view of the lake. I especially loved the onsite bridal salon and lounge for getting ready. It is the most perfect venue. Jennifer Armenta, our wedding planner and coordinator, provided an exceptional experience and was a joy to work with. She, along with the rest of the Los Willows staff, were true professionals and ensured our event went seamlessly. We are so thankful for their hard work and highly recommend having your wedding at Los Willows! -
-
Sarah Sent on 05/11/2022
Tamra is the best!
"This is the most beautiful wedding I've ever been to" I heard MULTIPLE times on my wedding day. The ceremony spot in the meadow is RIDICULOUSLY gorgeous. There's all different lights hanging from the trees, a water fall in the distance and a huge arch. Everything is so green and pretty. The reception area as well is indoor but one side is open so it's never too hot and stuffy. They have loads of decor and options to choose for to make your wedding perfect. Everyone I worked with was great, but mainly Tamra! She helped me through the process and i never felt like she was annoyed at me when I changed my mind 100 times! She was also my day of coordinator and she was so calming to have around. It's a nerve wracking day and she helped so much. You really are the best! -
-
![Maritess]()
Maritess Sent on 06/07/2021Gorgeous Day
We've been part of the Los Willows family since 2018. My husband and I initially booked at their sister site Paradise Falls; and our original date was set for April 11, 2020. We've had such a wonderful experience with everyone who had helped us.
The most amazing person was Lynne. She truly made us feel like family with every warm greeting. I'm so happy that she was the one that broke the news to us about Paradise Falls. She invited us to continue on with Los Willows. We trust Lynne entirely so we said yes to booking Los Willows without even checking it out. I'm glad we did because we loved our wedding at Los Willows!
Lynne is the reason why we still wanted to have our wedding. She's so kind and loving. She checked in on us and was there for us every step of the way. She wanted to ensure that our wedding was as stress-free as possible!
The big day was great! Los Willows has so many wedding items that are included or available for upgrades. They even provide a day of coordinator. I think that it would make the day even smoother to have the venue coordinator and your own personal coordinator. We had some extra features that didn't make it out on the big day, but no use in sweating the small details. Our favorite thing about the venue is that it's dog-friendly! Our pups were able to be at our wedding too.
The venue itself is gorgeous! There are also many activities to keep the guests engaged. One thing I cannot stress enough is to GET THE EXTRA HOUR. My husband and I wish we did because the night felt like it ended so soon, and we wanted it to last longer.
Thank you to everyone at Los Willows - especially Lynne! -
-
![Marley]()
Marley Sent on 05/30/2021Best day ever!
Let me start off by saying, the past year was emotionally daunting trying to plan a wedding with Covid in the back of our minds. HOWEVER, the team at Los Willows was beyond accommodating throughout the entire process. First off, Victoria is such a kind and sweet hearted woman who was very helpful and understanding. Erica understood what it was like to be a stressed out bride, and God bless her for dealing with me. My coordinator Tamra, holy smokes she is just absolutely wonderful. She too dealt with my emotions and knew EXACTLY what we wanted our night to look like. Now for the star of the the show, Lynne.... this woman was adamant on making our day 100% perfect and boy did she deliver. She made us feel taken care of throughout our whole planning process and made sure we would have our dream day. She and Tamra jumped through many many hoops to make our day something we will remember for the rest of our lives. Our day could not have been any more PERFECT! All of our wedding guests were so impressed by the beautiful venue and the professional exhibited by the Los Willows team.
Thank you Los Willows for for taking care of us and giving me my fairytale wedding!! -
![tayler]()
Tayler Sent on 05/02/2020Romantic and Magical!
Such a beautiful spot for a wedding! I'm the owner of Tayler Ashley Photography and I had the pleasure of shooting here. The staff is wonderful and the scenery is unmatched.
-
-
![Tyler]()
Tyler Sent on 03/24/2020Stunning Ceremony Site
If you're a bride looking to get married at Los Willows we 100% say go for it. As wedding photographers who have worked here we can honestly say the whole day is an absolute dream from start to finish. Not only does the venue have beautiful, well manicured grounds, but it's incredibly functional and convenient for everyone involved with your wedding.
One thing we always recommend to brides when looking for a wedding venue is to find something that is all inclusive, and Los Willows delivers. Los willows has not only a gorgeous bridal suite but also a separate cottage to give brides the option of arriving early to completely get ready at the venue. Their beautiful ceremony area features large shady trees for guests and a quiet brook to enjoy. Finally, the tented reception space is not only beautiful but also a great way to have an outdoor wedding with the assurance of an indoor space should there be any rain in the forecast. You and your guests (and vendors) will love all that this venue has to offer.
The staff, location, and grounds make this one of our favorite venues to photograph at and we can't wait to shoot here again!
Written and Photographed by Dan and Tyler Photography
www.danandtyler.com -
![Madeline]()
Madeline Sent on 11/27/2019Perry Wedding 9-21-19
The entire process was a breeze because of Low Willows' team. They did a great job setting up appointments and meetings and provided us with all the necessary information to help us feel comfortable diving into all the wedding planning. I appreciate that they offer complimentary decor items, a day of wedding planner, several planning meetings, and a food tasting.
First, I'd like to give a shout out to Alyssa O'nan for all her help and for answering my endless list of questions. She was so sweet, kind, and professional! She responded to emails and phone calls promptly and was just a pleasure to work with. Overall, I highly recommend her being a part of your wedding planning.
Second, I'd like to show appreciation to our day of wedding coordinator Amanda Eggers. From our first introductory meeting she helped us feel comfortable and offered her personal contact information to answer any and all questions and concerns at any time of day. On the day of our wedding Amanda ensured that me and my bridal team were all set up, my groom and his groomsmen were set up, the decorations were placed out, and that all deliveries arrived. She sent me pictures of picture collage frames to make sure I approved of her work - which wasn't needed since she is quite experienced and has great creative talent! Needless to say, you can trust her with carrying out your special day with professionalism and care. Thank you Amanda!
Third, I absolutely need to give a huge shout out to Los Willows' Chef Stass! We truly enjoyed all of the food at the wedding tasting and were so excited to have such an amazing chef preparing the food for our wedding! We got sooo many compliments about our wedding food! Thank you Chef Stass for your amazing work!
Overall, Los Willows gave us the wedding of our dreams! Definitely can't beat the beautiful scenery, amazing food, and organized and professional wedding planning team. Thank you again LW! -
-
![Prabhdeep]()
Prabhdeep Sent on 11/01/2019Fantastic!!!!
My husband and I got married at Los Willows in September 2019. Alyssa and Amanda really helped us feel stress free throughout the process. We first saw the venue in March 2019 and we fell in love with the open space. We were first introduced to Alyssa who helped us plan our big day. She helped us find vendors and helped us think about our budget, seating arrangements, linen colors, timeline of the day, grand exit, etc. Alyssa introduced us to Amanda, our day of coordinator, who was greatly helpful in ensuring our big day was perfect about a month before our wedding date. Amanda coordinated with our vendors such as florist, catering, cake, etc to ensure they were on time. She made sure our family members knew where they’re supposed to be & the time they’re supposed to be there. One of the example of their excellent service would be when the button on my husband’s tux came loose and Amanda sewed it for him. My husband and I were not the only ones who were happy with the venue and service, our family members also complimented and expressed how amazing the wedding went. A big thanks to the Los Willows team!! -
-
![Amber]()
Amber Sent on 11/15/2018Magical and Wonderful!
Our wedding was on October 5th and was absolutely amazing! I can't express how awesome and professional all the staff are. Julianne was our wedding planner and was so helpful. She helped us through the entire wedding planning process all the while making us feel special. Nancy was our coordinator and was just completely awesome. She was on top of everything on our big day to make sure it went smoothly. The venue is gorgeous and they are always updating the venue to keep it modern and up-to-date with trends. I would definitely recommend this venue to any couple that is looking for a beautiful venue to get married at. 😊❤️ -
![Ashley]()
Ashley Sent on 01/21/2018Looking forward to our wedding in 2019. :)) -
![Kris]()
Kris Sent on 01/11/2018Los Willows is the most beautiful, and romantic venue. We had guests sending us messages days after our wedding telling us how absolutely gorgeous our venue was. Everyone over at Los Willows will make you feel so calm and confident on your wedding day cause they will have it all under control. Thank you Julianne for everything you did to create the wedding of my dreams and thank you Nancy for being the best day of coordinator a girl could wish for. Love Love Love Los Willows. -
![Kathryn]()
Kathryn Sent on 12/11/2014I can't say enough good things about Los Willows. My husband and I exchanged vows on December 7th and it was the most AMAZING day of my life. Our coordinator Allyson saved me from myself all day. Of course on your wedding day you are stressed out about everything under the sun! "Where's my earrings?" "Who has my veil?" "Are my shoes here?" and without her, I might never of made it down the aisle, I would still be trying to find everything. She was so organized and every quetion or request I had was answered. Everything went so smoothly from the moment we booked them all the way through the last dance. During my planning I would call Los Willows any time for any reason and they were always there to answer my questions and calm down my bridal nerves. Liza was absolutely wonderful every time I talked to her! I told their assistant Julianne that if this place is around in 30+ years, my daughter will be getting married there. No place compares to Los Willows. All night I was hearing compliments of how beautiful this wedding was. The night went way to fast, but I have amazing memories here and will always have the pictures to look back on and reminisce. Thank you again Los Willows for making my wedding day the most amazing day I could have dreamed of. -
![Sophia]()
Sophia Sent on 11/14/2011I couldn't have asked for a better venue for my wedding. Everyone was sooo helpful, especially Kendra. She made everything so easy and go smoothly the day of the wedding. I would definately recommend Los Willows to anyone who wants a stress free beautiful wedding! -
![Melissa]()
Melissa Sent on 11/08/2011This is a beuatiful place to get married. I loved having a wedding planner that took the stress out of the day so I could sit back and enjoy every minute of it!
Kendra is amazing and can not thank her enough for everything leading up to and the day of our wedding. I will never forget such a beautiful day! :) -
![Morgan]()
Morgan Sent on 01/31/2011I couldn't be happier with our decision to go with Los Willows as our wedding venue. We had our wedding there a couple weeks ago and everything went flawlessly! The staff was amazing and they really do their best to make your day as perfect as can be! All of our guests keep calling us to tell us how amazing everything looked! -
![Ellie]()
Ellie Sent on 07/29/202506.20.2025
An absolute fairytale of a wedding. Everything we could’ve hoped for and more. The venue looked absolutely beautiful, the weather was perfect and all the staff went above and beyond to accommodate our needs. It was truly the perfect day and I wish I could do it over again and again and again! -
-
![Lea and Randy]()
Lea Sent on 03/20/2017Words cannot express how lucky we got to book our wedding reception at Los Willows! The team that helped create this fairytale wedding could not have done a better job… Julianne was so fun planning with and her love for her job shines through in every thing that she does! I don't even know where to begin with Allison… She read our minds on every single detail and showing up to the venue the day of our reception I truly felt I had gone to heaven – because it was an absolute dream! Every detail was right, she kept everything on task and if there were any issues I had no clue cause it all seemed to go absolutely perfect!! THANK YOU SO INCREDIBLY MUCH!!!! I think 'A-team' is understatement of the century! -
![Chelsea]()
Chelsea Sent on 05/27/2021Our dream wedding!
The Los willows venue is breathtaking and amidst all the pandemic craziness and plans changing, los willows was such a blessing for us! The venue is gorgeous and all of our family and friends were so impressed with how beautiful everything was from the ceremony to the reception! I loved how open and spacious it was for our guests and the roadster, boat cruise and privacy were common favorites amongst everyone!! We loved this venue and definitely would recommend it! :) -
-
![Daphne]()
Daphne Sent on 02/10/2020Amazing Experience
Los Willows provided a beautiful experience! Their venue provided the perfect feeling of understated elegance. I was married in the meadow that has a beautiful sunny view of lush greenery and trees, and so many of my guests gushed about how beautiful the setting was. In Los Willows you’ll find the perfect mix of a beautiful outdoor boho feel with refined elegance.
Los Willows staff and planners are also very organized and will lead you through the process of planning a wedding in a timely and clear manner. I did not use a wedding planner, so this was a big deal for me. They indulged my attention to detail and checked in with me frequently to make sure my planning proceeded nicely. As a result, I had very little stress, even in the last few months of planning.
Alyssa was my consultant, and she was amazing! She guided me through the process and kept me on track. Kendra was my day-of coordinator, and she and I had an immediate connection and understanding of my vision. My husband and I felt like we were in very good hands with her. She’s so professional and amazing at her job!
We enjoyed the catering as well. We had two dishes, tri tip and chicken picatta, a wonderful salad and roasted potatoes and veggies. My only note would be that I requested and was told the chicken would be thinly pounded, but it was not. However, the tri tip was very flavorful as well as the veggies, and salad. The drinks were great, and the vibe at the reception was amazing!
My only caution would be that this is not the venue for you if you're looking to party into the wee hours of the morning. Noise ordinances are in effect in this area of san diego county so I believe no loud music after 11pm or midnight. This was okay with us but may not be for others.
Overall, our experience was great from top to bottom and we have such fond memories of our wedding day and Los Willows played a large part in that! Highly recommended! -
![Jennifer]()
Jennifer Sent on 01/21/2019Beautiful Wedding Venue
My husband and I were looking for somewhere that looked enchanted and magical for our wedding, and Los Willows did the trick. The number one thing guests have been giving us complements on are how amazing the venue was. The trees, landscaping, and lighting everywhere were beautiful and helped to create the fall rustic romantic vibe we were going for. The staff there were super friendly and worked with us to accommodate our vendors and our requests. The reception area worked out wonderfully with the band and dance floor. The food was good, the drinks were good, and having those bride and groom suites to get ready in really helped. As great as photos are, you've got to see this place in person to feel just how wonderful it really it. Definitely recommend! -
-
![Erica]()
Erica Sent on 07/04/2011I absolutely loved this venue! From the moment, I pulled up to the space I knew it was where I was going to get married! I had the most amazing wedding and the most perfect day I could have ever imagined! The staff was great as well. Kendra was my personal wedding planner, but Liza the manager helped meet my needs whenever I had to come down to the office during a time when Kendra was unavailable. They were very flexible in that capacity. What I didn't like, however and please be aware of, were all of the hidden charges along the way. It became almost impossible to stay ahead of the budget and ensure that all of my guests would be fed what I wanted and get some cocktails because just as I thought I could afford to do one thing or another, it became clear to me that it was yet another additional charge. Your vendors are not provided meals, you must pay additional for them. Children under 5 are not covered they are half price, at $50/ plate. It is not worth it to get fondant on your cake at $14 per person an linens are per priced per person, not per table. Overall, I had a great experience with Los Willows, I just wished that I would have been better informed of charges from the beginning as opposed to when they came up. -
![Erin]()
Erin Sent on 01/10/2010First of all, this is the most beautiful piece of property that I have ever sent foot on. The grass is always green, the flowers always in bloom, and the lake always peaceful. Definitely an ideal place to get married (even at the end of December).
The staff, for the most part, is extremely friendly. Make sure that you are persistent when trying to get information, at times it took them a while to get back to me when I called with questions. When we did communicate however, everyone was extremely nice and helpful. Debra was wonderful to work with as was the coordinator the day of my wedding.
The food that is included was OUTSTANDING! Definitely the best food I've had at a wedding by far. The cake turned out lovely (exactly how I'd envisioned it) and tasted wonderful.
Even on our modest budget we still managed to have a beautiful wedding here without paying for all the upgrades. I would recommend this site to any bride who wishes to get married outdoors in the lovely Southern California sun, no matter what her budget. -
![Kim]()
Kim M. Sent on 10/13/2019Amazing venue!
Alyssa Onan was our wedding planner and she was amazing at helping us narrow down our choices. For an all inclusive venue, they offer great options. The twinkle lights are stunning and we got a fair amount of pictures we will cherish forever! Make sure to book Pro Sound DJ, who is their VIP DJ. Cregg brought the energy and was the best DJ I’ve ever experienced! The only thing I would recommend LW to consider, would be more flexible timelines. We were rushed to get everything in but overall we are so happy with our experience here! -
![Vanessa]()
Vanessa Sent on 04/29/2022Tread with Caution
This is going to be a long review, but if you are considering getting married at Los Willows I urge you to read it and be fully informed of their practices before risking the most special day of your life.
First I want to make a point that Los Willows is by no means an inexpensive wedding venue, and every little addition is an up-charge, but my husband and I fell in love with the location and atmosphere and we were assured upon booking that they provided everything we could possibly need for our wedding planning and would create a stress free experience given we were planning our wedding from across the country (we live in Ohio). And I would like to note that Liza was great during our touring and booking process.
Leading up to the event, we didn’t have any complaints until about a month before our wedding when I emailed with several questions regarding the catering and some decor options. We fought to get definitive answers, and ultimately had to intentionally delay paying our final balance to encourage some effort. Instead, we were met with emails lacking effort and more importantly, lacking answers to our questions. Finally, we overpaid our balance just to put the ball back in our court, or so we thought. This was knowing that the balance being requested was inaccurate. That was well beyond our obligation at that point, but we wanted to be 100% sure we were holding up our end of the agreement, even if we did not feel that was being reciprocated. This situation added so much stress on top of the typical wedding planning in the final weeks before our big day. The final bill was not agreed upon until the day before the wedding, after our rehearsal. The Banquet Event Order (BEO) was never fully correct even after numerous emails back and forth with our coordinator Jill, even up until the day before the wedding. Can you imagine details not settled the day before your wedding day?
On the day of our wedding, October 16th 2021, I arrived at 9am because we paid extra for the bridal salon. There was a sign for parking for vendors but aside from that there was no other direction from anyone. I didn’t see or hear from a Los Willows staff member until almost 2pm, and only after I walked down to the office/bridal suite myself. My mother arrived to the venue a little before 1:30pm, as I wanted her to be in the bridal salon with me getting ready. She was already running late, so when she got there, she asked a gentleman to cart her to the bridal salon, he told her he couldn’t and walked away. Shortly after she asked another gentlemen, who told her he would but had to get the keys and then disappeared, came back outside without keys and then disappeared again for about 20 minutes. During that time my mother went inside the office to ask if someone could please take her to where her daughter was getting ready and the lady told her she “could walk it and its not that far.” My mother is 74 and has back and heart issues, it was also 92 degrees that day. One of the main reasons we booked with Los Willows is we have several older guests and the ability of shuttling people was important to us. We very specifically asked about the golf carts being available for elderly as needed even before booking. The lady in the office kept insisting it wasn’t a problem for my mother to walk to the salon, and when my mother insisted she couldn't make it she was then told she didn’t need to go up there because the bride and bridesmaids would be coming down to the bridal suite shortly and was repeatedly unaccommodating and rude. Can you imagine your mother trying to get to you on your wedding day and being treated like this? She waited roughly 35 minutes in total in the hot sun before the gentlemen finally came back out and took her to the salon, and he didn’t even help her in or out of the cart. She told him on the spot that if she could give the venue 0 stars she would, and he laughed at her.
We also found out that our 92 year old great aunt was having difficulty finding someone to shuttle her anywhere. And when she finally did get transported, again no one helped her out. She was struggling to get out of the golf cart and two of our wedding guests had to come help her after they saw what was happening.
The stationary appetizer that I added to our package and paid extra for was set off in a corner and half our guests didn’t even know there was a charcuterie board. And the $1000+ spread was extremely lacking; it was not at all what we ordered or saw pictures of. One guest told me it looked like a $60 platter from Costco and couldn't have fed more than 20 people.
We were told by both planners during our process, Jennifer and Jill, that we would for sure have someone come bring us and the wedding party all of the appetizers and popcorn that we paid extra for. This never happened. We each had a couple pieces of spanakopita and shrimp on the boat cruise, but otherwise there was nothing else for us or the wedding party and family at the ceremony site during pictures. Let me also note that my husband's plastic champagne flute on the boat cruise was broken and missing a bottom, so he couldn't put it down and our pictures look ridiculous as a result. Eventually, as pictures were ending and it was only us left, a woman waiter did come with a tray of appetizers, but we were being rushed to prepare for the reception by that time. The venues response was originally that they were understaffed that night, but then they changed their tune and we were told that wasn’t actually true and that they did come and offer appetizers and that it was never promised we would get popcorn.
We had several guests say that the portions were very small on the dinners, and people were still hungry after the event was over. Specifically the vegetarian dish was lacking, and also several said they had barely any green beans on their plate, and small portions of beef. My mother thought the green beans were a garnish for the meat because it was such a small serving. Additionally, some guests mentioned they asked for extra dinner rolls and were told no because they were allowed one roll per person. We were outraged when we heard this. There were also some salad dishes at the table that were not eaten from guests who didn’t show and when guests asked if they could have the extra salad, they were also denied. For the prices we paid per person at this venue no one should've left hungry. Lastly, we were told that the servers would be wearing masks even though there wasn’t a mask mandate for the guests. It was also listed on their google page that the staff wore masks as our wedding was right after a COVID surge. None of the wait staff were wearing masks and several guests were made uncomfortable by this. The venues response was simply that the chef said he gave full portions and that the waiter was incorrect in not allowing extra rolls and food and they’ll “talk to them.” Also they said we didn’t “specifically” request the staff to wear masks so it was our fault they weren’t. As I mentioned, it was all over their website, it was peak COVID, they were serving food AND we were told they would all be wearing masks in our design meetings.
If you think you’re going to get to bring home any extra leftovers or food be assured you won’t with this venue. Every venue we looked at before booking said we’d get all the food we paid for but Los Willows claims its against the law to give leftovers.
Our cake and desserts were delivered in the office to stay in the air conditioning, which we had planned ahead of time since they were delivered at 3pm and it was a hot day, but when we came back from taking our twilight pictures, the cake and desserts still weren’t out. It was almost 8 o'clock at this time. The cake is supposed to be a focal point of a wedding. The dessert table was also supposed to be in the reception area where it was on the floor plan we submitted, but it was in the gazebo outside instead. Additionally, when the desserts and cake were finally put out, not all the desserts were put out, and they were NEVER replenished when they were empty. I looked at the table at one point and saw all the donuts, cake pops and macarons gone and thought, “wow those went quick.” But when we got home that night and opened the box of leftover desserts, we had a ton of cake pops, macarons and donuts in our leftover box. Also, we bought enough wrapped chocolate pretzels for each guest as favors, and we ended up with more than half of the box back when we got home. We were shocked and very disappointed that not only did our guests not have access to what we provided, but that the money we paid for these things was now being wasted. Los Willows claimed that they were not responsible for setting up or replenishing the dessert table and that we “way over bought” desserts and thats why we had so much leftover. We had so many guests say they never got to try any of the desserts so how exactly did we overbuy? And if you are coordinating a wedding how is it not your responsibility to handle the dessert table?
There were so many things that were not put out that we asked for or talked about during planning. Signs, wood crates, Shepard’s hooks and lanterns, reception decor and many other things contracted were never provided. Also some decor we brought was just plainly put in the wrong spot. My mother and I made special gold table runners for the bridal tables, and they were never put out. The easels that the welcome sign and seating chart were on were so short and on the floor, people had to bend over to see or read anything. The catalog says the easels were 5 feet tall. We also did not get the second color uplighting at the reception that was on our BEO either.
We understand we were slightly behind in our time getting ready the day of the wedding, but I was incredibly disappointed that while I was outside taking pictures, guests were being shuttled right passed me. Literally I had to move out of the way several times so the shuttle could drive through a foot in front of me, carrying a bus full of my guests. We don’t understand why the shuttles couldn’t have just been held down at the hill until I had moved or been done with pictures. I was seen by almost every guest before I ever made it down the aisle. If you're a bride, the allure of your grand moment of everyone seeing you for the first time as you walk down the aisle is so important. Even worse, when I was done with pictures, I wasn’t directed by anyone to get back to the bridal suite to make sure I didn’t see my groom. I had to have two of my bridesmaids go make sure he wasn’t outside. And then when everyone lined up to go to the ceremony, I saw him standing right in front of me through the doors of the bridal suite. We were adamant about not wanting a first look and we feel like these logistics could be so much more organized for the cost and claimed expertise of this venue. The venue also blamed us for putting the wrong time on our wedding invitations to explain why the guests saw me and were being shuttled by me. However, the time we put on the invitation was decided on with our Los Willows wedding planners.
My maid of honor spent time practicing my bustle with my seamstress specifically because I had a difficult train, and at the rehearsal she expressed this to our coordinator Jill when Jill had mentioned that she was going to take care of the bustling herself. My maid of honor intervened and said she would bustle, but Jill replied that she was welcome to “help” her when it came time. On the wedding day when it was time to bustle, it was a disaster. I told Jill to find my maid of honor but she proceeded to bustle me anyways. It took so long and we were already behind schedule that Jill insisted I just go out as I was, with an incomplete bustle because it “looked fine.” About 20-30 minutes later my train was dragging all over the place, people were stepping on it, and it was filthy with holes. It also did not photograph well since it wasn’t bustled as intended. At one point, our photographer was even trying to fix the bustle, which took another 20 minutes out of our night. A $4500 dress nearly destroyed. Los Willows claimed they have a policy not to have their staff bustle dresses and were “sorry” that Jill proceeded to intervene but it was only because she’s so diligent in her services. Also that my dress was dirty and destroyed because its the nature of an outside venue, and it was my fault to agreeing to go out with an incomplete bustle. They had an excuse for everything.
I was very specific with Jill at the rehearsal about when I wanted my procession song to start, and was assured the DJ would be cued accordingly. The song wasn’t supposed to start until I was AT the bridge, so that when I got to the doors (that we paid extra for so I had more of a grand entrance illusion) the full song would start and I’d have my moment and grand entrance. However, my song started while I was still at the bottom of the stairs. By the time I got to the doors, the song was almost halfway over, and I was rushing to get down the aisle. Los Willows told us that this should've been communicated and coordinated with the DJ and took no responsibility for ruining my grand entrance. The one moment I was dreaming about the whole wedding planning process. If its not the job of your wedding coordinator to coordinate your wedding then what is the purpose of one?! Also, if you’re going to pay extra for doors, insist at the rehearsal that they practice with them. When we got our wedding video back it was so embarrassing to see them fumbling with the doors and not even open them properly or fully to where my dad almost tripped walking through them.
I really wanted a grand exit with sparklers but the venue has a no sparkler policy, which I understand. But when I asked about cold sparklers they told me absolutely not. So we paid extra again for their pyrotechnic sparklers for our grand exit. Upon getting our pictures and video back, their staff was standing behind the sparklers and photobombing all the footage, pictures and video. I also saw on instagram a couple months after our weeding that a couple who got married at Los Willows used their own sparklers for their exit. When I reached out to the bride she said they were told they could use the cold sparklers. To say I was infuriated is an understatement. We chatted some about her issues with Los Willows as well, of which she had many similar complaints.
Sadly I could go on about even more that went wrong but for the sake of everyone I won’t continue with it all. But in summary, there's no denying Los Willows is a beautiful venue, but aside from that, BEWARE. If you book with them plan on having your own planner and coordinator to make sure things go as you dreamed. I would’ve never imagined spending upwards of $37000 for a wedding and having this kind of customer service from a wedding venue. My husband knew I had spent so much time planning our wedding and had such a vision for what I wanted, as any bride does, and he got to the venue early the day of his own wedding to help and make sure things were as they were supposed to be. He was told by our coordinator he wasn’t allowed to help at all and to enjoy his day. As a host it is incredibly disheartening hearing that your guests were treated badly and that they left hungry or dissatisfied, and as the guests of honor, we felt so much was taken away from our special day.
I would also like to mention, although there is a county noise ordinance for 10pm, do note that this means Los Willows is pushing you out of the venue by 9:30pm with all of your guests quite literally in the parking lot by 10pm. I feel like they could at least end the music and still allow you time with your guests to wind down but that is not the case.
We spent the first 3 months of our married life emailing back and forth with Los Willows trying to make sure this doesn’t happen to another couple and also trying to understand why it happened to us. The venue took responsibility for not providing the charcuterie board we paid for and for not giving us the Shepard's hooks and lanterns and refunded us the small amount of money for those items, but basically dismissed ALL our other claims and concerns with an “I’m sorry and thanks for letting us know” attitude. To be completely transparent we asked for an incredibly reasonable 5% discount from our overall bill and were brushed off with an email from their Director of Operations saying to essentially drop it and move on, and focus on our marriage. To be clear, no amount of money could have righted Los Willows’ wrongs, the damage to our special day was done and could never be repaired, but it would have at least demonstrated some accountability and class on their part. Our last communication with them we made it fully known that we would be leaving a detailed review, and here it is. -
Are you interested?
Are you interested?