I recently attended a wedding here. I was a guest, so I am unable to advise on how the venue was to work with. However, as a guest? Spectacular!!! Now, I am related to the Mother of the Bride, and she was calm as a cucumber - pretty impressive considering it was the big day, which tells me the venue had done a good job. I do know that there were a couple of minor issues, but as a guest, if she hadn't told me about it, I would never have known. I have been to a lot of weddings the last couple of years, and I mention that so you can know that when I say this, it is with some comparison. They have the best staff. ( The shuttle driver on the pick up from the parking lot was very somber, and didn't think I was funny, which means, quite frankly he has no sense of humor..i'm sure he has heard them all, it was also 90 degrees and ridiculously hot, so I did not hold it against him). They were ever present, but yet you didn't realize they were even there, which is how it should be. When you did engage, they were polite, charming, and helpful. The dinner was a little late making it out - don't know what the hold up was, just know there was a party schedule and it was late. For all I know the wedding party put it on hold.. The property is pure perfection! The beach is perfect, there is a putting green, a rope swing, and fire pit. Our hosts, chose the s'mores and fireworks package, which was wonderful!!! I kept telling people that I wish we had known about this place last year when a good friend of mine got married, it is exactly what she was looking for, and not what she ended up with. So, since I loved it so much, why only 4 stars? Honestly it is the bathroom scenario. There is only 1 small guest bathroom in the main house, there is apparently another bathroom across the drive, but I didn't hear about it until much later. Also, there were a couple of older family members, not too spry on their feet, and while at least one of the shuttle vans is wheelchair accessable, and there are definitely ways to get a wheel chair around, those that are just unsteady are going to have some struggles. The steps are slap stones, there are a number of ankle twisting walkways. The stepping stones are aesthetically pleasing, but they are placed at an awkward distance apart. Again, the bathroom thing is not accommodating. The small bathroom in the main area is small, not wheel chair or walker friendly. I know there was another bathroom in the bridal suite, but well, that is the bridal suite. Again, I didn't go to the other bathroom in the garage/carriage house, but that would be a distant and difficult hike for elderly, unstable or walker/wheel chair brigade to even get to. Just something to keep in mind. Overall I give this place a thumbs up, and strongly recommend you at least take a tour and check it out. read more

My Wedding to my husband was hosted here September 2019. Beautiful venue. Costly package deals. My mother and I worked with the wedding coordinators. Thank goodness my mother and I essentially planned the whole thing together. We had stayed also at the Gig Harbor Inn. And we're shuttled. The day honestly was a nightmare. Thank goodness I stayed calm as a cucumber. Considering I was newly pregnant and going through a lot at the time. It was a beautiful and custom wedding day. After the brochures we had studied prior. This was the very first and only venue I viewed and chose to be married at with my husband. A read more

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Last time we checked they are not properly licensed, it sounds like the son now runs the venue. they have issues with neighboring properties and do everything they can to cut corners and provide you with a scrapped cheap wedding. DO NOT RECOMMEND! read more

This is a wonderful wedding venue. Beautiful views and just the right amenities. There is a private area of the home for the bride and maids to get ready and a semiprivate area upstairs for the groom and men. There is plenty of room for dinner, dancing and the like. There are a couple of challenges to deal with: guest parking is at the top of the hill and a shuttle is provided. For our event they changed the coordinator at the last minute to a very inexperienced person who wanted to run the show as if it was her day (this is the reason for only 4 stars) otherwise it was a great experience for all. Lots of compliments from our guests. Would highly recommend. read more

The Edgewater House - A portion of the view. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Olalla, Washington

I had to move my event to another location because there was a permitting issue at Edgewater. Be sure to ask whether this has been fully sorted out before you book for a date. At first I was really upset that they booked me at all, but I have come to accept that the whole thing was just a big mess. It would have been a gorgeous location. Sometimes communication turn around was slow, but Johanna was nice to me throughout. Also, although some people have complained about historic LGBT discrimination and I can't speak to those people's experiences, I felt like I was treated normally the whole time I was planning my polyamorous commitment ceremony; other potential vendors sometimes tripped up on verbiage or would mysteriously go from fully available to suddenly "not having the date free" in the same phone call once I explained our ceremony situation, but Johanna never acted like that. read more

Do not patronize this business. We were very clear in our Email that we were a same sex couple looking for our wedding venue and we were invited out for a tour. The venue was gorgeous and everything we were looking for. We selected a date and tried to put a deposit down, but they wouldn't return Emails or phone calls... for weeks. I did some digging on the internet and all I could find was some buried reviews claiming that the owners of the venue do not like hosting same sex couples (yes, that is illegal in the state of Washington). When we did finally manage to wrench a response out of them it was a convoluted message about the owners wanting to use the venue that weekend and they refused to discuss a different weekend. We had some friends of ours, a straight couple, reach out about the weekend we originally tried to book. Not only did they respond promptly, but they were told the weekend we originally tried to book was available. Hard proof? Hardly. But enough to do the math.... read more

PLEASE READ Before Considering this "Venue"!! It's so disappointing to write this review but I feel it's necessary to save other couples from making the mistake that we did. Simplified reason? Edgewater House doesn't have a valid permit. Legally they should not be hosting weddings. To begin, it's a beautiful location and my fiance and I fell in love with it. Our first meeting with Johanna also felt positive and we were shown gorgeous photos of previous weddings. We expressed interest in booking a Saturday in August and were told there were several Saturdays available. The only way to secure the date would be to sign the contract and pay the deposit. We called and left emails that very next day to book. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get in contact with Johanna over the next week or so. When we finally did only one date was available... So with that we booked it, not wanting to lose our chance. Communication with Edgewater was unreliable throughout this entire process. However, we loved the location so much we overlooked it for the time being. Things quickly went downhill from there. About a year out we had to pay our second venue fee (at this point total of, $6,300). Issues began to arise when contacting outside vendors. The responses we got back were alarming. We were told the following from multiple vendors: 1. "We choose not to work with this venue because they are notorious for not being LGBTQIA friendly" 2. "I'm sorry to tell you this but this venue has been shut down for not having valid permits... They didn't tell you??" 3. "The county just shut down a wedding there in the middle of the event. These are not new issues. We feel for them, but they shouldn't be having weddings there". Another red flag, they only recently took down their website which was still up when we were booking. I used to work for a law firm so I was able to do my own investigating to dig up further legal issues. However, all of this is also public knowledge. This "venue" has not been a valid wedding venue since 2018. Johanna never divulged any information about this when we signed our contract or continued to pay the fees. When asked directly, she admitted that they do NOT have a permit, but the county was allowing them to continue to have the weddings if they were already booked, because "who would want to cancel on a bride". Okay... Let's be CLEAR, the county is NOT allowing this and revoked this conditional permit in 2018. Permit issues began in 2014. Even now I'm sure they're continuing to book weddings. So, with that that we politely asked to cancel our contract, and they allowed. However, Johanna was "unsure" if they could return our money (6,300 - a chuck of our wedding savings). We continued to check in often hoping for the best and remaining friendly. She finally called stating they would issue a full refund, but "unsure" as to when. That took the longest. I repeat, communication is not good. We ended up needing a lawyer to get involved and give them a deadline. Which they still failed to do. The POSITIVE - Johanna finally responded to set up a time to meet to return our money. We are SO lucky, since really there's no guarantee we'd get that money back unless we pursued further legal counsel. Could have been a lot worse. Johanna did say that they should have a valid permit by Summer 2022, but honestly it's not likely knowing what we know now. Plus, we couldn't risk our wedding getting shut down in the middle of the ceremony. They've completely lost our trust with their poor communication, unprofessional behavior and overall deceptive manner in which they run their business. Bottom line? We went through a hellish experience with Edgewater House. I'm not insensitive to the difficulties of running a small business but sadly that's no excuse for what they're doing. Finding another venue that was available during this wedding boom on top of not having a huge chunk of our wedding savings available was disheartening. We had planned well in advance before our wedding only to be left panicking. Many tears were shed. So take this advice. DO NOT BOOK THEM. read more

Nestled at the bottom of a steep drive, tucked between the beach and the bluff, this is one of the most beautiful settings I can imagine for a wedding or a romantic weekend "away". They rent the venue as both a wedding site and a guest house. The well-manicured lawn ends just a few feet from a quiet stretch of the Puget Sound, with walkable beach extending both directions. We were blessed with warm sunshine on my friend's wedding day and I don't think it could have been more gorgeous! The night before, the bridal party spent the night in the little guesthouse, which is beautifully decorated and fully equipped with a kitchen and pull-out bed in addition to the top-floor master bedroom, which looks out onto the Sound. The main house is equally impressive, with a big caterer-friendly kitchen and ample space for both bride and groom to get ready separately. The yard comfortably sat nearly 200 guests with room for a dance floor. They solve the problem of the steep driveway (and tight parking space down below) by having event guests park at the top of the hill and take shuttles down and back, which worked flawlessly. Directions here are a bit tricky - especially after dark, on narrow winding roads - but it was a great location for an early afternoon wedding and not too far from Seattle to make it a long haul for guests (about 40 minutes from Tacoma, 1-1.5 hours from Seattle). Everything about the weekend here was peaceful, picturesque, romantic, and unforgettable (including the post-wedding "plunge" in the Puget Sound taken by the entire wedding party - including yours truly!). If you're looking for a waterside wedding in the Northwest, don't miss this place. read more

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Our son recently got married at The Edgewater House. It was one of The Best Weddings I have ever been to. I used to work Banquets & Caterings for many years so I can be very critical. But the Beauty of the home and the location on the beach is better than anywhere I have seen in WA state. And Johanna had every single detail locked down. She helped direct & guide the wedding party so everything went smoothly and seamlessly without a single problem. If you are considering the Edgewater House, I highly recommend It! Johanna is one of the best & most professional in the business. read more

The place is beautiful and would have been perfect for my daughter's wedding but once Marilyn found out that my daughter is gay we were told it was "not the right fit". I am sorry for her loss in getting to know two very quality individuals who deserve the right to be honored and celebrated for their commitment to each other. As a parent who only wants the best for their child, I am VERY disappointed. Their special day will not be ruined by the bigotry we experienced. We will find a better place read more

Extremely unhappy with my experience! We booked with Edgewater and we were told that catering was optional. My fiancé returned later to give them the $2,500 deposit and sign papers. Multiple times we referenced that we would be doing our own catering prior to signing anything. We were never corrected. It wasn't until we got the invoice, months later, that we discovered Edgewater catering is most definitely required. $35 minimum per person for catering is required. You can expect to pay $13,000 - $15,000 for this venue (100 - 150 people) and this only includes food, the venue, staff, and tables and chairs...everything else is extra and a lot extra. You even have to use their alcohol distributor. I felt cheated when we were not given the opportunity to be refunded our deposit. We clarified multiple times that we'd like to use our own catering. At the end of the day, it was stated in the contract, in the fine print, in the middle of a 15 page document. We attempted to cancel with more than 6 months notice as well. I would not recommend this place to anyone and I really think that they should change how they present and sell their services. You are welcome for the $2,500...thanks for the terrible experience. read more

The Edgewater House is an absolutely beautiful place to get married and quite unique compared to the other options available in the Puget Sound area. Our wedding day went off without a hitch and we continue to hear from our guests how it was the most beautiful and fun wedding to which they've been. Marilyn and her team were professional and do a wonderful job keeping this looking beautiful during the busy wedding season. With that said, there are a few things one should know if they're considering this venue. Like another reviewer mentioned, we were shocked at the jump in price from the verbal quote we received in June 2010 and the new quote we were given when we were finally able to book a date and put down our deposit 10 weeks later. By that time, our emotions were so invested in this venue that we decided to just splurge and cut back the budget for some of our other vendors. I don't regret our decision in the slightest, but the anxiety caused by the fact that we couldn't book a date until "sometime in August" and the price jump was very stressful and frustrating. Marilyn offered various other services that really completed the vision we had for our wedding (bonfire, fireworks, smores) but instead of including them in the already very expensive package, they were all extra. Just left me feeling kind of nickled and dimed. Marilyn was responsive for the most part...calling her and leaving a message ended up being the best way to get a hold of her (versus the email tool on her website). Our other vendors didn't seem to have any major issues coordinating with her and from what I can tell she has good business relationships within the wedding industry. She seems to love what she does and clearly takes a lot of pride in her property. I would certainly recommend The Edgewater House to anyone looking for a beautiful, beach side wedding venue...just be sure you get a written quote and copy of the contract before you become emotionally invested. read more

This Edgewater House must not be truly interested in helping people in love celabrate their special day. They have a alot to learn about "the right fit". I have 3 daughters that would not consider even looking at this place and they will I am sure pass it along to their friends. Anyone who would want to get married here, should be advised that the folks running the place are narrow minded and biggoted and turned away 2 of the nicest girls I know that just wanted to celebrate their special day. I know several places that would be much more welcoming and warm. Yoor loss Edgewater. And shame on you Marilyn! read more

After looking for the perfect Washington beach to have our wedding (not like we had countless options) we finally found it. Marilyn and Johanna were so accommodating to everything I needed. They set up and cleaned up and did everything in between. All of our guests raved about the food and the decor all thanks to the Edgewater House team. I didn't have to worry about a single thing on my big day. I would definitely reccomend this venue to anyone in the Puget Sound area looking to get married! read more

BEAUTIFUL LOCATION AND WELL ORGANIZED. That gets the 2 stars. The food was horrible. Crab was from unknown breed with very little meat. But not to worry, it was so overcooked that it was nearly inedible. Chicken was great but it ran out before many of the guests were served. Ditto corn on the cob. Other vegetables were standard freezer fare. Salad was lettuce. Period. Maybe somewhere in the bowl were other ingredients but not in my serving. Can't say what the dressing was; I only got dry lettuce. read more

I attended a recent wedding at this venue and I have to say this place despite the beautiful view was a disaster in my opinion. First, you have to park up the hill and walk down a steep gravel road to the venue because their was no one to tell us a bus was coming to pick us up. Second, they served alcohol with a drop of cheese on a tortilla chip with a leaf of cilantro and a bacon roll up for a hour and a half before eating(drunk eating dinner). Dinner was 90 minutes later and came out cold and super small portions for $45.00 a plate, with only one server for 95 people. No wonder it was cold!!!! Either Johanna the organizer at the venue was completely overwhelmed or just was horrible at her job. P.S. If you want someone to play piano at your wedding bring your own baby grand, because theirs is junk!!!! Pay your money and take your chances!!! read more

We absolutely loved our stay at the Edgewater House. We were celebrating our anniversary and wanted a secluded romantic getaway. We got everything we hoped for and more. Marilyn and her staff have such a way with details and the subtleties of feeling pampered! We could easily make this a regular retreat. read more

Horrible management is all i can say. The house is beautiful but not worth the stress that comes from its owners lack of customer service and business practices. Its impossible to get any answers regarding amenities and prices yet alone plan anything with Marilyn. It took me weeks to get email responses that sounded like used call salesmen pitches. She seemed to avoid talking about price and building your own package from scratch. Finally when i did get a response for price-it was way too much. I just want to warn anyone who comes across this property that I'm sure the owner is nice...but for me what ruined it was her poor business habits. She is super slow to respond to questions and request. As a bride this was just not going to work for planning purposes. Good luck to anyone who picks this venue. read more

The sure is a beautiful wedding venue, but beware - the contract is written SOLEY TO PROTECT THE OWNER - not the bride and groom! When my wedding was unexpectedly cancelled, the owner would not refund my $2,700.00 deposit - and REFUSED to rent the space to anyone who inquired about that date. Talk about a malicious and unprofessional business! Be sure you have an attorney review your contract BEFORE you sign it as this owner seems sweet at first, and lies to your face on refunding money back as she did with me! It's also extremely difficult to reach the venue - never return calls or emails!! Bride BEWARE! read more

This place misrepresents itself and everything you get for the price. Was very surprised to get a bill for way more than what we discussed. We felt very taken advantage of. Make sure you read the contract very thoroughly and do not expect what they say they will deliver. Very disappointed in this place. read more

Hearing what my friend experienced with her daughter, I will actively recommend against using your facility to anyone who will listen. Your loss, because my kids and all their friends are at the "marrying age". read more

Do not use them! Expect to pay 3 times what they originally tell you. EVERYTHING is extra. They tell you that you can use your own caterer but then surprise you later that you can't. We thought we were paying around $5k for the venue then got a bill for over $17k for just the venue and food. That didn't include ANYTHING ELSE! Very disappointed, we ended up backing out and had to forfeit the $2500 deposit. That was cheaper than paying so much more than we were told. They totally misrepresent their contract! Make sure you read the contract carefully and be prepared to pay way more! We felt so cheated by them, I would not recommend them to anyone! read more

We had our wedding last summer and the Edgewater House is a very special place. My husband and I were looking for a nice venue the was semi local for our guests and on the beach! As we researched different venues, this place had the capacity we needed and was beautiful, but it didn't have the best reviews. I scheduled a tour and meeting with Mariah and we fell in love with the place! As we discussed the venue and costs, I brought up the reviews and asked for clarification. Mariah was honest about the reviews and addressed them. We didn't have to have it catered, but if we did it would be by their chef....which the food was great! We were kept in the loop as far as any changes, choices, recommendations, and extra costs. The only suggestion we have is to let your guests how often and when the shuttle brings guests back to their cars, for most of our guests thought they would have to walk the hill if they missed the shuttle, so they missed many wedding events. I was a little disappointed that we couldn't take any food home with us (there was a ton of extras bexuae of the number of no-shows). Other than thise 2 things, we absolutely had the bestand most elegant wedding! We returned the other weekend to reminisce our special day as our 1 year anniversary approaches and now we have a baby. It was the perfect setting and place for our son to put his feet in the sand and hold his 1st seashell. Mariah was more than delighted to welcome us back and let us take some pictures with the baby. I highly recommend this venue. It is pricey but so worth it, Mariah and Johanna made wedding planning a breeze! read more

Great waterfront wedding venue in the Pacific Northwest. Perfect wedding day for our daughter. Everything was handled by the fun staff at The Edgewater House. read more

To YELP: I just noticed there are 5 "recommended reviews" readily visible. (probably 6 after I post this...) Then after scrolling to end of recommended reviews there's a link for "11 not recommended reviews", only visible after you follow the hyperlink. So, what's up with that? Can I hide reviews for my business, too? How much does it cost? read more

Woodstock wedding experience. Park far away and use porta-potties. But the porta potties do smell nice.

Hi Brides and Grooms, If you are still seeking for a waterfront beach wedding, The Edgewater House is going to be perfect. If your needs are romantic or you are having a large or small wedding, this is the perfect venue. We had our wedding here at this beautiful location. Everyone had so much fun and are still talking about it. I really wanted my family and friends to have the time of their lives as well. There was no awkward people just standing around. That was one of my biggest fears. But until I found The Edgewater House, I know that this place would deal with all my worries. And it totally did. The day of the wedding. May gosh, when I showed up the tables and all the table settings were already being done and not by my family nor friends. Thanks to the amazing wedding planner that the venue offers, it was almost all done. I nor my wedding party had to do any of the set up. We renting the center pieces from the venue, which were so beautiful and way high end. The linens just sparkled in all the sunlight and in the evening everything was glowing! It took us a little less then a year to plan the wedding. me and my now HUSBAND really wanted it to be special and well thought out. We talked a lot about the wedding even down to the little details. Nothing was missed our planner was so organized and was so easy to contact. She set everything up for us. She had contacted all of the vendors and did all the hard work for us. She also had already worked with the vendors and had a good relationship with them. It made choosing vendors so easy. Because in the end you are not really sure who you are dealing with. But having a venue that has all the good ones already picked out is wonderful. I loved getting married and I LOVE being married. Mr.and Mrs. Howard, Thank The Edgewater House from the bottom of our hearts for such a beautiful memory. We could not have asked for a more beautiful life! read more

I was so excited to book our wedding here. I was promised exemplary service. My fiancé and I reviewed our budget with the owner. We wrote out all of the expenses and discussed bringing in our own caterer since their services were pretty pricey for not a very impressive menu. We paid the $2500 deposit. The owner never disclosed to us that it was not permitted to bring in and vendors. We met with their "wedding coordinator"which added $500 to the venue but is required. She was an hour late to the meeting and informed me that we are not able to bring in catering. We had already paid a deposit with the caterer also. We decided to just go forward and pay for catering at the venue. We got the invoice and it was $15000 owed. This was quite a shock when we thought it would much less. I had such a bad taste in my mouth that we canceled. I felt like we were duped into signing a contract and not disclosed all of the hidden expenses. The owner apologized for the misunderstanding but would not refund our deposit. It seems like a horrible business practice to trick people into a deposit and then not deliver on promises. If you decide to book here make sure you review ALL expenses because that information is not volunteered. read more

My fiancé and I stood outside their venue for 30 minutes for a scheduled tour that apparently no one else knew about. My fiancé lives in Ohio and I specifically scheduled a tour when he was in town. There was a van in the driveway and went to the door and knocked waiting for an answer and got none. I called Marilyn but learned that she was out of town and to call the event planner. I called and after a few rings went to voicemail. Continued to call and got no answer. We looked around the venue and noticed there were 2 pairs of shoes by the door and a water bottle on the staircase. I called the planner again and mid ring the call was ended. Called again and it went straight to voicemail. Then I received a text message saying she was in a "meeting" and asked if I was interested in the venue. I'm sorry, but after multiple phone calls from one number, you could step out of a meeting to answer the call. Apparently, she didnt want to do her job today. I'm rather disappointed as I loved the venue but I'll continue looking elsewhere. read more