It is hard to come up with new descriptors for the Holly Farm. It is as everyone has said...beautiful, welcoming, delightful -- a wonderful location for a weekend wedding. My son and his fiancee were living and working in Seoul but were able to take care of all the wedding details thanks to the guidance and experience of the Moses family. They were able to contact and arrange details with vendors recommended by the Holly Farm -- I live nearby and my biggest job was cupcake tasting to help decide where to order the cake from. Doyle, Mary, Ryan and Erin Moses were always available during the days. We left them with an office full of supplies and details that ended up elegantly and thoughtfully displayed on the dinner tables and in the port and cigar bar on the day of the wedding. Rosa and Gus seemed to be always at hand if we needed anything. On the Sunday morning after the wedding, the caterers had neglected to leave coffee urns ready for our "Going away Brunch" but Rosa was there brewing pot after pot of delicious coffee so we barely noticed. Every attendee left giving rave reviews. I highly recommend the Holly Farm and the experience they provide. One bit of advice...it gets quite chilly at night. We had warned all the invitees but not everyone took the warning seriously and it was nippy!! So bring along some warm wraps and you'll have a wonderful celebration. read more

We had our wedding at The Holly Farm in October of 2010! This place is everything you can imagine and more. In between endless comments from guests saying "This is the best wedding I have ever been to!" and "This is the most magical setting ever!", we managed to enjoy ourselves beyond our expectations and spend three days in paradise. We weren't able to do a honeymoon right off the bat, but we wanted some sort of getaway for our family and friends, and The Holly Farm was perfect. With two houses on the property that can house up to 22 guests in addition to a romantic and luxurious honeymoon suite, we were truly able to have the getaway we envisioned - with the freedom that we wanted. Erin is a heaven-sent messenger who eases your nerves and calms your anxieties. She handles all your requests with dispatch and learns about you and your family in the process so that by the end of the weekend you feel as if she was a friend of the family. The second I stepped on to the Holly Farm, I knew this was the perfect place. My tensions calmed and I was able to enjoy myself - and this was reflected to all my guests and family members who were also able to relax. There is no "cookie-cutter" routine. You can truly have your own personal wedding that fits no mold. The laid back atmosphere, the easy going, yet responsive staff and the incredibly beautiful grounds all make for an unforgettable wedding setting that is truly original. No one will have a wedding like yours! I recommend The Holly Farm without ANY hesitation. It is a magical place. We are already planning a one year anniversary to get some photos taken there. But really, we just want an excuse, any excuse to go back! read more

I had the pleasure of working at the Holly Farm recently and it was a wonderful vendor experience. Everyone was so friendly and helpful and flexible - it made my job so much easier. The property is truly a labor of love and a secluded paradise. I look forward to the opportunity to create beautiful floral designs for lucky couples in this Garden of Eden. Such a special place! read more

The greatest wedding decision I made (a close second was choosing a stellar husband-to-be) was deciding to get married at the Holly Farm. With the right partner, and Holly Farm, pretty much no other decision matters - I kid you not. Physical beauty first. There aren't words to describe how beautiful Holly Farm is. It feels like Hawaii/Bali/the Secret Garden all rolled into one, and somehow even more spectacular. It's lush, green, and you will continue to discover new and beautiful things that you haven't seen up until the moment you leave. To be surrounded by such amazing natural beauty on your wedding weekend makes all other details seem smaller and less significant. People are so taken with the natural surroundings that any additional décor is just icing on the cake (and you really need very little of it). Logistically, there is nothing easier than having your entire weekend at one home base, which is perfectly optimized for all the things you might want to include in your weekend. From a Friday night family dinner, to the Saturday play day and rehearsal dinner, the wedding itself, the stellar reception, the after-party - all of it is easy, seamless and you get to enjoy every little bit. The staff are experts in what they do - from the moment you arrive, Gus, Junior and Rosa will anticipate all the things you might need. They are kind, friendly, detail oriented and care so deeply that you are happy throughout your weekend. When you wake up in the morning, after a raucous evening hanging with your best friends in the main house, everything is immaculate, coffee is brewing, and you have another day ahead of you. It's the best weekend away with your favorite people, plus marrying the love of your life, and literally not worrying about anything else. Erin and Ryan deserve their own paragraph. They are the most wonderful, warm, loving people you could ever want around you on your wedding day. I only wished that they could have stopped working and fully become wedding guests to come hang out with my friends and family, that's how wonderful they are. We had some tough family stuff come up during the wedding weekend, and I was an overwhelmed bride crying in their office the day of my rehearsal dinner. They treated me like an old friend, sat and talked with me and gave me their care and advice and truly made me feel so cared about as a person, not a client that they just needed to appease. Use the vendors that Erin suggests. Not because you have to (you don't!) but because they will know the property, be excellent at what they do, and Erin would never suggest someone that wasn't awesome. We used Laughing Gal Flowers, which were spectacular and so much more reasonably priced than all other florists we talked with. Zephyr's was great and we barely noticed they were ever there (but the kegs were always full!) I wish we had used a DJ they suggested, but we went with someone else who was just kind of eh. They will help you create the team of your dreams, and it will be great people who aren't crazy expensive. When Erin tells you that you don't need an extra wedding planner - YOU DON'T NEED A WEDDING PLANNER. I had just gotten a new job, was overwhelmed and got one anyway. It was a mistake, I would never do it again, and you shouldn't either. Erin will take care of everything, Tamie from La Crème will help, and an extra cook in the kitchen will just confuse things. They know what they are doing and will do it amazingly well. Just trust them with pretty much everything they suggest. Our wedding was the greatest day of my life - and Holly Farm was such a huge part of that. It's really expensive. Lots of people don't have a budget anywhere near what it costs for the weekend. But if you do, spend it here. I would 100% given up all the extras (farm tables, extra flowers, videography) to spend the money at Holly Farm. You truly don't need anything else (except to feed your guests!) We had donuts instead of a cake, a taco truck tiny rehearsal dinner, no favors/gift bags - and everything we didn't do went entirely unnoticed. If you can swing it, it's so worth it. I can't imagine anyone ever regretting any wedding item they had to give up to get married at Holly Farm. My wedding was a month ago, and thinking about Holly Farm gives me such a warm and fuzzy feeling and takes me right back there. I cannot tell you how unbelievably our guests responded to Holly Farm. They actually got to spend time with us, in the most beautiful place in the world, and everyone was blown away. Just go visit and you will absolutely understand (but then you will never be able to say yes to another venue, so be warned) Thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating the most spectacular weekend for Eric and I - and for starting our marriage off in the most amazing way possible. I can't express the gratitude I feel in words, and truly think I am the luckiest bride ever. We love you and can't wait to come back and see you all! read more

If you are looking for a destination wedding venue ~ The Holly Farm is an amazing, magical place. As soon as you open the rustic, wooden gate you enter 6 acres of unique, whimsical gardens and buildings that are all yours for 4 glorious days. The owners are easy-going and helpful so everything runs smoothly. We can't recommend this place enough! read more

Nestled in Carmel Valley is this AMAZING retreat!! We had some thoughts and ideas in mind prior to searching for our venue and The Holly Farm exceeded all our hopes and dreams beyond what we could have imagined. We walked into a lush, orchid filled area with a cozy feeling. Like we had been there before. At that time, we knew it was for us. My husband said, "It's like Disneyland, but better!! Everywhere you turn is a wonderful surprise, better than the last!" That was no joke, there are several sitting areas, bars, bocce ball and a huge lawn (where we had our ceremony). Not to mention the lodging on site and a staff that I cannot say enough wonderful things about. Erin and Ryan were always so calm and collect when times got a little stressful. That was great since we were a total "Pinterest Wedding". Lots of homemade details were not left out and if anything these two helped accentuate these details all weekend long. Their organization was perfect as well. The made sure we didn't have to do anything the day of the wedding and handled everything seamlessly. The grounds staff - I cannot express how professional and helpful they were. They were so stealthy and kept everything immaculate! I could go on and on about how perfect this venue is. The best part of the whole 3 night/4 day experience, is that we felt like family, not just guests. We are honored to have had the opportunity to host our wedding in August 2013 and can't wait to go back someday. read more

The Holly Farm was not only the most beautiful setting for a wedding - the Moses Family, who runs the establishment are a delight to work with. They are so responsive, so helpful and provide excellent customer service. We got married in June 2009 and had the best time at the Holly Farm. Our guests loved exploring the grounds and had a blast in all the areas - from the bocce ball court and hacienda lounge to the men's tequila bar and adobe lodge. The Holly Farm is definitely worth considering for your wedding. I am so happy we were able to have our special day at the Holly Farm. read more

Erin and the whole family at Holly Farm could not have been more accommodating, gracious, generous and just plain great at their jobs! We chose the venue based on its location and beautiful layout but what we got in addition was a brilliant wedding team who made every step of the way as easy as pie! Open to all our crazy ideas as well as making our process a breeze (we planned it from Dubai) we only wish everyone had a place to call wedding-home this perfect. The Moses family are gifted with a talent known as 'the ability to listen' and I mean really listen. Every detail was remembered, each email double checked and our vision perfectly recognized. With 130 guests from all the corners of the world we had more than a few guests blown away by the venue and more so by the brilliant execution of the day. It was honestly wonderful to know that everything was just going to be perfect and stress free! read more

This is THE BEST PLACE EVER for a wedding! Our daughter just had her wedding at The Holly Farm and all parties were totally delighted. We started working with the Moses family over 18 months ago and EVERYTHING went smoothly without a single hitch. ALL their recommendations for the photographer, caterer, wines, DJ, florist, and musician were spot on. Every meeting was a delight as we can clearly see that they really cared about our preferences and were willing to do everything possible to make it work. Doyle, Mary, Erin, and Ryan are genuinely warm and caring and it really shows. The set up went off effortlessly as they made sure that the wedding party and parents were worry-free and all the decorations were done exactly the way our daughter wanted it to be done without us having to lift a single hand. The grounds were immaculate and all our guests felt they were in a tropical paradise. (People who were unable to attend the wedding saw photos and thought we had the wedding in Hawaii.) Our daughter and son-in-law and the wedding party got to enjoy the facility for 3 nights and had the BEST time ever. Often times guests at a wedding have only a few hours to see each other and then have to return home. Here, at the Holly Farm, our daughter's brides maids and their s.o.'s and our son-in-law and his groomsmen and their s.o.'s were able to interact and enjoy each others company for 3 days. When it was done and over, the staff cleaned everything up and had them boxed for easy transportation. Rosa made an elegant fruit tray for the bridal party for their departing breakfast. Everything here is done with class and warmth. The only problem was that our younger daughter is now looking forward to HER wedding here! read more

It has been more than two months since my daughter was married at The Holly Farm and I still find myself thinking of this singularly wonderful experience every day. Erin and her staff and all of their vendors/partners took such care of everything and everyone that I never had to ask for a thing. Problems were simply handled, needs anticipated and met, and all that was left for us to do was to enjoy the occasion. But I am getting ahead of myself. When we were looking at wedding venues in northern California there were many beautiful sites and they all had the same patter. Come in for a nice ceremony at 2:00, we'll have a lovely reception afterwards and move right into dinner and dancing. Around 10:00 we'll start cleaning up and you'll be out by 11:00. Our daughter and her fiancé said, "That's not what we want. Our friends are coming from across the country and around the world for this and they are just starting out like we are. We can't realistically ask our friends to put themselves up because no one could afford it and we want to be with them all for several days". Then we visited The Holly Farm. Erin says come on Thursday morning and stay until Sunday night (or Monday if you prefer) and we can house more than 20 people on site. And that is exactly what we did. We had a four day party with the most important people in our lives and enjoyed an event we will never forget. As one of the groomsmen said, "Well, this pretty much ruins things for the rest of us. We can have a nice wedding and all that, but no one will ever have one like this". The Holly Farm was wonderful, fabulous, warm, inviting, and beautiful. And our daughter's wedding there may just have been perfect... I recommend the place and the people without qualification or reservation. It was magic. read more

My wife and I booked the Holly Farm, site unseen, based on photos, website reviews and word of mouth from a friend who done her wedding there. All of the glowing reviews and amazing photos did not do the Holly Farm justice. It is simply awesome. As amazing the venue is, the family that run the Holly Farm are really what set it apart from all the rest. Erin and Ryan have a way of instantly becoming your friend rather than your wedding contractors. On top of servicing your every need, they actually seem to care that you have a stress-free event. I cannot say enough about their service and the unique quality of the venue. If there is an opening, book it. Now! read more

As the mother and father of the bride you only want your daughter's wedding day to be as perfect as one can make it. What I wish I knew these months prior to the wedding, is that the Moses family already had perfection in the bag. We visited Holly Farm together in March of this year and knew how beautiful this place was. But, we could not in our wildest dreams know how they could raise the bar even higher on the wedding day. At our age, we have been to many weddings and because we live on the east coast they are usually in a banquet room, which can be beautiful but it cannot compare to the feel of the outdoors and the tropical setting Holly Farm provides. We had guests all evening gushing over the natural beauty of the surroundings and most used the word "magical" to describe the feeling they were experiencing. If you are thinking about a place for your wedding, put your worries aside and trust the fact that this will be the one part of the wedding process that you will never regret. Thank you Erin, Ryan and Mary for all that you did for us. You are at the top of the list for what you do and have become our friends in the process. You have given us a memory of a lifetime and we could never thank you all enough. P.S. Please thank your dad Doyle, he put our fears of the Carmel wild fire to rest. He was right when he said it's all in the winds and our day would be perfect. He was right and it was perfection!! read more

Our son and his beautiful bride got married here in October 2012. All I can say is, it was INCREDIBLE! The venue was outstanding and the staff at the Holly Farm goes above and beyond what you could ask for. Anything we needed they were right there to provide. They were amazing to work with, so friendly and they made the weekend there so relaxing. You can't ask for a better place to have a wedding or any other kind of event. I would go back there in a minute for any event. The entire wedding went very smoothly. The Holly Farm staff really know what they're doing and they have perfected it to a T. It's been 1 month since the wedding and I recently corresponded with them and they got right back to me with an answer. Thank you Moses family and Staff of the Holly Farm. We had a weekend that we will cherish forever. read more

We were married at the Holly Farm in July 2009. I honestly don't know where to start. It was the wedding I always imagined. It was perfect due to two reasons, 1) the Moses family and their staff, and 2) the unbelievably beautiful site. Erin is the best, seriously. I would make her move to Belmont and be my best friend if I could...she's that amazing. Moses and Mary are experts on how to perfectly run a wedding. Gus and Rosa are caring, helpful, friendly staff that will do anything you need them to. All cares are swept away and you are there to enjoy your wedding. The site itself is incredible. We rented it from Thursday-Sunday and it was so great to have our wedding party and family staying there with us. Don't be scared off by the price. My husband and I both work in Finance and did a full cost analysis on this place vs. a few other places in Carmel Valley (yes, huge dorks), and Holly Farm was only marginally more expensive than the other places. HF has no cake cutting, no corkage, the caterers they use (also amazing...have a separate review on them) are very reasonable, and I didn't spend much on flowers, because you don't need them. Also, the marginally more expensive aspect was totally worth it because of the stellar customer service. It really was stress free planning because of Erin...she took care of so much and kept me on track. I can't wait to go back and renew our vows in 5 years. read more

Our daughter's four-day wedding extravaganza at Holly Farm just ended yesterday, and I'm up early the next morning going through wedding withdrawal. I cannot recommend Holly Farm highly enough. The Moses family thinks of everything, and Rosa and Gus - the staff that keep the houses running - know exactly what you will need even before you do. Many people came up to me and said that this was the best wedding they've ever been to. On our first night we had a "wine treasure hunt" - stations were set up in the evening around the magical grounds, encouraging people to walk around the gardens and seek out the nooks and crannies that held the wine.. this caused people to mix and mingle, and introduced them to the beauty of Holly Farm. Three more days of activities followed. La Creme provided amazing food - many people said that this was the best wedding food they have ever had, and several people thought we must have had several caterers, as La Creme was capable of providing everyting from pizzas made in a wood-fired oven to dim sum. Really, the whole complicated wedding was flawless. Kudos to all. read more

I feel terrible I have not posted this yet because my daughter being married at the Holly Farm was one of the most incredible experiences ever. I am the MOB and I can say I was never nervous the entire time because Erin, Ryan and the entire staff took care of every need. I think the one thing that is not mentioned enough is how beautiful the Holly Farm is. The love of this family is reflected in every part. I wish I could post every picture of the grounds. Every one of our guests said they felt they were in Disneyland except that everything is real. It is truly a magical place and I can guarantee you that everyone will feel the magic. Being able to have the wedding spread out over 4 days was priceless. We had game day, family day and breakfast sitting at the kitchen table after the wedding. People would come and go making this something we could share with everyone. And I never felt stressed! We cannot thank the Holly Farm enough for making this a memory that will last forever. read more