Wind and Sea Reviews
Reviews
4.7 out of 5 rating
4.7 out of 5 rating
21 Reviews
95% recommend it
Awards
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Featured
![Jamie]()
Jamie J. Sent on 01/30/2019Hands down the absolute best private estate wedding venue in Big Sur!
I am a wedding planner and caterer based in Big Sur. I have been doing weddings at this property since 2008. I have done over 100 weddings here and this property is truly the best! It is easy for people to plan, it is unbelievably gorgeous, intimate and special. I cannot recommend any place more.Wind and Sea's reply:
Thank you so much for your beautiful review, Jamie!! And for being our All-Star vendor. Look forward to working with you more in the future. -
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![Nikki G]()
Nikki Sent on 06/26/2023Magical, outdoor, intimate, unique wedding experience
If you like nature, Big Sur, intimate weddings, stunning views, and something special and unique… this is your venue!!!
I toured all the Big Sur venues and nothing compared. Even Ventana, which is gorgeous, but not nearly as unique and beautiful. It’s simply stunning. If feels like you’re stepping into another world. We loved it, and our guests said things like’ “my jaw dropped when I stepped off the shuttle” and “awe-inspiring venue” and “WOW!!!!”
Specific things I loved:
- The house itself is gorgeous - it feels like you’re in someone’s well-decorated expensive private home
- im a princess with linens. The sheets are great!!!
- they built a wall to ceiling for master bedroom - so now it’s private!! Was thrilled they did that
- Many different settings for each part - several ceremony site options, cocktail hour options, etc
- You can hear the ocean waves crashing and the sea lions barking. So many sweet nature smells and sounds
- Super private. Nearest neighbors are maybe 1/4 mile away
- Staff is awesome!! Super helpful and responsive. Also very chill and laid back personalities - they didn’t stress us out, as some vendors did. Particularly grateful for Chris (manager) who responded to questions within an hour, and Ken (property manager) who helped out a lot.
That said, it is logistically challenging, like the required shuttle, but with careful planning you’ll be fine.
Tips:
- Get more than enough shuttles. Depart every 30 minutes. Print shuttle schedules and display them everywhere. Have DJ announce times. Be very clear in your guest comms (“if you miss the shuttle, you’ll miss the ceremony, so please don’t be late”). Well worth every penny.
- You’ll need a shuttle lost and found. Tell guests the name of your shuttle company before, so they can handle themselves (we were inundated with texts the next morning…)
- I was worried we’d feel too crowded for a larger wedding (for Wind & Sea; smaller by industry standards). But it was totally fine!
- Warn guests about lack of cell service. It was actually a blessing - everyone was way more present.
- Early checkout (10am) was understandable, but very tough after a wedding, especially if people keep hanging out inside drinking after the caterers leave. Cleaning up and packing after a big day was a beast the next morning. Still worth it ;)
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Amy S. Sent on 02/26/2023
Stunning Venue!
Before we even got engaged, I knew that Wind & Sea was our venue. Pictures don't do this place justice, it is even more beautiful in person! Chris was very responsive throughout the whole process and the caretakers on site were amazing in setting up, moving heaters during our reception, and taking things down the next day. Our guests were blown away by the picturesque views and were able to get some great sunset photos with the Big Sur cliffs as the backdrop. Our day was truly made more special by having our reception here and being able to enjoy it with our family and friends. Highly recommend! -
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![Maggie]()
Maggie N. Sent on 07/22/2022A magical elopement venue!
My husband and I just got married at Wind & Sea for a 12 person elopement ceremony and it was everything and more than what we had dreamed of. The grounds are gorgeous and large enough for a full family to stay at. The hosts were also very accommodating of our small dog who was in the wedding. It really is a hidden gem and perfect for the couple that wants an intimate Big Sur wedding on the cliffs. Thank you Wind & Sea for our dream wedding! -
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Denise C. Sent on 05/13/2022
Wind and Sea Estate
This venue is incredible. Everyone at our wedding said it was the most beautiful wedding they have attended. Great service, responsive, help arrange with their preferred vendors. -
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Cynthia W. Sent on 06/06/2021
Best venue for small intimate wedding
This was the perfect venue for my small, family-only wedding. It was secluded but almost everyone stayed at the house (it sleeps 12, with 3 king beds, 1 full/twin bunk bed, several sofas, and 2 air mattresses)
The onsite caretaker was awesome and helped set up the tables and the chairs for the reception dinner and ceremony.
The ocean side setting was so beautiful and the grounds of the venue was full of vibrant plants and flowers during our May wedding. -
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![Chelsey]()
Chelsey H. Sent on 05/09/2021A Dream Venue!!
My husband and I were married at Wind and Sea on 4.24.21 and it was nothing short of perfect for our intimate wedding of 40! We were originally a Covid wedding couple that had plans to marry October 2020 elsewhere, but due to the pandemic decided to postpone until it was safe again for a smaller group in 2021. We had always wanted to get married in Big Sur as we are from the area and shared a lot of memories together, however due to our original guest size we wouldn’t have afforded it. Thankfully with having to reduce our numbers, we had the opportunity to choose this incredible venue as our wedding destination. We were so happy with every ounce of help from Nataly and Chris while planning. Nataly responded to all of my questions in a timely manner and Chris was exceptional with laying out all the details we needed for our wedding day. He even helped set up the day of and made everything go so smoothly for us! We highly recommend Wind and Sea to anyone considering a Big Sur wedding. The grounds, house, and view are a dream and our guests couldn’t stop raving about the beauty of it all. Thank you Nataly and Chris! -
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![Brittany]()
Brittany Sent on 01/27/2019So excited for our big day!
Amazing help from Nataly! She got everything answered in an appropriate time and helped in anyway she could! Looking forward to our Big day Here! -
Mo Conlin Sent on 07/05/2022
A stunning hidden gem in Big Sur
We had our wedding at Wind & Sea Estate and the experience was absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend this venue to anyone looking for a stunning, romantic, intimate setting for their event or wedding.
After visiting the venue in February, we knew how special and unique it was and decided to host our 25-person wedding at Wind & Sea in May. We live in Los Angeles and only saw the venue once before returning for our event. In the months between, the staff was so helpful in answering all of our questions, sharing recommendations and guidance, and making us feel at ease and well taken care of. Michael, the onsite manager, was incredible. He took care of all of our logistical needs and helped us and our vendors navigate day-of setup and day-after breakdown.
The property is absolutely breathtaking and the venue amenities will ensure you have the wedding of your dreams. We exchanged vows on the cliff overlooking the Big Sur coast with the sounds of seals barking behind us and during dinner a whale breached in the water behind us. Every single one of our guests remarked that it was the most stunning venue they'd been to and couldn't believe it was there. It is a truly magical place that marries the stunning beauty and nature of Big Sur and offers first class event venue accommodations. While there are a couple of 5-star wedding venues in the Big Sur area, no venue affords you the flexibility to make it your own like Wind & Sea does. This is a hidden gem that won't stay hidden for long.
A few helpful tips:
-We stayed at the venue with our immediate family and shuttled the rest of our guests from Carmel, which worked out perfectly. ---The venue is of course remote and there are many stairs throughout the property, which is useful to keep in mind when it comes to accommodating guests and selecting vendors to work with.
-Wind & Sea's preferred vendors are both excellent service providers and experienced with the venue, which was a huge help (we worked with Chef Hyson for catering and Vanessa Share for bartending).
-The addition of the outdoor dance floor (which was erected this spring, and isn't featured in many photos yet) is a huge value add. -
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![Emily]()
Emily R. Sent on 01/26/2021Stunning Private Elopement
We hired Wind and Sea when our elopement plans were tossed in the air due to COVID. Along the way, they were so responsive and helpful in scheduling our event. I never felt unheard or felt as if I had unanswered questions.
The property itself is STUNNING. We had everything we needed. We were able to have our family stay on site, and our officiant/family friend was in the cottage studio, which gave him piece of mind being separate from our household. Everything was up to date and you could tell they went the extra mile to make it look magical. Waking up felt like a dream and I wouldn't change our wedding day for anything!
I cannot speak to how it would be with shuttles/larger groups, but for our tiny elopement, it was perfect to be able to have the ceremony and then turn around and have dinner and drinks into the night. The FIREPIT TOO. It was perfect. -
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Alissandria Sent on 01/12/2019
A Wedding to Remember
The views of Wind and Sea make it worth paying for a bus to drive 70 of your closest friends and family down from Carmel, constantly reminding friends/family that they can’t bring their own cars, and the motion-sickness that took out my groom for an hour the morning of our wedding.
It was absolutely worth it in every way. I had a few friends in advance who were skeptical of showing up at a house and being stranded there for 6-7 more hours for the wedding and reception, but everyone made the same face when they walked in - absolute shock and awe. The seals barked in the background well into the evening, and you could hear the waves crashing from the lower fire pit when everyone sat in happy reverence for a second. We used the copper bathtubs as coolers and let our guests stroll around the entire beautiful property with fork-friendly food stations set up both upstairs and downstairs.
Chris (the on-site venue coordinator) was extremely helpful as we tried to add a speaker to the Sonos sound system during the morning of our wedding (spoiler alert: that didn’t work), but everyone gave it their best shot. Chris came around as we were all cleaning at the end of the night and helped us figure out what needed to be put away before the next guests and what flowers we could leave as a treat.
NOTE: We didn’t plan this well in advance since we hadn’t noticed, but the site is not friendly for people who have issues walking on uneven surfaces (i.e. older guests, small children, etc.) My nephew ran off the beaten path and was telling us how great the beach is (a beach 200+ stairs away), and it kept quite a few of us on high alert the rest of the evening. Also, my great uncle couldn’t make the stairs down to the lower ceremony site and watched from the upper patio. It all worked out fine, but I felt like we personally didn’t consider it enough in advance. This is absolutely nothing against Wind & Sea, but I wanted to communicate it to anyone else who feels like there is a risk.Wind and Sea's reply:
Hi Alissandria,
Thank you for all your kind words! We will definitely work on the speaker and we're already thinking of ways we can make the place more handicap accessible, but yes its quite challenging in terrain like Big Sur. Glad you had a beautiful wedding and hope to see you again soon. -
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![Rachel]()
Rachel C. Sent on 12/18/2019One of a kind dream venue for a private ceremony
We wouldn’t have chosen any other venue for our wedding. Wind and Sea has it all! Several small ceremony locations, stunning views from the house and winding steps down to the fire pit, a wrap around porch that held 40 of our nearest and dearest for a special memorable family style meal and room indoors and out for dancing and gathering! We used the outdoor tubs the day after and witnessed so many critters and creatures like hummingbirds, butterflies, dolphins, and more I felt like Snow White!
The flow and energy of the event was seamless thanks to our planner (Jamie Jarrard) and the venue.Wind and Sea's reply:
Hi Rachel
Thank you so much. We're honored to have been part of your special day. Please do come back and visit us again soon. Perhaps celebrate and anniversary! :-) -
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Rachel W. Sent on 11/09/2020
Stunning Location
Wind and Sea gave us a beautiful mini-wedding! After our large wedding was cancelled due to COVID-19, I was scrambling to find an elopement venue. I had previously toured Wind and Sea and reached out to them for an elopement. Nataly was great to work with; she was communicative, transparent, and helpful. The groundskeeper, Chris, was so great in helping us out during the weekend. Because we rented out the house, our families were able to stay with us. The grounds and house are stunning. It was a beautiful weekend and I am so glad it was with Wind and Sea. -
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