My husband and I had our wedding at Willow Creek Ranch, and we were totally impressed with our…read moreexperience here and working with Bethany. There are simply not enough amazing things we could say about working with Bethany. Bethany had great communication and since the beginning she had quick responses to our questions which made planning our wedding very efficient. She has a lot of experience in the wedding industry and would ask us questions about things we didn't even consider. She was EXTREMELY accommodating - my husband and I are both healthcare workers who occasionally work Saturdays with changing schedules throughout the week - this never was an issue when it came to planning our wedding. The location is extremely beautiful from the daytime to sunset and even to night time with all the lights and chandeliers. There are honestly SO many locations to take beautiful photos in and this was a big factor as we wanted a variety of places for backdrop - there's a lavender field, a bridge overlooking a small pond area, and a place with a sing - this is not including the picturesque house covered in vines and the ceremony site. Additionally, all the decor in the photos below were included (even the furniture, florals, and table settings). We chose the package that included florals and Bethany (who is also a florist) went ABOVE and BEYOND with the floral arrangements and bouquets, literally making my Pinterest autumn wedding dreams come true. The day of the wedding went as smoothly as weddings can possibly go and despite it being the craziest day, it was also one of the best days of our lives. We really owe it all to Bethany and cannot rave enough about her and her team. We've heard from many of our friends who got married about something they didn't like about their wedding planning process, but honestly, working with Bethany was completely smooth, stress-free, and an efficient yet detailed process. If you are thinking about having a wedding at Willow Creek Ranch, I 1000% would recommend it. (All photos in this review are from our wonderful wedding photographer Carmelisse Photography!)

We had our wedding November 20, 2021 & i couldn't have picked a better venue. they truly made my…read moredream fairytale wedding come true, and the staff are amazing!!

Bella Terra is an incredible, unique, and affordable venue…read more We had our wedding 10-20-18, and ALL of our guests still talk about what a fun and beautiful venue it is. Dalena and John are so sweet! They do whatever they need to do in order to make your day perfect! I'm so so glad we used them!

Wow! Blown away by our first visit to Bella terra in January!…read more Twinkle lights galore. Dalena was excited and delighted to show us the venue! We were undecided on our first visit so we visited again. Dalena was happy to have ya back. From the beginning of her lighted path, down to a magical ceremony site, strolled by the pond for remote control race boats and headed on down to the reception which used to be an arena. Impressive. Don't forget all the other hidden areas of the venue. The cocktail hour bar, games and games, tucked away private benches, small area for recording a video for the bride and groom, the gift area and millions of signs. Dalena makes sure all the cutesy details are perfect. We decided this was our magical place to get married & booked!! We arrived for our first tasting & it was a party to remember! The food was insanely delicious and nothing to complain about. Her staff was organized and very happy to help with any request. We are excited for our wedding day which will be 11-9-19! Keep you updated!

Beautiful views, delicious menu, and great wine, what more could a girl ask for? Celebrated my…read morebelated birthday with one of my best friends for the afternoon evening. Service was great, everyone was so nice and super helpful with wine suggestions. We ordered 1 of each empanada and the bread appetizer to share. Definitely do not pass up on either of these! The flavors were bold and balanced in each empanada. The salsa was the perfect level of spice and flavor to compliment each empanada. But the bread was my absolute favorite. I'm also just obsessed with bread and butter. Their seasonal flavored butter was divine, easily spreadable and a delicious touch I wished we had ordered a 2nd one! We devoured it so quickly as each item paired well with our wines. Both of us are fans of red wines. I ordered their Zin and have easily found a new one that I love and will have to comeback to get a bottle of for my home soon!

Spent Father's Day here on a whim. We did the Mixed Tasting, and every wine we tried was delicious…read more I also loved the presentation, it was served in a tower instead of a traditional flight, which made the tasting feel unique and fun. We ordered the charcuterie board and the bread and cheese plate as well. They were okay, but still paired nicely with the wines. The highlight, though, was the view. It was absolutely stunning and made the whole experience even more enjoyable. Between the wine, the atmosphere, and the scenery, we had a wonderful time and would definitely come back.

What a beautiful venue!!!! We were guests for a wedding reception and Wow!! The caterer and venue…read moreboth did a great job and we really enjoyed the evening. One tiny thing I wanted to mention is myself and many other guests got bitten by mosquitoes as soon as we arrived. Maybe suggest some repellent wipes or something so the mosquitoes don't eat us for their dinner.

I am a wedding planner and am familiar with most of the venues in the area. This is one of the best…read moreI've worked at. The venue manager and owners are really kind and helpful. I can tell they actually care about each wedding and want it to be exceptional. The venue itself is beautiful. I love that it's a historic home with a gorgeous garden. It feels very warm and welcoming. I also like that it has built in market lighting, and includes many rentals.

This charming ranch is perfect for a peaceful getaway. When I visited, the on-site restaurant was…read moreunder construction, so bring your own food--mini-fridges are in the cottages. I stayed in the cozy Sparrow cottage, which was well-decorated and had a fridge, microwave, coffee maker, and dishes for two. I loved the rocking chair on the patio for coffee and reading. The pool is cute and relaxing, though unheated, but the hot tub is warm. There's a serene stream with frogs croaking at night, and the property is secluded, with a few nearby wineries to explore. This retreat is ideal for couples or a small group of friends. Cons: The hot water is only lukewarm. The bed had some dirt/sand. My TV didn't work, and the bonfire is only available until 4 pm. The animal sanctuary ($7) requires a reservation, but the front desk told me to just show up. When I did, the staff said same-day reservations weren't allowed--and she was a bit cranky--so I couldn't visit. However, it's small enough to view from outside the fence. TL;DR: This ranch is feels safe, peaceful and promising. Once the restaurant opens and cleaning standards improve, it will be a perfect nature escape.

We stayed at Bandy Canyon Ranch back in October to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. I sat…read moreon this review for far too long because it honestly just made me so incredibly angry and I didn't want to relive the experience. I've also seen how the manager responds to other negative reviews and didn't feel like dealing with the attacks. I had been following Bandy Canyon on Instagram and the experience they promote online nowhere meets the reality. We chose to stay at the Eagle cabin because it had more space for our 2 kids and dog and the other rooms available were much smaller in comparison. The cabin didn't look upgraded online but for $910 for 2 nights, I assumed it had to be nicer than the photos looked. It was actually much, much worse. The website touts upgraded and renovated rooms but the Eagle cabin had clearly not been updated maybe since it had been built. I cannot begin to explain how depressing the cabin felt walking in at night. Floor to ceiling brown shiny walls illuminated by harsh white lightbulbs, no art or decor on the walls, tacky fake plant from the 90s covered in dust, yellow stained and ripped curtains. The floor was ripped and worn. It felt like a prison. The TV was missing the remote so we couldn't even turn on the TV for some added ambiance. It was dead silent. We spent hours turning the place upside down trying to find a remote, my husband was hyperventilating from how suffocating and tacky the room felt with no escape. We almost left as soon as we arrived. I called the front desk over the course of several hours. The front desk couldn't get us a remote that worked and tried calling her manager but couldn't figure out what to do. We hadn't eaten dinner so my husband reluctantly grilled us some food on the sad bbq outside our room in almost complete darkness. It was intended to be a special celebration of our 10-year wedding anniversary and it ended up being a weekend from hell. Did I mention they prohibit you from bringing your own wine? Because they sell wine on site as part of their "winery." However I was told they only had rose when I asked for a red. What is this, a college dorm? I'm going to get in trouble for bringing my own wine to celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary? Didn't find this out until we were packing our bags for the trip and my husband was looking at their website. I somehow managed to convince my husband to stay the night versus driving home immediately. I really wanted to salvage our milestone anniversary trip! I tried using the shower and the pipes screeched loudly, sounding like someone was screaming in your ear the whole time. I sent video to the front desk. The noise was so unbearable that we couldn't even use the shower. The sound echoed through the entire house, making it impossible to ignore. These elements greatly diminished the comfort and ambiance we had anticipated. Furthermore, a major reason for choosing the ranch was the promise of a pool for our toddler to enjoy, especially as it's promoted across the ranch's Instagram. To our dismay, the pool was not heated and was too cold to use, which was very disappointing. Adding to this inconvenience, the pool bar was closed, further limiting our recreational options.    All the ranch workers we interacted with were supportive and apologetic, agreeing that the Eagle cabin was outdated and unfit for guests. They acknowledged that it should not have been rented out in its current condition. They promised us the manager would make it right. I was told she's get in touch with me after the weekend. It took me messaging them for about a solid month for the manager to finally call me, which by that point I had zero interest in talking to her. We paid good money to stay here and it was a complete waste. For 2 nights we spent almost 1k ($910 to be exact). You'd think for that kind of money we'd get a much nicer experience!

We have been here a few times and enjoyed each time. The history of Rancho Guejito is pretty…read moreamazing! Starting as a 13,298-acre ranch, to now 23,000 acres (36 square miles!) The most Rockwood Ranch was purchased and added into the property in 2006, and the Rockwood farmhouse which was built in the 1890's is now the Rancho Guejito Vineyard tasting room! Because of the size of this property, they have the space to having amazing events! Check out their calendar for event details, but they do have a lot of events for kids as well as some street faire type events. I ama not certain if they always have live music, but the times that we have been here, they have had great live music playing. They have a great selection of wines (the sweet ones for me and the not sweet ones for my wife) as well as delightful Sangria's and wind slushies. The food was actually really good here too! They have Cheeseburgers, Bratwurst, Hotdog, veggie burgers, nachos, Bavarian pretzels, charcuterie box, churros. They also had sliders when we were there, and we opted to share sliders, charcuterie box and a Bavarian pretzel. The pretzel was massive and delicious, 100% would order again. The sliders were cooked perfectly and are made from beef raised on the property where they maintain a herd of over 2000 cows! You can also purchase a Box of their 100% grass fed on open pastures beef to take home for your freezer and cook at your leisure. This is an amazing place, always a lot of fun!

I can see how this is a destination spot. Very decent wine, live music, 2 kids bounce houses,…read moreactivity center, very family friendly. For us, it's far, we live in San Diego proper. The population density gets high. Kids everywhere, balls hitting you, dogs sniffing you. I also don't drink too much so it's like... sober hellish. The bathrooms. Wow. Trailer based. Parking can also get scarce. The food here... the burger is raised here and ground on site but there is no seasoning and the burgers are tiny. Service is decent. This would be okay for our north county friends to visit for us? This may be our second time but our last time. Not super into it.

Ok this place caught me by surprise. I was thinking it was going be a large restaurant because you…read morecannot see it from the road, but they have a large street sign. For years I've been wanting to try this place. After an outing in the Desert with my sister-in-law, we decided to try this restaurant it would be both our first time. My sister-in-law and I walked into the restaurant and found the place to be very busy as you would expect at dinner time. The crowd was mostly elderly, could be regulars. For appetizers, we ordered the potato skins. For our meals, I ordered the special of the day, Seabass with pilaf, and vegetables. My sister-in-law ordered the soft crab cake. And before our appetizer and meals arrived we were served a basket of rolls which looked like regular rolls, but when you bit into them, they were warm and very tasty. Both of our meals were very good. Sadly we had no room for dessert. Where our table was situated, we could see pretty much the entire restaurant. The only thing that was not visible was the sitting bar but everywhere you sat, you would be looking out a window. It is all around the windows. One of the window area they had hummingbird feeders hanging, and you could see the hummingbirds haven't their dinner as well. Service was very friendly. I would love to come back and try some other items on their menu..

We've visited three times because of the consistently great reviews, assuming we must have caught…read morean off night. Unfortunately, the experience has been the same each visit. Sitting at the bar feels oddly enclosed and lifeless. Even with open windows, the atmosphere comes across as closed off and quiet in an uncomfortable way, more empty banquet hall than inviting restaurant. Each time, the place felt dead. Service at the bar was also lacking. The bartender was frequently away talking with servers, leaving us waiting a long time for drinks despite how slow the restaurant was. The food was equally underwhelming. The sides that are often praised, including the twice-baked potato, tasted like frozen, reheated items rather than something freshly made. The meat itself was mediocre and forgettable, with nothing that stood out. We really wanted to like this place and gave it multiple chances, but after three visits, we're genuinely confused by the hype.

As a wedding photographer, I get to experience venues from a very unique perspective--and Ethereal…read moreGardens in Escondido truly lives up to its name. From the moment I arrived, I was struck by how intentionally the space is designed. It was a rainy November day and the gardens felt lush and intimate without being crowded, and every corner offers beautiful, natural backdrops that photograph effortlessly. Even though it was raining the greenery and gray sky created the softest light that felt romantic and dreamy. What really stood out to me was how smoothly the day flowed. The layout of the venue makes transitions--from getting ready, to ceremony, to cocktail hour and reception--feel seamless, which is a huge gift for both couples and vendors. The team at Ethereal Gardens was wonderful to work with. They were organized, calm, and clearly experienced, which made it easy for me to focus on capturing genuine moments rather than navigating logistics (This is HUGE for a photographer). Not all venues experiences are created equal and this team stood out. They were ready with umbrellas and fresh drinks for the Bride and Groom at every moment. As someone who photographs weddings regularly, I can confidently say this is a venue that supports both the couple's experience AND the creative process. I am honored to get to photograph another wedding here in May and HIGHLY recommend Ethereal Gardens to couples looking for a naturally beautiful, well-run venue in North County San Diego.

Ethereal Gardens delivered an absolutely incredible wedding experience. The venue is stunning, the…read moregrounds are impeccably maintained, and both we and our guests felt very well cared for throughout the day. The food deserves a special mention.. from cocktail hour to dinner to late-night bites, everything was delicious and widely raved about. The dining experience to choose our menu was such a fun highlight and something we highly recommend. Bar service, valet, and overall guest experience were seamless and elevated. We selected our DJ from the venue's preferred list and Greg with SD Party Time DJs was phenomenal -- he live spun our wedding and somehow blended Taylor Swift with heavy metal flawlessly. The dance floor was packed all night. While there were a few things we wish we'd known ahead of time (design option clarity, food not being boxed at the end of the night, and end-of-night teardown logistics), none of these detracted from how magical the day was, but would have been nice to know before hand.. With a bit of advance planning, these are all easily managed. Overall, Ethereal Gardens felt like a true luxury wedding experience. We're so grateful for our day and would absolutely recommend this venue to future couples. Posted some personal images but the Professional Photos from Sierra Dawn Photo. Please do not download or reuse images for personal or professional page use/advertising. Reach out to sierradawnphotos@gmail.com for permission or better, hire her as your photographer she's fabulous!

This is a fabulous place to host an event in NCSD. The moonlight terrace view is one of the best…read moreyou will find in the county. We attended performances of three bands on a Thursday evening organized by the Six String Society. We were there to see the band, Daring Greatly. They won, Song of the Year at the 2023 San Diego Music Awards. The Centre is located above the Lexus dealership and attached to Vintana Wine + Dine, owned by Cohn Restaurant Group. A limited menu and cash bar was available. The food provided by Vintana was excellent, the beverage line much too long. As someone who has planned events in every career role I have had, I feel the space could have been better arranged. The Centre has various venue choices of different sizes. They are used for weddings, reunions and celebrations of all types. They may not need to be booked but it would be great to see more non- profit, charitable and flex functions here in the future. Note: Rocket not included. On the night of the event a rocket was launched into space from Vandenberg that could be seen through parts of SoCal., Go see Daring Greatly & eat at Vintana. #TheCentre #VintanaWineDine #MoonlightVerandah #RocketNotIncluded #DaringGreatly

After visiting several venues where to have my daughter's quinceañera, we fall in love with the…read morecentre! On top of that we wanted to have delicious food and they succeeded our expectations. Genevieve was our event coordinator and we had great communication from day one. At the day of the event Rebecca and Holly were amazing in control of things making the night stress free for us. Garret our bar tender made delicious drinks and kept the schedule smooth according to plan. There were no surprises since everything was very clear in our contract. Thank you for making a memorable night for my daughter!