Calamigos Ranch in Malibu

I had the most beautiful wedding at Calamigos Ranch. Everything was incredible and magical.. I'd love to give them the 5 star but I can't. Be very careful when you pay them the last balance which they ask for in cash or cashier's check. At our rehearsal, 5 days before the wedding, we paid them in cash. They called us back later that day(during our rehearsal dinner) that they're $500 short. They asked to pay or they'll charge the credit card.. it was very stressful specially right before the wedding..

I had my wedding on Oct. 2, 2011 at Calamigos Ranch and it was everything I ever dreamed of and more! The location is absolutely gorgeous and it is so pretty from the moment you drive in! Even the drive to the venue is nice because the road cuts through the Santa Monica mountains and the venue is very private and secluded. It is near a couple of different wineries. We had our ceremony and reception at The Oaks. There is a peaceful waterfall behind the alter and the whole patio area is surrounded by oak trees. After the ceremony, our guests were allowed down to the meadows (a large open grassy area below the ceremony deck) and this is where we had our cocktail hour. We went with 4 different tray passed hors d'oeuvres. I only got a chance to try the stuffed button mushroom caps and they were delicious! For the dinner reception, we went with buffet and chose the prime rib and salmon entrees. They were OUTSTANDING and the catering manager took great care of me and my husband. They made us a plate and we actually got a chance to sit down and eat for a little bit! My only negative is that Samantha was our day-of coordinator and I think she must have been new. We had been working with a lady named Claudia throughout the planning, and she was awesome, but she ended up moving to a sister venue about a week before our wedding. This was unfortunate. Samantha almost had me walk down the aisle right after the flower girl and ring boy and my music hadn't even started playing yet. She was also suppose to help me fix my dress before I walked, but I had to remind her. Also, before the ceremony, when all of my vendors were arriving to set up, no one knew were Samantha was and we needed her help to direct everyone! Other than that, the event was amazing and the whole wedding went very smoothly. Many of our friends and family said it was MAGICAL, and it was! Calamigos Ranch was the perfect location for an outdoor ceremony/ indoor reception! Lastly, although it is a gorgeous place for a wedding, it is definitely pricey $$$$!!!

One of the most magical gems in Malibu. The grounds are spectacular and breathtaking! The staff was just amazing to work with, always professional and courteous.

Loved the calamigos ranch. We got married in the garden patio/main dining room. It was wonderful. Everyone said it was the most beautiful wedding location they had ever been to. You can't taste the food ahead of time, but it was wonderful. We had the buffet food stations and there was so much food. It look very impressive. We had the prime rib which everyone loved. Claudia was worked with us through the whole process and was our coordinator on the day of. She was incredible and a life saver. We loved her. The staff for the reception was great too. Very attentive. We loved every aspect of this venue. It was an incredible day.

PROS: Everything, except... CONS: No tastings (but the food is great, so don't worry!) We just celebrated our wedding at Calamigos in July 2011 and it was truly an event to remember! We chose the Oaks as our venue. It's one of the smaller locations, and it was just right for our 85 guests. The entire place was very impressive and photo-friendly... even the path leading up to the ceremony and reception areas. All around the property were fountains, nice landscaping, and trees with hanging twinkle lights. The vineyard and horse sculptures at the entrance were also very picturesque. The entire staff was a pleasure to work with - the Weddings & Banquets team, the wait staff, the bartenders, the valet, and even the groundskeepers and cleaning crew! They were all very professional and super-helpful. Everyone at the head office kept very good notes. Throughout the planning process, I called often, asked a lot of questions, and even dropped by to take measurements and drop off payments, and they were always very friendly and accommodating every time. I even got to "hugging terms" with a couple of the reps because they saw and spoke to me so often... mainly, Claudia and Cindy, who were absolute dolls! As many of the other reviewers have already mentioned, they don't offer tastings, but there's nothing to worry about... the food is very good and plentiful! We chose the sit-down dinner option and the portions for the salad and entree were huge! We also added the Passed Hors d'Oeuvres and they were absolutely delicious!!! I would highly recommend adding them, if your budget is permitting. It was worth it for us since many of our guests were foodies, had big appetites, or both. I also appreciated the fact that almost everything was taken care of by one point of contact. They provide a lot in their packages. The only things that we were responsible for were the officiant, photographer, cake, music, and flowers. Everything else (catering, wait staff, bar service, rentals, valet, etc.) was taken care of by Calamigos. (I couldn't imagine having to book all of those vendors individually!) And since everything is readily available on their property, they can also do things like add extra tables and chairs and things like that at no additional charge... which is nice. I would definitely recommend Calamigos for your wedding or special event. All of our guests were complimenting us on the venue. It's definitely not the typical hotel or country club, it's much much more.

We got married in the Main Dining Room and could not be happier with the overall experience. We have had so many compliments from our guests about how beautiful and magical our big day was. From the waterfalls and twinkle lights dangling from the weeping willows outside to the waterfall room, it is truely a one of a kind venue. Calamigos has so many opportunities for photo ops. Although we were a little nervous with not being able to taste the food, it was all amazing: both the appetizers and the main course. Calamigos is a little pricey compared to other venues, but I think it is completely worth it. Enjoy your day because it goes by so quickly!

I cannot say enough about the location and the staff at Calamigos Ranch, they did an amazing job and were so eas going, which is a plus when your planning your own wedding. They accomodated us the day of the wedding as we were affraid ain might ruin things...they quickly moved everything indoors so our guests could enjoy the event without freezing to death!

We got married at The Garden Patio and had the reception in the main dining room, 2 weeks ago. I'm still amazed with how abaolutely amazing it turned out. I can't tell you how many of our friends that came to us and said it was one of the most beautiful weddings they've ever been to, and I largely credit the venue for that. The place is magical. Simply put. From the moment we saw the place, you feel like you're walking in some enchanted place. Waterfalls, trees, lights everwhere, HUGE venue with so many great photo opportunities. The place is amazing. We were originally looking at doing Calamigos in Burbank, and while also a great venue, I am so glad we went with Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, even though it was a bit farther for us. SO worth it. And not gonna lie, it wasn't the cheapest of venues we looked at, but I don't regret it at all. Erin Bagasson was our contact through out all the planning and was really helpful. I was a little surprised when we were there during the rehearsal and all of a sudden found we had a different coordinator, but she was great too (can't remember her name). The wedding went great, the food was SO YUMMY - even though we barely ate any of it because we were going around all the tables. The food staff was so nice and accommodating and prompt. The place was just perfect. Would highly recommend.

Calamigos was beautiful and the most amazing location to have my wedding! I still get compliments about how gorgeous of a venue Calamigos is, and how amazing the food is! All of my guests were in awe of its beauty! The grounds are kept up and they really take pride in their venue. I got a lot of guests who thought that I spent a fortune on this venue because of the class and elegance of the place! I would recommend this place to everyone!!!!! A real GEM!

Calamigos Ranch did a great job for us. Everything was just beautiful on our wedding day. It's probably prettier than how it looks in pictures. The one sticking point I had was not being able to taste the food ahead of time for a tasting. It wound up turning out delicious but it definitely caused some stress going into it blind. I also found when I had questions prior to our wedding, so long as someone picked up the phone, I was reassured with answers. But since you're not going to work with any one person in particular (it's basically the luck of the draw), sometimes when I left messages no one would call me back. Other than that, the whole event ran smoothly and I couldn't have been more pleased.

BEAUTIFUL wedding sites - nice to have choices to choose from. On the day of the wedding, they took over and we didn't have to do a thing! The service was impeccable. If you have candles, you will need to get your OWN fire permit. Also, don't forget to get $1 million in liability insurance. We didn't know until the week before and we had to scramble. They shut us down PROMPTLY at 11:00 p.m. so make sure you are aware that will happen. Other than that, it was a PERFECT evening!

Calamigos was a dream! The venue is gorgeous. The staff is amazingly supportive, on-top-of-it and cheerful. The food was astonishingly better than we'd expected. We went with the buffet which included one entree (chose artichoke chicken - perfection), grilled veggies, endless spectacular salad and everyone's fav: pasta bar. No one went hungry including the chauffeur. The food was more than abundant. They've thought of everything for you, deal with curve balls, and are so reasonably priced. They are also the perfect blend of friendly-casual and totally professional. You really cannot beat this magical venue. Hollywood knows this. They film there constantly. And you can drop into Malibu cafe for a delicious, fun and reasonable lunch during the planning phase. We had our rehearsal lunch there. It was super fun.

This is simply the most magical and professional venue one could want, and the food was incredible. We opted for the buffet, and people were going back for second and third helpings. Where else can you walk down the aisle over a little waterfall, get married in a little grotto then simply turn around and walk indoors for a lovely reception. The Calamigos team makes sure everything goes off without a hitch. They are used to wrangling film shoots as well. They really know what they're doing. Calamigos really made our wedding day extraordinary.

The staff at Calamigos is extremely friendly and professional. From the initial meeting to the day of the wedding they provided us with the best service. We received many compliments from our guest about the venue and the wonderful food. We would recommend this location to anyone who wants a beautiful and unforgettable wedding day!

Calamigos was a BEAUTIFUL site for my wedding. It could not have been more magical and amazing. The staff at Calamigos are amazing and made my night truly wonderful.

OMG!!!!! Calamigos is out of this world!! Our wedding couldn't have been more beautiful! The location did most of the work for us...I didn't have to worry about caterers, event rentals, or bar, everything was included in the price of the ceremony and reception venue...makes it easier for brides who don't want to spend a lot of time stressing over the little things:) The staff there was very pleasant, and got back to me with answers to my questions super quickly via email. After the wedding was over, they re-opened M Cafe for us so we could continue the celebration! Definitely a plus, since the reception seemed to go by so quickly. One of their staff members was even so kind as to give me and my groom and a couple of bridal party a ride back to town instead of making us wait for a taxi! They won't let you taste the menu before the event, but don't worry the food was incredible...got so many compliments from my guests! Wish I could have eaten more of it:) A little pricey, but this place is certainly worth it...I will recommend to all new brides I come across:)

Calamigos is a beautiful location and our wedding was wonderful. The staff was great, the food was delicious and everything looked so pretty. My one comment would be that I had my wedding at the Main Dining Room outdoor location and during the ceremony, we did hear a truck drive by. It was not a huge deal and many of the guests did not notice it but a couple of us certainly did.

Everything was absolutely perfect at Calamigos! The service, the staff, the food, the extra touches, just amazing! I would do it all over again if I could!

Calamigos Malibu is by far one of the most beautiful venues I've seen (may be a little biased). We were married at the Cottage (underneath the big oak tree) and had our reception in the Pavilion tent. Both spectacular locations. The service on the day of was exceptional. Our only gripe is with the little flexibility they had in regards to their bar service. The only way we could have premium alcohol (whether cash bar or open bar) was to pay $25/person, even considering that more than 70% of our guests do not drink. It was very difficult to get them to budge as their liquor license is still rather new. If this is not a big deal to you, I would recommend Calamigos, otherwise it can be a deterent for those wanting the beauty of Calamigos as well as the alcohol to please your guests.

Calamigos is absolutely the best! Calamigos was the first venue we went to see, and all other places paled in comparison. Our wedding took place at The Cottage (ceremony) and The Pavilion (reception). The grounds are so beautiful, we have such amazing pictures. In fact, our wedding was featured on a popular blog and in the Fall/Winter issue of Brides Southern California magazine. I really attribute it to such a beautiful setting and an amazing photographer (Jenny Liu). After reading some other reviews, I was a little worried about the staff and not being able to taste the food before (that might have changed now since they opened the restaurant). But I have to say, I found everyone at Calamigos to be very accommodating and friendly. Erin was so great to work with! She was with us through the process from the beginning to end. She is good at what she does, she is funny and she really works with you. I couldn't have asked for anything more. The food was great! We opted for the buffet as it offered guests more options, and it was elegant and delicious! We heard so many positive comments about the food. We went with the Pecan Crusted Chicken, which I heard was excellent (I don't eat meat, but I trust the sources, ha ha). The veggies were so good, and the pasta bar added an extra flair. Although it might seem like a lot to invest, you really get a lot with Calamigos. I loved not having to worry about rentals and catering. And having the Ceremony and Reception all in one place was convenient for everyone (guests, vendors, and wedding party). Vendors, if they have been in business for any length of time in LA, are usually familiar with Calamigos, which makes it easier. Thank you for helping make our wedding beautiful!