Such a beautiful wedding venue and I've loved having the opportunity to photograph here. The…read moreceremony space is perfectly shaded and surrounded by the prettiest greenery, which photographs so beautifully throughout the day. The checkered floor inside the venue adds such a fun touch to photos, and the view from the bridal suite is absolutely stunning. As a photographer I really appreciate how many different backdrops and moments the space offers to create such an elegant Sonoma vibe throughout the wedding day.

We knew the moment we walked into the garden that Villa Chanticleer was where we were going to get…read moremarried. It spoke to us right away and during our tour it just kept getting better and better. The property is amazing and the building is rich with history and just as gorgeous. We were obsessed with the wrap around bar. That was the second huge selling point. Everyone we worked with was absolutely incredible. We were passed through a few different hands but every hand off was seamless and our information was always relayed with ease. We could not have had a more perfect day. Jaimie was incredible for keeping me in line when I was getting ahead of things and was quick to reassure me of any of my concerns. She was always available and ready for anything that came her way. Our wedding day was magical. It could not have gone any better. The building had a fresh coat of paint. The garden was in full bloom. I highly recommend anyone looking to get married in the spring and fall to check out the Villa. With a garden like that, you don't need to spend a ton on flowers!

If you are looking for a wedding venue in Healdsburg- look no further. When we stepped foot onto…read moreRu's Farm we met Lele and walked the grounds and knew this was the venue for us! The entire process was so easy from booking, communications, and vendor recommendations. We rented the Coop as well to get ready and it was such a perfect spot to be on the property but tucked away from the main grounds. Our guests continue to say how magical the wedding weekend was because of our venue! Guests walk through olive trees and into an open cocktail space with an abundance of flowers and fresh lavender. The ceremony site is under a beautiful large oak tree overlooking the Alexander Valley. The backdrop really sold me on why we had to get married at Ru's! Dinner was in front of the barn with twinkly lights. Then the dance party was in the barn where we also had lounge seating, and dessert! We had 140 guests which felt like just the right amount of people and the spaces all flowed nicely for it to feel like we could all be together the entire evening- without it feeling too large. We are still on such a high almost five months later and friends still tell us it was the best wedding of 2022! We cannot thank you LeLe and LJ for the best weekend!

Having our wedding at Ru's Farm was a dream…read more It was love at first sight, we knew immediately after stepping on the grounds that this was our place. It's beautiful and charming in a way that photos barely capture, but that's just the start of it. Lele, the venue owner was a joy to work with. We could tell how much love and care she puts into the space and that working with her would be the opposite of the cookie cutter, corporate experience we've experienced at other popular venues. She provided a thorough tour of the space, a really helpful preferred vendors list, and other wonderful tips and tricks. All the preferred vendors were top tier, and it ended up saving us a ton of time and we were guaranteed a high quality end to end experience. Other key benefits of Ru's: 1. The venue is available the entire wedding day which provides a lot of flexibility 2. There is a beautiful, 3-bedroom cottage on the properties that was perfect for getting ready 3. Unlike vineyards, this property has all the perks of a vineyard (oversees a vineyard) but also allows all types of alcohol (not just beer and wine) 4. The design of the space and the transition between different phases of the day (ceremony, reception, dancing, etc) was seamless This venue is a rare treasure, I would certainly suggest snatching a date before they are all gone.

Awesome venue lovely people and Great for gatherings good location marina is very communicative…read moreand helpful

We had our wedding at Monte Rio Community Center in June 2019. It was the perfect place for us to…read moreget married. We chose to rent out The Meadow space near the river to have an outdoor ceremony and had an indoor reception. First off, MRCC is good for those on a budget. The hall has big glass doors that can open out onto the outdoor area, giving the room a more spacious feel. We had around 70 guests and we could have fit many more. We loved the tall ceiling and wooden beams. The kitchen area was also spacious and manageable. I very much appreciate how much flexibility the center provided us. It helped give us freedom for creativity. Many other spaces we researched allowed only beer and wine, and made you choose from a limited selection of caterers (many, if not all, were outside of our budget). We could choose any caterer we wanted, and provided our own alcohol. Jean was a treat to work with. She was funny, kind, communicative, reliable, and prompt. Whenever I had a question she responded within a few days. She met us numerous times at the center and answered all the questions I had (many times I asked the same one twice, thank you for your patience). She was very warm and made the planning process more enjoyable. As for the meth head from the previous review (from 2013) I did not run into him. I don't think he lives there anymore. I did not have any problems with non-guests. Thank you for helping us have the wedding we've always wanted!

Our wedding was nothing short of a dream and Sova was a delight to work with…read more We reached out earlier this year to tour the facility and immediately knew Denise was different and didn't have the same stuffy attitude so many other wedding industry people have in Sonoma County. The grounds took our breath away, but it was also Denise's expertise and understanding of our limited budget that helped us decide this was the right venue. Throughout planning Denise was amazing and answered all of my insane questions and did multiple tours with family members. We decided to go with Preferred Sonoma Caterers from their vendor list and we were really happy with them as well. Sova including tables and chairs was amazing, and we did all our other rentals through PSC. We also rented the farmhouse for the week which I highly recommend. Our pictures from around the house turned out amazing. I have to stress that the website pictures don't do this place justice. It's beyond gorgeous. Overall, Sova was an exceptional backdrop to our day and I highly recommend it as a venue. Schedule a tour if you're on the fence, you won't regret it!

Sova Gadrens is the most incredible place to get married! It is so beautiful! Denise and Paul were…read moreso great to work with! Being able to have the venue for the weekend made everything so much less stressful and renting the house on the property was definitely the way to go! I cannot recommend it enough!

I was a guest at this property, but wanted to share some things I found that should be considered…read morebefore attending an event there. First lets start with how beautiful the property is, amazing views of the vineyard, cute quaint atmosphere, and just a great spot for an event. Now some of the things I thought about. Parking is non-existent and while there was a shuttle, it took over 20 minutes to turn around, something I think the venue owners should think about. Bathrooms were outhouses, I assume were brought in. The gravel walkway to the wedding area around the pool was problematic. I watched at least 10 senior guests not being able to get down the path and even with help it was difficult. The grass around the pool had been freshly watered, and was green and lush, but the chairs sunk into the grass. The dining tables were cramped and so difficult to eat at. I do not know if the family invited over suggested capacity, but it was definitely an issue. For a small event (50 or less) I would say this could be a great venue, any more than that, and if you have older guests, between the paths and the parking, I'd certainly consider those things.

Olive Oaks is such a special property. The owners have put so much thought and love into curating…read moretheir beautiful farmhouse and garden. If you are newly engaged, I highly recommend checking out Olive Oaks. It truly is the perfect Sonoma venue.

We love taking our dog on vacation so, we are always looking for dog friendly hotels. This review…read moreis in between a 4 and a 5. The kindness of the staff makes it a five. Pros: this was a very charming estate and the staff was beyond kind to both of us and our pup. He was welcome everywhere except the dining room, the pool and spa. The room was very cute and clean. The only downside for me and my allergies is that there is wood fireplace in each room. The bathroom had plenty of hot water. The breakfast was from 8-10 am in the dining room and had a decent meat-less spread. Toast, bagels, oatmeal and toppings, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, fruit salad, coffee, tea assortment and juices. The grounds are super cute and weather permitting there is a movie playing on a projector with complimentary s'mores to cook on the outdoor wood fire. Since we had our dog, we didn't use the pool or spa. "Aunt Kay" we interacted with the most and was so kind to both of us and Dio. She made our stay! Not only was she informative but also checked in on us when we we'd pass through the lobby. Dio was a big fan of her. Cons: if you have allergies or are sensitive to wood smoke, this is not your destination. Again, there are wood burning fireplaces in each room and a large fire pit by the movie. The room we stayed at is across from the pool and it can get noisy. You can also hear everyone that walks in front of your room. Along with that there is a lot of wildlife, so you may need ear plugs. If you need to sleep in the dark, the front blinds are going to still let in light, so bring a sleep mask. Update: we got a text that I forgot my socks in the room. They offered to mail them to us, we declined. I don't remember the last time house keeping and the front office too the time to be that considerate.

My experience recently here was very mixed. There was some really good things and terrible things…read more The good: we stayed in the poolside two king room and really enjoyed it. The room itself was very clean, sheets, bathroom, everything was very clean. I always get paranoid about bed bugs and we had zero issues. The breakfast in the morning was also very nice and fresh with good options. They had eggs, sausage, toast, bagels, cream cheese, very delicious fruit, oatmeal, coffee and tea. That alone made it a reasonable place to stay. The dining room was also very clean. I also really liked that they had the outdoor movie theater and smores. Our kids loved it each night. The library/game room is also such a cute unique area that is great for those who have kids. However now to the bad. That includes the cute library. While a cute idea, it's extremely dirty filled with dead flies and bees all over the windows and even cushions. The windows on the outside have not been clean in a very long time. The dead flies, bees are everywhere. There on the floor, the light fixtures, jacuzzi and pool. The jacuzzi had so many dead bugs in the water and the water also had probably dirt from people's bodies. It was very unsanitary and disappointing to say the least. The property itself is not maintained. There are bugs, weeds, and poor condition of most of the outside of the property. It's too bad because it could be a great place to stay if they just did some extra work to clean up. Part of me would want to come back because of the breakfast and outdoor movie but they really need to take the time to clean.

Operation Bro Of Honor: Bodega Bay Wedding Edition…read more My high school friend Sammi named me her Bro Of Honor in September 2015 and as soon as I donned the pink sash she mailed me from Germany, it was business time. Her California wedding was slated for December 26, 2015, so I hopped on a Southwest flight in the evening on Christmas Day from San Diego to Sacramento and drove the rest of the way to Bodega Bay. When I first arrived at the wedding venue, the Bodega Harbor Yacht Club, I was blown away! This quaint, cabin-like building sat right on the water with huge windows all over the facility peering out onto the aquatic landscape. The bride's family who lived in the area said we were extremely fortunate to have the sun shining on her special day and everyone in attendance smiled at the rays as they beamed onto the wedding aisle. As you can see from my photos, having the bay as the background to the bride and groom saying their vows was breathtaking. You'd be hard pressed to find a wedding venue more picturesque! The wedding reception was conveniently held on the same floor as the wedding ceremony. We were treated to fish and chicken in addition to a variety of sides. All was catered by the Bodega Bay Yacht Club. My tastebuds were happy from all of the delicious food offerings and my heart was happy from the excellent service provided by all of the waitresses! The bar had a nice selection of craft beer in bottles and mixed drinks in addition to non-alcoholic options. To end the night, we were treated to sips of Fireball and we shouted together as Germans do: "Proust!" I hope my future wedding is as beautiful, organic, and entertaining as the one held here by my good friends Sammi and Tobi. My mission as Bro Of Honor: COMPLETE.

Also look at the hidden reviews for this place, they are hiding low star reviews…read more I was a groomsman at my friends wedding and it was a terrible experience. He wrote a review but because his lack of using Yelp "somehow" the review was reported and then hidden. Here is his review: It saddens me to have to write this review but if you're interested in this venue, please read this: I have been in the wedding industry for several years now. I recently married my lovely wife at this venue after doing weddings in every county surrounding Sonoma County. We chose this venue because it is beautiful and the pricing is really fair compared to other venues. The fact that everything is 'all' inclusive is also a plus, but unfortunately you get what you pay for.  At first, the level of professionalism you get from the staff is amazing. It would appear everything is organized and squared away and there is nothing to worry about, because you feel so confident everything will work out fine, and they assure you of this. Then you sign the contract, and everything gets interesting and complicated. My wife had to write several emails about the same topic throughout this whole process to (I'm keeping this professional, will not name drop) and had to wait days, sometimes over a week for a response. Our biggest concern was that the questions we had were overall simplistic and not complicated(normal for a couple getting married for the first time). Incredible that we had to wait a long time for a response.  We also had our rehearsal dinner there the night before the wedding(my mother coordinated all of it). We should have caught on to what tomorrow, the wedding day, would be like. We all got there on time and the only thing done was the table that was set for all of us. The drinks that we pre-ordered were never made(bad communication on their end), so as our guests were leaving drinks were just coming out which had been paid for that never got served because of the miscommunication of the staff that was working "synergistically" together. We brushed it off and we're excited for waking up to our wedding day.  So now it's the day of the wedding and it was raining. We were going to have the ceremony at the Bluewater Bistro (private) beach and then everyone was going to the yacht club for the reception. Because of the rain the ceremony and reception was relocated to the yacht club. We were told there would be somebody at Bluewater directing our guests to the yacht club. That never happened, we had guests showing up opening the door during our ceremony letting the wind and rain in. Not just a few late guests. All of them. All the ones that had to find their way to the other venue without direction as promised. Our poor guests. Our coordinator was the most unprofessional vendor I have ever worked with. In fact she was in the kitchen the whole event. I had to work with the the DJ and the photographer to coordinate the first dance, the bouquet toss, everything including the whole event because she was MIA.  During dinner she was MIA but luckily the DJ took control of the evening and was amazing. He had no idea why our coordinator was wouldn't help with these things. Our grandma, who has a heart condition, was told by our coordinator that she could not use the elevator because it's for "disabled people only", but the stairs could be used instead for going up to dinner..:she has a valid medical note stating that she cannot use a stair case. We know the a could be a really big deal if pursued. But it won't be.  Then, here is the cherry on top....We brought our own wine and champagne to the venue. After dinner they are supposed to just pour it all out into glasses for free because we already paid for the bottles and the corkage fee for our guests to enjoy it, they should have then gotten rid of it for free before starting to making money with the cash bar. Guess what? We found out through several guests and members of the bridal shower that they were SELLING bottles that have already been paid for by us and then corkage fee paid for by us for them to sell it AGAIN back to our guests!? When I found that out I though it was a joke. Like the person telling me was this messing with me. Who does that? But, unfortunately, I found out that it was true. I could not mentally comprehend that. Meanwhile our coordinator was back in the kitchen again, MIA. Yet again... The level of unprofessionalism that I experienced was something from a dark comedy. My wife and I had fun because we had each other, and our loved ones there to celebrate with us. We actually had a few of our guests call us the next day telling us how much fun they had and how they did have a slightly rude encounter with the staff, which made us so sad to hear.  All and all I just had to say something, I needed you guys to be aware. Keep in mind, I'm a man and my wife is/was never a 'Bridezilla'.

My daughter's wedding was here in September 2018. It was absolutely magical! Food was outstanding,…read moreand it was the easiest thing we have ever planned! Everything was perfect! Go and see it! You will want to book it!

Just delivered a wedding cake to this beautiful venue - a beautiful redwood grove setting for an…read moreoutdoor event. People are lovely to work with and the setting is serene and peaceful.