My now husband and I got married on June 20, 2026. If I had to choose one word to describe the day, it would be "fairytale." The empress staff was nothing but caring, professional, and supportive throughout our entire booking. We booked during our tour with Zoe back in February 2025, and he was very detailed in his explanation of the venue to us. Zoe also worked with us during our first planning session, and he explained everything thoroughly, gave us advice on what would be best for our budget, and helped us make the best choices for our day. Kim has a heart of gold and is the kind of person who makes you feel like family the second you meet her. We would talk with her at some of our tastings and communicate with her via phone and email. We had our final in-person planning session with her, and she listened to every fine detail we wanted added and made sure they were in our banquet order. We also added on a day-of coordinator, and thank god we did. Alexandria is a gem; it felt like she was in five places at once, always with an amazing attitude. She decorated our arbor and made it perfect, she coordinated our other decor items and made it look phenomenal, she was quick to adjust to last-second changes, she worked seamlessly with our other vendors to help the day run smoothly, and she helped perfectly execute our vision and made it a day we will never forget! The culinary team did an amazing job; the food was delicious. The head chef came out to check with us personally during the wedding to make sure we enjoyed the food, and we also saw him at a couple of tasting events, checking with guests, which shows how much care he puts into making sure the food is up to standard. The bartenders were very friendly and personable, the wait staff was quick and efficient, and a few times we have come to the venue to see the landscaping team working tirelessly to keep it looking beautiful! Many of our guests raved to us about how much they loved the location, the venue, and the food. Overall, our day was seamless, magical, and perfect in every way we could imagine, and we have everyone on the empress team to thank for that. read more

My husband and I chose The Empress Estate for its beautiful setting and the promise of an all-inclusive package. While the grounds are undeniably stunning, our experience was unfortunately marred by significant food service errors, frustrating logistical constraints, and a persistent feeling of being nickel-and-dimed at every turn. The Aesthetics Of The Venue: (4/5) The main reason we booked this venue was its beauty, and it did not disappoint. The grounds are gorgeous with multiple ceremony sites, providing a great backup plan in case of rain. We loved the open, airy feel of the chateau for the reception, and the dedicated parking was convenient. The all-inclusive nature for basics like linens, plates, and forks was also a helpful starting point. The Food: A Tale of Two Disappointments (Tasting: 1/5, Wedding Day: 2/5) This is where our major issues began. Food Tasting & Cake Mix: Our concerns started with the paid food tasting sessions ($20/person). The food was underwhelming, with dry chicken and overly sweet chewy beef. We later discovered why the cakes were so disappointing: my in-laws found a large box of empty, store-bought cake mixes (including Betty Crocker and Great Value brands) on the premises (photo proof available). For a venue claiming to have a professional chef, this was shocking and a huge letdown. Other couples we spoke to also mentioned inconsistent food quality across different tastings. Wedding Day Meal & BEO Errors: Hoping to salvage the meal for our guests, we paid to upgrade our entire package to the Prime Rib. While it was an improvement, the meal was still mediocre. More importantly, our confirmed Banquet Event Order (BEO) was incorrect: Wrong Entrée: We ordered the Tuscan Chicken specifically because my mother-in-law dislikes mushrooms. According to their own menu, the dish is described as: "Baked tender breasts of chicken marinated in basil, olive oil, and garlic, topped with Tuscan sauce with bell pepper, onion, and basil." No where does it mention mushrooms. We were served Chicken Marsala instead, which contained mushrooms and was not what we ordered. Wrong Cake: We had multiple conversations about our desire for the Earl Grey cake, which was confirmed on our BEO. We were served Champagne cake and only told after the wedding that Earl Grey was "out of season"--a critical detail that was never communicated to us beforehand. To make matters worse, when we contacted the venue after the wedding about these errors, they refused to take accountability. They were adamant that the chef had followed the menu, despite the clear contradictions from our previous emails. They even recalled (deleted) a previous email which states that Earl Grey cake was out of season and that we were served the Chicken Marsala. We had already seen the email and have a picture of it. This disappointing response and refusal to acknowledge their mistakes only compounded our frustration. Staff and Communication On a positive note, the venue manager, Kim, was extremely polite, responsive, and helpful throughout the planning process. The day-of staff were also very friendly and attentive, even boxing up our leftover cake for us. They also brought us drinks before the wedding started, which was a nice touch. The Cons: Frustrating Policies, Hidden Costs, and Upsells Strict Timeline: The rigid 3pm-10pm timeframe is non-negotiable without a $500 fee. This rushed our setup and forced our reception to end by 9:10 PM to meet the 10 PM cleanup deadline. Mandatory Fees: Be prepared for significant, non-negotiable fees: a 20% "Staff Charge" plus an additional 5% "Staff Gratuity" are automatically added to your bill. Alcohol Package: The drinks were weak, served in small cups, and the selection was limited to basic options. No Child Discount:We were charged the full adult price, including alcohol, for two children. Numerous Upcharges: The venue charges extra for the preferred ceremony site ($500) and for taking photos in the mansion ($300-$500), which feels like being nickel-and-dimed. Outdated Suites: The getting-ready suites are functional but dated, with poor lighting and old furniture. Coordinator Upsell: The "all-inclusive" package does not include a day-of coordinator, which costs an additional $1,480. Cleanup: We had to clean up our own ceremony flower petals, despite paying a mandatory staffing fee. Final Thoughts While the Empress Estate is a beautiful property, the operational side of our experience was deeply flawed. The failure to deliver on our confirmed food order, the use of store-bought cake mix, the venue's refusal to take accountability, and the rigid timeline with constant upcharges left a sour taste. We cannot recommend it without serious reservations. If you book here, be prepared to triple-check every detail on your BEO and factor in the extra costs for the time and features you will almost certainly need. read more

The Empress Estate - Tuscan Chicken taken from their menu which doesn't state mushroom. Our meal had mushrooms - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Woodland, Washington

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Our wedding was a dream at the Empress estate! The staff was so attentive and everyone helped to make our day the best it could possibly be from start to finish! We had such a great experience and the Tuscan chicken was delicious! Highly recommend this venue and food especially! read more

The Empress Estate - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Woodland, Washington

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The Empress was an unbelievable wedding venue! Since we knew we wanted to have a very romantic, forested area for our wedding, narrowing down locations in the Pacific Northwest was set up to be a challenge. But from the start, the Empress had so much included in their wedding packages that it made them an easy first option. Every step of the way, we kept reiterating that we knew this would be the right choice for us. The planning sessions were helpful, especially early on if you're not sure where to begin. Kim was truly our light in the darkness as we navigated planning our wedding celebration and creating alternate plans for any weather issues or technical delays on the day. In fact, we did have (unrelated) issues with our celebration and as soon as the team at the Empress knew about it, they went above and beyond to help our bridal party problem solve so the day continued smoothly. read more

I was recently part of a wedding here and other than the physical setting it was disappointing. The food was really bad, and the cake was just ok. The apps were far far better than the meal. Which most of us couldn't eat. They also gave a very small window for on site work pre and post ceremony. They also get pretty excited about their cat. Which is cute I'll admit. But gets into the party pretty aggressively and isn't always friendly. The staff was also lack luster. Other than their bartender they were Not very friendly or happy to be there. The road is also unimproved and unlit. So it was a bit hairy to get in and out. read more

I wish I could leave zero stars I would rather have food from a 7-Eleven gas station food was plan and simple gross seems like they cook it in a few days before the welding. And if u want to bring your own food only one dish is allowed and they charge five dollars per person serving fee Poor management read more

The Empress Estate is an absolute picture perfect wedding venue! From the mansion to the grounds and scenery. We couldn't have picked a better place to get married. Our wedding coordinator and event manager Sarah Villanueva was very helpful in answering all our questions and helping us plan our beautiful wedding. She provided us with options and made us feel comfortable throughout the process. On the day of our wedding, we were a little nervous but Sarah and her staff helped our nervousness fade away. Everything was taken care of and we could just focus on our love. After the wedding, we checked into the mansion and the owner greeted us with a fire. This allowed us to extend our beautiful day and cap off our evening.  Finally, we would like to thank The Empress Estate for making our dream wedding come true. Cristy and Paul Miller read more

Be aware of the owner before booking this venue. Rude, dishonest, combative and arrogant just to start. Extremely hard to get a straight answer out of even for simple yes or no questions. It seemed like whenever I had a question for my day of coordinator (his daughter) he would butt in and give my wife and I the run around making it difficult to plan. read more

Weird vibes in the mansion. Made for a strange night. The beds were unmade in most rooms and bugs all over. Sad because I think they just need more staff for how big the house is, possibly just more turnover days to get place spick and span before next party arrives. read more

We had our daughters wedding at the Empress Estate. It was absolutely stunning. The food was delicious. The staff were professional and helpful. Zoe the owner did a great job. Zoe made sure everything ran smoothly and on time. Thank you Zoe for helping make our daughters wedding beautiful! read more

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So starting at the beginning, our first visit was right after they finished the chateau so Stevie was really excited to show it off to us and let me say it is beautiful up there, After we finished the whole tour we had definitely decided to pick them as our location for the wedding since everything was just so gorgeous. Which led to picking packages and signing contracts, everything was nicely laid out and explained in depth after Zoe got some details about what we were looking for. Once we left that afternoon we were really clear and happy with our choice. Reading through other reviews on here I kinda get the feeling that some people don't know how to interpret contracts, a huge majority of places have non-refundable policies regarding large events, to be honest, so this was not even remotely a thing that hit our radar. Next up were the planning sessions where we got to sit down and plan out the menu, as well as certain decor choices each time they were really organized and had a clear plan for what was to be accomplished at that meeting. We also went to one of the tastings so we could ensure that our food choices were good, and let me say the food is amazing especially when you consider that a lot of catering places kinda phone it in for large scale production (all of our guests were raving about the food!). Now fast-forward to the actual wedding night. We had a HUGE issue in that the person bringing my Husband's suit was about two hours late, once we told the venue what was happening Ambree and Zoe jumped into action to rearrange and make sure that our guests still had a great time while we were waiting on it to arrive. Ambree did a great job of keeping me in the loop as to what the plans were and what was going on downstairs since I had to stay up in the room. Their flexibility and quick thinking definitely made it so we were able to still have a beautiful wedding. Everyone on staff that night really went above and beyond which really helped ease all the anxiety I was having about the delay. If anyone asked me if I would recommend The Empress Estate I would say yes in a heartbeat, I can't imagine our day without the help and support of everyone involved that night. read more

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THEY WILL CON YOU. My husband and I came here for a tour, Zoe the owner advertised everything as all inclusive and a one stop shop making things easier for us. He quoted us original during the tour of $9,000. Seems totally reasonable for a wedding right? Well that was not the case. After our first deposit and wedding planning appointment with him he more than doubled the cost and so got an updated contract in my wedding portal he set up for $21,000!!! There were tons of hidden fees. He charges an additional 20% to every service listed. Literally, even a sparklers send off. Neither this or the tax is ever included I. His quotes or before he has you sign the contracts. THAT IS NOT THE WORST PART. He had moved my electronic signature from the original contract to the updated contract without my consent. When I had brought my family over for a tour he bragged to them that he moves signatures around to make things easier for the bride and groom. Completely illegal. We put a deposit down at the end of January and made 4 additional payments. It is now early March and I have not planned a single thing for my wedding because it has made me so depressed. I even had to get a second job just to bring in finances we losing from it. Oh! And our original all inclusive food package was $5,000 for 120 people, can you believe the food tasting was not free or included?! He kept saying he would send me the information for the tasting and I did not get it until the day before and I already had a family event to attend so a couldn't make it. It doesn't include a DJ, Florist, photographer. So those were extra costs we knew we would have to pay for. My DJ and Florist and Photographer have all worked the event location and had terrible experiences there and confirmed the service is not worth what you are paying for at all! I have asked for a REFUND on the grounds of illegal conduct and he refuses to refund what we have spent though no services have been rendered. It also has only been a month and a half since I originally decided to use this venue. I am given no other option than to take him to ARBITRATION and COURT for this matter if necessary. He also advertises his b&b overnight as all inclusive and a separate fee and makes you pay it all $1,900 for six rooms for one night upfront(yes the entire amount) as non refundable. However whenever I go on air bnb and search those dates, it shows his b&b is available for the night I paid for. He posts payments late and doesn't keep original documents. Oh and a family friend is having their wedding here as well and once we told them to look over their details again, they saw exactly the same thing we had seen. Sadly they sent out their invitations already and are stuck with the venue but everyone's wedding experience has been ruined here. read more

Came for a tour and the tour guide was More informative than some of the other venues we've looked at. She cared about her vision and it was nice to see the staff in action for a wedding that day. We are booked and can't wait to start planning! read more

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE RESEARCH BEFORE YOU GO HERE! They have MULTIPLE complains through the better business bureau. On their website they advertise all inclusive packages but when I sat down with him, he said that's "a whole separate thing" Why advertise a price that you don't offer? Everything was an add on and extra fees. The owner was also incredibly sexist and seemed to hate brides. When I asked to rent the estate for two nights he said, "You can't rent it the day before and I refuse to deal with brides for more than one night. Especially their mothers." He made multiple negative comments about brides and his own wife. He was so distracted by the IRS continuously calling him. He also won't allow any outside venders because it's "too much of a headache" The sticker prices are all absolute lies. The BBB reports say that couples signed a contract online and they illegally update the prices without your concern and keep the signature. Honestly it made me terrified to keep looking at venues because I figured everywhere was just a scam. It seems his staff and friends are updating Yelp with fake reviews as well. read more

Be the princess Getting married in a Castle..my daughter did. Empress Estate Woodland Wash.. beautiful scenery, catering, details taken care of for every bride and grooms dream wedding. Proud mother of the bride. read more

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We had our wedding a the empress state I have to say it was perfect, all inclusive has been the very best thing, it was all in one spot and The staf were amazing It was absolutely perfect thank you read more

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Just 1 of the many beautiful places for the ceremony at this venue this is a beautiful property for a wedding, but if by chance there is rain they can easily relocate to there beautiful covered deck. read more

This place is beautiful but the owner Zoe is an awful person. I don't have enough time to write all of the horrible things he did but what I will say is anyone who will not provide a table for kids to eat when the wedding has already started is an awful person. We had 5 kids at the wedding that were being served pizza, my daughter told me they don't have a place to eat, I found the owner and asked him where were the kids table that we agreed on? and he said no we cannot have another table and walked off. Luckily the young lady helping us said she would get one for the kids. My guest told me how rude he was to them as well. The food is not good so you will sacrifice on the food that is over priced. This place is beautiful but the owner needs to sell the business and find something he enjoys doing because weddings is not it. read more

There's more good than bad to report for this venue and its staff. I think my husband and I put a lot of effort into making sure our communication with the staff was pleasant, concise and consistent, which may be part of why we had a better experience than some. While I don't think that work should have fallen on clients, I will say that those in the wedding industry have been dealt quite a difficult task since 2020's ever-changing series of Covid-related regulations and safety standards. With that said, here's my thorough review: Our wedding in May 2021 was beautiful, Stevie took care of everything, and Zoe was there communicating with us to make sure there were no strings left untied. They made adjustments quickly as the weather didn't allow for our Plan A, and the Plan B in place was gorgeous. All the waitstaff members were professional and friendly, and they abided by the current Covid rules. Guests were very happy, and so were we. The areas where we were less-than-thrilled: (1) A lot of turnover in wedding coordinators, as we began with one who sold us on the place and ended up with one who seemed to resent her job (2) The price, which seemed steep for just the venue and food package (3) A switch made without my consent regarding serving alcohol via a very expensive bar during the reception and (4) Some difficulties in getting the venue to coordinate with our photographers/videographer prior to the big day. The areas in which my husband and I were most satisfied were (1) The venue itself, which was beautiful and made things so pleasant for guests (2) The timing and coordination on the day of (3) The communication on the day of, and the pleasant demeanor of the staff (4) The DJ who regularly works with The Empress (DJ Melvin, who is fantastic and accommodated our nerdy musical tastes). My advice to people getting married here: If you are wanting to be either very hands on or extremely hands off, don't get married here or maybe wait until Covid is a bit less intrusive in our lives. I don't think this place is staffed with enough people to bend to every whim. If, on the other hand, you just want your guests to have a good time celebrating with you and your spouse--and you want a beautiful location and great photos of your special day so you can relive those memories, then the Empress Estate is worth checking out. Just make sure you communicate well, and don't hesitate to call rather than relying on email alone as your primary communication method. Look over the contract well and ask questions at the very start if anything makes you nervous. The majority of venues in Washington and Oregon are similarly priced (or higher), so it's really imperative to find a good fit for your families/guests, not just your "vision." For our large families but otherwise trimmed-down guest list due to Covid, this was the perfect place. Weddings are a ton of work, but the Empress Estate staff really made the majority of that work pleasant and smooth during an otherwise stressful time! read more

We had a tour for next Saturday but we thought it was this Saturday but they didn't confirm it or made clear that it was for next Saturday not this Saturday. However the wedding planner told us we had to come back next Saturday, but as we were planning to leave the wedding planner told us that the manager, Zoe, was here. She didn't see his "car". She didn't know he was there which is weird. He went to meet us and told us he just woke up (it looked like he did). So, you sleep here? Or you live here too? He also told us he had a meeting at ten. It was 9:40 when we showed up and entered at like 9:45. At like 10:20 he sent us upstairs for "five" minutes to look around. So, that tells me that you were 20 minutes late for your meeting? We waited for like 30-40 minutes and he was still at his meeting. I don't want someone to be late for my wedding, or be so unprepared and do things at the last minute. That doesn't really give me a whole lot of confidence that my wedding will be perfect, planned right and everything will be exactly how we want it. If you couldn't do a tour for us today, it really wasn't a problem to reschedule, or have us come back in an hour or so. He also told us at one point that he would give us the venue for "free, and than charge for other things." Sounds fishy. There was construction going on the back, which was something we didn't really want to deal with. He said he had a plan B for everything, and I think that's really smart, but it makes me feel like that there were problems that happen quit recently and he has to have a "plan B" for everything. Makes me feel like my wedding is not going to go how we want it. When we talked and asked questions we never really got a straight answer and it was hard to hear and understand him. The place is very pretty, lots of options and for the most part everyone was nice, but a little pushy. The catering is super expensive (see email from them below) I'm really glad we were able to get a tour but this place is not for us. read more

The Empress Estate - The catering is expensive and we even told them that we are only planning to have 80 people at our wedding. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Woodland, Washington

Absolutely stunning! The Chateau is beautiful and I am so glad we picked it! Sarah was an amazing planner!!! So grateful for all they offered in our all inclusive wedding!! read more

Rude, combative, attitudinal, hostile, arrogant, confrontational and just all around unpleasant owner and staff. BAD energy all around. Please believe the other reviews and proceed with caution. Good luck! read more

I have dreamed about my wedding since I was little. The empress estate was perfect Sarah, Ramsey, and the owner Zoe we're so nice. we had our wedding in the mansion. It was absolutely beautiful, thank you for helping me have my fairytale wedding!! read more

Went to a wedding here and got charged double the amount of drinks we ordered from the bar. We bought other people drinks but not 33 drinks!! No receipt was available until I got the receipt emailed to me. Male bartender was rude and kept working without his mask on during Covid. read more

Zoe and his staff have it together when it comes to a great venue, great food and great service. Nothing was missed and plenty was customized per our wishes for our wedding. When you drive up to the place, you're not sure what to expect as it's set well back off the road. Once you cross the property line though, it's beauty takes over. Whether it's the castle-like residence (where our wedding party stayed over night) or the three-tiered landscape where we were able to host the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. I don't have the best words to describe, check out the website, or better yet take the trip out to Woodland and see for yourself. Thanks for hosting an awesome wedding, Zoe! read more

My husband and I chose the Empress Estate for our wedding in October of 2019. Everything with the Pandemic happened and we had to reschedule until October of 2021. Throughout the stressful and unpredictable time, they promised that our big day would happen without a hitch. And it did. Zoe and the rest of the staff were wonderful to work with. They were reassuring the whole way along, and had great communication with us. When our wedding day came our expectations were exceeded. The venue itself is stunning, the staff made it a breeze and stress free for us and our family & friends. The food, cake, and drinks were exceptional. The serving staff were so professional and kind. Our day was truly magical and more than worth the wait. Thank you for everything and we recommend any engaged couples to tour the Empress Estates! read more

The Empress Estate - Outdoor steps at night in fall, very romantic - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Woodland, Washington

My husband Jason and I got married here in Aug. 2019 I have been dying to write a review was just waiting on my amazing pictures!! I always dreamed of having my fairy tale wedding and The Empress Estate was the place that made it all happen!!! From the first meeting with Zoe we knew he would make our dreams come true and him and his team did that and more!! The grounds are beautiful the food is amazing the staff is top notch !!! Our wedding day was picture perfect from start to finish! The Empress knows how plan and execute a perfect ceremony and reception. We went though the day not at all stressed knowing that our wedding planner (NICOLE - seriously best ever!!) and the whole team there was always one step ahead making everything run beyond smoothly ! I would recommend The Empress to any and all who is looking for a wedding venue!!!! -Jessica Thorkildson read more

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BEWARE COUPLES CONSIDERING THIS VENUE: I am writing this review because of the overall experience we had with Empress Estates and hoping to help others going forward with the heads up before you sign a contract! I will start with the ridiculous NO REFUND policy regardless of timing or circumstances! Beware Bride & Grooms, any money put down is NON REFUNDABLE regardless, even when you cancel 14 months out on a Saturday in the summer & Zoe tells you they have a waiting list until fall of the following year! (Knowing they filled this with a waiting list of brides the moment I cancelled) Zoe, the owner was unrelenting in his policy and will keep all the money! It's not a matter of re-booking your date at that point, but rather pure greed on the owner's part for not having a refundable timeline in his contract! Outside of the policy, the communications were terrible at best! From the early inquiry on the website with no answer, to waiting unattended for over an hour past our appointment "tour" time. The wedding coordinator, Katie, left after 3 months of planning with her, leaving very little details noted. When we came to the food tasting event, the staff were uneducated on the food they were serving and appeared very unpolished and unprofessional despite their uniforms. Overall in the first 4 months, we had lost trust that our wedding would be handled professionally. We tried to look at the positives as the Chateu reception and grounds were well kept and beautiful, but the lodging accommodations & the management put us over the top. The location is remote and the Empress Estate interiors are very dated and the carpets appeared dirty and worn, thus it was not an option for us to stay here. We looked around, but Woodland only had a Best Western and local Motel Inn's, Kalama had the new McMennamin's but it was a far cry from the Elegant grandeur of the estate theme and required all rooms be paid up front. Travelling into Vancouver, was about a 45 minute commute on a Saturday evening & a very long trip for your guests travelling after an evening wedding. Overall outside of the unprofessional experiences we had early on, along with the logistic challenges of finding surrounding lodging, we decided to cut our losses and move on from this venue. Be Aware that Zoe wants to be involved in controlling everything from how many drinks people are served to how many cocktail tables you need! Also Be Prepared to Travel as well as having your guests travel for lodging needs! read more

Absolutely gorgeous venue! We're so glad that we chose it over any other option we had. Zoe went above and beyond to make our day extra special. My wife and I were both amazed how much effort he put into it to make it perfect. Zoe accommodated all of our special requests for details and cultural preferences. We got everything in writing on the Empress planning guide and we stuck to the plan. Everything went very smoothy during our event (Zoe and Stevie were around to help out when needed). We are still waiting on our professional photos, but the attached photos show a glimpse of just how amazing this venue really is! Best day of our lives! We received great reviews from our friends and family and we will definitely recommend this venue to anyone who is interested. Huge thanks to Zoe and the Empress team for making our dream wedding come true! PS: We were initially concerned about some of the negative reviews but we've personally had a great experience. After sitting down with Zoe, we've learned he has very extensive experience with weddings and he gave us a lot of great advice beforehand to make sure our wedding runs smoothly. If you show respect for the venue and the owner Zoe, you will have a blast! TIPS: #1 Prepare a solid plan with your future spouse & the Empress wedding coordinator. #2 Get it in writing on the Empress planning guide #3 Trust the Empress team to make it happen #4 Don't change things last minute #5 Have fun, and if it's not perfect, enjoy the day anyway! :) - Max & Anna Bondar read more

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WOW! BEAUTIFUL! Me and my family have been moving into another home and we are just exhausted. My husband planned a special retreat for me and him. Boy did he do it right with this place! As you drive in, you're not sure what to expect, but just wait... The wow factor will hit you! The couple that own the Bed and Breakfast are here to help, talk to you and all around be especially pleasant and helpful! Wonderful people! I can't begin to thank them for the hospitality they showed us. We left with new friends and can't wait to come back! The home cooked breakfast was amazing and so well done. I feel so spoiled! read more

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This was one of the funniest weddings I've been a part of. Great location and beautiful venue. They were flexible and supportive with the whole day and helped us bridesmaids help the bride! The food was delicious and healthy. A 5pm wedding was Perfect as you got the sun on the estate and a beautiful view and then the lovely lights as evening comes on. The honeymoon suite was perfect for getting ready. I know the bride was pretty happy with the whole event! August 2015 wedding read more

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Great venue for my daughter's wedding. Zoe and Stevie were very nice. Nicole ( coordinator) was the absolute best. Anna and David Erwin had a wonderful wedding. The rainy weather stayed clear for a beautiful outdoor wedding ( 4/6/2019 ). read more

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Had my wedding at the Empress Estate this summer. The venue is beautiful, but the staff was lazy and the management was less than impressive and condescending. From the beginning Zoe was talking bad about the photographer we selected. The food tastings are a joke if traveling from Seattle. They will prepare a couple of dishes and make you return to the venue to try additional options at their open houses. It would be nice to have a private tasting, or a complete menu available during the tasting. Commuting 3 hours each way from Seattle for a 15-20 minute tasting was exhausting and not worth it. Note, the venue expects you to come down for multiple tastings. On the wedding day, the staff did not do what we were lead to believe they would. They sold the venue as a turnkey package, that would include a wedding planner, and staff (his children) to set up everything. The tables were set up incorrectly when we arrived and they refused to make the corrections and were less than helpful. If it wasn't for our family and MC, it would have been a disaster. Overall, they over sold and under-delivered. Now that I have left a less than stellar review for the Empress Estate, I am expecting a snide review from Zoe similar to the other poor reviews. If I could do it again, I would spend my money elsewhere. read more

Thank you so much for making our wedding day so amazing and the best day of our lives! It really was like a dream come true, and everything was perfect. Thanks Zoe read more

The owner turned our dream wedding into an absolute nightmare. I'm just going to make a numbered list of everything that was terrible about the venue: 1. No Communication 2. Owner will tell you anything you want to hear and then tell you "If it's not in the contract, I either didn't say it or I don't care." We were told that since we were getting married in January that we could have our ceremony at 4PM instead of 5PM. Lies! 3. Cancelled our date. The owner said we were on an automated payment plan (another lie) and after the second payment didn't come out he cancelled our venue by sending us an email with a note "I think you guys mentioned that you wanted to cancel..." Honestly that would have been the best for us had we just walked away from it. 4. Rehearsal: We were told that no one would be there to assist and that we would just have to figure it out... (The venue said we would have a wedding coordinator and everything is turn key, LIE) 5. Our day of wedding coordinator was absolutely terrible. No coordination nothing went to plan. We missed the bouquet toss, the sparkler send off, the garter toss, and more! 6. The food was TERRIBLE. For $84 a head you would think you would get high quality food. The owner, Zoe, told me that he gets his food at Cisco or 'wherever is cheapest.' The order said it was prime rib but it was a clearly a cheap roast. Even the chicken was awful. The folks in attendance were NOT picky eaters but I got numerous complaints after dinner. $84 is more than most high end stakehouses... Note that I'm leaving out ALL my COVID related issues. I'll just say that nothing was communicated and we were once again continually lied to about the circumstances. I'm in the process of taking several other actions against this business. Nobody should have to deal with what we did. Wedding are stressful enough. The last thing you to deal with a lying, slimy, rat of a business owner. read more

Our wedding was beautiful! Zoe and Stevie are amazing people to work with. Every detail is customized: set up, tear down, food, colors; only to be complemented by their amazing staff. Their beautiful daughter helped our young ring bearer get over pre-ceremony jitters. Our photographer (Jeff Allen of Orion's Eye Photography) was a recommendation as a preferred vendor from Zoe and Stevie. Jeff truly is a master of his craft and a amazing person! The house officiant (Karen) took so much time and thoughtfulness in writing the ceremony, including our back story in a fashion that brought the crowd tears of happiness. Empress estates is a truly amazing venue, and should be the only venue ever considered for weddings, group functions, or tastefully fun parties. It will surely set a very impressive back drop to any occasion, the immense beauty of the estate plus the well organized and detailed staff bring care and love to each detail. The Empress Estate have not only made another couple very happy with the services and ceremony provided, but have acquired patrons for life !! Cheers Zoe, Stevie, Karen and Jeff! read more

The Empress Estate - Tuttolomondo wedding - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Woodland, Washington

The empress is a gorgeous venue! We loved that we could pick where on property we wanted our ceremony. Staff was very responsive and helpful throughout the whole planning process and the day off. Staff puts you first on the day of the wedding, they make sure you eat and have drinks. So helpful in such a stressful day. read more

Information for future couples: This venue is definitely beautiful and has great potential for a fantastic wedding celebration. However, there are numerous things that prevent it from being that. We originally had our wedding planned for Saturday, July 25th, 2020. Due to COVID-19 we decided it would be best to reschedule to the following year. Unfortunately no summer weekends were available and we had to settle for our new date Thursday, July 22, 2021. Even though we had originally paid a weekend price for the event, the venue made no accommodations to adjust the price to a Thursday event, which is less expensive. The "treatment coordinator", Rose, was assigned to us to help out during the planning. She had an attitude the entire time which made us uncomfortable, even unwelcome, and made it very obvious she doesn't care about wedding coordinating. Definitely not the attentive/sharp/caring coordinator you're looking for. During our chain of emails, I reminded her multiple times to change the "no champagne" to "yes champagne" since we wanted to toast. She reassured us champagne will be served during our toast, only for it to NOT happen. She never even corrected the contract!! To make things worse, the owner of the venue then pulls out the contract in the middle of the wedding to prove a point that we didn't want champagne.. extremely unprofessional. Thankfully our friends took over the situation and handed out the drinks quickly for the toast, but it was an absolute unnecessary chaotic situation, which could be prevented had Rose done her job. Rose had also reassured us that our centerpiece candles will be lit during cocktail hour by the venue staff to be ready for reception , she failed AGAIN to communicate that to the team, hence NO candles were lit. My friend and her father had to scramble and take care of it. Pure negligence. We had about 180 guests, and the venue KNOWING that number, still only had ONE bartender and ONE dinner buffet. There were excessive long lines for both, which again, could be avoided. When we addressed it with the owner afterward he said "we have never had a wedding this big so we didn't know". You knew the guest count!!! We were taking photos during cocktail hour so we didn't find this out until later but apparently the servers took control of the appetizers and barely served the guests! the guests were restricted and not allowed to eat as much as they wanted! Very cheap!! This applied to the dinner as well! The owner also kept pushing the DJ to lower the music from early on and all throughout the night, which was irritating. We had a lot of cultural ceremony decoratives which we had hired workers to pack up by the end of the night, looks like they left a box or two by mistake, and the next day some of the items were found in the venue trash by my husband. Luckily a worker was kind enough to show him the items. However, there are still lots of large items missing and I would like to go through all the trash, but my email requesting that is getting ignored!! We have expensive items missing! the emails regarding Rose not doing her job are not being acknowledged either. Figures! Our gut feeling was right all along about them not really caring about the couples. Out of all the unprofessionalism we witnessed, treating us like this after the wedding is almost expected. Even if you are SURE our items are not there, have the decency to at least acknowledge our concerns and let us come search anyway!! What a shame that we paid this amount of money for a venue that is CLEARLY not about making the couples have a peaceful/stress-free night. There is some MAJOR lack of communication between the staff and owner and a lot of negligence which costs the couples unnecessary stress on their most important night. We are baffled. read more

What an amazing experience we had! Truly the most accommodating, friendly, welcoming, and professional staff. The venue is absolutely beautiful at all times of the year, and the staff is extremely prepared for any sort of weather change in a matter of minutes. Zoe was immediately welcoming & wonderful to work with, and helped to explain everything to us every step of the way. Reasonably priced, all-inclusive, customizable packages - we so appreciated only having to coordinate with 2 outsourced vendors!! The food was -delicious-, the bartenders were friendly and professional, and the clean up crew was so organized, efficient and kind. The getting ready experience was one of the most memorable parts of the day; Sarah was hands on & made sure we had snacks, bubbles, and anything we needed! Our day-of coordinator Alexandria was hands down, -incredible- in every sense of the word. Because of her expertise, the day flowed effortlessly without a single slip up; I had even forgotten my flowers up in the balcony, was literally walking down the aisle, and the -second- I turned the corner, she appeared with them out of nowhere and placed them in my hands. (I'm not kidding, it felt like a movie experience). My wife and I truly couldn't have dreamed of a better experience for our wedding. Thank you, Empress Estate! read more

Had my daughters wedding at the Empress Estate on August 14th. While the venue is beautiful coordinating the event with Zoe and Rose was not a pleasant experience. They are both rude and very unprofessional. We brought our own wedding coordinator because Rose was so non responsive and rude! The wedding party arrived at the venue 15 minutes early and Zoe initially refused to let them in. Be aware of the add ons that really hike your price which is not worth the money. We upgraded to cheese and meat platter for the social hour and each guest received one piece of meat and one piece of cheese and the dinner serving size was just as bad. Very over priced and not worth the money! read more