Rancho Del Cielo

Malibu Rancho Del Cielo is an AMAZING location and I can't imagine getting married anywhere else. The ocean bluff views are STUNNING, the grounds are green and the layout is perfect for weddings. The sunset view is picture perfect and there are a ton of prime photo op spots on the property. We've received so many compliments from our guests about how much they enjoyed the view, the vibe and the venue. Because this is a private residence wedding planning takes a lot more footwork than other venues and there are a number of of hidden costs (i.e., purchasing the insurance, lighting, generators, chair/table rentals, dance floor rental, shuttles, parking, site coordinator and garbage/clean-up, etc.-- which can add up to an additional $7K). But the venue really is stunning and worth the extra time and bucks.

That said, I read the cautions about Avesta (the mandatory cite coordinator--who handles items like showing you the venue, having you sign up the contract, shuttles and parking, and being present on the day of) before booking and would have to agree with the other reviewers in this regard. In showing the venue and signing up our contract, Avesta was very responsive, and on the day of, Avesta was present and plesant; however, she was difficult to get a hold of (sending a lot of follow up emails sometimes does the trick) and incredibly unorganized/scattered during the time between signing our contract (December 2009) and our actual wedding date (August 2010). For example, our shuttles booked through Avesta showed up at the wrong hotel initially and as a result some guests were 45 minutes late to the ceremony. Also, there was a whole lot of confusion regarding whether or not we would need generators in addition to those that our caterers were providing, and the confusion basically stemmed from Avesta telling our caterers one thing and Avesta telling me the complete opposite. I think Avesta means well, she just gets really busy and scattered sometimes.

Notwithstanding Avesta, if I could do it all over again, I would get married at Malibu Rancho Del Cielo over and over again. Our guests eventually got there in time for the ceremony and we had power for the lights/DJ on our big day. The weather was gorgeous, we had a star studded team of other vendors and had the "more fun than fancy" of our dreams (thanks large in part to our above and beyond wedding coordinator Amber Events). Avesta also offers her wedding coordinator services in addition to her cite coordination services and I would advise any brides to be to go with Amber Events instead. Amber is familiar with the venue, is familiar with Avesta and is truly amazing.

I simply can't imagine getting married anywhere else in the world. My now husband and I almost didn't visit Rancho because of some negative reviews, and boy were we glad we ignored them! The owner, Jill, and the site manager, Avesta, were AMAZING. They are incredibly friendly and welcoming and immediately made us feel like family. The location is STUNNING with breathtaking views. Our guests were freaking out over the venue, and even commented on how attentive Avesta was to each of our guests! If I had to do it all over again I would pick Rancho del Cielo in a heartbeat. It is a magical, gorgeous place, and it was an honor to be married there.

The site is absolutely beautiful but the site manager, Avesta is a very difficult woman to work with. Ladies, tread carefully & hire your own planner. Also, they nickel & dime you for everything, so definitely read your contract carefully!

This place is truly magical! I knew immediately when i got out of the car that this was the place i wanted to be married. We had a very tight budget and at first this seemed perfect, then all the extras added up very fast; dance floor rental, lights and electrical, insurance, plus. So we did end up a little over budget. but i liked that we had the freedom to use whatever vendors we wanted aside from some that they have problems with. Avesta was great. she gets really busy in the summer and isnt as available as you might like, but while i was doing most of my planning in the winter and spring she was readily available. the day of, got a little hectic. we had some problems with the huppah (i was getting ready and only heard about this after the fact) that avesta was very rude and snappy to my mom and bridesmaids. she also gave a tour of the property during set up, and gave these potential clients a little over an hour of my time that i paid for. she did delegate jobs while she was tour guiding, but my bridesmaids were not pleased and felt like they were doing all her work while she was showing off the place. they left the huppah till the last minute and it was a bit of a disaster because it was so windy and I made the poles (not strong enough) my mom had spent months working on the design and hired someone to sew it- it was made very well, but apparently avesta didnt think so and made it clear she didnt think so. the groomsmen held the huppah over us, which in the end created a very special effect. at the end of the night we had to pack everything up in the dark- kind of sucked and we left some things because it was so hectic.
all in all it was a beautiful day, i just wish i hadnt heard so many complaints about avesta. to me she was nice and made the whole day run smoothly, but to others she was not pleasant at all. tread carefully! and good luck!!!

Just wanted to chime in and say that this was my sister's site. I wanted to agree with everyone that it is a beautiful site, but these people practically ruined her wedding. The site is NOT worth it. Avesta is one of the most difficult women I have ever had to work with. This is supposed to be your special day. Don't let her ruin it.

I got married at Rancho last year and it was amazing. You cannot beat this place for an outdoor wedding. The views are amazing, the owners are the sweetest people ever and Avesta helped me so much. I am so happy I choose this venue. I was able to really pick and choose how I wanted everything to look. Make sure to check it out if you are thinking of getting married in Malibu.

My wedding was beautiful NO thanks to Avesta Carrera. I still had a wonderful day but my "coordinator" Avesta was impossible to get a hold of for months, rude to my family members, and overcharged us $2000 in rentals which SHE authorized without our approval. She also did not contact my vendors with directions and itinerary (which she was paid to do). The week before my wedding I had 4 vendors call me and ask when and where the wedding was and how to get there and what the timeline was. We paid extra money to have Avesta "coordinate" our wedding. It was a nightmare. The day before the wedding, at the rehearsal, she asked my then-fiance if he was a groomsman, even though she had met us twice in person. She DID step up the day of the wedding and my day went smoothly. Everything before and after was horrible. DO NOT USE AVESTA CARRERA FROM MALIBU EVENTS!!! Rancho del Cielo is beautiful. Sparky and Jill (the owners) are sweet. It WAS a bit more expensive than I would have hoped (everything added up: rentals, food, bar, etc.) Break everything down before hand AND AVOID AVESTA!

When I first visited Rancho Del Cielo it took my breath away. The site is amazingly gorgeous and I hadn’t seen anything else like it. That being said, it does have its downsides. Because it is a private residence, you have to rent a lot of extra stuff. (You do not need to rent bathrooms anymore, they have built them and they’re very nice). For example, you need to rent a dance floor, generator, all tables/chairs/etc., shuttles to get your guests up the hill, the church parking lot so your guests have somewhere to park, lighting, etc. These things can add up but I had a long engagement and time to deal with them.

Because I signed the contract so early I also had a lot of surprises come up. All of the sudden there were sound ordinances that my DJ had to adhere to and he had to use the speakers provided by Rancho (I didn’t even notice this on the day of though). Origianally I was told the cat would be taken away for the day of but it wasn’t (I’m allergic but they did vacuum for me and keep it locked in a separate room). I was told I could use any shuttle company and then told I could only choose between two (I used my caterer for this). These changes in what I’d been told were really frustrating and hard to deal with. That was probably the biggest downside to this venue.

The venue also has a site coordinator Avesta. Avesta has a very good heart and on the day of pulled through amazingly (although I also had my own DOC). Avesta’s voicemail was constantly full and she was the one always changing what she’d told me. Personally, I found her horribly frustrating to work with before the wedding.

The site owners, Sparky and Jill are wonderful though! They were so sweet and accommodating through the whole planning process and let me come up to see the venue several times. Jill even rearranged her kitchen for me on the morning of so that my hair/make-up people could us it as a “beauty parlour.” These two became like family to Chris and I and I’m so glad that they were a part of our day!

Rancho is not the easiest place to work with but in the end, I think it was worth it. My guests raved about the view and I think the location really made my vision come to life. If you decide to go with them, make sure to get EVERYTHING in writing before you give the deposit and be ready to spend a bit of extra money ($500 for parking lot, $1400 for lighting, $350 for site insurance, etc.). If you’d asked me two weeks before the wedding what grade I’d give them I would have probably said a C- because of the difficulties I had in dealing with them but in the end they get an A- because even though it was a lot of work, I can’t imagine having had my wedding anywhere else.

The owners of the house, Sparky and Jill, are wonderful people and will really make you feel special. Avesta, the site coordinator is nice although a little scatter-brained.

All in all, a lovely site with an amazing view. :)

We got married in Rancho del Cielo in June and it was definitely the right decision for us. The ocean view is definitely breath taking and awesome. Everyone fell in love with the premise and the views. Our pictures from the wedding came out to be so gorgeous!

The owners of the house, Jill and Sparky, are really nice and helpful, and have done a great job of maintaining the site so nicely that we did not really need much in way of flowers to dress it up. Jill takes care of the garden very diligently and the garden itself is very scenic completed with the marvellous ocean views.

The one thing to note about Rancho is that you need to rent everything. They now have 2 bathrooms available for the guests but everything else (kitchen, generators, tables, etc.) have to be rented. Bridal party has access to the master bedroom upstairs, which is really nice.

It is also not possible for the guests to drive up to the site and we had to arrange shuttles for the guests. That process was very seamless and everyone was able to come up the site using the shuttles we rented. The owners work with the same company and the company is very helpful since they know the site.

Avesta (the site coordinator) was also great during the process but she is typically busy and needs to be reminded of things frequently. She has recommendations for vendors and is definitely helpful with the rentals.

Rancho del Cielo is like a piece of heaven up in the hills of Malibu. If you are considering Malibu, I would definitely suggest Rancho.

This private estate is located in hills of Malibu. The ocean view is breath taking. The ceremony and the cocktail area are in a shaded. The bride’s room is large and it has plenty of space for your and your wedding party to get ready. The location manager and owner are very sweet and make you and your families feel right at home. The location is well kept and you have many areas for your photographer to capture many romantic pictures of both of you. I love the fact that they let us set-up early. It just makes it easier for all your vendors to arrive early and things will run smoother. The location offers a great lighting package for the reception and can also assist you with some other services that you need in addition to the location rental.

We can assist you with an all inclusive catering package which includes rentals, food, bar (byo), staff and reception coordinating.

What a perfect wedding location. This incredible site will blow your mind. It is a photographer's dream.. full of private nooks for romantic, timeless pictures. The view of the Pacific can not be beat and the staff is simply divine. The owner is charming and will make you feel like family. Tell them Cat and Adi from Next Exit referred you!