My now husband and I had a particular venue in mind for our wedding reception – one with aesthetics akin to the gorgeous wineries found in Sonoma and Napa valleys, was non-conventional (much unlike a hotel reception room or grand hall), accommodated our wedding reception guests and all the items we wanted to have, provided great value worth the $$$, etc. We found this venue on this site that piqued our interest and called to inquire with our questions. We called the number provided, and rather than be greeted by a professional greeting, was greeted by Matthew Kowaleski, Wander’s Chief of Staff with a casual “Hello?," which was disarming considering this was a business phone call. I gave them benefit of the doubt and was then directed to Keanu Mabalane, Reservationist and Events Coordinator, via e-mail who shared their packages for 75 people, 100 people, and 150 people and corresponding prices, and found them to be rather reasonable; packages included a stay at the property for 2 nights and 3 days, which was ample time for us to arrive at the property the day before and prepare, host the reception, then clean-up and check-out. (According to Ben Cobleigh, the associate responsible for this property, prices of these packages are no longer in effect and have since doubled.) Upon dutifully asking questions and receiving responses that we were pleased with, we were able to view the property on multiple occasions leading up to the reception. We found the property to be in need of some maintenance in order to be fully ready for the reception, but still beautiful and according to the photos for the most part and proceeded with having our reception there given that certain terms were met.

All was going well throughout the planning process with Keanu until all operations were suddenly transferred two months prior to aforementioned associate responsible for the property without so much as a hand-off. We met to inform him of previously agreed upon terms, only to receive some initial pushback. With only two months prior to the event, he continued to add on more expenses, which fortunately, we were able to discuss and negotiate. But, it did add much stress to our plate.

Now, at the time of check-in, we ran into difficulty accessing the property because of a missing key. Fortunately, we were able to enter the home given their instructions, although, not the luxury, five-star experience we were hoping. Sadly, we only ran into more inconveniences in preparation for the event – broken outdoor umbrellas too heavy to move, cleaning equipment in the pool, broken and hazardous siding in the wooden deck, and even within the home, we found some less than sightly items that I will not mention here, but made me question the cleanliness of the home and cleaning procedures and will make you question whether you were getting your money’s worth.

Outside of these items, be aware that it is a fully DIY venue and wait staff, cleaning staff and attendants will need to be hired to make this a truly professional, workable venue. Overall, we had a beautiful wedding reception in spite of the issues presented to us through the process, but will consider a different venue in retrospect.