Nestldown Reviews
Reviews
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![Allison]()
Allison Sent on 11/21/2025An Ethreal Venue Full of Magic
Nestldown is truly the most magical place. Not only is it physically beautiful with the scenery, but there is a real sense of magic in the air that makes you feel like you’re in a fairytale. My husband and I toured Nestldown shortly after getting engaged, and didn’t need to tour any other venue after because we knew it was the one. We booked a minimony due to wanting a very intimate ceremony of 20 guests and it was absolutely perfect. We were so lucky to have Diana as our SEM, and she is a rockstar!! Her communication was consistent and she was always friendly and responded to questions quickly. Nestldown knows how to run any event seamlessly, and Diana ensured our day was absolutely perfect and ran smoother than I could have dreamed of! My only concern with a minimony was that it might feel rushed due to a shorter rental timeframe, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. It was the perfect length to have a first look, a 30 minute ceremony, family photos, additional photos of just the bride and groom, and all the special moments such as toasts and a Father of the Bride dance! Our guests and I felt it was a smooth schedule with ample time to socialize and take candid photos in the reception area! No one felt rushed at all and just kept commenting on how beautiful the venue was and how amazing Diana was! Diana not only made sure our wedding day was perfect and ran smoothly, but she also made our families feel special and cared for! She helped our family members with accessibility issues get to all areas of the wedding events and went above and beyond to make sure they were comfortable. All of the staff at Nestldown were friendly and helpful during our event as well as any time we visited for the planning process. We seriously cannot say enough wonderful things about Nestldown, Diana, and the team. It was the most perfect day and we are so grateful for everyone who helped give us live out our fairytale moment! -
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![Jaclyn]()
Jaclyn Sent on 11/06/2024Wonderful experience, from beginning to end!
I first became aware of Nestldown in 2007 and visited it in 2016; I instantly was smitten. When my husband and I got engaged, it was at the top of my list for venues. We toured the property and booked our minimony there immediately afterward, without even looking anywhere else. It's hard for anything to live up to what you've built it up to be in your memory, especially after such a long period of time, and yet, somehow Nestldown ended up far exceeding my sky-high expectations.
First of all, Nestldown is absolutely breathtaking. There are so many whimsical and special touches everywhere you look. Our guests loved walking around the grounds and taking it all in. The ceremony site is gorgeous. But even more importantly, the owners and staff are what truly make Nestldown stand out for me. Every staff member we interacted with there was professional, responsive, and genuinely kind. Once we had booked, Barbara Beck, the owner, was assigned to be our Special Events Manager. She guided us through the planning process, and was consistently thorough, organized, and invested in making our wedding day visions come to life. She was phenomenal, and an absolute delight to work with. It is apparent she loves what she does, and that was seen in every interaction we had with her.
On our wedding day, Barbara was the calming force throughout, keeping us on schedule and everything running smoothly. She somehow managed to be seemingly everywhere all at once and all of our guests who interacted with her could not stop raving about how amazing and lovely she was. She and the rest of the staff made our experience there that much more special and magical. My husband and I were able to simply relax and enjoy the wedding, and never had to worry about a single detail that day.
I wholeheartedly recommend Nestldown! Our wedding day could not have been more perfect. -
![Liane]()
Liane Sent on 10/21/2024Wonderful venue!
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding venue. From the moment we visited, we were captivated by its stunning ambiance and beautiful scenery. The estate was absolutely magnificent offering spectacular views that resulted in amazing photos. The reception area was sophisticated, highlighted by a beautiful chandelier, setting the perfect tone for our celebration. Our wedding at Nestldown was nothing short of enchanting!
Barbara Beck, the owner, along with her daughters Diana Einfalt and Alexandra Beck, who is the founder and executive director of Nestldown Therapeutic Riding Center, were exceptionally kind and professional. The staff, particularly Ashley Yore went above and beyond to be helpful and accommodating, ensuring every detail was meticulously handled and working seamlessly with our wedding planner. Overall, the venue made our special day even more magical, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful place to celebrate their wedding. -
![Thomas]()
Thomas Sent on 08/07/2024A fairytale
Our wedding at Nestldown was nothing short of magical. Nestled in the heart of the redwoods, the venue provided a breathtaking backdrop that made our special day feel like a fairytale. The towering trees and serene environment created an atmosphere of peace and beauty that our guests are still talking about.
A huge part of our wonderful experience was due to the incredible staff, particularly Danielle and Diana. They went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfect. Danielle's attention to detail and calm demeanor made the planning process smooth and stress-free. She was always available to answer our questions and provided invaluable advice that truly enhanced our wedding day.
Both Danielle and Diana displayed exceptional professionalism and genuine care for our wedding, making us feel supported and confident throughout the entire journey. Their dedication and hard work did not go unnoticed, and we are incredibly grateful for their contributions.
Nestldown itself is a venue like no other, combining natural beauty with a touch of elegance. If you are looking for a place that offers stunning scenery and a dedicated team to help bring your vision to life, Nestldown is the perfect choice. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect venue or better people to work with. Thank you, Danielle, Diana, and the entire Nestldown team, for making our wedding day unforgettable. -
![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 05/06/2024Fairytale Come True!
Nestldown is truly a fairytale come to life. Not only is the property full of natural beauty and exquisite landscaping, but their team is truly top notch. We fell in love with Nestldown on our first tour and can't image getting married anywhere else. The sprawling property has so many areas available for you to use on your special day. From the redwood chapel, apple knoll, koi pond, and gorgeous barn - there is no shortage of stunning photo ops and beautiful settings to celebrate in. On top of the gorgeous venue, the entire Nestldown staff is truly exceptional and set the industry standard for event planning. We were lucky enough to work with Danielle for our wedding and she went above and beyond to ensure we had a perfect day! I am still in awe of this wonderful venue and highly recommend Nestldown to all couples! -
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![Brittany]()
Brittany Sent on 09/08/2022A Truly Magical Day!
We are forever grateful to you, Nestldown staff! My husband and I made our tour appointment over three years ago in March of 2019. This was our first venue we looked at and we were completely blown away with the beauty of Nestldown and how friendly and personable the staff was. Standing in the chapel as they played music, my husband and I could not see ourselves getting married anywhere else. After our tour and when we received the open dates, we immediately put a hold on a date for July 2020.
Our contract signing appointment was so memorable. We met with Barbara and Mark. The morning was filled with getting to know each other and making sure they understood what we envision for our special day. My husband and I felt so comfortable and excited.
Nestldown makes the planning process seamless! They provide you an extensive list of preferred vendors that they have worked with for many years. However, if you want to use a different vendor, you sure can! Just need to complete some paperwork and get the vendor approved. We went with all preferred vendors for our special day! Also, you are assigned a Special Events Manager (SEM) who will meet with you many times before your big day to sort out all the logistics. This is included... they contact all your vendors the month before to make sure everything is ready to go, they send them your timeline, they are the day of contact so you, the Bride and Groom, have nothing to worry about day of! Jo Ann was our angel of an SEM. She was attentive to our needs, she offered expert advice, and she showed that she truly cared about us as people, not just a client. Our day would not have been as perfect as it was without Jo Ann. Thank you, Jo Ann!!
Then COVID entered our planning process. Nestldown clearly communicated our options for moving our date as July 2020 was going to be affected. Yes, this was frustrating BUT this was completely out of Nestldowns control and our control. Nestldown was responsive to our situation and we made a plan everyone was comfortable with. We moved our date to July 2022.
After a long wait, we finally had our wedding! On the day of our wedding, we rented the Nestldown Guest House where I (bride) and my bridesmaids spent the night before and got ready the next morning. The home is gorgeous and the location made getting ready so easy and convenient. I was golf carted to meet my husband for our first look. It was so seamless!
Our day was magical! We had 140 guests and they were blown away with the beauty of Nestldown. There is something for everyone; sand castles, dragons, cottage, tree house, horses, fire pit for s'mores, koi pond, an active train, beautiful barn with an exquisite chandelier, etc. You feel as if you walked into a fairyland when you are Nestldown and can't believe you are still in the Bay Area.
We are beyond grateful to have had our wedding at Nestldown! My husband and I can't stop talking about our day. Our guest have told us many times "that was the best wedding I have ever been to!" It was a day we waited over two years for and completely worth the wait! -
Omeed Sent on 07/16/2022
The Best Wedding Venue!
The most magical day we ever had! Nestldown truly is a fairytale come true. My wife and I couldn't have been happier to spend the most important day of our life at such a breathtaking location.
From our first steps on the property during our tour at Nestldown, we knew that this venue was like no other. After seeing multiple wedding venues, we couldn't go back to any of them once we saw what Nestldown had to offer. From the professional and organized staff to the gorgeous and well maintained gardens, choosing Nestldown was a no-brainer.
Our SEC, Jo Ann, was an absolute delight to work with. She helped us with our wedding timeline, all the details about our vendor, what to prepare for leading up to our wedding, and answered all our questions. I'm not sure how she had time to organize and remember every detail about our wedding while helping others as well.
Our wedding itself was better than we could've imagined. Nestldown truly knows how to pamper and spoil the bride and groom. As soon as we entered, we were constantly being looked our for. We were handed appetizers when we were hungry, our cocktails when we took breaks, and everything was organized down to a T. We also had the luxury to work with the owner of Nestldown, Barbara. She was the perfect blend of sweet and professional. She somehow knew where every vendor was and what they were doing at all times!
My wife and I are still talking about how magical our wedding was. Our guests also can't stop bragging that they went to the best wedding ever. We wish we would experience this day again!
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![Ellen]()
Ellen Sent on 06/20/2022The perfect, stress free day!
There are tons of clichés about weddings: "whatever can go wrong, will" and "as the wedding couple, it's so hectic and stressful!" But we found the opposite to be true in our experience with Nestldown. Everything ran so smoothly! We didn't have to stress, we could just relax and enjoy the day. Every tiny detail was perfect. It was clear that they're experts!
If you've visited, you know that no words can capture how amazing the grounds are.
1. The guest house is a simply amazing place to get ready. Beautiful for pictures and spacious so that you don't feel cramped with your bridal party. The large windows, decks, and abundant sunlight add even more magic to your day!
2. The gardens feature a wide array of flora and fauna. Everything is kept beautifully manicured without feeling too rigid.
3. The ceremony area has amazing redwood trees as well as a lake with a fountain. Take your pick for your backdrop! The staircase down is a stunning entrance for the bride.
4. The Apple Knoll is a relatively new area, and they've really made it great. Probably my favorite area on the property.
5. The lawn is a great place for dinner in the warmer months, but the barn is also gorgeous.
I can't say enough about how much we loved having our wedding at Nestldown. The team there is so nice and makes you feel like family. It was perfect! -
![Tyler]()
Tyler Sent on 01/21/2022The most magical wedding venue in the SF Bay Area
Nestldown is one of the best wedding venues we’ve ever been to and made our wedding there an absolute DREAM.
The venue itself is, of course, incredible. There are flowers everywhere lining the paths around the beautiful property, with its gorgeous barn, apple knoll, and the gorgeous redwood-tree-lined ceremony space. There are two tranquil ponds, whimsical decorations including a fairy cottage and giant chess set, and a lovely small train that they operate during the cocktail hour for your guests to ride around in. They have everything you could think of (including golf carts for older guests and lawn games) on the property to make your dream wedding come true.
Their team prepares with you from over a year before your big day, and proactively checks in and plans with you throughout the year. Nestldown took agency and ownership of our day being special without us ever having to ask or push. They also provide a day-of coordinator that ensures everything runs well on the day with this unique property. And they take care of you - when our events manager left the company about a month before our wedding, the owner Barbara personally took over our event and made sure it went off without a hitch.
Nestldown is a truly special place for any event, but especially a wedding. You will never find a more beautiful ceremony space or property at any comparable price. You will be taken care of from the very start to your wedding day by a team of pros. And your day is set up with tons of special touches and thoughtfulness that show they really care about you having a wonderful experience. We cannot recommend Nestldown highly enough.
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2C4Aa340E06F49807E532B24F877Ba23314C43C6 Sent on 01/16/2021
Highly recommended!
Even before I started wedding planning, I knew that having my future wedding at Nestldown would be a dream come true. For years, I had seen pictures of the beautiful redwoods, flowers, ponds, and buildings, not realizing that this gorgeous venue was local. When I got engaged, I knew that the first venue I was going to want to tour was Nestldown! In hindsight, touring Nestldown before any other venue may have been a mistake, as I knew that no other venue could live up to it. The property even more beautiful in real life and I felt like I was transported into a fairytale forest.
It is clear that Nestldown really knows what they are doing when it comes to weddings. The entire planning process was extremely organized, with plenty of paperwork provided to outline every guideline. I'm not going to lie, the guidelines were pretty strict, but completely justified considering all of the efforts made to keep the property wedding-ready. Diana, the Events Director, sat down with my husband and me and patiently went through all of the paperwork and its legalese to ensure we understood everything. We were also given lists of their recommended vendors and Diana was able to provide us with personalized recommendations that suited our needs.
We were initially assigned Jaynie as our Special Events Manager (SEM) who would be our point person leading up to and on our big day. Jaynie was such a delight, but unfortunately we only got to meet her once before the pandemic hit and we had to change our wedding day plans.
With the uncertainty of planning a wedding during a pandemic, my husband and I ultimately decided to downsize our guest list and cut out our reception dinner altogether. Diana was wonderful, keeping us updated on how our wedding would be affected by the county guidelines as well as providing us with various options for keeping our original date or postponing. We opted to downsize to a "minimony", which is essentially just the ceremony and cocktail hour, but were still able to incorporate aspects from our original full length wedding.
Samantha, our new minimony SEM, and her team really went above and beyond to make our day special. We really wanted to make our grand entrance on the train, but when it was discovered that there would be no one available to drive the train, she arranged it so that someone got trained literally the day before our wedding to make it happen! On the day of the wedding, there was a motorcycle accident leading to the venue, with the resultant traffic making me arrive 45 minutes late. By the time I showed up, I was completely frantic and convinced we were going to have to cut things out of our schedule to get back on track. Samantha was totally on it, calming me down and worked her magic to adjust the timing of our schedule, making everything play out as originally intended. At the end of the night, after we returned to our hotel, we were pleasantly surprised to find that someone from the Nestldown team dropped off a ring box we had left at the venue. I can't even begin to express how grateful we were to Samantha and her team for making our day absolutely perfect. We can't thank her, Diana, and everyone at Nestldown enough! -
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Kelsey Sent on 07/19/2020
Incredible- dream come true
To say the least, getting married at Nestldown was a dream come true. My (now) husband and I instantly fell in love with this property. I had viewed 18+ properties and had very high standards. Nestldown met every single one of those and more. There are so many beautiful features to this property including the stunning redwood trees, lake, small train, horses, twinkle tree lights, and more! While we had our wedding reception, deer actually walked down and fed in the meadow next to guests-- it was out of a fairy tale.
My wedding day truly went off without a snag. My goal was for each guest to have a blast. I was told multiple times by various guests it was the best wedding they had ever too and the most stunning venue they had ever visited. I truly cannot say enough positive things about Nestldown and my wedding day-- I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful memory. In addition to the incredible day, the Beck family is also incredible! They truly care about each and every bride. They welcomed us into their home for the contract signing and we spent hours just chatting and bonding. I grew very close with the family over the 1.5 years of planning and never had a bad encounter. They are beyond generous, loving, warm, compassionate people. It is so rare to meet people like the Beck family. Diana Beck and I have continued to stay close since my wedding (2 years ago) and can truly say she is one of my closest friends.
You will be so so happy to get married here and make the most fabulous life long memories and friendships. -
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![Heather]()
Heather Sent on 06/28/2010I think Nestldown is one of the best venues I have ever been to for a wedding. Working with them was amazing and Brooke their event manager is the most organized and professional people in the business. The price is high so if you can get married during the middle of the week it will save you about half. We got married on a Thursday and it was prefect. We had 4 different spots on the site for our event and everywhere you look there is a beautiful view. If you can come up with the price tag and are looking in the area it will be the best wedding decision you ever made. -
![Tara]()
Tara Sent on 09/20/2022The most magical day of our lives!!
Our wedding day was pure magic because of Nestldown and the Nestldown staff! I honestly don’t think there is a more beautiful wedding venue out there. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous year round and are so well maintained. The ceremony space amongst the redwoods was exactly what my husband and I were looking for and it made for the most beautiful and special ceremony. We’ve been told by so many of our guests how it was the most unique and breathtaking wedding ceremonies they’ve ever been to. One of the things we loved the most about Nestldown is how vast the property is and how each part of our day had a unique vibe and feeling. We had our cocktail hour in Foxglove Meadow which was perfect for all of the activities we had for our guests (including a golf hole!). Dinner on the main lawn was absolutely gorgeous with the trees lit up by the pond and the surrounding gardens bloomed with beautiful flowers. The barn made the perfect setting for our dance party. Every part of the day was perfection and we feel so lucky to have gotten married there. Nestldown definitely has a lot of rules and policies that worried us at times during the planning process but when it came down to our actual wedding day it was all worth it.
Also, a huge shout out to our SEM Danielle! She was SO amazing to work with every step of the way. Always there for us to help with any questions or things that popped up. On the day-of she was extremely attentive and really made sure everything went super smoothly and according to plan. Thanks to her we were able to really relax and enjoy our day!
They offer every couple the chance to come back on their anniversary for a celebratory picnic and we can’t wait to come back! Its the most magical place ever! -
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![Krista]()
Krista Sent on 07/16/2020The day couldn't have been more perfect and I would, without hesitation, recommend other couples to trust their special, magic day with Nestldown.
My wife and I got married at Nestldown in 06/2019 and couldn't have had a better experience. The venue is unbeatable, which goes without saying. I am someone who appreciates essential contact (I am busy!), and Nestldown did an excellent job of matching us with a coordinator who did exactly that. I was not flooded with unnecessary emails, nor was I not wondering where the communication was at - it was perfect! If I had questions, they were answered in a very timely fashion (often within the hour). Nestldown works like a WELL OILED MACHINE and as a consumer, you need to trust that. We did and would do it all again the exact same way. They do have particular policies that you need to be aware of, but they are not at all detrimental to the day and if anything, they add magic to the day without you even noticing. They know their property, their staff, the flow of how you want your wedding. The "preferred vendors" list was also a game changer - we saved so much time, money, and energy by trusting our day, food, videography, photography, and many other services to this list. The day couldn't have been more perfect and I would, without hesitation, recommend other couples to trust their special, magic day with Nestldown. -
![Emma]()
Emma Sent on 04/21/2019The BEST Wedding Venue EVER!!!
I cannot stress enough how gorgeous this venue is. My, now, husband and I went hunting for the perfect venue a little over a year ago. We only viewed 5 places, Nestldown being the first. After our 5th location, I decided that Nestldown had to be the spot. Yes, Nestldown is not the cheapest venue, but we just had to make it happen and we were not disappointed at all.
The owners were very personable and friendly. They invited us into their home to sign the contract. They made us feel welcome - like family during our whole process.
We signed the contract and begun our planning adventure for the next year. We visited this venue a few times to meet with our coordinator, Marissa, and to get a feel for how we wanted to set everything up the day of our wedding. The flowers hadn't yet bloomed the days we visited prior to the wedding, but they were in full force on our special day! It was a pleasant and beautiful surprise on the day of our wedding to see how beautiful and majestic this place truly is. The weather was a wonderful 78 degrees, sunny, and warm. Marissa made sure everything ran smoothly the day of. The staff was superb. Seriously could not have been a better day for us. It was worth the money we spent - every single penny. (We celebrated 4/19/2019.)
Things to know:
1.) They provide a day of coordinator and coordinating team. "Day of" means she will organize and set everything up that the caterer and florist do not handle. She makes sure everything gets done pre-wedding and is there with you and your party making sure the day runs smoothly. There is no need to hire a wedding coordinator, at least, the day of. Also, the "day of" coordinator will meet with you a few times throughout the wedding planning process. They will create an intensive timeline so you know exactly what's going on from start to finish and everything in between. Literally!
2.) There are a ton of additions you can choose to have like the fireplace on, the piano available to play, the firepit on (we used this for s'mores table), lawn games (extra fee), the train on during cocktail hours for the guest to ride (included).
3.) I cannot stress this enough - you can pay for 2 hours of extra time. It is not cheap but it is WORTH THE MONEY!!! After taking pictures, schmoozing with the guests, taking more pictures, schmoozing more, eating, pictures, barely getting a drink at the bar, more pictures, first dance, walking around to see the whole set up of the venue - when open dancing comes around...there's no time left for yourselves to just let loose. This made a huge difference. If we did not add this extra time, we would have maybe 45-min to dance and just be ourselves without worrying about anything else.
4.) We chose all our vendors off the vendor list. Best idea since they have been to Nestldown several times and know the layout and how everything works. Makes things run so much better.
All in all, this was the best decision we made. Definitely considering celebrating our 1-year anniversary here. Thank you, everyone! -
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![Susanna]()
Susanna Sent on 05/18/2022STUNNING Venue; Watch Out For Extra Fees.
Venue:
After touring several venues in the Bay Area (including The Hastings House, Villa Montalvo, and Santa Lucia Preserve), we saw Nestldown and immediately loved it! Its stunning grounds, tinkling waterfalls, fantasy garden, and the variety of setting options for your event are breathtaking. I particularly appreciated that guests would not be bored while we did photos, there was so much to explore and see.
Nestldown has a motto of "gardens first", which means they are a garden first and a wedding venue second. There are a lot of rules for the vendors to follow to keep the grounds as stunning as they are (if you choose vendors off the recommended list, they will be well versed in those rules). Once you see the venue in person, you quickly appreciate the rules and respect how much they care about the gardens! :)
Pricing:
It's quite pricey.
We got married in April on a Saturday, and the base price was $20k. The price fluctuates by the day and the season. After additional add-ons, such as extra time to set up/tear down, extra golf carts to help people around the very large venue, games for the lawn, any extra headcount, etc., we expected the grand total to land close to $28k.
What to watch out for:
- Headcount. Our date had a minimum headcount of 125, with a max of 150 (with a $200 fee for each person between 126-150). Children 3 years and younger do not count towards the final headcount.
- Some hidden fees. There were some last-minute surprises.
Example 1: if you are renting furniture such as tables, chairs, or other furniture, each vendor is allotted *exactly* 1 truck. Each additional truck is an additional $500, just to let them park it. You might not know the number of trucks a vendor will have until the week of your wedding so this can easily be a last-minute surprise.
Example 2: If they require you to change your plans last minute due to rain you will get it with late fees. We were going to hold cocktail hour in Foxglove Meadow, and dinner on the Main Lawn. It rained a few days before the wedding, and because of "gardens first", they forced us to pick new spots on the venue the day before the wedding (their grounds master will confirm the ground is dry enough the day before your wedding; this is normal). It's absolutely fair to not want chairs digging holes into the grass, so we moved cocktail hour to the Koi Pond and dinner to the Tent. We weren't changing the date, bringing in additional people or furniture, no additional setup, we simply moved from one spot on the venue to another at their request. It didn't feel good to then get hit with unexpected late fees for the changes that had to occur at *their* request and requirements. Additionally, because we had to use the tent for dinner, they added additional fees for cleaning it, running torch warmers, etc. - all fees that were added last minute and we were not informed of ahead of time, due to the fact that they made us switch locations.
Value:
After extras and last-minute fees, our total for the venue came out to $33.5k. It felt like they knew we wouldn't back out the week of the wedding, so they could charge any additional fees they wanted. When challenged about this being bad business practice, they leaned on "fair and equal"; in other words, because they have always charged these last-minute fees, it'd be unfair to all previous couples to update their policy and stop charging these fees to future couples... you can decide how you feel about that business reasoning. Having run a business, it didn't feel right to me, especially given that their reasoning for "fair and equal" was that "every couple has complained about this, so changing it now wouldn't be right." Well, if every couple has complained, perhaps it's *due time* to change this policy!
The venue itself was absolutely magical! It was the most beautiful venue I've ever seen, and I'm so glad that in the end, everything worked out. Every guest told us it was the most beautiful wedding they'd ever been to, and I believe them! :) The staff were kind and extremely well trained. Everything ran smoothly, thanks in large part to our wedding planner (HIGHLY recommend working with Lisa from BloomingWed). While I could have done without the last-minute, very stressful, and pricey shenanigans, I wouldn't change the venue. The day was perfect!
Advice:
-Read the fine print. :)
-Use recommended vendors.
-Get a wedding planner (the Nestldown SEM is not a planner)!
-The extra venue time and golf carts are worth it.
-The extra train time is not worth it.
-Having the Nestldown Therapeutic Riding Center horses is worth it, and this is a charitable contribution!
-We didn't use the house for getting ready, it only holds 12 people (including vendors). Instead, we got two Parlor Suites at the nearby Toll House Hotel, which worked perfectly.
-Consider having a shuttle for your guests to/from the Toll House Hotel.
-Consider a rehearsal luncheon or after-party at Campo di Bocce in Los Gatos.
I hope this was helpful and informative, and congratulations on your upcoming event!
Photo credit: Stetten-Wilson Photography (https://stettenwilson.com/) -
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![Dane]()
Dane Sent on 07/16/2020COVID Wedding Disaster
I was supposed to be a groom in a wedding originally scheduled for August. Nestldown has really let my fiancée and I down and we are extremely disappointed by our experience Nestldown. We choose Nestldown because its beautiful property reflected our dreams and we hoped that it would become a reality for our wedding day. Unfortunately, that dream has been shattered by COVID 19 and our poor experience with Nestldown during this pandemic. It has been a painful experience.
Shelter-in-place restrictions began in March & soon after we reached out to Nestldown to ask about our options (See what the venue's safety guidelines, additional challenges & rescheduling options). After several emails we were contacted by the events program manager who directed us to wait until June 1st when she would share the options available to us. We were patient because we knew that there were couples before us who had to cancel due to the restrictions. Throughout our communications, we were under the impression that we would be able to reschedule our wedding for an equivalent weekend date sometime in 2021 depending on availability, but this was not at all the case.
My fiancée and I waited all day on June 1st, for an update from the events manager. Finally, in the evening, we received an email with some very unexpected options. Instead of Nestldown rescheduling our wedding for a comparable date, the options they provided were:
1) Keep our Date & Wait & See. Not only would keeping our date put our guests in danger (many of our guests are from out of town), but as of June the social gatherings limit for Santa Clara County was 25 people. Meaning we could only have 25 people including the photographer, etc., & we would have to uninvite some of our 150 guests. Please note that with the pandemic, we’ve been "on hold" since March unable & uncomfortable to continue with any additional plans & new deposits.
2) Reschedule our wedding for the contracted price for an available Mon, Tues or Wed.
3) Reschedule our wedding for one of Nestldown's available Thurs, Fri or Sat in 2021 & pay an additional 40% on top of what we originally agreed to in our contract. (To hold our new date, we would have to pay 100% of the original cost & we were not guaranteed the same time of year - in the original contract, there is an extra cost for weekends & an extra cost for "peak" season).
4) Cancel our Wedding & Lose our 50% Deposit. Meaning, that we have to cancel our wedding but Nestldown would keep our deposit.
All of these options were not acceptable or viable for us. We were shocked and disappointed. We had already invested so much into our day and we felt misled & were particularly upset when we found out that they had known these were the options since April. We felt betrayed & taken advantage of. We asked for a call with the owners to better understand the options and see if we would be able to work something out. They did take our call but they refused to deviate from their prior positions or return our deposit.
In a follow up email, we asked if it would be possible to get even a part of our deposit back & they refused again. All we want & have asked for is a reasonable amount of our deposit back so that we can have a wedding later when it is safe. We are truly crushed and disappointed at Nestldown’s poor partnership. We feel like they do not care about couples at all and only care about their bottom line.
To help future couples avoid this painful process & disappointment, I am sharing our story to help inform couples considering Nestldown for their venue. -
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Long Sent on 07/09/2020Beautiful garden, but too many snakes
Nestldown is such a beautiful venue. My fiancé and I fell in love with it when we visited. They were so courteous during the whole process. Although they are pricey, we signed to have our wedding with them for this year and have worked very hard to save for our big day.
Then COVID-19 occurred. California was sheltering in place and their communication to us was non-existent. When we inquired about rescheduling due to the pandemic in April, they told us that we had to wait until July to talk about it. Then we heard about other couples having trouble with Nestldown from a deleted thread on WeddingWire. When we asked Nestldown, they confirmed that they were giving couples the options of:
1. Keeping the wedding date during a pandemic that has killed 135,000 people in the US, with numbers climbing.
2. Cancel your wedding so they get to pocket the deposit.
3. Choose a Monday to Wednesday date for next year, without a charge. Even though they charged you extra for your weekend date and weekday weddings are tough for many reasons.
4. They charge 40% extra rescheduling fee for a Thursday to Sunday date because they want to make up for lost income due to the pandemic.
None of these options have the couples' best interests in mind. Nestldown is acting like they are the only people hurt by this pandemic. Other venues and vendors are struggling through this, losing out on possible income, and yet they are kind enough to reschedule with couples without any fees or just refund them. Nestldown is charging up to $10,000 to reschedule our weddings to 2021 or 2022. Couples are struggling through this. Some of us, having lost our jobs. But Nestldown thinks it is perfectly fine to take advantage of struggling couples by forcing them to choose between 4 bad options.
Nestldown has been replying to our negative reviews by using the narrative of them being a family owned business, which would go broke if they refunded couples or rescheduled weddings to the same day of the week in a safer year for free. How will they pay their staff and keep their business running if they truly cared for couples? Well, I was extremely disappointed, shocked, and angry when I found out that they received hundreds of thousands of dollars in a PPP loan to help during COVID-19 in May. While couples are struggling, many not able to afford another venue without the deposit or to pay Nestldown an additional 40%, Nestldown had hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep going. Please remember that Nestldown is not a 35-acre garden. It is actually 180-acre property owned by a family. How large is your family's property?
If you have been similarly mistreated by Nestldown, please email ndcovid@gmail.com to connect with other couples who are working together on next steps.
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Are you interested?