We went there for a group camping trip and it was enjoyable. Set up tents in the campground (with cabins around that we didn't use), with a common central building with small toilets and sink. No showers. There are many walking trails short and long, and some of them lead to a creek. Beware there is a ton of poison oak on many of the trails just off the path. The parking is a short walk from the tent area. Overall this is a nice spot in nature, surrounded by trees. It was a beautiful experience to wake up to the birdsong. Having showers and slightly better toilets would improve the camping experience even more. read more

Joe is amazing, he is the manager of this event center and was easy to work with. I was a local vendor for this event this evening for Julian and Brenda. I seen Joe help set up everything. He set me up for success, in a position where I was able to serve the guest and leave with no hassle. Thank you Joe !!!! read more

OVY Camp provided a gorgeous setting and great camp amenities for celebrating our wedding with friends and family in May 2023. We highly recommend OVY for couples who want a DIY wedding in the redwoods! My husband and I got married on a Saturday with a headcount of 165 guests, including 10 children. We invited guests to stay on-site and participate in camp activities from Friday afternoon to Monday morning, with 70-90 guests sleeping on-site between the three nights. The venue is do-it-yourself, which gave us options for personalizing the weekend. We had our first look and group photos at the Redwood Grove, ceremony at the amphitheater, reception inside Scheid Hall, barbecue and craft afternoon at the BBQ area, and other meals at the gravel area outside Scheid Hall. The amphitheater provided a beautiful redwood backdrop for our ceremony, and every moment felt magical. The official OVY recommendations of vendors were excellent. We ended up using OVY-recommended Chiara DeJoy for day-of coordinator, Kitchenina for catering, DJ Jezzy Rae from Heart of Gold DJs for DJ and emcee, and A Festive Affair for rentals of patio heaters and ceremony arch. For the Friday welcome dinner we used Vatos Tacos, a taco cart that another couple had used for their wedding weekend at OVY and recommended on Yelp--and they were great too! We found our photographer Stephanie Secrest through a friend, made our own wood flower arrangements instead of using a floral vendor, had Sprinkles cupcakes for dessert, and used San Mateo Catering Company for drop-off breakfast burritos on one of the days. The lodging on site was ideal for a camping weekend. Most of the wedding party stayed at the Willow Glen Lodge, while guests stayed in cabins, tents, and camper vans. The cabins, shared bathrooms, and showers were very basic but we prepared guests for this and encouraged folks who wanted hotel-level amenities to stay at one of the Half Moon Bay hotels or an Airbnb or VRBO nearby. Guests who stayed on-site enjoyed camping with friends, waking up at the campground, taking hikes or walks during downtime, and not having to drive between locations on windy Highway 84. It created a fun community vibe for the weekend. The success of the weekend was made possible by the camp / venue director, Matthew. He has been the director of OVY Camp for 10 years, during which he has grown the wedding business from about 2 weddings per year to 20 per year. The revenue from the weddings helps to pay for the youth summer camp. Matthew is calm, thoughtful, a clear communicator, a logistical and coordination genius, an expert on every detail of his venue, a quick problem solver, and very kind. He was incredibly helpful throughout the process, from giving us a structure to organize our planning, to providing all of the facilities rules and capabilities, to offering excellent vendor recommendations, to helping us think through how we would use the space, to answering our endless questions, to being on-call, working closely with our coordinator, and helping with planned and unplanned venue logistics over the entire weekend. When we had rain over on Friday and the wedding day, he helped our coordinator and us think through decisions about alternate plans (consulting five different weather forecasting apps!) and supported us in making those decisions. We ultimately moved the reception inside but kept the ceremony outside, and fortunately, the sun came out for the ceremony! Matthew's management helped make our weekend fun, beautiful, and a wonderful time to connect with guests. OVY was the perfect place to celebrate our marriage with friends and family! It was everything we were hoping to have for our wedding weekend when we first started on the wedding journey. read more

I have been trying to contact OVY for the past month via phone and email but have not received any response, is this the norm? I would love to have my wedding there next year but need to at least know the pricing before moving forward. read more

TL;DR - Choose this venue, you absolutely will not regret it! Spend a whole weekend celebrating with people you love in a gorgeous space knowing that you are also supporting underserved youth gain access to summer camp! I cannot accurately describe how thankful I am to have had the opportunity to have my wedding(s) at OVY camp and event center. We were looking for a venue where we could celebrate with a large number of guests and somehow be able to provide overnight accommodations for all of them. On a budget. I thought this was an impossible task (similar to those house hunting shows where the couple is looking for all of the luxurious amenities, but they don't have the budget to back it up). I am so glad we found OVY. Not only did the venue check off everything on our wish list, we also had the opportunity to help out a really amazing cause! All proceeds from our venue rental go toward bringing youth to a summer camp who otherwise might not have been able to afford it. How cool is that? We booked this venue before the pandemic, so our wedding planning has been... quite the adventure. When we realized that COVID-19 was not going away in time for our original wedding date in May 2021, Matthew Lyles, the executive director of the camp, offered us amazing flexibility with our plan moving forward. We were provided access to the venue for a few hours on our original date to hold a ceremony with a small group of people and following CDC as well as county health guidelines, and then very recently (August 2022) we opted to have our "part 2" where we had an entire weekend (Friday to Sunday) to celebrate our reception with about 140 people. In between that time (May 2021 wedding ceremony- August 2022 wedding reception), we also became pregnant!.. and then 3 days before the wedding put on bed rest for medical complications. Definitely a unique wedding planning experience, but we are so grateful to have been working with Matthew the whole time. We always felt cared for and supported, he made the crazy situation very manageable! Some of the main highlights: The different locations: With OVY, you're renting a beautiful, massive airbnb for a whole weekend. There are so many different spaces to use within their 100 acres that the options seem infinite. We used the redwood grove for our ceremony and the nearby picnic tables for a small gathering after. For our reception/ part 2, we used the lawn and porch area for the cocktail area and games and the reception hall for dinner and dancing. We used the beautiful area near a live oak tree for our first look and re-reading our vows at our part 2. We had family and friends stay in the cabins and tent space, and we used the lodge to host our immediate families. We were able to accommodate all of our guests who were interested in staying with us for the weekend! The industrial sized kitchen in the main hall (with an ice maker and walk-in fridge among many other amenities) was also available Saturday/ Sunday morning for our guests to make breakfast or lunch with the many items we picked up from Costco. And if the venue is somehow not enough for you, about 15 minutes away is the San Gregorio beach which provides a beautiful space for an additional photoshoot! Budget friendly: This venue has so much natural beauty. If you're on a budget, which we were, you can really cheap out on florals and decor because so much of this comes with the space already. We ordered about 300 sunflowers through Sam's Club (at about $1 a flower), had family/friends put them in mason jars Friday evening and we were set for the weekend. The extra twinkle lights in the reception hall come already hung up, but we brought additional "floating candles" to hang from fishing wire for a little extra magic. Highly recommend renting the bistro lights outside and the unlimited firewood. The fire pits near the reception hall continued burning well into Sunday morning after the main event ended. You're able to choose your own vendors! We contracted with a taquero (check out Vatos Tacos!) for the main meal and were so glad we did. For alcohol, we purchased beer and wine through Redwood City Bevmo, and they delivered at no extra cost straight to the venue! For appetizers, we purchased a bunch of cheeses and other charcuterie items from Costco and had our wedding coordinator's team set up an amazing grazing platter. This venue and the MOOI wedding planning staff are an amazing pair. Highly, highly recommend looking into a coordinator (specifically Saskia with MOOI Weddings!) because this venue is so spread out, and the number of DIY concepts can get a little overwhelming if you try to take it all on yourself. Even if you're "type A" and super organized, it's important to have back up so you can enjoy the weekend! Here is a professional video of our wedding that shows off a lot of the venue :) https://fb.watch/hQLyE_TtCv/ read more

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OVY Camp was an awesome place to get married. It was storming on our wedding day but it went smoothly and was still an awesome experience! Throughout the planning process Matthew (who runs the venue) was helpful and communicated thoroughly. He was always quick to respond and open to chatting. The weekend of the wedding we were supported by another camp employee, Joe. He was great and went above and beyond to support us and our planner to make sure everything went well, even in the pouring rain. We were even able to host our welcome dinner and a farewell brunch on-site. I do recommend paying for the post event cleanup (an additional $750 currently for the entire property). We did not and that would have made Sunday WAY less stressful. Lodging: I had many friends stay on-site in cabins and said they were cozy and warm even through the rain. They said some bathroom stalls were tiny but did not have any issues. They were able to stay comfortable Fri and Sat night! We also had a full lodge which was cozy and warm - a great place for family to hang and for the bride to get ready. For those who did not want to stay on-site, Half Moon Bay is close and guests had no issues coming and going to wedding events. Reception Hall and Kitchen: So beautiful - our wedding was in December and as mentioned, happened to be during the wild rain we have been having recently. The hall was warm, comfortable and provided us with everything we needed throughout the cocktail hour and reception. The kitchen also had everything we needed and was fully stocked - your caterer will love it. My father in law also used it to cook brunch for those on site Sunday and it was easy to use and work with. Ceremony: The only time it stopped raining was from 3:00-4:00pm, our ceremony time! (We had been PRAYING!) - We got married under the redwood grove and it was beautiful. Everyone loved it and we did too. Couldn't imagine a more magical place to get married than surrounded by your closest loved ones and giant Redwoods! They also can provide games and other fun things like the pool. We did pay for games but due to the unfortunate weather we couldn't use them much. They would have been great otherwise! All in all, I recommend OVY Camp for your wedding! read more

We wanted a wedding venue where we could invite children, have 2 nights there and allow people to camp (this really helps make it so your wedding doesn't break the bank for your guests!). And we knew we wanted an outdoor focus. OVY Camp knocked it out of the park, and has the following other traits that made it excellent: A swimming pool you can rent by the hour, an amazing coordinator who lives on site (Matthew) who as you can read in the other reviews, is an amazing resource because he knows the site so well and has seen so many weddings - he will freely share with you what he's seen work, and answer questions authentically. Also, maybe most important - he has a relaxed and kind energy that is so nice, as you may have heard that weddings can be a bit stressful! We got married at OVY camp in August 2022, and are 100% certain that it was the perfect place for us. Our guests gushed about what a perfect venue it was for us and for a gathering of ~190 people during a pandemic! (We did all events outside, including friday and Saturday night dinners) We used the amphitheater for a Friday night talent show, and really just enjoyed every moment. AND last but not least - your money will be going to a good cause (Subsidizing summer camp for underserved youth). read more

My wife and I got married at OVY Camp, and we couldn't have asked for a better wedding venue. OVY Camp offers an incredibly unique setup, granting you access to the beautiful site from Friday morning through mid-day on Sunday for prices that were exceedingly reasonable. OVY boasts a breathtaking redwood grove (we used this for our ceremony), a scenic amphitheater with a fire pit (we brought a projector and hosted a movie night for friends and family on Friday night after our rehearsal dinner), a sprawling field for kid and adult-friendly activities and cocktail hour, as well as a gorgeous main hall for dinner and dancing. The entire venue bristles with personality, but also invites you to make your wedding your own -- one of our favorite parts about OVY Camp was the DIY element of the wedding. OVY provides the venue (as well as a few other clutch accommodations, like tables and benches), and you supply the rest.  Matthew Lyles, our primary point of contact, is an extremely helpful partner to you throughout the planning process and the big day -- and, while he's definitely not your wedding planner, he was able to dispense invaluable tips to us that helped us to make our day beyond special. Watching the venue transform from a sunny and friendly kid's camp (still super scenic) to an elegant and fully decorated wedding destination was truly unbelievable, and an experience my wife and I will cherish forever. OVY Camp also offers on-site lodging in the form of cabins (very rustic, but a few of our guests stayed in the cabins and raved about the experience) and a nicer lodge. This unique concept enables you to offer guests a much more personal and intimate experience, and we loved it. It seems like OVY is gaining in popularity, as it should! We received overwhelming positive feedback from our guests, and our expectations were exceeded tremendously. You can't go wrong with OVY, and by choosing OVY, you also support a really meaningful cause. We are so grateful to have gotten married at OVY -- our wedding journey was incredible from start to finish, and we couldn't recommend OVY more highly. read more

My wife and I wanted a wedding venue where we could spend the whole weekend with our guests, catching up with family and friends and celebrating our love without the time pressure of more traditional wedding venues. After our first visit with OVY's Executive Director, Matthew Lyles, we knew that OVY Camp was the venue we had been looking for. First off, the ability to stay on site from Friday-Sunday truly makes for an incredible weekend where you can actually talk with your guests outside of a one minute table visit. Also, the ability to set up and decorate early takes a lot of stress out of the actual wedding day. We were almost completely done with the Saturday reception set-up by the time guests arrived on Friday. The freedom to hire your desired caterer and other vendors allows you to truly tailor the event to your tastes. We decided to go with a pig roast on Friday and paella at the Saturday reception. Those large communal meals fit the theme of our wedding perfectly and encouraged people to come together and reconnect after long times apart or kindle new friendships. The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous with a variety of options for the ceremony space and wedding photos. We personally chose to get married between two trees in the redwood grove, a perfectly shady and serene spot that I will remember for the rest of my life. Finally, Matthew is an excellent host, always there when you need him but also committed to letting your vision shine. He also is dedicated to the cause of OVY camp, working tirelessly during the wedding season so that Bay Area youths can have summer experiences that would be unaffordable anywhere else. All in all, we had a truly magical weekend and are honestly a little sad that we can't get married every year (we had numerous guests tell us it was the best wedding they have ever been to). If you are considering this venue, be sure to contact them right away as I know they will only get more popular. Happy Nuptials to all the future couples out there! read more

We just got married last week and had an amazing experience at OVY camp! Everyone there was super nice; Matthew was helpful in planning the wedding from out of state and Joe was great helping us the weekend of! Had about fifty guests, and I was extremely happy when Joe made it work where everyone could be seated at the platform redwood grove. Everyone seemed to enjoy the lawn games and bonefires for S'mores after dinner. We were able to accommodate our whole wedding party at the main cabin too so prep in the morning was easy. Great place for a wedding and to help support a wonderful cause! read more

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We had our wedding here in April 2019. It is a dream location for couples looking for an outdoor, nature-themed weekend. We loved the smell of air at this venue, its expansive lodging arrangements, and the redwood grove ceremony site. If you are a bride looking at venues, I give OVY Camp 5 stars. Lodging: We had roughly 80 people stay in cabins, Willow Glen, and tents for 2 nights. Nobody had a complaint! The getting ready wasn't an issue -- there are outlets in one of the cabins and by the bathroom cabins as well as in the pool house. We got cheap dorm mirrors from Target to put in some cabins. Locations: We utilized all OVY had to offer and had our welcome dinner at the Amphitheater by the cabins, rented out the pool on Saturday afternoon, had the ceremony in the redwoods and reception at the Main Hall. It was magnificent! Matthew: The venue host and your point of contact is exceptional. He has been helpful leading up to the wedding, talking through all the details of the venue and providing his feedback from previous weddings. He truly cares about the camp and the work they do for the kids. Pro Tips: Clean Up Crew: on Sunday, you will need to collect all trash, sweep, and clean everything so the place is ready to go for Monday. Don't be like us, hire a crew to do the cleaning. Wedding Planner: worth every penny because the venue is big and there are many moving parts. If your friends and family aren't hosting your wedding, hire a pro and enjoy your weekend. Cellphones: I had no reception the entire weekend and it was awful. I couldn't communicate with our planner or anyone. If you have t-mobile, consider getting a burner phone for the weekend or a walkie. DM me if you have any other venue questions -- we LOVED it! read more

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My husband and I chose OVY as our wedding venue and it was the perfect setting to bring our dream redwood DIY wedding to life. We got married on March 19th, the only rainy day of the month. The rain made the day even more mystical than we could have ever envisioned. We are all about supporting local, so we knew this was the perfect spot for us. There are so many magical things about this place. First and foremost, the redwood grove where our ceremony took place was beyond stunning. Everything in the grove was so lush and green, making it the perfect color palette for our vision. Our guest were blown away by how beautiful the site was and it made our ceremony even more beautiful and intimate. We loved the flexibility of the site, where you can get settled in on Friday and stay until Sunday. This allowed us to have our rehearsal dinner, bridal and groom wedding day preparations, and wedding ceremony/ reception-- all on site. Lodging-- Guests can either stay in the 24 person lodge or cabins, which can extend the wedding day to an entire weekend celebration. We had a handful of our wedding party/ family stay and they loved the accessibility and accommodations on site (showers, trails, kitchen). Matthew the director of the site, provided us with an excellent list of vendors who we ended up using for our special day. Matthew's professionalism, calm demeanor, speedy responsiveness and kindness made the weekend experience enjoyable and worry free! Another feature of the site, was the rustic and charming dining hall where our reception took place. Tables and benches are included for use for the entire weekend. The hall was a large space, capable of fitting up to 200 people. We ended up having 130 people and managed to arrange our tables in a way that was comfortable and still had space to move around. The fireplace made the space feel so warm and cozy. Also, the conventional kitchen was massive-- allowing us to store everything we needed for the weekend and was the perfect space for set up for our cater. One of the best things of the site, was that our proceeds from the venue went directly to helping to bring underserved youth to camp. We felt great that we could contribute to a wonderful cause on our wedding day!! We have no regrets choosing OVY as our wedding venue and highly recommend others to do so for your special day!! If we could, we would give this experience and venue, 1000 stars! read more

From the moment we made our first point of contact with OVY, to the moment we left the grounds after a momentous wedding weekend, OVY's Executive Director, Matthew Lyles, couldn't have been more helpful, courteous, and accurate. Planning a wedding takes a great amount of detailed work, and we really appreciated Matthew's willingness to check out anything we had questions about pre-event, from site specs to kitchen models to first aid kits. Matthew was on hand for the whole 4 days we were at OVY, to support us in any way we and our clients needed, even kindly pointing us to some great hiking trails in our downtime. The campus itself gave our clients the opportunity to create the wedding experience of their dreams. They were married among the gorgeous redwoods of the Redwood Grove, had their reception and dance party outdoors in the Main Meadow under the stars, and gave their guests a sublime poolside afterparty. Our DIY clients wanted the opportunity to work alongside their guests by literally building their event from the ground up, and OVY's campus allowed for this. We can't recommend OVY enough for the DIY clients who love nature and camping! -Tiffany & Celia UNICUS. Weddings IG: @unicus.weddings read more

OVY Camp & Event Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Gregorio, California

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We had our wedding at OVY from September 13-15, 2019. It was absolutely our dream wedding. If I could give it 100 or 1,000 stars I would. Honestly, it was exactly what we wanted in every way. When we started looking for a venue we wanted a beautiful location with a commercial kitchen (so my brother could handle all of the food), that had cabins as well as camping available. We knew we needed a large hall for meals and dancing, redwoods (if possible), and a field for games. We wanted a blank slate to do all of our own decorations and call on our family and friends to help us throw a weekend long event that would feel intimate and allow us all to get in quality time with each other. We didn't want to be bogged down with too many rules or rigid formats as it was extremely important for us to plan the event organically. We had been searching for months, and were beginning to lose hope as people began telling us what we were seeking didn't exist. Then we found OVY! We met Matthew and were immediately set completely at ease by him. Walking around the property with him we got more and more excited and overjoyed, so much so that by the end of the tour, we were ready to sign on the dotted line! We hadn't even considered the notion of finding a venue that would also be a charity. It just kept getting better. As the planning process went on over the course of the next year Matthew was always an email or call away. The guy is incredible. He is simultaneously laid back and reassuring, while being completely capable and professional. We seriously were so thankful for him we were just about ready to have him marry us. If OVY gets 1,000 stars Mathew gets another 1,000 himself, not that you can really separate the two as he obviously meticulously cares for all aspects of the property and operation. I could go on for days about it, but I'll just leave it here for now. Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions. All the best! Daniel read more

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OVY Camp is a dream location to get married for the couple looking for an outdoorsy, DIY-style wedding. The venue provides a blank canvas to set everything up just to your preferences while providing a scenic, lush setting with all the necessary infrastructure to throw an amazing reception along with a full weekend of activities. Matthew, the venue lead, is incredible to work with by providing all of the help, support, and guidance needed without ever imposing or causing any stress. He was patient with all of our questions and tour requests, including the endless list of questions from our parents as well :). We lucked out with sunny weather in a particularly wet spring, and we were able to make the most of it with the variety of spaces OVY camp provides including a vast lawn for games during the day, fire pits for day and night time bonfires, the cabins and Willow Glen for comfortable accommodations for almost all our guests, the beautiful grove for a picture-perfect ceremony, and the well-equipped Hall for the reception and to dance the night away. In all, OVY Camp exceeded our expectations, wow-ed our guests, and even had our parents impressed - it's such a magical place! We would absolutely recommend OVY to anyone dreaming of a camping-style, full-weekend of wedding fun. read more

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OVY Camp was the most beautiful location for our wedding on Feb 16th 2019. We chose the location because of the redwood grove, and all the greenery and the creek. It is so different from all other wedding venues. Every guest who came was amazed by this location. We were the first wedding at OVY for the year of 2019, and we almost got rained out of having the ceremony in the redwood grove. But Matthew was very helpful and made sure we had a backup plan if it did rain (which was going to be in the hall in front of the fireplace..) But thankfully it did stop raining for the ceremony. The sun actually came out and it was amazing. There was quite a bit of mud, but after all the rain we had you couldn't do much about it. But we had the gorgeous redwood grove ceremony that I had been dreaming of and it could not have been better. The hall was fantastic and we were able to decorate it how we wanted. I liked having basically a blank slate and was able to put my vision in place. Matthew was helpful with everything but was also great with giving us our space. The kitchen at the venue was amazing for our caterer, Chef Mark from Affordable Chef. They has plenty of room to make the dinner and then on Sunday they cooked a great brunch in there too. I highly recommend this venue since it gorgeous. Its definitely more of a do it yourself type of venue, and outdoorsy, so make sure you're that type of person. It does come with a lot of perks: having the venue from Friday-Sunday, Willow glen (where all the wedding party stayed Fri/Sat night), the Tepee's (where we stayed on our wedding night), many many summer cabins available, multiple choices for ceremony sites, having access to everything at the camp, tons of options for locations for wedding photos, and having the money you spent on the venue go toward a good cause. Overall this is a magically venue if you want a woodsy outdoor wedding that feel very intimate everything. I had the wedding of my dreams here. read more

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OVY Camp and Event Center is the best possible place for your wedding. Everyone says your wedding goes by too fast, well we had ours at OVY and had a whole weekend of festivities. The beauty of OVY is unparalleled. We had our ceremony under the redwoods with 200 people. We had dinner under string lights and dancing in the beautiful main hall. We had a campfire and our friends staying in cabins and tents on site. This venue blew everyone away. Our wedding party arrived on Friday to the Willow Glen house, which was in pristine condition and so accommodating to a party of 20 people! We spent the weekend playing drinking games, having a pool party, making campfires, roasting marshmallows, and really taking in the beautiful scenery. If you are considering OVY for your wedding, I'm going to go into detail about our experience with this venue. Our contact with the venue prior to the event was seamless, flexible and accommodating. OVY is a summer camp during a lot of the year, yet there was never a lull in communication and we always felt like a priority. They are very professional and well-versed with weddings, and also have a great suggested list of vendors that you can pick from if you would like. First, I want to compliment on the venue manager, Joe . What an incredible guy. He was very responsive and flexible, always there to answer our questions. He was friendly and happy to be there, adding a layer of calmness and joy to our special day. He knew the site like the back of his hand, and was available to help us whenever needed. However, he was also in the background, and it really felt like we had the place completely to ourselves. Next I just want to talk about the venue itself. Of course it was gorgeous, every cabin and space that we used was very clean and well-maintained. The pool was a lovely addition as the sun came out every day breaking through the fog. When we huddled around the campfire, roasting marshmallows, and talking, it was everything you would dream of. The phone service was a little spotty as expected, however the Wi-Fi runs smoothly, so it was easy to get in contact with anyone we needed. Lastly, I want to address the concerns I had going in, as you may share some of my concerns. First, I was worried it would be too much work, to hard to organize. Well I used a lot of OVY suggested vendors who had done OVY weddings before. I tell you...it was flawless. Not only were they affordable and high quality vendors, but they knew each other and the venue and worked in lock step, where I didn't have to worry about anything during this amazing wedding weekend. Second, I was concerned about the cost. All said and done, I had a weekend of activities and the wedding of my dreams for CHEAPER than the lowest price all inclusive 200 person venue you can find in the Bay Area. Lastly, I was concerned it wouldn't accommodate a 200 person wedding (with wheelchairs and five 80+ year old guests) in the way I needed. Boy was I wrong. Parking was easy, everything was accessible and elegant. As long as you don't wear stilettos, you'll be fine! To wrap it up, I couldn't recommend it more. It was the best weekend of our life. It wasn't just the people, it was the space, the redwoods, the creek, the simple elegance of OVY. If that's not enough, your venue fee goes to support underserved Bay Area youth. Their mission statement is the following "To Make Overnight Camp Accessible for All Bay area Youth. At OVY Camp, we provide youth with a safe, enjoyable, and educational summer camp experience at little to no cost; while offering character building opportunities and promoting service, volunteerism, and leadership within the community." What better way to start your life together? read more

Beautiful natural setting for any summer event. The service not great but depends on your choice of catering company

We got married at OVY Camp in March 2017 and we highly recommend this venue! The property Manager - Matthew - was professional and easy to communicate with. The space is beautiful with a wide range of options for your ceremony and reception. The rental period (Friday morning to Sunday afternoon), price, and vendor flexibility are particularly advantageous to the renter. It's truly an open canvas... *We had 140 guests on Friday for a pre-wedding BBQ *We had 200 guests on Saturday for the wedding *We had 60-70 people stay onsite (Willow Glen, cabins, tents) A big thank you to Matthew for his time and assistance throughout this process. We're grateful to have celebrated our nuptials at OVY! read more

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My daughter's wedding at OVY camp earlier this month was beautiful, fun, connecting and magical! Matthew was attentive to every detail. Mother nature had her way and rain was part of the weekend; Matthew's guidance and support in shifting plans to accommodate the rain was stellar...and truthfully the rain didn't detract from the specialness of the weekend. Part of what you get at OVY is a recommended list of vendors, including wedding planners, who know the site and have worked there multiple times; these vendors were all fantastic. Matthew is a kind, thoughtful and supportive soul who was there at every turn - though completely unobtrusive - to make sure things were going well. For anyone interested in a camp wedding, I couldn't recommend OVY more highly. read more

I cannot even get close to recommending OVY Camp enough. We had our dream wedding there, the weekend of Aug 24th, 2019. We decided to use OVY as soon as we saw it and cancelled our other previews. The setting is beautiful and the space is extremely customizable. Our friends had a blast in the camp/cabin area, and those who needed mattress beds were easily accommodated in the lodge. This is a place where you can have a complete rager (like we did) or a peaceful retreat, and everything in between. There is a commercial kitchen that is awesome and we put it to good use. The ice machine was a life saver. Unlimited wood is available to purchase and there are fire pits available to use. Matthew was incredible to work with, was extremely helpful and communicative. During the events, pool party & reception etc, that he had to be present for, he was respectful and almost unnoticeable (though we genuinely enjoyed his company). The price is incredibly reasonable for what you get, especially for a wedding, and we are even happier that it goes towards the camp and it's programs. We would get married again in a heartbeat at OVY! Tips: Hire the cleaning crew or diy. We found it incredibly easy to diy, but most of us are or have been service industry. Saved us a lot of $ and we made a party out of it. Despite how hard we went, Matthew told us it was probably the cleanest DIY. We strung up our own outdoor lights instead of renting OVY's. It proved to be a little more difficult than we thought. Saved a good chunk, but was the effort worth it? That'll be up to you. Definitely get the wood. Cell service was great for us but I think T-Mobile had issues. Stress to smokers to use trash cans. Get the pool for at least 3 hours. 2 wasn't enough, but Matthew let us extend. If you have guests that don't want to stay on site, there are Airbnb's a walkable distance. If you have any questions while planning, Matthew is on top of it. read more

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Wow, we can't say enough good things about our experience hosting a 4 day wedding extravaganza at OVY Camp in May 2021! Planning and hosting a wedding right now is stressful to say the least, but Matthew was always well prepared with the latest health regulations, was practical with us to help us plan accordingly, and overall supportive in helping us host a safe and fun event for 100 people. What drew us to the venue was the natural beauty and freedom to choose our "day". From food vendors to decorations, we had the latitude to pick who, what, how and when. The scenery is also stunning - from the large grassy field to the redwood grove and the outdoor amphitheater! We also lucked out with the weather, sunny and 80s for the end of May. If we could do it again, we would definitely select OVY camp again. It was cost friendly (relative to venues in the Bay Area), Matthew was such a helpful resource and was accessible for all our questions and concerns, and our friends and family got to spend 4 days of quality time together. read more

My husband and I had the wedding of our dreams at the OVY Camp & Event Center, located in the lush and scenic San Gregorio, one hour south of San Francisco. One of our primary motivations for choosing OVY was that we could have a large wedding (200+) in a charming setting without breaking the bank. Unlike a lot of wedding venues, OVY let us bring in our own alcohol and choose whatever caterer we want. They have a big kitchen and a walk-in fridge so you could cook yourself if you wanted too. We used a caterer, but my aunt and uncle made all of our overnight guests breakfast the next morning. We paid extra to have the facilities for 24 hours, and had around 60 people spend the night. We had guests in the lodge, the cabins, and some in tents. We even had a few people bring in RVs. We brought our own fire pit and put it on the lawn outside the reception hall. We rented hay bales for people to sit on around the fire. We saved a lot of money in rentals because OVY had dozens of tables and benches. We rented white chairs for the tables, which we set up in and outside the reception hall for dinner, but we used the benches for ceremony seating. Oh, and they have a commercial ice maker so we didn't have to buy ice. And they gave use all the firewood we needed. We never used their redwood grove but it is gorgeous. The camp director/property manager Matthew is really cool and helpful. We have nothing but good things to say about working with him. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. This place is absolutely beautiful, a great backdrop for wedding photos. read more

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Holy Matrimony, folks! Book this venue while you still can. Long story short, the Executive Director on-site Matthew is somehow both professional and accessible - omnipresent and elusive - straight-forward and flexible. We walked away from our first visit enamored as much by the gorgeous grounds as we were by Matthew's professional hospitality. We had a difficult time finding a place to satisfy our dreams and expectations - a cost effective DIY space that also would let us bring our own food and beverage, host a live band, give ample time for setup and teardown, and give our nearest and dearest a place to stay. We felt taken care of, listened to, and always well informed. The space has everything you're looking for to host a memorable day. We'll never do it again (promise), but if we had to, OVY is still our number one choice. Thanks to Matthew for all your help. Cheers! Things we found particularly helpful to rent: 4 heat lamps, radios for coordinator communication (it's a huge place!), outside dance floor (20'x20'), two sound systems (ceremony site and reception site), a golf cart for moving things (and people) back and forth, and all the battery-powered up-lights you can source. Things we didn't need to think twice about: parking, firewood (bought from OVY), the weather (it's going to be fine), bathroom restocking, kitchen (all the hotel pans and equipment you could want), bunk beds, and photo ops. It's magic. Congratulations on your special day. Look no further. Do it! read more

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Having our wedding at OVY Camp was a wonderful experience, in all ways! The property is beautiful and full of possibility. They provided the perfect setup and facilities that we needed for a setup that was a combination of DIY and vendors: tables and benches, restrooms, an incredible kitchen space, the lodge, and Redwood grove. The venue is a great balance of rustic and comfortable; the spaces are versatile, and can be left naturally or decorated in some beautiful ways. We loved that it provided the right backdrop for a relaxed, laid-back campout wedding. Lastly, Matthew is great to work with. He's clear, helpful, flexible, and willing to help while presenting clear guidelines and insights. I would highly recommend OVY Camp as a wedding or other event venue! read more

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A perfect wedding venue! Where to begin?! 1. Matthew. Matthew is the venue coordinator for both the weddings and summer camps. He is amazing. In the lead up, he was very responsive to all our emails. During the weekend, he handled everything that came up. We had an unexpected PG&E preventative power shut-off at 11am on the day of the wedding that lasted throughout the entire thing. Matthew got right on it, and somehow kept the lights on. He monitored the generators, helped get perishable items consolidated, worked with the vendors, and kept the DJ powered till the very end. He also had krazy glue when my dress strap broke! And was just a general resource for anything and everything that came up. 2. The cabins. I was worried that our guests may not be into the whole cabin thing, especially with the shared bathrooms. Some of guests weren't, and chose to sleep at home or get a hotel nearby. But a surprising number of our guests (of all ages), had fun cabin camping! Multiple people talked about how nice it was to disconnect a little and just enjoy nature (but still have a bed to sleep on). We were super busy the whole weekend, but our guests enjoyed exploring Half Moon Bay, hiking around the venue, swimming in the pool, checking out the Teepees, going into San Gregorio, etc. If you make clear to everyone it is a CAMPING wedding, I think guests know what they are up for, and will choose for themselves if staying over is their thing. (Though, even still, I did put some extra thought/stress into making sure people were comfortable and prepared for the cabins.) 3. The wedding. The kitchen is great. We used it for cooking as did our caterer, and it was a fantastic. There is tons of freezer and fridge space. We did the dinner and dancing all outside in the gravel area in front of the Main Hall because of covid. I'd definitely recommend some decor for your tables to make the gravel area look festive. I'd also recommend minimizing clutter in your set-up. However, by the evening, you really could have done nothing, and the place would look nice with the bistro lights and fire pits. Also, people LOVED the fire pits. There were times when more people were hanging out at the fire pits than on the dance floor. 4. Other tips: I think a lot of OVY weddings are DIY heavy. We were too. The plus is that you can be! Not to mention, unlike other venues, you have until Sunday to leave, so even if you are DIY, you don't have to do any breakdown on the night of your wedding. However, DIY'ing a weekend is a whole different ball game than DIY'ing 4-10pm. So just be sure you have a VERY detailed game plan so you can get done what you need done and then get back to enjoying your guests. 5. Final thoughts: We were heavily debating eloping at city hall or doing a real wedding. We made the decision to do this route, despite all the extra work, so that we could share our celebration with our family. Camp OVY really made that possible. I had time to see EVERYONE. I think a lot of couple's big wedding regrets is it going too fast and not getting to spend time with all their guests. Because we had such a chill Friday night and Sunday morning, we had a ton of time to enjoy the company of everyone who showed up, in some cases from far away. Plus, the venue was empty. It was super late on Friday night, and I was walking up to the amphitheater by myself with a flashlight, and I realized, no other time in my life have I felt safe walking by myself that late at night. But at OVY, the only people there are your friends and family (plus a skunk, 3 deer, and an owl). This means you can just relax. You can set stuff up ahead of time and not worry about things getting stolen. You can let the flower girls wander around on their own. It's a great place for people to gather. read more

My fiancee and I were set to get married here in October and were very excited but once the pandemic hit things really went south with the venue. We didn't get any communication at all from the venue until we reached out and were really never given any reasonable options. The first time we talked they told us we could either hope it all works out and that they would only give us a refund if there was a shelter-in-place order still on that day or we could move our date but we would have to not only eat the deposit we had already paid but pay for the deposit for the new date. As a result we continued hoping the pandemic would calm down and we would be good for October. Knowing we owed the rest of our deposit 3 months in advance we reached out to the venue a bit before that asking what our options were. Still they refused to really show any understanding or flexibility. We could either once again hope it all worked out (they wouldn't even give us a discount if we couldn't use the inside space - saying that was our choice...even if public health guidelines prohibited it), cancel and eat the deposit, or postpone and have to pay the new 2021 rates, which would cost us $2500 more. So essentially they gave us the option to hope it all worked out, with zero assurances or protection, or pay them more money because of a global pandemic we obviously had zero control over. I understand the unfortunate circumstances the pandemic has put them in as well but they are unfairly putting all of the burden on the clients. We had 5 other friends who were supposed to get married this year who were able to postpone without penalty. None of them can believe what OVY did to us. We decided to cancel and cut our losses because we felt we had really no other good options. We were either forced to roll the dice even further with the health of our guests, as well as with our money, or pay them even more money to postpone because of a global pandemic. Needless to say I wouldn't book this venue unless you are confident nothing will go wrong...which is hard to know these days. On top of this they tried to sell the ridiculous options they gave us as being especially generous multiple times. At one point they bragged of how their cancellation policy was better in the 2021 contract...which did not help us. They also claim that the cancellation policy in the 2020 contract which cited "acts of god" as a reason for a full refund, did not apply to our situation. They also said they would "do us a favor" and let us book a new date a little more than 3 months before the wedding yet were going to charge us $2500 more for a date next year. Part of the reason we chose this venue was because we supported the cause but were very disappointed to see that the venue was trying to capitalize on a pandemic to make more money off of their clients when we had already paid them thousands. So considering the uncertainty that still exists I would definitely suggest finding a venue that is flexible and accommodating, I know we certainly will. read more

I can only echo the great things everyone else has already said about OVY as a wedding venue. We got married there in September 2017. We were looking for a full-weekend gathering at a venue with a non-profit or social-justice orientation, and we could not have chosen better. The camp itself is beautiful, and dresses up easily with a sprinkling of florals, if that's your aim. (Will post some photos once we have some.) The Redwood Grove was a perfect location for our ceremony; the platform makes it easy to see and make eye contact with all your guests during the ceremony, which we loved. Scheid Hall comes together for the reception *beautifully* -- it really looked incredible with only a little effort. In terms of lodging, we really appreciated having the four levels for folks to spread out, as well as all the different lodging options--we had campers and families in the cabins, a bunch of folks tent camping, and had our wedding party all stay and get ready together in Willow Glen. Everyone loved it. For those not camping-inclined, Half Moon Bay is close by. We also loved the level of customization that was possible at OVY. We wanted to integrate a lot of DIY and friend-led elements into the weekend, which isn't really possible with other venues we looked at. OVY has all the basics (power in the key locations, lighting in the reception area, etc.), but it is super easy to customize your experience. We brought in a Lotus Belle tent for kids activities, a dance floor, and some additional lighting, and brought in our own caterer, bartender, and alcohol. This gave us a huge amount of control over our guests' experience. One additional note: the kitchen at OVY is INCREDIBLE and totally open for you to use. Our caterer was very, very happy with the venue, and it made food much better and easier. Our families catered brunches, and we had snacks, as well, and having the kitchen available was key. OVY is also extremely flexible on music and how late the party goes -- a few wedding champions kept our party going until about 5:30 am (we turned the music down at 1 am, and again at 4, but there was no curfew). As others have said, Matthew, the camp manager, is incredible -- he was extremely responsive to all of our questions about the site, and extraordinarily helpful and flexible the weekend of our wedding. He's very professional, but warm, and an absolute pleasure to be around. The venue is one of the most important wedding choices that you'll make -- it really shapes your experience in ways that weren't obvious to me until I did a bunch of research (e.g., how flexible is the venue on what your guests can do, and how late the party can go? can you bring your own caterer and alcohol, or do you have to use theirs?). We wanted to bring our community together for a relaxed weekend that reflected our values and our life and what we love about it, and where people could hike around and hang out and get to know each other. OVY far exceeded our expectations, and we feel like we made exactly the right choice on this super-important decision. read more

This venue is truly one of a kind. During the process of finding our wedding venue we went through multiple different locations but the second I saw this place, I knew. Throughout the process before the wedding the manager, Matthew, was beyond helpful. He was very responsive and made the whole process SO easy. We got the venue at 11am on Friday til 1pm on Sunday - most venues only allowed us 5hrs! For the cost of this place is very reasonable and there are very few restrictions, I would recommend this location to everyone I know that's looking to get married. The location itself is beautiful and once you get to put your own touch on it, it becomes even more beautiful. The venue is all DIY so if you aren't looking for that than this may not be the place for you, but why not do it yourself, then it's exactly what you want! The location provides tables, benches, fire-pits, lighting, serve ware and a gorgeous backdrop. Overall this was a great experience for my now husband and I, I don't and won't regret anything. OVY Camp & Event Center is truly such a special place that we will forever cherish! read more

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We got married at OVY camp in September 2016, and it was one of the best decisions we have ever made! People have said it already, but I'll say it again... OVY is really the best! Having grown up on the coast, we were looking for venue that meant something to us and would let us do what we wanted with our wedding. We visited OVY with specific wants and needs for a venue, and I left knowing that we would get married there! The property is beautiful and HUGE, and you get access to everything from the house on property to the cabins to the freezers to the beautiful tepees... it was like a summer camp wonderland. Matt, the manager, gave us the freedom to create the wedding of our dreams with recommendations for vendors, on how to use the space in the reception hall, and on how to manage parking and guests during the wedding. He was great to work with, answering questions quickly and letting us know what was going on! (While we were getting ready, he was completing a tour that booked one of his last available dates for 2017!) I'm not going to list all the amazing amenities available since it has been said before, but OVY camp pays for its self in spades, gives you the chance to create your own event the way you want it and has earned a special place in our heart. We are already talking about reserving it for an anniversary celebration in the future! read more

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In our search for wedding venues, we were looking for an outdoorsy place in the Bay Area that could accommodate around 200 people and would allow us to book for the entire weekend. OVY Camp was the first venue we toured and it immediately felt right- I loved that the proceeds were going to support camp for underserved youth, there was space for up to 120 people to stay onsite, and the flexibility was great for our DIY Indian/Western fusion wedding. Not to mention Matthew (the venue manager) is a saint of a human. We used basically all the sites throughout the weekend- held our Sangeet on the field, had yoga at the amphitheater on Saturday morning, did first look photos on the coast and wedding party photos next to the Great Oak tree on the upper fields, had a baraat from the main hall to the ceremony, had our ceremony in the redwood grove under a Mandap/Chuppah constructed by my brother, held our Saturday night dinner and reception in the main hall (with special dances and dessert outside in between for a room flip), and did a quick Sunday morning brunch for onsite wedding guests (about 50) in the lodge. I was worried about the space not being "nice" enough for Indian guests used to hotel weddings or some of the older guests, but many people told us afterwards that it was the best wedding they had ever been to. This venue does definitely require more work than venues with more cookie-cutter packages, and it was overwhelming at times to keep track of so many details (especially because my husband is a resident physician in NY and I was doing most of the planning), so I would say this is probably not the place if you are looking for a straightforward, easy wedding (though ours was particularly complicated). Some other tips: 1. highly recommend wedding photos in front of the great oak tree 1. the overhead globe lights provided by OVY were beautiful, but the space was still a little dark so if you're looking for a well-lit space, I would plan for additional lighting. Overall though, it was awesome and we had a great weekend! read more

My son went to the summer camp here for a week this last summer. I have to say this place is amazing. He has been to quite a few summer camps in the area and this was his most absolute favorite of them all. The staff here is amazing. They really enjoy working with the kids and the cost for camp is more than fair. read more

This is hands down the most beautiful and magical location for the best price in the Bay Area. The fact that you can rent this wonderland for an entire weekend for slightly more than renting a building in SF for the afternoon is phenomenal, and on top of that you are supporting the cause of providing sleep-away camp to low-income kids. Why wouldn't you!? We got married here in May 2018 and used the space for an overnight camp-style wedding, with Friday night buffet style dinner, Saturday morning ceremony on the field, Saturday night movies and karaoke in the dining hall, and Sunday picnic. It was everything we wanted and more. The camp site area has plenty of space for tents and a bunch of cabins for guests, as well as a large bonfire area. Everyone who stayed overnight seemed very happy and comfortable. There is a small building for close family with a living room and kitchen which was a wonderful hideaway for a quiet moment, and for us to get ready before the ceremony. There was enough parking for everyone and there were hikes all around the property that our guests could enjoy. Plenty of space with the feeling of close community! A special shout-out to Matthew, who has the patience of a hilltop, answering our and our parents' questions quickly via email and in person. It takes a special set of skills to handle non-profit orgs, stressed out fiancés, and their families all at once. I can only hope that he might leave the chocolate factory to me one day. read more

We got married in October 2018 - OVY camp was an amazing place to get married! First of all, Matthew was such a great person to work with. He was so helpful, had great ideas for the wedding, and has such calm vibe. We loved the flexibility with OVY, the beautiful surroundings, the fact that our friends could stay onsite for the whole weekend, the large kitchen, the fire pits, all the different areas to have events... everything was great! We were looking for a venue where we had a lot of flexibility and could do everything ourselves. It was great to have the venue for the whole weekend so we didn't have to rush and clean up everything on the wedding night (plus it is such value for what you get!). The other great thing about having an event at OVY is that the proceeds go to the kids at the summer camps. We can't recommend OVY enough! read more

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Okay, so this really should have been written months ago, but better late than never right? I husband & I got married May 24th 2014. We rented the camp for a weekend and it was absolutely delightful. Matthew was a pleasure to work with. He was very flexible and any requests we had (within reason) he was on it. This is seriously THE BEST place to get married. The redwood grove is a tucked away hidden gem which we used for our ceremony site. However there are plenty of other places you can use on the site for this. They're are multiple meadows: one with a totem pole, one with wigwams and one with a pool! Not to mention there are gorgeous hiking trails on the property, each feeling like a different ecosystem. Theres oak trees, spanish moss, ferns, pines, redwoods and even an area that feel Lord of the Rings esq.. NUTS! We had our reception in the main hall and then moved 1/3 of the chairs and then danced inside as well. Outside we had the bar under a makeshift canopy with cocktail tables and next to that a bonfire area with benches. Most of our wedding party slept in the main house, while other guests stayed on site either in the cabins or under the stars. All in all I can't recommend it enough. Feel free to contact me if you have other questions! For catering we had Aurora Catering. They are absolutely fantastic. Really detail oriented, which was a huge help because we didn't have a wedding planner. Such amazing people, crazy flexible and the food was delicious, just like the tasting. read more

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My husband and I got married at OVY Camp & Event Center and it was absolutely amazing! We chose this venue because it was affordable, had space for many of our guests to stay, had indoor and outdoor spaces, and we could rent it out for the entire weekend! It also has great facilities including a commercial kitchen that we used to cook our rehearsal dinner as well as a big brunch the morning after the wedding. On our wedding day, we had our ceremony on the field beneath beautiful trees, our cocktail hour on the porch, and our reception inside the barn-like hall. Since OVY has a more flexible end time than other venues, we were able to truly enjoy ourselves during the reception without at all feeling rushed. We were able to choose our own caterer and bring our own alcohol which helped us stay in our budget. We had all of our immediate family stay in the Willow Glen on the property and most of our friends camped or stayed in rustic cabins. Matthew, the camp director, was incredibly professional, thorough, and helpful throughout the entire planning process. It felt great to have the wedding of our dreams and support this important educational non-profit organization at the same time. I highly recommend getting married at OVY! read more

OVY Camp & Event Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Gregorio, California

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It looks like lots of people have already said what I am about to, but given how wonderful this venue is, I don't think it can be said enough: OVY is the best. We just had our wedding here in October and couldn't be happier with how it turned out. The property is beautiful and offers so much freedom to create the wedding you want. Being a summer camp kid, I wanted to keep that feel throughout our wedding and OVY made it very easy to do just that. It has the rustic camping feel we were going for, while also being very versatile to our needs. On top of this Matt, the property manager, is super laid back and immensely helpful. Whenever we had a question, he was quick to respond with info, vendor recs and past experience. We highly recommend OVY for any and all event needs and plan on using them in the future for our next big camping event. read more

When researching potential wedding venues, the reviews for OVY were outstanding. Now, after our wedding in early April of 2019, we can second those fabulous reviews! OVY was a wonderful venue for our weekend-long wedding gathering, and we loved having the option for our guests to stay on site with us. For those who wanted something a little more luxe - Half Moon Bay is only ~20ish min away. The natural beauty of the place is incredible, and it's wonderful to have various spaces on the property that can be utilized. The commercial kitchen was amazing for the meals that our friends/family prepared there. In addition, we couldn't have asked for a better experience working with Matthew. He was an excellent communicator, responsive to our ongoing questions and very helpful with problem-solving. He offered suggestions based on what he had seen work and was a great balance of hands-on when he said he would be (ie helping w parking on wet ground) and hands-off when it came to all other things. In addition to his availability and responsiveness, Matthew's kind and calm demeanor was always refreshing during the sometimes stressful planning moments. We couldn't have been happier with our choice to have our wedding at OVY. We were glad to support OVY while doing it, and Matthew helped make a stressful production as smooth as could be! read more

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Best wedding weekend ever! My wife and I had our big weekend at OVY Camp on August 16-18, 2019. It was everything we could have hoped for. The very first time we visited OVY, we had a feeling it would be perfect for us. From the beautiful rustic dining hall to the ceremony site in the towering redwood grove, every aspect of the property spoke directly to us.  A few more things of note:  The site coordinator, Matthew, was responsive, helpful, and generally great to have around throughout the whole process.The venue can accommodate 100-150 overnight guests (BYOBlankets and pillows), so tons of money is saved on hotels, etc. The accommodations are rustic yet picturesque, a perfect halfway point between full camping and "boujie" yoga retreat. The "Lodge" was perfect for our older guests: 24 beds, 2 big bathrooms, and a full kitchen and living room gave them just the right level of comfort and privacy. The full commercial kitchen at the dining hall (separate from the lodge) makes it really easy to coordinate affordable group meals for guests staying the whole weekend.Walk in fridge is perfect for storing food, beer, champagne, and florals! The variety of settings and spaces offers basically infinite flexibility for planning: We didn't even officially use the amphitheater, for example, and barely utilized the BBQ area near the redwood grove. We might just have to plan another wedding ;). The venue is literally 5 minutes from some of the most beautiful coastline in the country, perfect for photography.The venue itself has amazing photo settings as well. There are several quaint little fishing towns within short drives that make for good exploring during free time. Pescadero and La Honda in particular are well worth checking out. Saturday morning yoga under the oak trees at the teepee meadow was a huge hit, as was a couple of hours of pool time in the late morning. The bride and I rented a camper trailer and parked it by the teepees for our accommodations, and it was absolutely perfect. Note that they allow only 2 camper trailers or RVs per weekend, and there are no sewer connections, so you have to pump elsewhere afterward. We had our water tanks full when we showed up, but I imagine we could have filled up there from a hose. (Check with Matthew on that) All in all, it is pretty hard to explain what a great experience this was. We have been hearing ever since that it was "the best" or "the most fun" wedding ever from all our friends and family. OVY provided a perfect canvas for our big weekend, and the people we love painted a masterpiece. After dinner, we set up the band and a dance floor outside between the dining hall and the sports field and had the best dance party of all time. The bride crowd surfed. I bloodied my lip. It was PERFECT! (Crowd surfing and bloodied lips are completely optional, I'm told) There was one minor hiccup on Saturday involving the plumbing at the bathroom near the dining hall, but Matthew was so on top of it, including ordering a backup port-a-potty if he couldn't fix it (which he did), that the bride didn't even know about it until I told her on Sunday. Matthew is on site full time during the events, and hence never far away if he's needed. Before we left on Sunday, family and friends were already talking about a 10 year wedding camp reunion, or even a 1 year. I think it's gonna happen. We can't wait! read more

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The OVY camp was a magical place to have our wedding ceremony and reception! We had the entire property to ourselves and got to spend 3 wonderful days at the venue without interruption. We could choose to perform the ceremony at any of the beautiful spots on the property, and we chose the gorgeous redwood grove. It was so peaceful and perfect for our number of guests. It was so nice to have no time or noise restrictions at the venue and we celebrated late into the night! my husband and I rode off together at about 12:30am and enjoyed every minute with our friends and family. We got to bring in our own caterer for the wedding day, which was nice! We also enjoyed using the space Friday for the rehearsal dinner and cooking our own big meal in their awesome kitchen!! They have a big oven, large fridge and plates/cutlery. Everything you need to cook for a bunch of people. It was fun to be in an intimate setting out in nature for the rehearsal dinner. It was also a perk that we could bring in our own alcohol! And they have a nice machine! Everything was fun and easy leading up to the big day as well. Matthew is so great to work with and really goes above and beyond to accommodate his renters. He has helped with many weddings and had a lot of great suggestions. He is also open to new ideas and does his best to make what you want happen. It was an amazing experience from beginning to end and we would recommend this venue whole heartedly! I can't put into words how perfect it was for us as well as our families. Thank you Matthew! We will be returning to the OVY camp for a reunion one day! read more

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