Splendor Mountain Reviews

This Vendor was amazing! We went to tour for a potential venue and she went out of her way to show us around showing the most hospitality! She was helpful and amazing. Even though we did not chose to host my wedding here my family will be back for a family event in the future!

Splendor Mountain is a beautiful venue with areas for outdoor and indoor reception. The property itself also has spectaluar views which make for the perfect outdoor setting for a wedding ceremony. Chevin and Steve are gracious hosts who add to the ease of planning your special event.

This property is absolutely beautiful! We chose Splendor Mountain not only because of the incredible mountain views, but also because of the option to rent the cabins on the property for the weekend of your wedding. We got married hours away from our homes, so being able to find a place that could accommodate both families was really important to us. It rained on our wedding day, and Chevin & Steve were so kind to open their home to us for us to get dressed, do first looks, & take a few pictures before the ceremony. We weren't able to have our ceremony in the garden due to the rain, so we moved it to the Shadow Rock Pavilion, which could not have been more perfect. I am still in shock at how beautiful our pictures came out. Chevin & Steve are wonderful hosts, and checked on us throughout our stay to make sure we had everything we needed. You will not regret booking Splendor Mountain for your wedding!!

My husband and I stumbled upon Splendor Mountain while searching for an affordable outside venue. During our first visit we both felt so at peace and delighted by both the beautiful land, and how genuine and kind Chevin was (and still is!) We ended up booking the cabins for friends and family to stay in, as well as having our rehearsal dinner by the water fall. Our wedding fell on the most gorgeous October day, where the leaves and mountain range made an incredible ceremony backdrop. Afterwards, our guests were able to warm up in the reception lodge and enjoy its historical features and wrap around porch! If you are looking for a venue that feels like a destination wedding and nature to help your soul connect with the Lord during such a moving time in your life- you have found it in Splendor Mountain!

Splendor Mountain is a great place to host your wedding. With their cabins on property, and multiple buildings for ceremony, rehearsal, and reception, it really is a great place to have your wedding or event! The rain changed some of our plans but because there were different options we were able to easily move the ceremony location. The owners were great communicators and made the process very easy! Thank you to the SM team. We loved the experience!

Chevin and Stephen were so personable and kind throughout the whole planning process. The venue was absolutely beautiful from the ceremony site, to the reception lodge, to the overnight cabins. We had such an amazing experience and we can't to go back and visit again, hopefully with our kids one day

This venue is absolutely breath taking. There’s so much class, yet such a feeling of home here. They have created such a beautiful place to celebrate any occasion. My reception here was perfect beyond words. I will recommend Splendor Mountain forever. Truly a beautiful spot.

I absolutely loved working with Chevin and Steve! They made our day a true fairytale wedding. The venue had everything we needed, and was very comfortable and beautifully entertaining from the lodge to the fire pit to the lake. My family had a blast throughout the whole weekend celebrating me and my new husband.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Chevin & Steve for helping our Rabun County Athletic Booster Club by donating the use of their lodge for an Exqusite 4 Course Dinner provided
By Culinary Artist Allen Blair that we auctioned off to raise money for our student athletes!!! The lodge setting was absolutely beautiful and just set the stage for a very elegant dining experience for a Party of 8 with plenty of room for more! Steve had a fire going in the fireplace & Chevin had candles lit on beautiful metal trees that were just a perfect tone for our table setting for fall. A room filled of hardwood floors, a giant rock fireplace, handcrafted wooden tables, a beautiful bar, floor to ceiling Windows looking out onto the rocking chair porch and sitting in the serenity of the North Ga. Mountains provided the perfect venue for a perfect evening! This is an awesome place for weddings, reunions, private dinners, Christmas Parties, retreats, etc... Chevin & Steve provide the upmost hospitality in welcoming you to their piece of pardise! Thank you both again so very much!!! I highly reccomend Splendor Mountain for any event venue! PS... And they have lodging available on site so once your there, you don't have to leave out again...and you won't want to!!!

Thank you Chevin and Steve for helping to make our special day so wonderful! When it was necessary to postpone our wedding from the original date due to unexpected illness, the challenge was much easier to deal with when we received so much support from the staff of Splendor Mountain. When our day finally arrived, Chevin and Steve they were still very supportive of us. Everything was set up just as we had requested, including the fire in the fireplace! Shadow Rock Pavilion was a perfect location for us!

The venue is very beautiful! Steve and Chevin offer great mountain views in a secluded environment. It is quiet and peaceful with great facilities.

There is not enough room here for me to fit all the compliments I have for Chevin and her venue, Splendor Mountain!! I was googling "mountains + cabins + wedding" and Splendor came up. I thought wow it's gorgeous and has just what we want - a destination wedding where the family can come up a few days before and make it a vacation. And - paying for the site plus having the entire place to ourselves from Wednesday till Sunday was less expensive than the cost of most outdoor venues in our home town area. As soon as I started emailing Chevin I felt like I made a friend. We drove up immediately to check the place out. Gorgeous outside ceremony site, amazing big reception cabin, 2 big cabins for family and a pavilion with a honeymoon suite where we could escape! We signed and gave a deposit right there. Knowing we lived far away, Chevin offered for us to come back and stay for free for our engagement pictures. We did come back a few months later for photos and enjoyed it so much we didn't want to go home. I ended up going up once more before the wedding and every time Chevin and her husband Steve were just wonderful and helpful. By the time the wedding came around they felt like old friends. The day of the wedding it rained so we had to change our plans and they were very accommodating. Chevin is an ordained minister and performed our ceremony for us. She even made a liquor run when our families drank more than we expected before dinner was even over! If you are looking for an outdoor venue with amazing mountain views and cabins, you have to check this place out. We LOVED IT.

It was the best day ever! The event was PERFECT and the hosts were delightful.

Chevin and Steve were wonderful hosts for our wedding. I was able to contact them anytime with questions and always received a response quickly with what I needed to know. The property and views are absolutely breath taking. This is the place to have your dream mountain/rustic wedding!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this Venue. Not only is it a perfect setting for a mountain wedding, the owner (Chevin Woodruff) is an absolute dream to work with. Thank you, Splendor Mountain for making my daughter's wedding dreams come true!

Several years ago I visited Splendor Mountain with a friend of mine who was helping cater a rehearsal dinner there. When it came time to plan my own wedding in 2011, I knew exactly where I wanted to have it. My fiance was living in Athens and I was living outside Gainesville. We knew we wanted a small-ish wedding and we knew we wanted to get married in the mountains. We toured several places in North Georgia, but it didn't take long for us to settle on Splendor Mountain.
It was a wonderful place to get married. Chevin (the owner) was wonderful to work with and the place is stunning. Two on-site lodges allowed our families to stay in one place and make a big breakfast for each other on Saturday morning. The ceremony spot was gorgeous and the dressing room set away from the lodge and cabins allows for a true "bridal party" the day of the ceremony. Not having to travel anywhere the night of the wedding was a nice touch too. The pavilion suite was a nice quiet place for us to retreat to after our reception and allowed us to regroup in the morning before we travelled.
The reception lodge was lovely as well. The wrap-around porch allowed guests to mingle away from the music if they wished, but, with the doors open, encouraged people to come in and out. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to fit a band, the food, tables, and a dance floor in the space, but it worked out perfectly.
Overall, Splendor Mountain is a great place for any couple wishing to make their wedding their own!

Beautiful location, wonderful cabins, amazing service! Our flowers and food were prepared perfectly. Such a wonderful location for a family event, wedding or just a get-away weekend. Kids loved the paddle boat, the maze, hiking, and roasting marshmellows. We also returned with 2 other families for a Thanksgiving weekend a year or two afterwards. I am wanting to come back right now just writing this! ;-) Chevin is a wonderful hostess!

Chevin and Stephen were exceptionally easy to work with as we were planning our very small, intimate wedding. Unlike other venue owners/managers, they understood that with a guest list of fewer than twenty people, we would not need everything they normally offered for weddings on their beautiful property. They took time to talk with us about our ideas and wishes and showed us the various facilities they had to offer- all well-appointed "classic rustic" buildings with beautiful views. Not only did Chevin and Stephen understand our wishes, but they envisioned those wishes with us (they added some great suggestions) and didn't push services and facilities we did not need. Since we lived about an hour and a half from Splendor Mountain and were unfamiliar with area vendors, they recommended local vendors for photography, flowers, cake, and even BBQ! They really seem to try to get to know the wedding couple and understand their needs. It may have been our similar stories of former childhood sweethearts finding each other years later that created a personal connection, but I really think they enjoy what they do and want all Splendor Mountain weddings to be personal and special. They made our small wedding look and feel special by suggesting the area of the property for the service (Mountain Song Overlook), providing an area for our guests to park and refresh themselves after driving 1.5-2.0 hours, and being on hand to ensure that things were running smoothly. Additionally, we stayed at Ruby Lodge the evening before and after the wedding. It was a great setting for our families to enjoy a meal together before leaving us alone for some well deserved quiet time!

Chevin and Steve worked hard to make sure that my husband and I had a wonderful wedding weekend! They were flexible in letting us "DIY" to our heart's content, and when issues arouse they worked hard to make sure issues were resolved. We especially found Chevin to be warm and helpful!

The venue was stunning. everything is customizable, so if you want a cookie cutter wedding, this is not the venue for you. However, if you’re willing to put in the work, the venue is a BEAUTIFUL secluded location. We booked the entire property for the wedding weekend, and everyone who stayed at the cabins on location thought they were very charming and they had a good time. Also, please keep in mind that this venue is on the smaller side. We were told 75 guests was the perfect number, but we utilized the outer deck of the reception hall. It worked out perfect for us since we had such good weather, but it’s something to keep in mind for larger venues.

Venue itself is beautiful. Unfortunately, vendor is emotionally unstable and unreliable. There were actually times when we felt that our safety was at risk due to the explosive outbursts and confrontations from Chevin and her son. She harassed our guests and would not respond to most texts, calls, and emails she received from the wedding planners during the rehearsal, wedding, and reception.

We rented the entire Venue for the weekend and also rented the Ruby and Sapphire cabins for 3 nights. Chevin really has ruined the memory of our wedding in a lot of ways, and the reason I’m leaving this review is so that it will not happen to any more couples moving forward. I am not hoping to have any financial gains from this review, and most of the information delineated below is undoubtedly shocking and perhaps even hard to believe, but I assure you this is the truth of our experience.

When we arrived to the cabins, they were dirty and had huge roaches crawling throughout both cabins. There were soiled towels on the floor at the bottom level, there were cobwebs everywhere, and the place was covered with dust. The outdoor back porch areas of the cabins were so bug-infested that we couldn’t use the outdoor area at night. Outside, there were swarms, well over 100 bugs flying around. I told Chevin about the bugs, and she did nothing about it. When this was mentioned the day after our wedding during the face to face argument with her and her son (when she confronted us to demand more unsolicited money outside of Airbnb), she acknowledged that she received our messages and stated they did not spray for bugs because she was all-natural…. But there ARE all-natural bug sprays, and even UV zappers.

The kitchen that the caterers used did not have gas, so they had to cook all of our food (for 80 guests) on a tiny little grill that they just happened to bring for the weekend as a backup. They reached out to Chevin about the gas, and never heard back from her. She did not appear at all during the rehearsal dinner to make sure we had what we needed, and she did not appear when they were setting up for the wedding the day of the event to make sure that they had what they needed. The event planner messaged her and emailed her multiple times throughout the rehearsal dinner and the actual wedding to ask her things such as why there was no gas. She did not respond and she didn’t show up at all to the wedding until the very end, and at that time she approached our event planner to fuss at him for turning on the air conditioner. She even said to him, “who am I charging for using the air conditioner, you or the newlyweds?” Thankfully, he was able to reach her in the very beginning when he had to actually ask her to cut her 18-inch-high grass that we as well as the wedding party and guests were going to walk through.

Multiple guests were approached by her throughout the weekend, when leaving and going to the cabins. She even had the audacity to tell one of our guests that he wasn’t behaving like a married man because he was driving 20 miles an hour down the road to the venue and said “what would your wife think if she saw you behaving like this?” While he was actually on the phone with his wife.

The wedding planners had to really press her to cut the grass, which was knee-high, in the area where we were going to have our wedding. Thankfully they did cut the grass, but wouldn’t respond about the gas stove or air conditioner, or the bugs.

She actually entered the cabins after the wedding (which would hold 12 guests per cabin) at like 1am, accused our Wedding party and family (that’s all who was there) of smoking in the cabins (which they were not), and said “weddings over its bedtime”. I assure you, we spoke with the entire wedding party — there was no smoking (who even smokes these days, right?) inside or outside foe that matter. The only people who were there were our guests listed on the Airbnb reservation. They were planning on actually staying and leaving in the morning. There was one wedding guest who missed the bus to his cabin, and one of my best friends and her husband (also staying the night) said they would drop him off on their way out…when Chevin actually brought him to the cabins when he was trying to walk back to his cabin.

She told several of our wedding party and family members that she was “coming back in 20 minutes” and they “better either be gone or going to bed”. She even entered the cabins without being invited, which is 100% illegal for the landlord to do that. She went upstairs and downstairs in the sapphire cabin.

I assure you, this was not a party. These two cabins were listed to accommodate a total of 24 guests. Everyone who was there was listed on the reservation…. Except the one guest who was brought by Chevin after he missed the bus. This was not a party, there wasn’t loud music blaring. The cabins don’t even have the capability to play loud music— the guests were playing music from a Bluetooth speaker. There wasn’t even any dancing - - it was family and friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while who were spending some time together and catching up.

Some of the guests actually did leave… even though they’d planned on staying… they actually packed their things (after having been in the cabins for a few days) in the middle of the night and left without plans of where to go.

The next morning when my husband and I woke up (we were in the honeymoon suite the night after the wedding), we went down to the cabins. Everyone was gone except my husband’s two best friends, and Chevin and her son had both of them cornered and was yelling at them. I’ve were flabbergasted, absolutely mortified.

She approached one side of our car and her son approached the other side so that we were actually locked in. They both said “pull out your checkbooks, we need $800” — who even writes checks these days? She said bc of a breech in the contract, however we didn’t breach the contract. There wasn’t any party, the people there were listed on the initial reservation (except the one guy who she brought and was only briefly there). Furthermore, if they felt we should pay them stuff, then it should have been requested on Airbnb. Her and her son were both yelling at us, and her son said some threatening things to my husband and I. We truly felt our safety was in jeopardy, and we were actually supposed to stay two more days in the honeymoon suite, and we actually left right then without even walking through to make sure we didn’t leave anything. We didn’t have a mini-honeymoon because of Chevin and her son.

We left in such a hurry after this absolute threat to our safety, we actually left our alcohol inside the venue —over $1000 worth. Apparently when our caterers went back after the wedding to do the venue walk through and make sure they didn’t leave anything, the doors were locked. I have over a dozen witnesses to attest that the cases of alcohol were visualized in the coat room for the main entrance to the wedding where the caterers placed it. The wedding party who helped pack up our wedding also attest that it was in this room. I did call the county sheriff to try to report this. In order to report them, I would have had to drive up to the venue which is two hours away to fill out a report. I would have driven up there if a deputy could have went back to the venue with us, but they wouldn’t be able to until Tuesday or the following week (or something like that) and I would have to go up there during business hours. Surely, the alcohol wouldn’t have still been there by then.

Maybe it’s for the best that we didn’t get our booze back, honestly. If we had gotten it back, I probably wouldn’t have left this review! We reported them to Airbnb, and after their investigation, they refunded us for one of the cabins. That did cover our alcohol losses, at least. We’ll never forget this experience, and how Chevin and her son nearly ruined our wedding.

Thankfully, our caterers and event planner were able to conquer these setbacks, and ultimately we still got married, and that’s what’s most important! DO NOT book with Chevin Woodruff or her husband Steven Woodruff. Our interactions were limited with her husband Steven, but I don’t really have any complaints about him. Chevin and her son should not be permitted to hold weddings at their venue.