February 11, 2020
Where do I even begin with Milagro Winery? I’ve been wanting to do a venue review for them for such a long time and since I will be attending their Open House on March 8th for the 3rd year in a row I thought this was the perfect time to spoil them with some love. I’m gonna talk about 4 things in this post, Location, The Staff, My Experience as a Vendor, and The Wine.
Milagro Winery is located just 15 minutes past Main St in Ramona, CA. The whole property is filled with oak trees. By the way, Oak trees are my absolute favorite! The way they filter light is just incredible.So perfect for photos. The property has really unique aspects like a pond with a dock(also great for photos), a greenhouse, moss covered rocks and you might some cows when driving down the driveway.
But the best part of Milagro is the amazing light!! During sunset we always take a little golf cart ride up to an overlook view of the valley. The sunlight up there is STUNNINGGGGG!! And the best part is, you don’t have to be pulled away from your reception for more than 15 minutes. Melissa builds sunset photos into every timeline so it doesn’t conflict with toasts or any of the parent dances which is a Godsend for a photographer!
Brides get ready in an adorable little cottage near the ceremony site and the groom get’s ready in what they call “the cave”. But I like to pull the guys out of the cave for the finishing touches. I want them to be in the best light possible.
The whole venue has a rustic, Italian tuscan vibe. If you’ve always wanted to have an outdoor wedding, and your ceremony under an oak tree, then this is your wedding venue.
I absolutely love being here and shooting photos is always an absolute dream. I never get tired of it. Just a tip, the oak tree shown above get’s better light all year round unlike if you had your ceremony facing the opposite way. The oak tree above is the one that most, if not all photographers prefer shooting when having your ceremony at Milagro, mainly because it’s backlit and the light is not as patchy. But the reception space is even better! It’s got so much character and can be laid out really however you want. I’ve seen so many different types of setups!
And if it get’s too bright they’ve got you covered, and if it’s too cold heaters are available!
The reception patio space isn’t just made for eating and dancing, it’s also a great spot for bridal photos and family photos!
Oh my gosh, seriously the staff is here is TOP NOTCH. I’ve worked at a lot of venues that say they have a “venue coordinator” but none of them come close to the staff at Milagro. You don’t get just one person coordinating, you get multiple, along with Rolando, the property’s go to guy for anything that needs fixing and so much more. Melissa is the hardest working venue manager I’ve ever met. She truly cares for her couples and makes sure they don’t have to lift a finger on their wedding day. She teaches the rest of her staff that they are there to serve the couple 10000%. I NEVER EVER EVER have to worry about a timeline going out of whack, or the day being unorganized when I shoot here. I am always relaxed and excited because I know Melissa and her team are going to make sure the day goes by without any hiccups. They are so professional, so helpful, experts in their field and I really really enjoy working alongside them all year long.
They also take Behind the Scenes Instagram clips all day long and tag al the vendors in their stories. This is a huge way they serve me and my business on the wedding day, and so far they are the only venue they does it throughout the entire day and is super consistent about posting and tagging! They not only care about the couple, but the vendors are always taken care of as well.
Although most of the photos in this blog post are from Dan and Melissa’s wedding in Oct, I had to share these two gems from Daniela and Ron’s wedding. They loved working with the whole staff so much that they insisted on getting a group photo and bringing Melissa into their hilarious cake cutting which included a mini wedding and a samurai sword.
Working here has always been a breeze. I always get to take my couples out for sunset photos, because it’s built into the reception timeline(which does not happen at every venue) and the couples don’t have to lift a finger for anything. They are quick in their communication, so anytime I’ve had a question leading up to a wedding day it’s always taken care of right away. I love shooting here, every couple that books here is down to earth, ready to party and is just a joy to be around. Like I said, I will never get tired of shooting here.
They also have a phenomenal group of vendors on their preferred vendor list. All of their caterer’s and Dj’s are exceptional My dancin’ feet are always warmed up and tummy is always full!
I don’t have a lot to say about the wine because I don’t drink but I know everybody loves the wine, I have tipsy photos of guests to prove it. If you want to find out what the wine is like for yourself you can go visit their Tasting Room and join their wine club. They also have fun events and live music all time!
If you’re engaged or have already booked Milagro or are thinking about booking Milagro please come to their Open House Sunday March 8th 2020 12pm-3pm. You can RSVP Here! https://www.milagrowinery.com/Weddings—Events/Open-House
I hope to see you there! Just a heads up, I always have chocolate chip cookies at my table!
Be Good,
Frankie
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