Willow Creek Events

Kristen, you have much to learn. Maybe you should read my reviews truthfully about my own wedding as they were outstanding compared to you and your services. Also, I never had cupcakes at my wedding so this just shows you are not being truthful. I had a celebrity pastry chef. You blamed the bride for everything. The sheer fact that you deny alcohol is appalling at best as I have photos of this. You were unprofessional from the start and expect no less in your response. Thank you for yet again, proving my point.

My husband and I recently got married here. We had picked out the place over a year ago. My husband used to play disc golf on this property when that was all it used to be. He knew it was turning into a wedding space as well, so when we got engaged, this was the first place he had in mind. We popped in on Kristen unannounced and fell in love with the site and booked it. Let me start out by saying, I am pretty particular. I had a very clear vision of the décor and the vibe I was going for. Although I only used some of Kristen’s décor, she was so accommodating and totally understood my vision. She went ABOVE and BEYOND what any regular wedding planner would have done. She answered my many emails with patience and flexibility. Everything I requested was answered with a yes, and we will make it work, don’t worry about it. She dealt directly with my caterer to discuss details which didn’t concern me, which I really appreciated. She worked with my budget and even worked with me on things that ended up saving me so much time and money.
I read some of these bad reviews before my wedding (which I shouldn’t have). I was sure something was going to go wrong during my wedding, but it didn’t. Everything went so smoothly, and if there was a problem, Kristen made sure that I didn’t know about it during the wedding.
If you book with Kristen, and you should, just be very clear on what you want. Or if you don’t care, and just want to show up at your wedding with everything done, then this is the place for you as well. Kristen is a strong women with a strong personality and with A LOT going on. If you respect her and her property then she will respect you and your guests. The venue is absolutely stunning! I am still getting compliments that this was the best wedding my guests have attended. You will not be disappointed. This place is magical!!!

I could not have asked for a better wedding and owe most of that to Kristen at Willow Creek Events. From the moment I first visited WCE and met with the owner Kristen, I knew that my wedding would be amazing. Kristen has such a gorgeous property and everything is handled in-​house. The ceremony site is amazing and then there were two options for reception locations. I chose the outside white tents which was more spacious for our 120 guests. The way I describe WCE is vintage, shabby-​chic and they give you tons of décor to choose from. Everything is included from tables, chairs, linens, decorations, etc. I also used Kristen for my flowers as well as her in-​house DJ. Kristen was affordable for floral services and I liked the convenience of having the flowers already at the venue. I did not give Kristen much direction for what I wanted with my flowers but I ended up loving the end product. They had such texture and I loved the use of succulents. I found my other venders through recommendations by WCE as well. The photographer (Lixxim Photography) and caterer (Bills Chuckwagon) were amazing and again I could not have asked for a better wedding. I highly recommend anyone looking for a beautiful outdoor wedding site to check out WCE !!!

This venue is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful!
We attended my nieces wedding a few weeks ago and felt compelled to write a review to give future guests a couple of pointers.
1. First and foremost ladies leave your heels at home! The parking lot is dirt and most paths and walkways are gravel or uneven pavers. Pretty, but hard to navigate.
2. We and many other guests who used our phones for navigation to find Willow Creek had problems. It kept saying we had arrived at our destination when In fact we had a few more minutes of driving ahead of us. Wait til you see the big white gates and you will know your there.
The temperature the day of my nieces wedding was 104. Thank goodness the ceremony was short and sweet because our chairs were directly in the sun, the bride and groom were under a lovely tree. Then on to the reception under a beautifully decorated canopy tent which seemed to hold in the hot air. I was a prisoner of my heels and limited to where I could wander. I cannot blame Willow Creek for the weather but hey WC might I suggest some pretty vintage looking fans?
The bartender and bus staff that we encountered were all friendly and gracious. Thanks for keeping the old beverages replenished as needed.

Great venue with always expanding grounds. Mark and Kristen know what they’re doing. Shooting weddings here never gets old.

Where to start. The venue is gorgeous and the array of supplies she offers is great. But just be sure you don’t have the call off your wedding for any reason. She won’t give you the money back.
Here’s the story.
A girl and guy pick out a wedding venue and then things go south between us.
We broke up and cancelled our wedding and took the next steps to let the venue know we wouldn’t be getting married and to defense she did say sorry to hear that but then asks me «Would you like to reserve the date for the future?»
Um excuse me? Did you not just hear me while crying tell you that I have called off my wedding and you have the audacity to ask me if I think I should re-​schedule it for a later date? I’m not marrying this guy — why would I re-​schedule my wedding!!!
To make matters worse. This was 7 months prior to the wedding date. We had only booked the venue about two months prior give or take. Absolutely no work had been done AT ALL. Literally a contract was signed and that was it $ 2k gone and never returned — you figure yes if you’ve done all this work and reserved the date that is hard but it was over 8 months prior to the wedding date you would have gotten someone else to book it even with that — you have weddings every week don’t take money from people who are hurting.
So — Yes in the contract it shows that no refunds will be given to anyone that cancels because she obviously has reserved that date for you, but I had friends get engaged at the same time that I cancelled my wedding and book a venue for the same time.
I’m sure she could have given us the money back but she choose not to and probably took the weekend off and had a ball with the money we didn’t have any longer.
I personally wouldn’t run my business that way and pocket someone’s money especially when it was a high weekend for weddings and someone probably did end up booking that day but that I will never know and I also won’t see that money again.
I was going to try to take her to small claims court but I decided that ending my relationship was hard enough and to try and fight someone over money for my what would have been wedding would have just added heat to the fire.
Aside from that the venue was gorgeous and she was very friendly up until the point that I wanted to cancel and then it was all buttoned up business — talk to my husband who wouldn’t speak to me but by certified mail.
I just wouldn’t run my business like they did.
This hopefully might help someone just in case you have to cancel bye bye money.

Ive attended several events/​weddings at Willow Creek Events, the grounds are gorgeous! All the different kinds of vintage décor they have are amazing! The staff was very helpful and courteous with trying to please everyone in the heat. Its a wedding in July, I mean what else can you expect with the weather? All in all, it was a fantastic experience, and I would definitely recommend Willow Creek Events for any party, wedding, or event you are planning!

My husband and I recently attended our nephew’s wedding at Willow Creek Events. All I can say is, «Wow!» It was a gorgeous venue, matching the beauty of the occasion. Every time we turned around, there was something to admire ~~ whether it was the stunning landscaping, the delightful table decorations, the thoughtful guest movement, the sweet bouquets, or the sparkler send-​off (and so much more).
While we were not involved in the planning in any way, it was clear that it had gone well. During the toasts, we were struck by how many times Willow Creek Events owner, Kristen, was praised and thanked for making the experience so easy, and all they had hoped for. (How often does THAT happen during the toast?!)
I would most definitely recommend Willow Creek Events for wonderful wedding memories!

Compared to other wedding venues, this Willow Creek Events is pretty cool. I’ve been to Hotel Ballroom weddings, Church Weddings, Community Clubhouse Weddings, Golf Course Weddings, Destination Weddings, Winery Weddings, etc. Willow Creek has been my favorite so far.
I’ve been to two weddings at Willow Creek and they’ve both been a lot of fun, it is pretty isolated, and you feel like you can have a lot of fun and let loose. I’ve been to other places where it feels like any random stranger can come crash your wedding. Willow Creek also does not feel too sterile or cramped, like at a community center or church, etc. There’s plenty of room for lots of people.
I was reading some other comments on here and wanted to say that both the weddings I went to were set up perfectly (I’ve been to other outdoor events and they are all mostly set up in the morning, so wind, rain, animals, don’t destroy everything overnight).
Recently, I went to another outdoor hotel wedding (Not Willow Creek) where there were two simultaneous weddings only separated by a green fabric. We had to wait in line while the other wedding before us ended and cleaned up (like at the movie theatre). People from the other wedding accidentally sat in our group’s chairs and ended up at the wrong reception tent. We couldn’t hear each other speak because the other reception had started and their music was so loud. It was a nightmare and I felt like I was in a manufactured wedding factory.
The bride and groom from the hotel wedding were extremely happy, but it didn’t even compare to how nice Willow Creek is in comparison. My only guess about the previous complaints is that the owners are so nice and approachable that I think people take advantage or create false expectations (like controlling the weather on a wedding day.)

What an amazing place. I’ve been there in the summer and winter for events. Summer is better as they have an amazing lawn and ceremony area.
The owners Mark and Kristen are amazing people and have left no detail out for an amazing event. Their prices are fantastic compared to what you get from other venues.
If you are even considering having a wedding or company party or Christmas party you need to talk with Willow Creek. Very elegant and beautiful property.
Have them take you on a tour of the property. They have a beautiful creek around the back and three ponds stocked with fish.
I’ve stayed at the «lodge» several times for our events and the amenities are everything you would want.

As a guest, it was a horrible experience. The owners/​staff have either not been properly trained in public service or they just don’t care. They also display a glaring lack of training in banquets. So first my premise is they represent themselves as a wedding facility. This means they should be trained and organized. The wedding was held on a very hot day close to 100 degrees. All the guests were sat in the open sun. There were a couple of other venues that had large shaded areas, but they were not used, nor was there any alternative shading provided. There were many older people there, and it was flat dangerous in that heat. There were not any misters. The food was served under tents. Again, if this is all you do… you would think there would be ceiling fans or just fans? It was stifling. The older people were actually sitting in the air conditioned porta potties (ladies only) to get out of the heat. Then the owner actually came out and pinned up mismatching table cloths to the sides of the tent? There were water glasses on our table, but for what we will never know. There were not any water pitchers or water. You had to get up and fight your way through the crowd to a little water container, that was iceless. I asked my husband to fight his way to the bar to ask for a plastic cup of ice at the bar, but they ran out of plastic cups? The bar instead of being located in one of the extremely large shaded expanses, was shoved into a 10×10 garage area right on top of the tents. Then you got to listen to the owner BARK over the loudspeaker that there was too much congestion in the bar and people needed to leave the bar area? When you went to get food, you had to walk around the tents onto a very narrow walkway halfway in flower beds to get the food. Again I want to point out we are on acres of beautiful ground. So because of their lack of training in crowd movement, you are crowded, hot, uncomfortable and yelled at for existing. They also BARK over the load speaker to stay on the walk ways and not to have any detours. I understand completely that the wedding is about the bride and groom, but as a guest I have never felt more unwelcome anywhere by a proprietor. Their lack of professionalism, knowledge and service to their patrons (how many guest could have been prospective future customers?) was just appalling.

First off, lets be honest… There are some crazy bridezillas out there. Those girls that no matter what you do, they will NEVER be happy with anything. After reading a few reviews on Willow Creek with low scores — I can only think that they are probably those types of girls.
I had both my wedding and also attended 2 weddings (one friend and one family member) there and have nothing but amazing things to say. Kristen did an absolutely amazing job from the very beginning. The property was stunning — all of my guests went on and on about how beautiful the property was and how they had never been to a nicer venue. Kristen did my floral for my centerpieces, the boutonnieres for the boys also the bouquets for me and my girls. My budget wasn’t that large for floral but she is a miracle worker. The quote I received from other florists was at least double what she charged and they turned out amazing. I even got to have peonies — something I was sure our budget wouldn’t allow.
I was the pinterest queen throughout my planning — I must have sent her 100 emails with different ideas I had and she was so sweet to put up with me and all of my shenanigans and 1 000 000 questions throughout the planning. I showed up at the venue with a HUGE amount of items I wanted incorporated into my reception and ceremony — I told her the look I was going for and she put everything together and it looked better than I imagined. I did use some of the décor the venue has, but with the vast collection of things — why wouldnt you? Its all so cute and unique and we loved it all.
When we arrived on site — I was a total mess, running late of corse (my makeup and hair went late) and I was a ball of stress and nerves. Kristen calmed me down and reassured me that everything would be perfect. Everything went smoothly after we arrived and we actually even had a little bit of time before the ceremony to take a few pictures. (there are so many different areas on the property for amazing photos — definitely take a tour before your event to scope things out and try and find a photographer that has worked there before)
Her staff was great, and very helpful whenever any of my guests needed anything. They were even able to cart my grandma around since she has a very hard time walking around and the gravel made it a little tricky for her. The in-​house DJ was awesome, he had an huge collection of music and was fun and great with my guests. We used Emily’s Catering out of Nevada City — The food was decent, about normal for «wedding food» but she was sweet and helpful.
This place is seriously amazing. (Especially for the price — you get SOOO much for your money) Dont let a few bad reviews discourage you from having your wedding here. I have nothing but great things to say about Willow Creek, the staff, the property, and my overall experience with the place — And Ive been here for 3 weddings! Definitely worth the drive!

I’ve actually never written a review on Unilocal but my experience with this venue was so horrible I thought it only fair to worn couples thinking of getting married here.
I attended a wedding in September 2013 and while the venue was lovely, the owners are quite the opposite.
They were complete control freaks and made guests feel like we were barely tolerated on their property. The male owner stood with his arms crossed watching the event waiting to pounce on anyone doing something he did not approve of (pretty much everything). I saw three little boys playing hide and go seek around the white tent and he immediately had one of his staff go scold them telling them not to touch the tent. They weren’t even touching the tent, simply within a couple feet of it.
The bride and groom are two of the nicest people in the world and it is infuriating to think the owners of Willow Creek would make guest feel unwelcome on their very special day.
They went as far as singling out toddlers over the loud speaker for being in «the beds» which were really just large expanses of bark. You know… the kind of bark at playgrounds, poor kids couldn’t figure out what they were doing wrong.
When approached about their lack of hospitality the owner commented that the place is not kid friendly or set up for children. That’s fine if it’s the case but the venue needs to specify that children are not welcomed on the property. This specific wedding had at least 10 children and the owners made sure the parents knew that these children were an extreme inconvenience at every turn.
The owners also got into a fight right behind the appetizer station. Maybe they thought no one would notice this but many people including our entire table did. It was embarrassing just watching.
If you are a bride thinking of choosing this place I would look elsewhere. While it’s a pretty venue it’s not worth dealing with Kristen and her husband. They are incredibly unprofessional and just as Pamela W. said, they should NOT NOT NOT be in the hospitality business.

We had a beautiful wedding at Willow Creek. Everything came together beautifully. Kristen was really nice until the actual wedding. I have to agree with Desiree M.
Whenever Kristen was around it was like having the principal watching you. We were scolded for smoking in a non smoking area which no one told us that. The guests were warned that if they took the mason jars they would be charged $ 10.00. She and some male employee made it very uncomfortable. People pay for this venue, it is a business. Kristen, as a business owner, needs to treat it as such and not like people are messing up her house. Way before the reception was over she was clearing our table. The guests every move was watched. She was the wedding police. In spite of her the wedding was fabulous.

I was just married at this beautiful, amazing wedding venue two days ago. My husband and are were very pleased with the site and staff, especially Kristin! She is so amazing and made me feel relieved on more then one occasion during my hectic day! I highly recommend this wedding venue to new brides!

First of all, I must say that I agree with Desiree from Roseville. The place is absolutely beautiful! The landcape and design of the venue was done with great thought and provides a lovely setting for a wedding or any event for that matter.
HOWEVER, I also agree with Desiree that the staff was horrible. I was a guest at a wedding there just recently and I must say that I was quite taken back by the poor customer service of the staff. In a nutshell, they were extremely blunt and pushy. They made guests feel nervous when they were around because they were constantly scolding them. For example, many of the main pathways are gravel and hard to walk on. I witnessed one of the coordinators scold an old lady for walking along the edge of a flower bed to keep her balance. Really? Let the poor woman keep her balance. Being in the event industry I felt it neccessary to inform the owner of the way their staff ran the event and treated guests, but at the end of the evening I discovered that one of the «coordinators» on duty that night WAS THE OWNER! Yikes.
I understand the importance of rules and safety, however, it is crucial to have a gracious delivery when enforcing the rules to your clients and their guests to ensure that their experience was a pleasant one. This is definitely something that Willow Creek needs work on.

Great landscape. Kristen is great. The price is great.

I will begin by stating that at first, Kristen, the owner and event coordinator of Willow Creek Events, was delightful. The venue is GORGEOUS, breathtaking actually, numerous photo opportunities and when my husband and I toured the facility 11 months prior to our wedding date, we were hooked and we booked within days. Kristen remained courteous, replied within hours to my emails and we had a good working relationship up until a month before the wedding. Willow Creek Events website shows a good detailed vision of what to expect if you take what my husband and I dubbed as «Kristen’s Wedding» …we didn’t. Kristen has vintage center pieces that a bride can use and each wedding at Willow Creek Events is photographed by Kristen and uploaded on her website and those photographed weddings look close to the same, with a different flower arrangement; (she takes pictures the day of your wedding and puts them on her site, and we asked that she not do that at ours). We declined using her center pieces since we weren’t doing the vintage theme. I told Kristen on our planning day about my look, my decorations and the way we wanted to set up. Kristen kept repeating what «the usual is» and how she and her staff do things. She didn’t like the idea of us having appetizers and bread bowls with olive oil and vinegar on each table — maybe it’s not the norm, but it’s what we wanted: the bride and groom. I wasn’t asking to host the next Burning Man Event at her property so I didn’t see why she kept pushing me to do what «she is used to.» The day went on, Kristen backed off and we were good to go. Four days before the wedding our caterer called my groom to state that the venue is saying we can’t have olive oil, vinegar and bread on the tables. We contacted Kristen and she said she was worried about her linens now. My groom offered to rent our own linens and she could pay us for them — she huffed and puffed but agreed that since she already said we could do this, she will «allow it.» Later, Kristen emailed me a pretty heated email and closed her email with «bottom line: it’s my property.» No bride should receive any type of unprofessional «who’s to blame» emailed letter days before her wedding. A couple days before the wedding Kristen asked me for a first name list of our guests. We paid for 112 guests. We weren’t doing assigned seating and using Kristen’s name tags that she puts on her mason jars so I didn’t see the reason why I needed to give her this list. When I reminded her that we weren’t doing a seating chart and she didn’t need the names she still insisted that she wanted them. I thought maybe it was a way to keep track of who’s coming since you pay per person. But, she’s not taking roll call, so what gives? Whatever the reason, she kept insisting on needing that first name list a day before the wedding, so I emailed it to her. Final count, including my groom and me: 105 people. Welcome to the day of our wedding: we arrive early to set up; with no help from Kristen (as contracted) and we notice we are short 2 tables and 16 chairs. When Kristen arrived, my sisters ask for these and she said she only gave us enough for 105 people. We didn’t have enough for 105 with the current count but still, we paid for 112 seats and 112 place settings. I expected to have what I paid for. What venue doesn’t give you what you pay for? People SHOW UP at weddings that don’t RSVP. Luckily I have an awesome family who told Kristen to deliver on what was paid for. And to top off my experience of the beginning of the day, while my bridesmaids and I were getting ready in the bridal room and the guys were finishing set up Kristen was actually showing the venue, walking around an engaged couple during our day. The contract stated that Kristen was there for me and my groom the day of our wedding, not only did she not help us set up, take down or even cut the cake (we’ll get to that) she thought it would be okay to tour the venue with her potential clients while we rented the entire venue out for our day. This was a big letdown. So about that cake part: During the reception, my groom and I noticed Kristen and her employee getting ready to cut into our cake to serve the guests. We hadn’t done our cake ceremony yet. Maybe she was sidetracked and thought we did, so my groom asked her to stop. She then approached my parents and told them to have someone else cut and serve our guests the cake. Again, our fantastic family (including my friend who is also our cake vendor) helped out but I was disappointed that our guests «worked» at our wedding. Overall, look for another location. Looks great because the venue is that beautiful but the customer service is not even lacking … it’s horrible. And bummer to Unilocal for making me give one star but I guess that’ll go to the venue being very beautiful.