I had the pleasure of spending a Saturday evening at Rancho Del Cielo last month, to celebrate the marriage of my friends Bret H. and FeiFei J. It was a gorgeous wedding, and the venue was wonderful. I can't speak to the planning part or anything (though I know Bret and FeiFei liked working with both the site coordinator Cathy and the owners, Jill and Sparky--I've thoroughly enjoyed reading the Avesta Diaries on this page, but she and her damage are history), but from where I was sitting, the place seemed ideal. The ceremony, cocktail hour, and seated reception all took place at Rancho Del Cielo, in different parts of the scenic grounds. There were about a hundred of us in attendance, and we fit perfectly--there was plenty of room to party, but it felt warm and intimate, too. The views were marvelous before and after sundown, well worth the trek to Malibu (though the drive up seemed long and tricky enough that I was grateful the bride and groom hired shuttles). The decor was on point, charming and well suited to an al fresco California wedding. I had a lovely time at Rancho Del Cielo, and would highly recommend it if you're looking to get hitched in Malibu. The place was beautiful, worthy of the most special of special occasions. read more

Jill and Cathy at Rancho are just the most amazing people! We chose this venue and our date before COVID, and they worked with us throughout the year to have the wedding we wanted! We originally booked a package with them for 150 people, but when we decided to downsize to 36, they only charged us for the 40 person package! They also help coordinate all of the vendors and Cathy functions as day-of coordinator, so it feels like you have some built-in wedding planning support! We also used all vendors from their preferred vendors list who were all amazing, professional, and helpful. The venue is also GORGEOUS! We really wanted an outdoor venue with ocean views, but Rancho is also a garden setting on a mountaintop. All of our guests could not stop talking about how beautiful and amazing this venue is. We cannot recommend Rancho del Cielo enough!! read more

Despite the ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE site planner, Avesta, this is an amazing location to get married. Our wedding came out exactly as we planned, but only because we took complete ownership of it and hired a very organized wedding coordinator. That said, here are some warnings to help with planning at this site: 1. The lighting packages are confusing (as another person mentioned). The standard is "carnival lights" or bare bulbs. The lanterns are an upcharge. 2. You must bring everything, including the catering kitchen. This can be expensive. Make sure you get silent generators or you will hear them. 3. You must provide transport from available parking (I think it was a church at the bottom of the hill) up to the site itself. There are only a few spots available for wedding party/caterers. read more

Rancho Del Cielo - View towards the sea - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me

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Unlike many other Yelpers we did not plan an event at Rancho Del Cielo but rather stayed for a week in their guest cottage. We have been coming to Southern California for years and absolutely love Malibu. Having stayed in hotels and with family in the past, Rancho Del Cielo sure beat both! While planning our trip we stumbled across HomeAway.com. Such a great alternative to hotels! The site had many choices but we decided on the Olive Grove Cottage at Rancho Del Cielo. My girlfriend handled most of the reservations with owners Jill and Sparky. Such nice people! Unfortunately we missed our flight out of Newark to Los Angeles. We booked the next available flight which set us back about 3hrs. We called Jill and made her aware of this and she was super nice and understanding. She gave us detailed directions and said the place will be unlocked to make ourselves at home upon our arrival. By the time we arrived in LA and picked up our car it was already after 10pm. It was dark and feared we would have trouble finding it since its tucked high up on the mountain. With the directions Jill provided we were taken right to the cottage which was ready and waiting for us. It was almost like Motel 6.. They even left the lights on for us! There was wine and snacks on the table also which was very nice. Not able to see too much other then some of the city lights to the south we unloaded the car and hit the sack. Waking up the next morning we thought we were dreaming! Perched high in the mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean it was like waking up in a tree house.. A high in the clouds tree house! I kind of felt like a kid and had to explore a bit! The property is amazing.. Exactly as advertised! I will let the attached photos do most of the talking. Outdoor fireplace with plenty of firewood, his/hers showers, Jacuzzi, dining area, chaise lounge chairs, sun deck on the hill above the cottage and views for days! There was even high speed wi-fi internet! I can go on but you get the idea.. Rancho Del Cielo is super private and about a mile off the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) but is close to everything important. We found it best to go to Ralph's Grocery Store the first day we were there to stock up on groceries for the week. We enjoy going out but found it very convenient to cook at the cottage as well after a long day in the California sun. The owners respected our privacy but we always knew if we needed something we could reach them. One evening when heading out for dinner we bumped into Sparky riding his bike up the hill to the property. He gave us suggestions on local places to check out we would've never known about. He also assured us if we needed anything not to hesitate contacting them. Having been on the property for a week I can see why it would make such an amazing wedding venue. It will certainly be at the top of our list when the time comes. Jill and Sparky are the nicest people you'll meet too. We didn't want to leave. If your still reading this run on review i'm pretty sure you get that we enjoyed every minute of our time here. I have attached several photos of the property and area. One day when flying by helicopter back to Van Nuys we had our pilot circle the property to check it out by air. I am clearly not the best aerial photographer but figured i'd share a few photos anyway. We can't wait to be back at Rancho Del Cielo! Thank you Jill and Sparky for such great hospitality. read more

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We instantly fell in love with this venue. It's gorgeous with 360 degree view of Malibu Canyon. Jill, Kathy and Sparky are incredibly kind, knowledgeable, super professional and organized. They think of everything, all the little extra detail you don't think about. The website doesn't due this location and Hosts justice, just gorgeous!! read more

This review is based on very limited information, but mostly to let you know that before you book a wedding here, make sure you check out other venues in Malibu. This location is absolutely gorgeous and my husband and I were about to sign a contract for our wedding here, but decided not to as we realized that there are many hidden charges and too many required vendors that we would have had to choose (who would also drive the price up well beyond what we thought it would cost). Just before booking, Avesta had told us that she was "saving our date" and that if anyone contacted her to book that date she would contact us before booking. We never heard from her and when we reached out to let her know we were ready to book, she told us that that date was no longer available as they had another couple who moved their wedding date due to an accident. Fine, so we could have chosen another date, but I am so happy that we didn't. Do your homework first before booking this venue. We ended up using another a la carte venue in malibu that was less expensive and with no mandatory vendors or hidden fees. We are SO GLAD WE DID! It was stunningly beautiful, magical and so much less expensive than a wedding at RDC would have been. They even provide gorgeous lighting at no charge so you really don't need to do anything to decorate as the view of the coast and their lighting at night creates the perfect atmosphere. read more

If you dream of having an intimate, outdoor, picturesque wedding, then Rancho Del Cielo is the perfect place. A private, cottage-like home that sits on top of the hill and has a panoramic view of Malibu coast that is absolutely breathtaking for your ceremony. It's by Pepperdine University. The owners of the house are a retired couple that are super sweet, accommodating, and really encourage you to have your wedding there. They love weddings! The outdoor lawn can host up to 220 guests, seated for reception. The venue is perfect for those who are having a shabby chic themed wedding. But really you can use the space for whatever theme you want. The only thing you pay for is location fee only - you have to provide everything. Although they do have preferred vendors when it comes to catering. So you can really control & budge the costs for your wedding. Also your guests cannot drive to the venue, They have to park their cars at a designated lot & you have to hire a shuttle service. The venue/area is broken up into sections, so that there is a designated spot for certain activities. An area for ceremony, reception, welcoming area, lounge, a well-hidden area for your caterers. But still open enough so that you can enjoy all the scenery. read more

First off i am writing this review as a man under my wife's log in, just so you know where it's coming from... My wife and I were married here back on 9/1/13 and i promised the owners we would give them a very honest review after the festivities were over, so here goes... This place is amazing and we couldn't have been happier with our decision. After now attending several of our friends and families weddings at other venues, we keep coming back to how perfect it was for us. The location has that wow factor for you and all your guests. The owner's Jill and Sparky are extremely hospitable and treat you like family the minute you meet them. They were the final deciding factor in choosing this venue over many other very nice places. Dollar for dollar we were extremely happy with what this place offers. The owners keep everything immaculate and give it that feeling that you have travelled far far away to a magical land. It has that laid back rustic rancho kind of style. They may have preferred vendors which others might see as a negative but honestly all their vendors were phenomenal and knew exactly how to work that venue. The photographer, florist, caterer, DJ, etc.. no complaints at all with any of them. All our guests couldn't stop talking about what an amazing time it was and how it was the best wedding they had ever been too. now of course credit also goes to the bride for all the pretty little touches but this place gives you everything you need to work with to make the most out of that memorable day. The only reason we didn't go 5 stars and i mean the only reason is... Avesta. There are many harsh things said of her which many are very true; i.e. slow to respond to emails, gives specific meeting times but never on time, bad communicator, rude, controlling, bossy, etc.. but the owners Jill & Sparky compensate greatly for her rudeness with pure grace. And on a positive not though, she does get the job done which is really what counts to me at the end of the day... but i'm a guy as i mentioned earlier. Anyways, we look back on this place with extremely found regard and would recommend to our very best of friends... You won't disappointed. read more

We recently had our dream wedding at Rancho Del Cielo on July 25th, 2014. We originally started our planning process with Avesta being the coordinator but they now have new staff, Kim, Cathy and Jake who are all very easy to work with and definitely get the job done! The entire planning process is very nice. When visiting their home, expect to be greeted with ear to ear smiles, espresso and biscotti's and an adorable dog, Hoover. Jill was so happy when discussing the plans for our wedding and makes you feel like an old friend. Of course nothing is perfect and we had a snag that came up a month or so about the wedding (which happens with every wedding) but Jill, Sparky and their team went out of their way to fix everything, truly made us feel like family and like they really cared about our day. Everything was handled with ease and turned out great the day of! We opted for their Celeste package because we had a wedding of under 75 guests. This was perfect because it came with the tables, linens, floral, DJ, caterers, etc. At first I was a little nervous about how the vendors would turn out. I did not want a cheesy wedding florist or DJ and wanted to make sure my sense of style would be captured. Everyone they work with is very talented! Their recommended caterer, Monrose Catering, was by far the BEST wedding food I've had. Their presentation was amazing and with their price being so reasonable, my expectations were surpassed. Our package allowed us to bring our own alcohol (which saved us a lot of $) but we completely forgot about non-alcoholic drinks for the wedding or even mixers with the alcohol! Monrose ran out to get everything we needed only hours before the wedding (without question) and made the problem effortless to fix for us the day of. The florist was Ezai Floral in Santa Monica and they were very talented. I wanted to use all of my own vases and provide the décor for the tablescape and the florist made it really easy. She is definitely a floral designer and has a great aesthetic to her arrangements. The DJ is Jake, who is Jill and Sparky's son. He was also fantastic to work with. We wanted to provide our own music to eliminate any cheesy wedding songs we wouldn't want to dance to and he was more than happy to work with us. All the songs came on exactly when they were supposed to and the sound was great. We even made some goofy requests at the end of the night and he greeted them with a smile! We had Cathy be our officiant and she was a complete breath of fresh air. Her voice was really calming during the ceremony and she has a calmness about her that was good when I was nervous. Haha Kim was our day-of coordinator and she took everything on and made it run smoothly! She has a great sense of style when helping with décor and she told us when to walk, where to go, and helped navigate the day. She even brought us champagne on the cutest vintage tray with glasses, while we were getting ready in hair and makeup. This is totally the service you need on your big day and it was much appreciated! Oh and the cherry on top! We wanted to have a tree ceremony at our wedding rather than a unity candle. When discussing the details with Sparky and Jill, they offered to donate one of Sparky's Rancho Del Cielo Oak's to us to use for this ceremony! Sparky raises oaks from acorns as a project of his. It was a gesture we will never forget and always cherish as we plan to plant it someday in our yard. On our day, when our guests arrived, everyone was amazed with the view and how unique the venue was. We had many guests say it was the best wedding they had ever been to! The property grounds are so well kept with tons of beautiful landscaping and an AMAZING view! Even the drive up is an experience! This venue is so quaint, vintage, and eclectic with a family feel that I know I wouldn't have had the same day at a huge hotel or at a venue with employees. Ignore any previous bad reviews about the service as they truly have made drastic improvements and if I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat! Like next weekend!! Thank again to everyone at Rancho Del Cielo who made our day our dream wedding. They are memories we will cherish for a lifetime! read more

Rancho Del Cielo - The sky at sunset! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me

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We had the most amazing vow renewal ceremony here in 2019! Jill and Kathy are such kind and genuine people who care deeply and work hard to ensure that you have a wonderful experience. From our meetings, in which they got to know us as both a couple and family, as well as their frequent communication with us, we knew that we were in the right hands. On the day that we renewed our vows, everything went smoothly, and Jill and Kathy were constantly working to make sure that we and our guests were comfortable and enjoying ourselves. Finally, the venue itself is breathtaking, and so many guests complimented us on choosing this beautiful site for our vow renewals. From the early afternoon to the night, there were countless jaw-dropping photo opportunities here! Thank you Jill, Kathy, and Sparky for making our 20th wedding anniversary so amazing !! read more

UPDATE AS OF 6/19/2013: I just wanted to follow up with my initial review since I have since gotten married and my wedding was at RDC. Since I made it clear to RDC about the way they handled us as clients, Jill, the owner took over as the main point of communication with myself and my then fiance. She was very accommodating and did her best to give us as many extra things as possible. However, on the day of the wedding, I noticed that lighting was not what I was told by Avesta. She told us that "standard" lighting are these spherical chinese lanterns. When I got to the property, all I saw was the light bulbs. When I asked for it, she skirted the question and said she would talk to Jill. Jill at first refused and after some cajoling from our on the day coordinator relented. BTW..the lighting/shades made a huge difference in my pictures so I'm glad I stood my ground. My bridesmaids tried to talk me into letting it go but at this point after everything I had to deal with with this venue, I was furious. Even though I had a great time on my wedding day minus this whole lighting issue and my guests had a good time, I still do not think it makes up for the 4 months of complete negligence on the part of RDC. I wish I was that sentimental to say that the wedding day was totally worth it - sorry, it wasn't. If I could go back and pick another venue who I knew would have treated us with more consideration, I would do that again. I want to be honest in my review since the owner did contact my new husband after reading this review and said that she was insulted. My intention is to warn other people because getting married is a huge milestone in one's life and I don't want anyone else's experience tainted because I didn't speak my mind. I chose not to hide behind some clever screen name when writing this review because I did want RDC to read it, my friends and guests have also read it and frankly, I am not going to lose sleep over the honesty of this review when I already lost a lot of sleep after paying RDC a bunch $$$ and being ignored for the better part of the year. To the owners of RDC - thank you for trying to make up for how you were with us, I really do appreciate that. Unfortunately, that does not erase the fact that I had to resort to getting ready to cancel my wedding because of your actions - I cannot forigve that. I even called the Better Business Bureau because I was so lost in how to deal with the situation. If you knew what we went through, you wouldn't be insulted, you would instead offer a sincere apology and so would Avesta - which I still haven't gotten. read more

There is a woman Avesta I dealt with that's unbelievably rude and she has completely turned away our business. Avesta was incredibly difficult to get a hold of, texted me which was fine but when I responded to her texts she would insist that I email her which of course she wouldn't respond to. I later discovered, after she was rude and dismissive that she is the officiant! The women who owns the home is lovely, she would have much more business if Avesta wasn't involved. There were plenty of negative reviews on here about Avesta that somehow mysteriously disappeared..... I can't imagine dealing with her on my wedding day and I am not the only one who has written about her... read more

If you like a non responsive site coordinator, hidden fees, and an overall bad taste in your mouth after your event - then this is the place for your wedding. 1) Avesta is the worst person as a coordinator. She has a horrible memory, she doesn't follow through in a timely manner, and she's very difficult to contact. Who operates like this? The owners may be nice people, but if you're getting complaints after complaints about this woman and do nothing about it, then one can only conclude that they do not care and the fault lies with them. 2) Hidden fees throughout the contract. Why can't you let people know exactly what they're getting and what they're paying, so there aren't any surprises in the end. 3) After dealing or not dealing with Avesta for months of planning, it's frustrating to say the least. Plus, she refuses to give you the owners contact information. But the worst part is finding out you have to pay additional fees that weren't completely explained in the contract. All of this just leaves a bad taste in your mouth and weddings are suppose to be special, and fun, and exciting. The one good thing about Rancho, is it's location. If you prefer location over service, by all means book your event here, but I'm sure there are other locations that offer both. Do your research and shop around... read more

Sorry to see that this place has so many poor reviews since that definitely doesn't represent my experience here. Jill and Sparky, the owners, are the friendliest people you would ever want to work with! They are everything you would want in your venue hosts - friendly, accommodating, straightforward, honest and really helpful in making the day run smoothly. I see that Avesta is no longer working with them, so though we had some complaints about her service, those won't affect anyone choosing this venue in the future. I have now been a bridesmaid in two weddings at this venue, and it's definitely where I want to get married when it's my turn! The venue is absolutely gorgeous - it's on a hilltop in Malibu and overlook the ocean and hillsides of Malibu with over 180 degrees of panoramic views. Both weddings were about as perfect as could be imagined. There are two outdoor spaces on the property, one that faces the ocean (where my brother and his wife and my friend and her husband chose to have the ceremony) and a larger grassy area where the reception took place. Looks like in some of the pictures that other couples switched the locations and it worked just as well. It's cool that it's so versatile! And surprisingly, the two weddings that I've been in up there were really different and unique despite being in the same location. The house on the property is rustic and charming and is used for the staging area for the wedding party and catering. The upstairs is the bride's area, with plenty of space for her and her bridesmaids to get ready before the wedding. The rooms up there are airy and bright and beautifully set up, so the pictures we took of the preparations all looked fabulous. After each ceremony, the bride and groom retreated back upstairs to have a few minutes alone before taking photos and there was a platter of hors d'oeuvres and champagne waiting for them up there. The road up there is winding and can be intimidating for people not used to canyon roads, but for both the weddings, the guests all parked at a church at the bottom of the hill and some experienced drivers took us up in vans, so it wasn't a big deal. read more

I was just there last night 7/11//14 for my cousin wedding. I'm not sure why this place will have any bad reviews. There are great panoramic views of the ocean. Everything was all-inclusive food, drinks, dj, and photographer plus valet (wedding and reception at one location yet different areas on the property). Friendly staff, all you can drink plus a wine bottle for home. At night, the full moon reflects its light on the ocean waves and you couldn't tell where the ocean end and the sky begin. The bathroom was clean plus the staff consider everything with breath mints, sewing kit, lotion, etc. for everyone comfort. It's definitely a great place to get married. I was truly impressed. I have two cons: First of all the drive on PCH to get there was taxing. Apparently, the city is doing road construction so I advised that you leave early for the stop and go traffic. I was uncomfortable with the winding road up a steep narrow hill if a car is going the opposite way there isn't room to allow them threw luckily that didn't happen. If your cars is old and have transmission trouble, it's best to rent a car to tackle that hill. If the wedding goes to nighttime as my cousin's wedding did please don't drink too much. Best bet is to have a designated driver to carefully drive down the hill. The other con is the DJ was more of play your song list type of guy no scratching, no mixing just press play. He did not hype up the crowd per se. FYI-Make sure the mic level is up enough for everyone to hear the vows and you are able to record audio. Overall, great place we were there from 2-10pm so I invested 8 hours of my life to enjoy this wedding and I was consistently happy with their service. Enjoy! read more

My son was recently married at Rancho Del Cielo and it was truly a wonderful experience. The site is lovely. Almost everywhere on the property has a view of the ocean. The bride and groom were married with the blue Pacific behind them and it was magical. The wedding and the dinner took place in a large flower garden. The whole place has a rustic but beautiful country charm that makes it very relaxing to be there. As other reviewers have said, our guests couldn't stop talking about what a great place it was. I found the staff at Rancho Del Cielo to be super helpful, polite and friendly. The owners, Sparky and Jill, went out of their way to make sure that the bride and groom and all their guests were happy. Jill finished a decorating job my son was working on so he wouldn't be late to his rehearsal dinner. Cathy, Jake and Kim did a great job of keeping everything moving smoothly. They did such a great job I could relax and enjoy the wedding. The dinner was lovely. The tables, arranged on the lawn, at sunset were beautiful. The food was fresh and delicious. I had one of the best baby green salads I've ever eaten. Monrose catered the wedding and they are pros. They managed to cook and serve dinner to 130 people from a portable kitchen on the driveway. Dinner was served and cleared as if by magic. I didn't have to worry and, for the first time in 30 years, I spent more time on the dance floor than in the kitchen. Beautiful and memorable , it was one of the best days of my life. read more

First, I want to say that I did not have my wedding at Rancho del Cielo. HOWEVER, this review is about my wedding planning experience with them. My husband and I saw Rancho del Cielo and fell in love with the views and feelings of calmness you get from the place. Unfortunately, due to communication issues with their previous site coordinator it did not work out for us there. They have since gotten new coordinating staff and the reviews have been positive. More important than that is Jill and Sparky's commitment to do what they can to make your day special. While we did not have our wedding there, Jill and Sparky extended their kindness and generosity to us. So, if you are considering the venue, you are in the hands of good people. read more

Full disclosure first. My son was recently married at Rancho del Cielo. So I'm not one of their clients, just a participant in the wedding. If you're planning a big wedding you know that the process can be fraught with enough logistics, conflict and pain to make you sometimes imagine you are in the midst of a military campaign. But I have to say, once we showed up on the site, the fog of war was lifted and everything seemed to float as beautifully and perfectly as if we were all on a magical cloud. I say perfectly, but I found out later that the few minor glitches, things we had overlooked, were seamlessly taken care of by Jill and her gracious staff, working so unobtrusively that I never knew they happened. Many people told us it was the most fun and beautiful wedding they had ever attended. It certainly was one of the proudest and most wondrous days of my life. read more

My wife and I have been married for 35 years. We were married in a wonderful outdoor, magical, setting. When we decided it would be special to renew our vows we agreed Rancho Del Cielo in Malibu would be the perfect spot and it is. It's beautiful and intimate. Possibly the prettiest place we have ever been. Jake, Jill and Sparky are fantastic. In addition to being a beautiful spot to hold a ceremony we have stayed in the guest house. Talk about a room with a view! We recommend this beautiful spot to anyone looking for a very special day. read more

Had my wedding here 07-07-2007, owners are awesome but I don't understand what they were thinking to hire Avesta. She was absolutely rude, never answered calls or emails, during the meet up to pick the tables and such, she put in random orders. Luckily I didn't trust her and had to correct everything. She also put the wrong lighting up. That is just a few of the headaches she caused. Despite my experience with her, the place was gorgeous and at the end of the day, I was marrying the love of my life. Therefore, regardless of her, my day was amazing. read more

My wife and I got married there this September and the place was, as its name indicates it, heavenly! We had an amazing experience and everyone was great. The new site rep, Cathy, is very helpful, loving, and patient. And Jill and Sparky are absolutely fab! read more

I am an event planner who worked at Rancho Del Cielo a few years back. I had the opportunity to work there again in August 2015 and saw their new team at work and it was a seamless experience. Cathy is outstanding, and she and the owners, Jill and Sparky, and the rest of the team at the venue work like a swiss watch. I am very particular about making sure the fellow vendors and venue managers I work with on events are total professionals; as picky as I am, I would not hesitate to work at Rancho again or refer the venue to brides and grooms! read more

We had our daughter's wedding at RDC, and it was lovely. BUT I would NEVER recommend contracting there until Avesta, the site coordinator is GONE! We have made several large parties over many years and have never dealt with a more unresponsive, rude, nasty individual as she. Early on, when my daughter called her and did not receive timely responses, we hired an outside coordinator to assist us. If she wrote a review, I feel certain that she would blast the hell out of this woman, as well! Before the wedding, during the wedding, and at the end of the wedding, Avesta was an unnecessary, unprofessional thorn in our, our caterer's, and our planner's sides. She had the nerve to delay a shuttle departure to bring guests to their car (they had an infant with them) until there were more people who wanted to leave. She was rude to them, did not heed our instructions to have the shuttle make the parking area "run" as often as guests required it, and she never apologized. I could go on and on...mind you, the wedding was lovely, but it was lovely DESPITE Avesta, not because of her assistance! read more

Wow... I felt compelled to write a review based on the nasty reviews I see here. My wife and I were married at Rancho Del Cielo May of 2011. I can say with complete clarity that it was the best wedding we've ever attended, no small part due to Jill & Sparky (the owners, some of the nicest and most welcoming people on this green Earth) and their event planner Avesta. When searching for other venues in Malibu, we found that we inevitably had to sacrifice one large thing. For example, it might be a beautiful property, but the bride was explicitly not allowed in the house, and was forced to get ready in some outhouse in the back. They forced us to do no such concessions at RDC, and treated us like family. When I say like family, I literally mean like family, which is why I feel compelled to go to bat from these people when I hear things like "they screwed up my lighting! I wanted an oval, not a bulb!! Life ruined!" If you are managing to complain about things like this on your wedding, word to the wise, you're doing it wrong. On that note, my word to anybody checking these reviews getting ready to get married - simplicity is key. You don't need a photobooth, an ice cream bar or any other things to get married because frankly, you won't remember any of it. Doing it right is doing it elegantly and simply, and if you want a beautiful location with great people that hits all the most important aspects of a wedding, Rancho Del Cielo is a beautiful choice that I will not hesitate to recommend. Chris out. read more

I felt compelled to write a review in order to make it clear that Rancho Del Cielo is n regards to spectacular Malibu venues, without compare. I am from this area, having lived in Malibu and the surrounding communities in the Santa Monica Mountains, since 1969, so I'm am quite familiar with the area. We have been to a number of events here, all of which were beyond spectacular, in all regards. The son of very close friends was married here. It was amazing, beautiful, fun, pastoral, and magical. On that basis, when our daughter was to be married, Rancho Del Cielo was immediately her first (and only real) choice. Given that this was our daughter's wedding, and me being the 'father of the bride' you might well imagine how this could have gone. From the first visit with Jill and Sparky to review the location again, and determine some specific ideas, we were immediately at ease. Jill in particular is the most competant, calming person you could imagine. Perfectly suited to calm the nerves of the Father of the bride. Jill and Sparky are beyond "proprietors" of a beautiful venue. They are beautiful people who's primary goal in life appears to be that they insure that we all have extraordinary special moments to cherish in our lives. They are priceless and I can not imagine this wedding without their presence. The location, all of which is their work, is magical, romantic, fun, friendly and relaxed. We had a beautiful late afternoon service as the sun was setting, and partied while the moon shined on us all. Put it this way, we broke the dance floor!. SO..If you were to be granted your wish for a perfect location, you would find yourself here, with Sparky, Jill and Jake. Our daughter's wedding will be remembered as one of the most wonderful moment of our lives, and I'm speaking for quite a number of people. Thanks again to Jill, Sparky, Jake and Rancho Del Cielo. read more