The Secret Garden is a great option for couples seeking a more affordable wedding venue. We ultimately decided against this venue because our guest count felt a bit too large for the space. While it would have comfortably accommodated a smaller wedding, a party of 150 seemed likely to feel cramped. My communication with Kendra through The Knot was efficient and responsive, and Christian did an excellent job touring us through the venue and preparing our final quote. =PROS= *Ceremony site centered around a charming gazebo, complemented by natural elements such as a towering tree, flower pots, and a picturesque hanging swing *Included feature wall perfect for signage, backdrops, or neon displays *Reception space featured high ceilings and an elegant, neutral aesthetic *Packages included tables, linens, and glassware, with upgrade options available for different styles and colors *Large inventory of complimentary decor, including signage, draping, and string lights *DJ and coordination services included *Complimentary engagement photo session and discounted wedding photography *Affordable in house catering with flexibility for outside vendors *BYO bar option available *Free photobooth included *Discount offered for cash or check payments =CONS= *Parking area was somewhat hilly and may be challenging for elderly guests *Bridal and groom suites were small and noticeably dated, with furniture showing significant wear *Bathrooms, particularly the men's, felt informal and somewhat resembled those found in elementary schools *Some of the greenery appeared wilted and lacked the lushness shown in promotional materials This would have been an excellent choice for a wedding closer to 100 guests, but it felt like a squeeze for our anticipated attendance. Ironically, the venue's strongest selling points were not the garden itself, but rather the extensive planning support and complimentary services included in the package. The greenery was pleasant but not especially striking, so couples may want to allocate additional budget toward florals and decor to elevate the space. read more

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My husband and I could not have imagined a better wedding experience and we are so grateful we chose to have our special day at the beautiful Secret Garden! We got married on December 14, 2024 and it was the most beautiful day we could have imagined! We booked the venue over a year in advance and throughout the entire planning process, the entire team was so available and responsive. As the day approached, we met with our day-of coordination Laura and she was truly amazing!! She helped me create the day of my dreams and was very prompt in responding to any of our concerns. She helped bring our vision to life and I am so grateful!! The very inclusive experience at The Secret Garden was also so helpful. We ended up going through our own food vendor for BBQ for dinner, but everything else was seamless and really helped ease the wedding planning stress. The photography and videography team was so amazing and captured our day so beautifully. I still cry tears of joy looking at our pictures and videos from the special day! :') The DJ services provided were also amazing and we couldn't have been happier with DJ Jason Lyons! Overall, we could not be happier with our experience at The Secret Garden. It was worth every penny to marry my best friend at such a beautiful place surrounded by everyone we love!! :) read more

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We got married at The Secret Garden Las Vegas snd I truly cannot put into words how magical the experience was--but I'm going to try. From the moment we started planning, Shannon (our wedding planner) was nothing short of exceptional. I had such a terrible experience at another venue and when we made the decision to change venues to Secret Garden, she metaphorically took my hand and turned planning into the BEST and MOST magical experience. She made what is usually (and had been) a stressful process feel effortless, organized, and honestly... SO much fun! She's upbeat, enthusiastic and clearly LOVES what she does, which makes everything feel exciting. She anticipated needs before we even knew we had them, handled every detail with precision, and made us feel completely taken care of the entire time. Not only that, she made us feel special, seen, heard and adored. Her magical energy made the whole process feel like we were planning our wedding with people who cared for us like family! And, every visit to secret garden -before, during our ceremony, and after to pick up decorations - she greeted us like we were family! We felt so welcome and so special. On the day of, Cheryl (our wedding coordinator) brought everything to life seamlessly. She was calm, kind, incredibly on top of everything, and made sure every moment flowed beautifully. She even put bandaids on my bleeding feet and helped sew my ripped dress. I never once felt stressed or pulled in a million directions--she held the entire day with such grace and professionalism, which allowed us to actually be present and soak in every second. And, the whole time it felt like she was going above and beyond to make sure we loved our day. And the vendors... WOW. Every single one exceeded expectations! The DJ Harry O was AMAZING! He even captured photos for us and sent them to us after the wedding. He was such a delight. The efficient made sure paper work was taken care of effortlessly. But, my favorite detail of all were the decorations and the flowers! Vanessa and her family who have been doing flowers for generations are AMAZING! They were beyond stunning--elevated, romantic, and even more beautiful than I could have imagined. The arrangements felt like they were pulled straight out of a dream and completely transformed the space. She went so far above and beyond to make my vision come to life. Truly unforgettable. This is a family owned business and it feels that way from start to finish! What stood out most is how above and beyond everyone went. This wasn't just a "service"--it felt like a team of magical people who genuinely cared about making our wedding perfect. Every detail, every interaction, every moment felt thoughtful and intentional. If you're considering getting married here--do it. This team delivers not just a wedding, but an experience that feels magical, seamless, and deeply personal. We'll be reliving this day forever read more

I'm here to echo all of the rave reviews for the Secret Garden at Rancho Santa Fe. Reading these reviews gave us a peace of mind in finally choosing the Secret Garden as our wedding venue last month. The Epic Events Group truly made it the best day ever! From the wedding planning meetings with our coordinator, Laura Capone who was knowledgable, communicative, and had an answer to every inquiry we sent, she always had our back. To the Epic Events Studio team, our main photographer, Ella, second photographer Victoria, and our videographer, Kolya who captured all of our favorite moments and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera. To the catering team, Eco Caters, who partners with the Secret Garden to provide delicious and reasonably priced food and drinks for our big day. Everyone was a professional and got the job done the day of. In retrospect, the Secret Garden was the best decision we made in planning our wedding. Their all-inclusive package was the primary reason why we chose them, but it was the people who are a part of the Epic Events Group that made it above and beyond our expectations. We didn't have to worry about anything on our wedding day. We highly recommend the Secret Garden for your next big event. You won't regret it! read more

The Secret Garden - Set up for our ceremony - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rancho Santa Fe, California

We LOVED the secret garden. Laura (our coordinator) made our day so seamless and easy. They take care of everything for you. I didn't care that much about certain parts of the decor and Laura did such a good job thinking of things that I didn't. We really had the best time from the DJ and photographers who we used through the venue- it was all so perfect! We highly recommend this venue to anyone getting married in San Diego read more

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My now-husband and I got married at the Secret Garden in June 2024. The experience was everything we could have hoped for. Jerri Disney is a flower vendor recommended by the venue, and she was INCREDIBLE. We wanted to go all out on flowers and she went ALL OUT. It was everything that I had pictured/hoped for and more. The venue looked like a dream by the time she was done. We also worked with the venue's incredible coordinator, Laura, throughout the year leading up to the wedding and on our actual day. The few meetings that we had with her were all that was needed for her to make sure that our wedding had everything that was important to us. Throughout the time leading up to the wedding, it was so easy to communicate with her and she was quick to respond and provide suggestions wherever we needed. On the wedding day, she was attentive & effective, not to mention super positive and energetic. She helped us maintain our wedding timeline while also making sure that we had fun. She made our day so special. We came in on the day before the wedding with a ton of supplies/decor (too much stuff) and when we got there the next day, it was set up perfectly. We added so many personal touches that our guests loved. The price is SO reasonable, especially compared to other venues. Our day was absolutely perfect and we are so glad we found the Secret Garden. read more

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We truly couldn't have asked for a better wedding venue experience. The venue was absolutely beautiful, and the team made the entire process seamless and stress-free. One of the things we loved most was how inclusive the package was--our DJ, photographer, bartenders, day-of coordinator, and planning meetings were all included, and every single vendor was phenomenal. From our very first tour to the day of the wedding, every interaction was filled with kindness, professionalism, and genuine care. A huge shoutout to Drew, our incredible day-of coordinator, who kept everything running smoothly and helped us feel completely at ease. We are so happy we chose this venue. It was everything we dreamed of and more--easy to work with, inclusive, and full of amazing people who truly care. Highly recommend! read more

Epic Events did an amazing job photographing our wedding. They were professional and could handle our large family including our 7 nieces and nephews. We needed direction while posing and felt very supported and encouraged by them. They also helped make our photo sessions quick but effective so we could also enjoy the party. We got our sneak peaks back within a week and are already so happy with our photos even though we haven't gotten all of them back yet. read more

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This venue was perfect for us. The garden and inside space were beautifully lit on our wedding day. Eco Caters and the Epic Staff were extremely communicative in the months leading up to the wedding, offering in person or virtual meetings. We can't speak highly enough about the quality of the photography and video provided. The food was delicious (thank you Eco Caters). Kimberly our day-of coordinator took good care of us. Thank you Epic team! Dallas & Rachel read more

Very nice venue, excellent staff, excellent food. You have to park on the street, so you're figuring for a spot, so just arrive early. 10/10 would use it again. read more

Went to a wedding on Sunday, 5/11/2025. The venue is nice. The building and the grounds are in great condition. The food was good. Parking in the adjacent lot and the street was convenient. A major disappointment was the blasting of the music during the reception. Even though the DJ was asked to turn the volume down, the request was ignored. It was difficult to carry on a conversation with the person next to you, let alone with others at the same table. read more

We came to the Secret Garden over the weekend for our dear friend's wedding. Let me tell you, what a lovely and beautiful venue! The hall itself is beautiful with very high vaulted ceiling. They have a pretty big outdoor area for cocktail hours that has tons of tables and chairs, lounge places. My friend's wedding has two beautiful llamas during the cocktail hour, I heard it was an add-on option from the venue, how cool was that?? The wedding party catered food and services from another restaurant so I can't really comment on how their service here. But bathroom and the venue itself were very clean and beautiful. It is also located in a very enchanted and quaint little town. I would recommend this for small intimate wedding! read more

The Secret Garden - Last min of the llama! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rancho Santa Fe, California

I'm so thrilled we chose The Secret Garden as our wedding venue. Not only is the venue beautiful, the staff made planning much less stressful. Shoutout to our Coordinator Laura! She was amazing. Always answered my emails in a timely manner and guided us from start to day of. They connected us with catering, photography and the DJ. All which were WONDERFUL. I can't say enough great things about this venue. read more

I had my wedding here and let me tell you, 10/10 recommend the secret garden. Epic events so outdid themselves. Laura our wedding coordinator was absolutely phenomenal. My wedding was everything I could have ever dreamed of and more. Seriously, I am so happy with this place. From the photographer Mike, to our videographer, to our DJ Shaun. I'm like in AW with how amazing it was, seriously. I couldn't be more happy. Thank you guys for giving us the most EPIC wedding!!! read more

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I had my dream wedding here 08/03/24 and Laura (day of coordinator) was amazing!! I worried about nothing because of her! I had so much fun, the venue was amazing and the execution of everything was flawless! Mary was amazing as well getting everything we needed done when it was needed! Thank you for such a magical day! read more

We had our wedding here a couple of weekends ago and it was absolutely perfect and stress-free. Not only is the venue itself beautiful - it has (as the name suggests) a beautiful outdoor garden and a well-done indoor space, but the staff here truly go above and beyond in a way that sets this venue apart. We went with a package that was mostly all-inclusive - we only had to choose between two florists, buy our own alcohol, and get dessert, and the venue still had suggestions to help us with each of those tasks. Everything else was managed by the venue and this took away basically all of the stress of planning. Laura deserves a particular shout-out. She is truly amazing at her job, and seems to do it all with kindness and compassion. She ensured that everything we talked about was executed perfectly and we didn't have to worry about decorations, timeline, or any logistics on our wedding day. Do yourself a favor and use this venue! read more

This post is long overdue, as I got married just over two years ago. But now, I'm helping my friend plan her wedding, and I keep on reminiscing about my wedding day so here goes! I loved getting married at the Secret Garden - it was absolutely perfect. Christian and his wife, Julie, were so warm from the beginning and practical as well. Jerri, our florist, is incredibly talented and made these beautiful arrangements for our wedding. Daniel, our architect and coordinator, was calm, cool, and collected. He ensured that everything ran seamlessly on our actual wedding day, despite having quite a few vendors (see below) to deal with on the day of. The team really went above and beyond to make my husband and me happy on our wedding day and I couldn't have been happier with the venue. What really sold me was the degree of flexibility they allowed so that I could carry out my vision for the wedding. I'm a litigator--and a bit of a control freak--so I really wanted to take a hands on approach to my wedding and do a lot of the design myself (plus, it's fun). This entailed using many outside vendors--even though this was totally unnecessary--for table cloths, chargers, goblets, napkins, etc. I also made my own food/bar menus, table markers, seating chart, etc. (with the help of Etsy and Alphagraphics). In addition, I wanted a bar with the wine/hard liquor that my (now) husband and I like specifically. In other words, I wanted a highly customized wedding without having to deal with the expense of a wedding planner, and the Secret Garden was my blank slate. The team at the Secret Garden totally ran with it, unlike most other venues I considered. The end result was even better than what I dreamed. Of note, I had my rehearsal dinner and after party at the Inn (the Azalea lawn and Library, respectively). The Secret Garden and Inn as my two venues really "meshed" together perfectly--to the point where guests thought the Secret Garden was an extension of the Inn. I highly recommend this approach! read more

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We just had our wedding at the Secret Garden in January, and it was everything I hoped for AND MORE. I toured quite a number of other venues in Orange County/San Diego, but the all-inclusive factor is what really drew me in. I currently live in Boston, but it was so easy to plan with the team while being remote. The entire Secret Garden / Epic Events team is amazing! I loved working with all of them - Laura, Mary, Kristina, Brian, and others. I know they're super busy with many people's weddings, but they really make you feel like you're ~special~. We had our food catered with Eco Caters, which is something I was SUPER nervous about. My family can be really picky about food, so I was concerned about how they would react to it. Turns out, they loved it so much they even ate all of the leftovers that was packed for us. We had so many compliments from guests on the food! I also loved working with our main point of contact Christine. There are a couple small details I'd change about my wedding if I could redo it, but having it any other venue is definitely not one of them. read more

HIDDEN GEM. I had my wedding here in December of 2022. From the moment that we sent an email to the venue I knew they were the one. The professionalism that they provided was truly amazing. The upfront costs and all questions answered in such a timely manner was what initially pulled us in. Meeting Christian was another story. He was remarkable, we did not feel pressured at all and he really connected with us on a personal level, listening to what we were looking for. To be honest, on our search we only looked for a venue that was all inclusive. We only had one requirement. This one was that and so much more, the beautiful garden setting had natural greens. The gazebo really popped in our ceremony photos, and my favorite was the reception room. The elegant chandeliers coming down from the high vaulted ceilings and the all-around such a majestic scene. Of course, we couldn't say any less for this hidden gem in Rancho Santa Fe. On top of this, we worked with such an amazing team. We felt the love, and the care with each individual that we met. Christian was the initial person, then we talked to Mary, we met Bianca to do the first meeting. SHE WAS SO FUN! Made us feel really comfortable and gave us so many pointers. We have never planned a wedding before and she really put us on the right track. Then we used the provided caterer ECO Caterers, Christine was so informative and made sure we were taken care of. The food tasting was so filling and delicious. Our guests loved the food. We went with the crab cakes and pork belly apps, braised brisket and blueberry chicken, and then mac and cheese and grilled veggies. Our fun and lovely bartenders! Our guests really enjoyed the beautiful concoctions in their cups. During our final meeting we met with Laura, she really got down to work and finalized everything. From insurance to final décor and extra vendors, she made the last month really easy for us. And of course on the day of, we were so excited to see both Bianca and Laura there greeting us. It really made the whole process come in full circle. The day of our wedding, it was not what we had envisioned ...it was SO SO MUCH BETTER than what we had in our minds. Thank you so much for this once in a lifetime day that you provided for us. I am so blessed to have walked on this path with the EPIC team at the Secret Garden. And we cannot forget our amazing photographers Brittanee and Brian. They captured our laughs, tears, and love in such a spectacular way. I loved that they caught all the candid shots between my husband and I, and our guests. I would 200% recommend this venue to any couple! We had made many appointments all over San Diego and Temecula to look at other venues and this one closed the deal! It was all inclusive, and most importantly we were stress free. The pricing was outstanding compared to a lot of the other venues that we saw. We did bring in a few outside vendors and everything meshed perfectly. The whole process was so smooth and easy. A million THANK YOUs to your team and I wish you only a more prosperous future in your business of making dreams come true! read more

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We had our wedding at The Secret Garden in October and couldn't have been happier with our venue choice. Their pricing is great for being a SD wedding venue. Their grounds are beautiful. The staff is SO friendly. If you are looking for a more SD budget friendly, stress-free planning, beautiful and unique wedding I cannot recommend The Secret Garden enough. I tell all of my friends who haven't gotten married to HIGHLY consider this venue for many reasons. What makes the Secret Garden different from the rest? - They are basically an all-inclusive venue. This makes wedding planning an EASE because you don't have to coordinate a bunch of vendors, they do the work for you!!! The only "outside" vendors we had to get was a bakery, but I made our wedding cut cake so that made it easy! We also chose to use a videographer but they have preferred vendors to work with and we chose BE Studios and couldn't have been happier with Billy. We chose to have live music at our ceremony so we also had a harpist at our wedding, but again, they are so easy to work with having another vendor there was a breeze! - The venue itself is BEAUTIFUL and is easy since you can have your wedding ceremony and reception in the same place. There's plenty of parking for guests so that makes it convenient. They also are open to you bringing your own decorations, which is different from many of the venues we toured in SD. Even though the venue is "all-inclusive" you still make your wedding YOUR OWN and they don't have cookie cutter, boring weddings with no special details from one to the next. You get your wedding your way and at a beautiful venue - Pricing. The base package includes everything you need for a beautiful wedding. They don't nickel and dime you or have hidden fees!! We did opt for some upgrades including 2 photographers, extra photography time, extra florals and the farmhouse style sweetheart table. All worth the small extra charge. What's the planning process like? - EASY. After booking your wedding you get emails right away from the whole Epic Events team. You get a planning timeline. You get all the information about catering, photography, sound/music, florals, and coordination. You get a sample wedding day timeline, what to expect in the planning process, and a list of preferred vendors. - TIMELY. The whole planning process was timely and I never felt stressed or that things weren't happening fast enough. Everything flowed perfectly. I hardly felt stressed because I knew Christian, Julie, Dana, Mary and Daniel had a hold on everything. What is the included coordination like? - We had Daniel as our wedding coordinator and he was PERFECT. He truly helped bring our wedding vision alive and did not miss a single question in our first main coordination meeting. What we liked about him was how he was relaxed he was about wedding planning. While it's a big/serious event to get married the "wedding industry" has commercialized it so much to make it such a stressful thing, but Daniel takes that stress away. - On the wedding day we had rain! What? Rain? In San Diego in October?!? We couldn't believe it either, but Daniel made sure that everything worked out seamlessly, despite the unexpected weather, and he made sure we got our outside dream wedding. How about the other contracted vendors? - FLORALS. I cannot say enough amazing things about Jerri Disney. We had THE MOST beautiful wedding ever because of her creative floral vision. We told her we wanted a fall wedding, filled with sunflowers, wild flowers and very bright but natural looking. She NAILED it. Check out our photos, it's something wedding dreams are made of. - CATERING. We were very impressed with our tasting for our catering for the wedding. Only downfall was that our beef meal was not as expected and not as we had originally tasted but we also know there are beef shortages right now and the caterer can't help that, they did their best. We were so happy with our choices for the rest of the meals/appetizers. - PHOTOGRAPHY. Like the florals, I cannot say enough great things about the photographer. We opted to have 2 photographers and it worked out beautifully. They didn't skip a beat and were already done with the dress shots and venue shots before I even arrived to the venue!! They jumped into action with the rain as well and we are thrilled with how easily and well they worked with our videographer too. - MUSIC. Our DJ was great! We honestly let the music fall a little to the wayside and didn't plan that part well. However, even with our lack of planning our DJ stepped up his game and played wonderful music for us. We didn't have a traditional reception so we couldn't have dancing, we just had a nice dinner under the lights for our reception but he played the perfect music!! We only gave him a small amount of artists we liked and he somehow made connections to other artists and songs we may like and played them. We were very happy with his choices! read more

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Initially, The Secret Garden was a top contender for us. Their pricing looked fair, and based on pictures, we liked the aesthetic of the venue. Over email, they were also extremely communicative - something very important to us in our venue search. As we live in Santa Barbara, we had to make a special trip to come down to San Diego county. We inquired about a Sunday in February, and they let us know that there was an Indian wedding, but we could come at 8am to receive a tour. We were up for it as it was Super Bowl Sunday anyways so we could be home in time for that. We drove three hours to get there at 8am. We arrived at 7:52. The wedding was already being set up. We let the people setting up know we were there for a tour, and they went to go get Laura. Laura gave us an 8 minute tour. During that time, she also went and got herself coffee. Laura also talked with different workers setting up the wedding while giving us the "tour." We did not have her attention in the slightest. She gave us a very quick walk through, but did not ask us any personal details nor asked us if we had any questions. We were back in our car before 8:05am after driving 3 hours. Now, I want to clarify: I completely understand that the couple's wedding took precedence. We understand they were setting up, and they did tell us ahead of time there was a wedding that day. We knew they were accommodating us by having a tour on the same day as a wedding. However, we did not expect to feel pushed out the door. We felt imposing and not welcome whatsoever. We just wish that The Secret Garden would have been honest and said it was not a good time for a tour. We would have preferred to simply work with them to find a different tour. The Secret Garden was our top choice, but we left immediately saying no by how poor of treatment we received. We were very disappointed as we were hoping to be done with our venue search after seeing this location. Considering this venue costs ~$23,000, we would have liked a little more than 8 minutes time. The venue itself is beautiful. The one issue is that it is right against the street and you likely will have cars driving past during your ceremony. It is definitely audible, and you can definitely hear the drivers from where the ceremony is. I did email the team privately to let them know this feedback, and they apologized profusely. I do genuinely believe that they didn't intend for us to feel the way they did. That said, I think it is important for potential couples out there to know the treatment we received. Communication is essential for us in our venue hunt, and we want to feel so secure in the venue we chose. This location simply missed the mark. Take my review with a grain of salt as well - as you can see on here, people have left plenty of reviews boasting about their experience! I just wanted to provide you with my fair and honest experience as well. read more

Wonderful ceremony and reception space for weddings! The space is private and has beautiful plant life read more

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(12/2021) My husband and I chose this venue because of the garden setting and intimate space. The outside of the venue didn't disappoint and was gorgeous day and night. Overall, our experience was fine but there were a few things that could have been done better. Staff: When we signed on, we were told that the planning process would be smoother and easier because the venue was run by an event company and used exclusive vendors, but that was not the case. There was disorganization, a lack of proactiveness and general confusion surrounding details of my wedding leading up to it. Despite the fact that the venue uses exclusive vendors, I had to ask for all of the vendor contact information and reach out to them all on my own and repeat details of my wedding. It was no different than if I had just hired them all myself, except that I didn't have the benefit of choosing them. The venue team did not always respond timely to my emails and sometimes gave me contradictory and/or incorrect information. I complained to the owners about the lack of organization and while they were nice about my feedback, they indicated that their team was experiencing high volume due to covid rescheduling, so it didn't really change anything. I was disappointed that after I complained, they assigned a day of coordinator to me who appeared to be a new employee. Despite taking notes during our meeting, when we corresponded after the meeting, he got a number of details wrong. I was assigned a new coordinator, which I welcomed but that was only confirmed a week before the wedding. Jazmine was my day of coordinator and she did a great job. She was detail oriented and a good communicator. I did end up hiring an outside day of coordinator to help out because I felt like I needed someone to be my eyes and ears, who could answer any questions that Jazmine's team had, and who could assist me with anything I needed. Caterer: Eco Caters was great. I thought the menu options were a bit unconventional at first glance, but worked. We went with apps: burger sliders, chicken and waffles, and the home made ricotta with veggies; mains and sides: braised beef, stuffed bell peppers, jambalaya, market veggies, and mac n cheese. Guests loved the less conventional food and made a point to comment to us about how good it was and that they went back for second. The food was delicious at the tasting and even better at the wedding. My catering coordinator, Christine Sheffield, was also proactive in reminding me of dates and deadlines and responsive to my emails. I would definitely work with them again. Florist: Jerry Disney is hands down awesome! She works SO hard and is SO cool and calm under pressure. The florist who worked with her quit right before my wedding so she called me and had to get caught up on what I wanted since my floral meeting was with her associate. I was concerned because I never got to actually meet her before the rehearsal date and I was looking for bright vibrant florals -- not the boho look that is so popular right now. She nailed it. I loved my bouquet and all of the florals. Photographer: Photos were really important to me and I would have appreciated a more personal experience. I disliked that I never got to have a meeting with my assigned photographer before the wedding so I wasn't able to have a conversation about what I wanted to capture. Although I did send her a few emails, the process was very rote and impersonal feeling. That said, the photos turned out better than I expected. I enjoyed the romantics that were taken but was disappointed with the reception photos especially since I paid extra for a second photographer. I would have liked to see more composed group shots of my guests versus so many random shots where people had food in their mouths or were talking to each other and not looking at the camera. Also, most of the reception photos were taken in the indoors when it was dark and just aren't very nice. I was told that evening photos outside were discouraged because of the lighting but that was terrible advice. The venue is GORGEOUS at night and there is ample lighting outdoors. The few photos I took on my cell phone outdoors turned out great and are my favorites compared to all of the ugly indoor photos. We had a beautiful Xmas tree inside since we got married in December. The photos near the tree look terrible because of the dark brown/green curtain the background and general darkness of the room. DJ: Easy to work with. Cool guy. Enjoyed our meeting with him. He did a great job listening to us and balancing that with reading the room. Our guests had a good time. Overall, the event went well, the venue was pleasing, and we were happy with our wedding and the vendors. read more

I cannot put into words how grateful I am to The Secret Garden RSF for making my wedding day perfect. Jerri our florist, I didn't have to say much at all and TRUST her. She can see your vision before you do and she made my heart drop by the beauty of the flowers, decor, and staging of our day. I was in tears when I arrived. Sydney, our day or coordinator has perfected her craft and we got to savor the moment and enjoy every minute because of her. The best day of coordinator! Jen, our photographer was amazing! From our engagement shoot to our wedding day. She caught every detail. And was so sweet to all our guests. Bartenders knew what they were doing and the drinks were on point! I had them put tea roses in my signature drink and it looked so elegant. Eco catering had our food hot, ready, and delicious. No complaints' Christian was walking around making sure everything was perfect. I know how much it takes to guarantee a smooth event and The Secret Garden could not have made it more perfect. I would do it all again in a heart beat. Will repost the official pics when I get them. TRUST! Go with this place you will remember it forever. read more

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I just got married at The Secret Garden this past weekend and I can't recommend this venue enough!! What sold me on this venue was the hoop swing and the all inclusive package that made wedding planning a LOT less stressful. The package included chairs, tables, linens, florist, photographer, in-house props, DJ/emcee, and coordinator - such a great price for all these essentials. :) Everyone at The Secret Garden/ part of Epic Events (Julie, Christian, Mary, Kristina, Jerri, Christina, Kristin, Mike Di E.), were so friendly and helpful in the planning process - I had sooo many questions and they answered them all!! One of the best parts of this venue is that you can bring in outside vendors which allowed us to have a photo booth, dessert bar, and a boba bar. Another thing I liked was the BYO alcohol option which saved us a lot of money since we weren't paying per person like so many other venues. The day of coordinator Christina was so good at her job that I didn't even know about some of the smaller issues that came up throughout the day until after the wedding - she definitely allowed me to enjoy my wedding day without worrying about the logistics of it all. So so thankful for her! All of our friends and family loved the venue and thought it was so beautiful and dreamy especially with the drapery and chandeliers in the reception hall and the hoop swing that you can add florals too! The florist Jerri was so wonderful and easy to work with - she understood what her vision was only after 1 hour for our first consultation and by looking at the inspo pictures I sent over. She was easily reached by text which I appreciated so much. :) I haven't gotten photos back yet of course since my wedding was just this past weekend but the photography team (Kristina, Kristin, and Mike) were so great to work with. They answered all my questions with such patience and thoroughness. Kristin and Mike were my photographers and they were so kind and calm through the whole day making sure we captured all the photos we wanted. Julie, Christian, and Mary were the main contacts for logistical issues as well as any and all wedding questions! If there was someone that was better suited to answer my question, they also connected to the right person/team! I honestly couldn't have planned my wedding without them - so so grateful for them. :) Overall, our wedding day went as smoothly as it could have and we couldn't be more thankful for The Secret Garden and Epic Events Co! read more

I attended a wedding at this venue. As a bystander, I found the venue very mediocre and underwhelming. The grounds were nice but not spectacular. The food was downright horrible. Wedding food has a horrible reputation, and this did not disappoint. The salad was great which left us looking forward to the main meal. We were served macaroni and cheese, beet vegetables, pork loin and chicken with a blueberry chipotle sauce. The macaroni was super dry and tasteless. Beet vegetables included beets and turnips. I think it was supposed to include carrots, but we didn't get any. The pork loin was phenomenal. The chicken was okay. Portions were tiny. We had to ask for more and another sliver of meat was offered reluctantly. I received literally 3 beet bites and a large turnip bite that was undercooked and inedible. Considering the cost per plate at this venue, I was expecting WAY more. The bathrooms needed a remodel. The toilet wobbled and the toilet paper dispenser was broken in one stall. The highlight of the evening was an African American server that was super attentive. She made sure all of our needs were met. had a super warm personality with a beautiful smile. She was the highlight of the event. I'm sorry I didn't ask her name. Great job!!! I guess if you have $100k to waste on a wedding venue, this could be an option. Considering the astronomical cost of weddings these days, it's no wonder that couples are opting to go with a more intimate wedding or eloping in epic locations. I wouldn't waste my money here for a wedding venue that is ho hum and forgettable. read more

Do your due diligence when touring this venue. Lots of smoke and mirrors happening here. When my now wife and I went for a tour the grass looked like it was recently replaced. Day of it looked like someone had spray painted the dead grass with green spray paint. Inside the shutters were all open when we toured. Turns out the reason why is because all the wood shutters are broken or hanging...it looked like a haunted house. Light bulbs out in chandeliers, flickering lights overhead, stuff stuck in the rafters from another event. Trash overflowing the dumpster in the parking lot. Bathrooms out of order. The men's urinal had a trash bag over it. None of these things could be fixed day of but how did no one think to do the repairs ahead of the wedding we felt we paid a lot for. Leave no stone unturned when you do your tour. Our coordinator was sweet but when we pointed out the issues as we were packing up her response was apparent she's received similar complaints before then she just directed us to contact management. The management will do nothing to address your concerns once they've gotten paid and your event is over. read more

After postponing our wedding multiple times, we finally got married at the Secret Garden in April of 2021. This is an all-inclusive venue with an on-site florist, DJ, and photographer - meaning, planning made waaaayyyyy less stressful. Also, all the staff at the Secret Garden (Daniel, Mary, Dana, Christian, Julie, Jerri, Shaun, and Kristin) were wonderful and kind. If you're looking for a garden-type wedding with some extra glam, this is the perfect place :) read more

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Had my wedding at the secret garden this past weekend and wow. This place is beautiful and the staff is amazing. Everything was great from start to finish. Can't wait to see the professional photos. read more

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Omg where do I start! My husband and I got married here on October 6th in a wedding that exceeded our expectations. Christian, Julie, Haley, Jerri, Jane, Dan- you guys are the perfect team. We couldn't have asked for more. Everyone on the event planning team listened to my every wish and created the most perfect day for us and for all our friends and family. Christian, Julie and Haley are the ultimate planning team! Quick to respond, always ready to help and super generous with throwing in extras for us to make our dream come true. Jerri is a wizard with florals. She looked at my Pinterest board and created centerpieces, bouquets and altar flowers exactly how I wanted. It was perfect !!!!! Jane is the best photographer ever. She makes you feel so comfortable and I cannot wait to see the photos she's got of our special day. Dan - the DJ and MC is great at listening to you, suggesting music if you don't have set choices and he kept our guests dancing all night long. Epic Events- we are so glad we found you, if we could do it all over we would pick you a 100 times. The Secret Garden is perfect for anyone and if you are thinking about having your wedding here I 100% recommend it. You will not regret it! read more

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Our wedding was more magical than I could have ever imagined thanks to such an awesome team who made the entire wedding come to life based on just one picture! Our florist Jerri did an amazing job with ALL the floral arrangements and especially my custom flower hoop swing. Everyone loved taking pictures in that beautiful swing and it was something so unique and special that you don't see at every wedding. Our florist saw one picture and transformed the entire venue to replicate it. And my bouquet.... SPECTACULAR! It looked exactly like my inspiration picture! We felt so comfortable with our photographer Jen the entire time! She definitely understood the ambience we were going for and I love how she got all the pictures that we wanted. Our photos seemed very natural and I really loved how she captured the true essence of what we felt that day. We can't wait to see the professional pictures since it was very clear that our guests were nowhere near professional when taking some of the blurry pictures from their iPhones. Haha! Our DJ Daniel did a great job with the music. So many people told me that they danced ALL night so that's always a good sign of a great DJ. He played what we wanted and he also played requests which made the guests very happy! No words can even come close to describe how amazing Haley was and how lucky we were to have her as our coordinator. Our wedding would not have gone so smoothly without her. She made it all come together! We laughed so much with her from our first meeting through the end of our wedding. She was the perfect fit for our crazy bridal party! She was calm and always in control and we always knew where she was because she was constantly by our side making sure we were getting fed (the bride is thankful for that!) or making sure we had alcoholic beverages in hand (The groom was very thankful for that! Haha) and just simply making sure we were doing good and having a fun time. BEST COORDINATOR EVER!!! Eco Caterers, the food was amazing! Everyone raved about how unique and delicious the entrees, vegetables and potatoes were. I'm still dreaming about that chimichurri portobello mushroom pasta and wished I could have smuggled some home with me! To the owners Christian and Julie, from the moment we first met you and saw the venue, we knew that we wanted to work with you. Our initial meet up was comfortable yet fun at the same time. We knew it was meant to be and we are so lucky we found your venue and that you were able to work with us, and our budget, without making "money talk" feel uncomfortable. Our wedding was the perfect combination of dark, moody and romantic! Their talent far surpassed anything I could have imagined! We were blown away at how exquisite our venue turned out. Many people said it was one of the best, and most beautiful, weddings they had ever been too! This team has true talent! read more

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Family is in our review title because that's exactly how they treat you! My husband and I fell in love with the secret garden as soon as we met Christian for our tour. We had gone on some really lame tours where they were more interested in keeping all weddings the same or going with the current trends instead of what the bride and groom wanted. I remember we asked Christian if we could bring in photos, details, he didn't even bat an eye. "Of course," he said and then quickly told us that anything they had we could use! Expenses of easels and chalkboards and extra tables quickly disappeared from our minds. Now that is a one of a kind venue! WE CAN USE ANYTHING THEY HAVE! WE CAN BRING IN STUFF AT NO EXTRA COST! As if we weren't just sold by the idea of this and Christian's niceness. Finally we were relaxed enough to take a look around; WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE! The most charming place we'd ever seen. And that's just the garden outside area. Inside is just as beautiful! And the bridal suite is to die for! I remember thinking why doesn't everyone in the world get married here. Bottom line pros that The Secret Garden has that brides are/should be looking for: -CALM COLLECTED TEAM -all inclusive packaging so that takes off a ton of finding vendor stress. These vendors have continually worked there so they know the venue! -timeline help without pushing you!!!! -from the time you walk in for a tour until after your wedding is over they respond to emails quickly and make sure each couple is taken care of. -bridal suite on site that is good for photos! -plenty of bathrooms and space for your guests! -plenty of parking -whatever crazy vision you have they are ready to make it happen!!! -need an extra meeting?? They got you covered! -they have an amazing catering team they work with so that will eliminate any stress of needing to find a cater! -EVERY QUESTION I HAD, Julie and Christian and team had an answer! Now let me break it down: Team in general: EPIC! But that's in the name! I truly feel like family after working with Christian and Julie! The compliments, support and help throughout of 13 month planning process was not something I would have found anywhere else! It does not exist outside of the secret garden! Florist Jerri!: my guests are still talking about the flowers!!!!!!! whenever I show photos of our wedding the flowers ALWAYS make their way into the conversation! I cannot believe how special Jerri made our wedding. She completed the vision I had! She was patient with me with my ideas and had even better ideas that added on to mine!!!! Still blown away! And I loved our extra meeting we had!!!! I felt so special, and hearing her be so passionate about our color scheme is something I will never forget! Photographer: Jen!- Jen captured the real moments of the wedding! She captured the love, the excitement, and the colors!!!!! It was also special because we got to meet her before when we had our engagement shoot!!! I was really glad we had meetings before hand about what we wanted and group family photos etc. we also got our photos back so quickly!!!! I have been through every single photo straight through twice and I cried each time because I could truly relive the moment!!!! I will be looking at these forever!! Her and her team ran all over that venue capturing it all!!! Photo booth: worth every penny! We added this on with our package and we are so glad we did! They were able to create a template that matched our invite so it looked perfect!!!! I even got obsessed with getting the font style and color perfect and they made it happen! And it was awesome!!! At the end of the night we got a flash drive with all the photos and a hard copy of all the photos! That was so fun to look at after our honeymoon! And they are still out on our table now for us to enjoy! DANIEL! our Coordinator- first of all thank you for putting out 5 bins of details!!!. You nailed it! I cannot imagine the time that took all while you were trying to make sure I was on time and everyone was happy! And you did it with ease. All the little things I was worried about, Daniel made sure it happened! From making sure our memory table was set up, to making sure we had to-go food in our limo at the end of the night to making sure all the stuff we brought was packed back into boxes and put into cars! Wow! Thank you!!! I can guarantee WITHOUT A DOUBT IN MY MIND that without the whole team at The Secret Garden there is no way the wedding I wanted and envisioned would have ever happened! I cannot imagine our wedding at anywhere else. And I could haven't done this without them. I am sad it's over, I won't lie, but as for regrets- none, Failures the day of--ZERO, Memories that will last forever- infinite. I will never forget our wedding day but I will also never forget our time at The Secret Garden. read more

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We recently got married here and it was the best possible experience! The venue was beautiful, the team was incredibly responsive and helpful, and all the vendors from the Epic Events team were amazing. They made sure the planning process was easy and low stress. Our wedding day was literally perfect! We worked with Mary as the Operations Manager and she had a quick response time and was super helpful in making sure all my questions were answered and provided helpful tips. Laura was our coordinator and went above and beyond to make sure our day was perfect - so easy to work with, excited about our big day, and set-up the space so beautifully! She also made sure we were fed and had private moments together which made our day so special. Christine was our main caterer through Eco Caters - our guests are still raving about the food saying it was the best they've ever had at a wedding. Highly recommend the braised pork shoulder and garlic smashed potatoes! Shaun was the DJ and he did INCREDIBLE! I cannot recommend him enough! He made the planning process so easy and the day SO fun! Our guests were on the dance floor the entire time, there was never a lull, and everyone is telling us it was one of the best weddings they've attended. Kristina and Brian did an AMAZING job with our photos - the sneak peek was provided in only a few days and they look so good. They took the time to get us to know us and made the photo taking process less awkward. Kristina even had a portable speaker with her so it made some of the parts super fun! They were the best team! This team is amazing! Cannot recommend booking The Secret Garden with Epic Events enough!!! They'll make your day perfect! read more

I can not recommend this venue enough!! I just had my wedding here and my day went by so smoothly, honestly this team made my vision come to life & more. Beautiful venue ran by beautiful organized friendly and helpful staff! Made everything less stressful for me‍ thank you all for your work my wedding was so beautiful and I couldn't have asked for a better day! read more

The Secret Garden - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Rancho Santa Fe, California

After shopping at a lot of different venues my now wife found this place in San Diego (we live in the oc). After touring it we thought it was perfect and decided to travel south for our wedding. Everyone we worked with was perfect and made our wedding day the best day of our life. With weather being a factor they assisted us with last minute changes and made the venue beautiful. They have a mission to help couples have a perfect, beautiful, and affordable wedding and they helped with everything ensuring that most things were inclusive. We felt inclined to give each person a shout out for all of the amazing and hard work they put forward to ensure our wedding day was perfect. Julie and Christian were absolutely amazing in helping make sure we had everything we needed from all of our vendors. Daniel was very organized and helped make our first planning meeting such an enjoyable experience. Jerri nailed it on our flower arrangements and made the most beautiful centerpieces and bouquets. Jennifer was so sweet and went above and beyond to help capture photos of every moment of our wedding day. Michael, our DJ, did a great job of incorporating our playlists along with added other hit songs to keep the dance floor moving all night long. He played a medley of a bunch of pop punk songs on the dance floor at our request, and our guests all had such a fun time dancing to it. It was one of many highlights of our day. Dana, our day of coordinator, was absolutely phenomenal. She was so calm and sweet and made sure everything went smoothly. She definitely helped made sure that our day was extremely stress free. Overall, this whole team made our entire experience so easy and fun and we really can't thank them enough! read more

These people BENT OVER BACKWARDS to make our day special!!!!! I was pregnant with our 6th child and gave birth a few weeks before our wedding. (We had to change the date to accommodate the birth) talk about a stress free planning process. They have mastered their craft and have an amazing communication system in place between the coordinators, catering, photo, florist. Nothing fell through the cracks. We were even allowed to add a video package the DAY BEFORE our wedding! The photographers were literally holding my toddlers while taking pictures of the groom and I. The photos came out absolutely gorgeous! We had somewhat of a themed wedding and the florist, Jerri, really jumped on board to help us bring our vision to life. I can't say enough great things about this venue and their Allstar team. read more

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My daughter and now son-in-law Wendy & Ryan had the most magical wedding there and it was so breath taking. Owners Chris and Julie made it look so elegant and also Hailey (the wedding co- ordinator) was flying where ever and when ever we needed her! They made us feel like ohana(family) and their Aloha (love) was truly felt by all who were present. The venue was impeccable, and all the foliage on the grounds were lush! Everyone was talking about how beautiful the wedding, cocktail hour, and reception was so flawless at breakfast the next day. The staff even wore our leis of love given to them. They even allowed the fur babies to be a part of the wedding. I highly recommend this venue to anyone getting married. They will eliminate much of the stress for you by going the extra mile. You will not be disappointed...I promise!!! ....Mother of the bride read more

The Epic Events Team and their venue, the Secret Garden were amazing for our wedding day. The garden was gorgeous and the whole team was fantastic!! I planned my wedding from out of state due to work and Julie, Christian, and Sydney were just amazing on helping me pull my dream wedding together. They were always available for questions and helped me work out all of the details and find the right ways to incorporate all of the elements I wanted. They truly take care of you! The services available with this venue as part of their package are fantastic. The food from EcoCaters was delicious and the catering team was so accommodating for my guests with dietary restrictions. DJ Shaun was so great and my guests loved him. Jennifer Hahn, the lead photographer does amazing work. I can't believe how good she made us look in the photos I've seen so far and I can't wait to see the rest. Jerri, the florist, created the most beautiful florals for the wedding. I was so in love with all of the bouquets, boutonnieres, and arrangements. It was truly beautiful and she is so creative--I loved it. The bartenders were also so great and took care of us all night. It was such a fun time! I can't say enough about how great the entire wedding was and how thankful my husband and I are for how everything turned out. The Epic Events Team never blinked an eye at our ideas to make our wedding our own and helped us pull it all together. Our friends and family loved every minute of it. Thank you again! read more

My wife and I got married at the Secret Garden at Rancho Santa Fe on 11/16/2018. Where do I begin...This entire team was amazing from the first meeting we had with them, to the end of our EPIC wedding night. This team of professionals knows exactly what they're doing. They each are dedicated to providing their customers with a personalized and one of a kind experience. Christian and Julie are a dynamic duo and their experience in the wedding industry is obvious and much appreciated. To say that they went above and beyond for us would be an understatement. Haley is incredible, funny and extremely hardworking. She is a true allstar and made sure every detail was taken care of and that no question went answered. She has a true passion for what she does and was an absolute dream to work with. DJ Dan was spot on with his skills. He played what we wanted, how we wanted (mother / son, father / daughter), and improvised on the rest of the music like a champ. The dancing didn't stop all night. Jen was such a blessing throughout the entire wedding planning process. She listened to exactly what we wanted and didn't want and made getting photographed seamless and comfortable. She is beyond sweet, extremely talented and so flexible. She took three days of out of her life to ensure that nothing was missed from each of celebrations. Jerri was so genuine, kind and easy to work with. She also possesses a true passion for what she does and words could not describe how beautiful our floral arrangements and decor were. She made our wedding vision come alive. The entire Epic Events team at the Secret Garden at Rancho Santa Fe are amazing people, professionals and artists. We would recommend them and this venue to everyone. Thank you for all your hard work, attention to detail and making the planning process fun, stress free and personal. read more

My husband and I recently got married at The Secret Garden in Rancho Santa Fe in August 2018. We are both L.A. natives, but lived together in San Diego a few years back. After visiting several wedding venues in L.A. and Santa Barbara, one night, we came across The Secret Garden's profile on the TheKnot website. Our first thought was: 'this venue is super cute, and it flows and complements our theme' (rustic/boho), so we made an appointment to visit the venue. During our first meeting in February 2018, we met Julie and Christian, the owners of Epic Events, who run The Secret Garden, and Jerri, their florist. It was such a pleasant meeting. They are all so warm and welcoming, and their desire to help you achieve 'the wedding of your dreams' was so pure and genuine. We decided to book the venue a few days after our visit. With five and a half months to plans our wedding, things happened quickly. Below are a few points we would like to share about the venue and our experience with Epic Events and The Secret Garden: 1. The flowers. During our meeting with Jerri, we went over the flowers we liked and didn't like, and what we envisioned our flowers would look like for our wedding. Jerri really made an effort to get to know to us, our vision, and our love story. Her words of wisdom and encouragement will be remembered every time we think back about the process of planning our wedding. Jerri delivered 1000 percent. She took every idea that we shared with her into consideration and created beautiful arrangements that really complemented our day, our party, and the venue. Just lovely. She is charismatic and a real gem! 2. The food. Our food was catered through Eco Caters, which was a part of our wedding package. For hor d'oeuvres, we chose the grass-fed beef sliders, the roasted pork belly, and a humus bar, all of which, were delicious. The pork belly was my favorite, so tender and juicy. Our entrees and side dishes were the braised pork shoulder with roasted garlic bbq sauce, the braised short rib with annatto, orange and garlic, roasted garden vegetables, and gouda mac and cheese. Our guests loved the food. They enjoyed everything from the cocktail hour, and everything we chose for dinner. 3. Our Coordinator, Haley. One word, AMAZING. Haley is filled with ideas and her game is on point. She 'held our hands' throughout the entire process until the very end. Haley's ability to lead really helped make our wedding day flow flawlessly. From planning, coordinating vendors, preparing our timeline, our rehearsal, and on our wedding day, Haley brought her 'A Game' each and every time. She literally took the lead with our extra props, decorations, and dessert table, and creatively turned the venue into a beautiful rustic setting. 4. Our Photographer, Jennifer. Jennifer is so attentive and so sweet. Her work is impeccable. We chose to add an engagement shoot with Jennifer so that we could get to know her and her shooting style, and so that she can have an idea of what we wanted. Our engagement session was shot at Balboa Park. Our pictures were beautiful. Jennifer listened to what we thought 'our good sides' were, positioned us for photos and captured beautiful pictures. We loved the pictures so much that we decided to print them and used them as décor on our wedding day. On the day of our wedding, Jennifer and her team were by our side literally 99 percent of the time, ensuring that she would capture all of the memorable moments. She paid close attention to detail and made plenty of stylistic suggestions of poses and picture ideas. We cannot wait to see her work from the day of! 5. Lastly, Julie and Christian. These two are such great people. They sincerely went above and beyond our expectations. They are so supportive, so genuine, and so pleasant to work with. On our wedding day, Christian was so attentive and so personable. Our guests continue to rave about how friendly he (and Haley) were throughout the night. We could not thank them enough for all the extra steps they took to make our day so magical and so memorable. read more