Epping Forest Yacht & Country Club Reviews

The first time I went to Epping Forest, before I even met my now husband, I had the “I’m having my wedding here one day” moment. So to say I was married to Epping, before my husband, is an understatement.

Epping is absolutely breathtaking; the moment you pull up, you’re instantly going back to an old world, and on top of that, the staff is absolutely top notch. Ernestine and Linda are at the top of their class when it comes to the wedding industry in Jacksonville.

We moved our wedding an entire year because of Covid, and they took us through the Covid trenches with hands held and heads high. We also ended up changing our ceremony to getting married at church instead of Epping, and it didn’t effect out timeline at all, we pulled up to Epping the same time cocktail hour was going to start anyways, and they greeted us with big smiles, cold drinks and happiness I’ll never forget.

Our guests haven’t stopped raving about how professional the staff was, how BEAUTIFUL to sunset was on the river and watching the sun go down during cocktail hour, and all of the food! Ernestine absolutely crushed it, from answering all of my crazy questions, to streamlining the timeline for my planner to reference. We truly had the best day of our lives!!!

My husband and I have nothing but amazing things to say about Epping! Ernestine was so helpful with every step of our planning and made sure everything day of went by without a problem. We feel in love with this venue as soon as we walked up to the mansion. It is breathtaking and the photos will be beautiful. The staff always made sure my husband and I had anything we needed, and even made sure we got to enjoy the food!

The Epping was such an amazing place to have my wedding. Everything was like a dream. It was romantic and elegant and went so smoothly. The staff of so friendly and helpful. They were flexible with our unique requests and really did a great job with everything.

Thanks so much for all the help you gave our team from Complete Weddings and Events - Jacksonville during Michael and Michelle's wedding! The Staff is so professional, helpful, while the food is absolutely fabulous! We love Epping Forest, and I will definitely post my compliments to WeddingWire and The Knot! Kudos to Ernestine, the Epping Forest Wedding Coordinator!
Kathy & Scott
Complete Weddings and Events - Jacksonville
Owners

We just had a wedding there was absolutely beautiful and the staff was amazingly helpful and made it perfect! food was great too!

The mansion and location is BEAUTIFUL and the staff was professional and efficient. During the planning, they answered all of our questions whether it was in person or promptly over email. They gave us their recommendations for the set up of the venue then customized it to fit our needs. They made everything easy from decorating the mansion with the items they had and the ones we brought in, picking what to serve, and recommending vendors. The day of, Epping staff kept everything running smoothly and on time at our brunch wedding. Long story short, Epping made everything easy so we could enjoy the day. Several of my guests have commented how professional and friendly they were. Ernestine was the coordinator we worked most closely with. She was wonderful throughout the planning process and was a positive energy and a smiling face on my wedding day. She made us feel comfortable from the start and seemed genuinely excited for us! I highly recommend Epping for your next big event.

We looked at several venues for my daughter’s wedding and was very close to booking another venue when my husband suggested looking at Epping Forest Yacht and Country Club. He had been there for a corporate event and was very impressed with the food and service. We met with Epping and were very specific and direct about what we were looking for in a wedding venue. We wanted the best food and beverage along with excellent service. I explained to them that we were looking for the same level of service we had at our own wedding, which at the time was the second ranked hotel in the world. We gave them very specific examples of exemplary service at our wedding and told them this is the level of service we are looking for. As parents, you spend a lot of time and money planning a wedding and you want to be able to enjoy it. They assured me that service was what differentiated them from other venues.

Epping delivered everything they promised. Our contact, Ernestine Sanchez was a delight to work with from our tasting, to the rehearsal, to the wedding and reception. Our bridal attendant, Sam Hanke, attended to anything and everything my daughter needed on her special day and we feel we couldn’t have received any better service than these two ladies provided!

Our guests were greeted by Epping Forest staff upon their arrival and directed to the ceremony, then to the cocktail reception and subsequently to the reception. It may not sound like much, but this is an important detail so that guests are not left on their own to figure out where they should be and when. Any one of the staff members if asked something, they owned it and attended to it immediately, whether it was their job to or not. That's exceptional service.

The food was perfection! My husband always says, good food, good drink and good music makes for a good wedding. I did a walkthrough of the food stations before everyone was served and was so impressed with how beautifully everything was presented. When I got a moment to eat, everything was so delicious! The tenderloin was cooked to perfection!

I truly feel like we had the Elite Team for our daughter’s wedding. All our vendors worked very well together. Between Southern Charm Events for event planning, J. Mosley Photography, Y?Entertainment for DJ and selfie station, Take One Productions for videography, Rose of Sharon for flowers, LMS Creative Studios for decorations and signage and Epping as the venue, we had the best of everything for our daughter’s wedding.

We couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful venue for our wedding! We just got married at Epping 1/11/2019. Ashleigh, my wedding coordinator and Brittany, my bridal attendant were nothing short of AMAZING! The entire staff was incredibly nice and accommodating to our guests. Brittany was absolutely perfect; our glasses were always filled with our special Veuve Cliquot, she offered to get my food for me so no one would step on my dress, she moved stuff from the bridal suite to the parlor room so we wouldn’t have to worry about gathering stuff up after the wedding, she continuously fluffed my dress for photos and even bustled it after sunset photos were done. Before bustling the dress, Brittany walked around behind me holding my train while I mingled with guests at cocktail hour. I felt really bad that she was doing that and told her that she absolutely didn’t have to, but she insisted that it was her job—I can’t lie, it slightly made me feel I was royalty. A smile never left Brittany’s face; she was truly a huge asset to our wedding. Ashleigh was wonderful with communication; our wedding was a little “different” as we didn’t have a bridal party, but Ashleigh coordinated all of our vendors and made sure everything went smoothly. These ladies 100% helped to relieve some of my stress.

Every guest commented on how great the food was! If you get a chance, definitely have the grilled cheese and tomato bisque shooters, crab cakes, and the amazing teriyaki skewers! The mashed potato bar was phenomenal—the potatoes tasted so great on their own that you didn’t even need any of the toppings, but they were definitely a plus.

Epping contracts their wedding cakes out to Classic Cakes—makes it convenient so there’s no separate bill, and the cake is outstanding!

I originally found Epping on The Knot and thought it was so beautiful that I had to tour. After touring, I fell in love and just knew that I wanted to have our wedding there. The grounds are so magical and everything was perfect! We were married this past Friday and although they can’t close down the whole mansion to members, it still felt like the entire mansion was ours; Epping made sure that we didn’t have any “crashers” and when we did spot a member, they were clapping and offering congratulations.

Our wedding was absolutely everything I could have imagined and I would 1000000% recommend choosing Epping for your venue! I couldn’t be happier with our choice!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about our wedding at Epping. Our wedding coordinator, Ernestine and our bridal attendant, Samantha were the most valued members of our wedding planning and day. They were both so calm, attentive, patient, and so encouraging.
Samantha was there for me the entire day helping me get ready, pass notes to other vendors, keep us hydrated, and get me down the aisle. She was always there for me which made me feel so much more calm when there are so many details to think about, she even helped me bustle my dress after the pictures when my family didn't know how. She then helped our parents load the car at the end of the night. She was my angel. I can't say enough how much I could rave about her.

Ernestine was perfect as well. She made sure our vision was executed flawlessly. She was always there to answer questions during the planning process and even met us early on the rehearsal day to help us unload boxes of decor and help calm us after last minute questions. When you are a long distance bride and not close enough to come by often it can be very stressful to put your vision in someone elses' hands, but I quickly realized on the day that they had everything covered.

The food was amazing, the venue was the most beautiful everyone had ever seen, and I can't imagine having a better team. I wish we could do it over again! I cannot recommend Epping and Ernestine and Samantha enough. Stop looking at venues, this is the creme de la creme!


Chris and Catie Dixon

We looked at over 15 venues for my daughter’s wedding, and from the minute we toured Epping Forest and talked with Courtney, I knew that it was going to be a perfect venue for my daughter’s wedding and that they would do an amazing job. The wedding was a couple weeks ago, and I just can’t say enough good things about the entire experience and how it exceeded our expectations. Besides the fact that the venue is beautiful, Courtney was wonderful through the planning process. They were super in accommodating us for a tasting (which was amazing) earlier than typical so it could work with our schedules, and they accommodated some food items that were not on their regular menu. I planned the wedding and the details with my daughter and had debated early on as to whether to hire a day-of coordinator to help. In conversations with Courtney, she assured me that they would have it covered, which is part of their fabulous service. I opted not to have an outside coordinator, which was the right choice as Courtney and her team could not have been better if they tried. On the day of the wedding they executed all of the details perfectly. A huge help was Ernestine, the personal Bridal Assistant assigned to my daughter for the entire day. She was purely a delight to work with and went way above and beyond. I have never seen such a level of service. The food at the reception was outstanding and very well presented; our guests all commented on the food, service and the beauty of the location. The staff was attentive, professional and fun. I can’t recommend Epping Forest enough. They really made the day special and more than we could have expected. Thanks!

From the moment we drove up to Epping looking for my daughter Jordan's wedding venue, we knew as soon as we were greeted by Linda at the entrance with champagne that this spectacular mansion would was the PLACE!

The day turned out to be absolutely gorgeous. All of the staff the day of were phenomenal, but I cannot say enough about Sarah, the Catering Sales Manager. She was there every step of the way during all of our detailed planning. Calls, emails, questions were answered promptly and any thing we ever needed or wanted was handled immediately. She made sure everything went smoothly and she was there every step of the way. Thank you Sarah.
Thank you also to Jordan and Kevin's attendants, you both rocked it being there and helping the bride and groom with with all of their needs.
Epping really is the most beautiful and charming place to have a wedding. Our guests could not stop talking about the venue, the views, the service, the food and of course the Chef's amazing wedding cake. It was beautiful and so delicious.
Jordan and Kevin's wedding at Epping was everything I could have dreamed up for my daughter and way more.

Thanks to all of the staff at Epping!

Ivonne Robbins (MOB)

There are not enough words to describe how incredible this venue is! Sarah was our wedding coordinator and Ernestine was our bridal attendant. They both were a pleasure to work with! They made sure my party and I were fully taken care of throughout the entire day.

Our guests are still raving about how wonderful the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception were. They also raved about how amazing the food was! If you want the wedding of your dreams you should definitely book Epping! You will NOT be disappointed!

The catering/event planning team at Epping Forest at simply outstanding. We were planning our wedding from New Zealand, and Sarah Gibbes was brilliant in handling everything. We had to move the wedding inside due to very cold weather, and they made it look gorgeous. Everything went seamlessly. They also assigned a bridal attendant to me, Ernestine Sanchez, who was so helpful, kind and attentive. Highly recommend!

What can I say that hasn't already been said about the most perfect wedding venue in Jacksonville and the surrounding area. There was absolutley nothing that I would change. Not a thing. It was beyond perfection thanks to the wonderful service of our coordinator Courtney, and our beloved day of wedding attendant Ernestine. Honestly, it was the most perfect, magical wedding I have ever been to, and my daughter has never felt more like a Princess in her life! Our guests could not tell me often enough how they couldn't believe how beautiful everything was, and how it was the best food....not just wedding food but OVERALL food, that they have ever had in their lives!!! I could go on and on. The wedding I always dreamt of having for my daughter became a reality thanks to this wonderful staff and venue, and I will be forever grateful that we were fortunate enough to have found this dream location.

Great venue and even better service. Beautiful views of the St. Johns River! I would definitely recommend Epping Forest!

Epping Forest is the only choice in Jacksonville. From the gorgeous settings to the amazing sunsets you cant pick a more beautiful place. What makes it even better is the attention to detail the staff provides from step one through to the end of your special day. It makes for a dream come true wedding.

We were so happy we had our wedding reception at Epping. Kristina and Ernestine were so easy to work with. They went beyond our expectations. After comparing several other venues in Florida we thought Epping would give us the biggest value for our money and we were not disappointed. We were so glad we chose them.

Having everything from the chairs and tables, to the cake, to the catering all in one place makes a world of a difference.

Epping Forest provided the perfect setting for our wedding: the beautiful gardens, the luxurious mansion, and the wonderful view of the St. Johns River. Working with Ansley and the rest of the Epping Forest staff was the best. They went above and beyond for my husband and me, to make sure all our requests were taken care of. I can’t stress enough how incredible the service was; it certainly elevated the event to the next level. Ansley was an amazing coordinator. She definitely eased my mind the days leading up to the wedding and especially on our wedding day. She made sure we were right on schedule and she took care of the small details that came up (hanging the decor, fixing the favors, making sure everything was set up properly, etc.) The reason my day went so flawlessly was because of her and my bridal assistant, Ernestine. The main reason we chose Epping Forest, besides for its beauty, was for the food. We read rave reviews about the quality of food and that was a top priority for us. Epping Forest did not disappoint. Our guests STILL talk about the amazing appetizers, entrees, and especially the beautiful cake. The chefs and pastry chef are incredible and that is yet another reason why Epping Forest was an easy choice for us as a wedding venue. Another thing we loved was that everything was included (the food, cake, drinks, chiavari chairs, linens, etc.) so it made it easier for us, instead of having to look for outside catering and rentals. The beauty of Epping Forest speaks for itself; it really doesn’t need much done to it because it truly looks so magical, especially when the sun is setting and with the string lights they have outside. It was one of the easiest decisions while wedding planning and trust me, you will not be disappointed going with this venue. Our wedding seriously could not have been more perfect. (I had to shorten this review so it would fit within the 2000 character max, but the full review is on Google)

Epping truly is the most magical and fairy tale venue for a wedding. Kristina McCurry was absolutely amazing throughout the entire planning process. Not only was she extremely patient with us, but respected our wishes and vision. We wanted a timeless reception embodying both simplicity and elegance-staying away from the common trendy themes. Kristina and the entire Epping crew made this vision come to life and we cannot thank them enough for making our special day unforgettable.

The venue itself is just stunning. A beautiful mansion on the river with lovely trees - breathtaking! The food! This is a huge part of the wedding and the food here is exceptional. Guests raved about how wonderful the food and the cake were. Also, every person I came in contact with at Epping went above and beyond to make our day special. Kristina and Andrea were exceptional! There are no negatives to Epping. This is THE venue!!!

This venue is truly a dream come true - gorgeous, elegant, so functional, and founded on world-class service. Linda and Mary were so incredibly helpful with all the endless questions we had during the whole process, and truly listened to all of our concerns and helped us work through each and every one. The grounds are absolutely beautiful, from the mansion to the garden to the patio and the view of the river. Their bridal suite was also amazing, with plenty of space for me, my mom, and my bridesmaids to get ready and relax before the wedding. The food was amazing, and everyone loved every bite of it - especially the hor deouvres during cocktail hour. The drinks and bar staff were excellent, too, and no one complained about having to wait too long for a drink - an all too common complaint at weddings. Our big day had some hiccups due to some sporadic rain showers, but Mary and her team worked their magic and no one even noticed anything had to be changed or rearranged because it all went so smoothly. This venue, their team, their food, everything - truly the best!

If you are looking for a unique venue with 1920s charm, a great water view and sunset view, oak trees, a beautiful fountain, and the best coordinating staff then Epping Forest is the perfect venue for you. While all of the food is prepared in house (including the cake), it was absolutely delicious and my guests raved about everything. The pastry chef is amazing and can do even the most intricate cake design. I loved how Epping's wedding package included chairs, linen, glassware, (even a wedding coordinator!) etc. so I didn't have to worry about finding additional vendors for those items. Our wedding coordinator, Mary, was on top of everything the entire time and was very prompt with her communication. The coordinators write out a timeline 3 months prior to the wedding when you have your food tasting so everything is organized way in advance of the wedding date. You and your guests will definitely be impressed with the service you receive here. It is definitely worth every penny.

I can't begin to explain how gorgeous our wedding day was and how beautiful this venue is. Pictures don't do it justice. We were treated like royalty on our wedding day. It is pricy but we could not resist the Romaric vintage historic beauty of this place. And they work with you; we definitely got our money's worth. Our wedding was on Labor Day and we got lucky because this venue is booked over a year ahead. Mary, Daniela and literally everyone else in the staff team made our day perfect. People say some things will always go wrong on your wedding day but their attention to detail made it PERFECT. They didn't miss a thing and I'm the pickiest bride! My parents, family and friends fell in love with the venue and were so impressed by the service, the food and the unique breathtaking atmosphere of the venue. Mary could accommodate our needs in the menu having many vegetarians and meat eaters as well. She is always working behind the scenes to make sure the day is exactly the way you always imagined. I wish I could go back and relive every moment again. It was the best most beautiful day of our lives. Thanks again to the Epping Forest team! :)

The venue was amazing!! It is so beautiful and the staff is so attentive and helpful. Kristina and Ernestine were the easiest people to work with and are willing to go above and beyond to make sure you have everything that you need. We had to make a last minute call to move our ceremony and reception indoors and they made the transition so smooth! I would recommend this venue to anybody! We had an extraordinary time and if we had to do it all over again we wouldn't think about going anywhere else. It made our wedding even more special.