Pine Hills Lodge

We had a beautiful wedding and reception at Pine Hills Lodge last December! I really wanted a warm, cozy winter wedding and I got it at Pine Hills. I know a lot of people have outdoor ceremonies there, but we opted for all indoors (December in Julian is cold!) and we couldn't have been happier with our choice. The fireplace is a gorgeous backdrop for the ceremony and the dinning room had a rustic elegance that we loved. Hanna, the owner, was even willing to let us bring in Christmas trees and lights and set up the dining room exactly how we wanted it! The food was delicious- I still have friends commenting on the Julian Salad- and the service staff was very professional and warm with our guests. We only visited in person twice and were able to make all of our arrangements from out of town through Hanna, the owner. I have to really compliment Hanna on her flexibility and variety of services. It was so convenient to have a venue that included food and bar services and helped us find vendors for the cake, the DJ, the rehearsal dinner, and additional lodging needs in town for our guests.
We were able to arrive and start setting up the day before the wedding on our own schedule. We had the rehearsal dinner catered in the pub by Wynola Pizza (great lasagna and baked ziti) with the bartender available to serve us all night. I stayed upstairs with my girlfriends in the lodge rooms the night before the wedding and my family and friends stayed in the surrounding cabins. My husband and I came back Sunday morning to join family and friends at the Sunday brunch before everyone headed home. We heard nothing but compliments on our wedding and venue choice- we have been told by several guests that it was the prettiest wedding they have ever attended. Our whole wedding weekend was wonderful because of Pine Hills Lodge- I keep telling my husband that I want to go back and do it all over again!

We were married at the Pine Hills Lodge on October 1, 2011 and I can't say enough great things about this venue! Hanna, the owner, went above and beyond! She allowed us to come to the lodge the day before the wedding to decorate the area just the way we wanted. She even provided us a beverage bin and ice free of charge so we could provide our guests with ice cold bottled water. We even had a skit for our main entrance and she made sure a couple of very important props were available on command. She was so awesome and helpful and just one of the sweetest people. Plus, we were able to find our DJ (Sound Prodigy) and cake baker (Candied Apple Pastry Company) through her. Then from our DJ we found our photographers (More Than Words Photography)and all of them worked REALLY well together. Everything went without a hitch.

The lawn may look small but it was able to hold a little over 100 of our guests just fine! I haven't gotten my official photographers' photos yet but from what I've seen of other guests' photos, the altar looked absolutely beautiful with the manzanita trees and the shining green leaves in the background.

The food was delicious! The entrees we provided for our guests were the tri-citrus salmon and top sirloin with red wine cream sauce. I loved the top sirloin but if I could go back in time, I would have ordered double of the tri-citrus salmon instead. It was absolutely divine. Its so easy to overcook salmon and they had cooked it just well enough where it had that nice flaky texture outside but was still really juicy! We also ordered the Julian Salad and we got so much praise from our guests for this salad! One of my guests even said it was one of the best salads she had ever had.

It was the best days of our lives and I'm SO glad we had our wedding here.

Pine Hills Lodge is a fantastic venue for San Diego brides who are looking for something besides a beach wedding (or Spanish architecture... Not that it isn't beautiful!).
The lodge is absolutely beautiful. It's set in the mountains and forest just outside of Julian, which is beautiful in its own right. The lodge itself is very flexible for planning, with an outdoor lawn, a multi-story deck, a beautiful dining room and a lobby with a huge fireplace. There's also a pub onsite with a patio!
Hanna, the venue coordinator, is patient and kind, and absolutely the type of person a stressed bride needs! She'll help you out with suggestions anytime, via phone or email.
One potential red flag is that the Lodge does not do menu tastings. This caused my groom and I a bit of stress, but when the day came our fears were laid completely to rest. The food was absolutely amazing. We received countless compliments from our guests.
Things to keep in mind: the "honeymoon" suite (the North Star Cabin) is not included in the price of the venue. You may also want to consider purchasing your own wine and paying the corkage fee (the selection is not great and the wines are marked up). If you've chosen a meat entree, don't count on getting a special meal for your one or two vegetarians. Also, plan ahead if you're feeding your vendors. The Lodge will feed them, but you'll pay full price for their meals.
All said, Pine Hills was worth every penny we paid. We enjoyed the venue every minute we were there (all weekend!), the service during the reception was excellent, and all of our guests loved the venue.

The Pine Hills Lodge this amazing rustic cabin nestled in the hills of Julian. Very cozy and very country. I have been performing at this venue for a number of years and its an AWESOME place. The staff is friendly, the food is wonderful and the surroundings are amazing! If your looking for a quiet out of the way location to have a wedding ceremony and reception The Pine Hills Lodge is the place. Its everything a venue should be....