Sequoia Mansion by Wedgewood Weddings — Attraction in Placerville

The experience that our family went through at this venue is just awful! If you are looking to book this place and you care to make your wedding day amazing, PLEASE READ this! I will try to be brief but it will be hard since there is so much I would love to share about our experience. I just want to save someone from disappointments, headaches and stress. First, bride and groom were charmed by the vintage style of this place. They planned their wedding for months and months in elegant, vintage style according to the interior of the venue. Then, 3 days before their wedding, they come for rehearsal to find out that the place has been transformed into something absolutely different. The beautiful vintage chandeliers were replaced by these brown, cheap looking fixtures. What they did to the walls was just disgusting to look at. But the worst part that this makeover was done as a complete surprise to the customers. What could the bride and groom do? They had to swallow this bitter disappointment and move on with the wedding. The next day we talked to the ladies at the venue. They told us there is no other change coming but when we came on wedding day, we saw that the little lights on ballroom ceilings were taken off also. Anyway, this remodeling issue was just unbelievable. I will attach photos of what was booked and the final product that we got. Secondly, the staff was unprofessional, unpleasant, unwelcoming! After spending there all day, helping out in many areas I did not remember a single friendly, welcoming smile. I get better customer service at local grocery store. One smaller detail, this place does not iron or press tablecloths. The welcoming table as you enter the place had tablecloth all in lines. Seriously???? And same with sweets table, drink and food tables. This is a professional wedding venue??? Wrinkled tablecloths??? And napkins on tables were flaking or peeling or shedding laundry residue. Because after you put it on yourself, your outfit was all in white flakes. Many other details were not finished around the place, like brides room had no door knob. We had to twist this whatever thing that was sticking out to open and close the door. Other details in bathrooms were abviously looking not finished. Grooms suit had paint spots because the whole place was painted two days before and it didn't dry completely. Outside, in the area that was advertised as beautiful outside photo area was taped up and covered with net because of constraction work!! Outrageous! I will attach picture of that too. Lastly, I want to mention, they had a doorman in front. He had no name tag and we didn't understand why he is watching us first. He looked kind of scary and weird. Instead of opening doors or just observing, he followed you behind. During sweets break, my daughters, who were dressed in white, clearly part of the wedding party, ran up to brides room to freshen up. He followed them, opened the door to brides room without knocking to tell them they can't be there!!! What if they were changing and undressed???? And , I have to say they are 10, 11, 12. They are not little toddlers. That's just crazy. This place promises a day of you dreams, all inclusive stress free wedding. Well, there was lots of stress for sure. But its definitely not all included. If you want extra decor, flowers, music, sound system, D J , host, extra fruit, drinks or sweets, you will have to take care of that by yourself or order through venues which is so overpriced. And , on website it states they can host 220 persons. No way!! The most you can have there is 85-90 guests. I hope you save your money and find amazing places for the happiest day of your life! Thank you...

'22/3 1st review & patron (as wedding guest) -- WOWZA, nothing short of impressive! The grounds are immaculately kept (see below for possible caveats for some people). The architectural view and vibe stunning inside and out. The setting dreamy. The staff professional and at the top of their game. -- Beautiful photo-op outdoor patio area with established greenery backdrops, archways, and stone wall/pavers. -- Classy, vintage step back in time as one takes in the grandeur of the mansion's interior. -- Full bar, large buffet table serving area (amazing pre-dinner appetizers and buffet food served as well). -- Unisex bathrooms easily accessible just off the bar area. And another set up bathrooms upstairs for ready-room party members. -- Very large, and well accessorized, mens and women's bridal party ready rooms upstairs (2nd floor). -- A few points that could reduce the rating from 5-star for some: Mobility challenged/impaired guests/bridal party (this includes all the ladies in heels above 1" evern if feel likea pro in heels) take note of: A.) Sparse parking (be prepared to park on street and walk), very steep/tilted driveway (the breathtaking view of a mansion on a hill comes with a price), two flights of stairs from driveway to get into building, and yet another flight of stairs (this one steep & narrow) should one want to see/get to the second story bride/groom bridal party ready-rooms (though there may be an elevator across from the 1st floor restrooms). Yes, there is a walking-ramp entrance at the back of the second floor ready-rooms, however, it also requires navigating a steep drive to get to. B.) The lawn ceremony area is only separated by a large, mature hedge from the steadily busy road. So while the visual feel is bucolic, the auditory feel smacks of city-life. C.) IF the ceremony is held on the lawn, there is only one, grass seating entrance area to roll in/out from, and the other way in on the opposite side has several steps to navigate. While cemeteries are generally known for being quiet neighbors (the large Placer Union Cemetery is directly across the street from the mansion and their lawn ceremony area), on this occasion, within 30 minutes of the scheduled 5p lawn ceremony, there was a man loudly wailing and calling out his distress. Thankfully, he got all his auditory grief out within 15 minutes of the announced ceremony start time. D.) Apparently, on Friday's, the US Mail is delivered right around 5:45p. Yep, just as the bride & groom were exiting the ceremony at the main lawn entrance to make their grand exit over the driveway (ooop, wait for the mail truck to pass by) to the grand staircase back into the mansion from whence they came. Doah, photo-op moment fail! Yes, a first world problem, but none the less...

Our wedding was visually beautiful, but the officiant hired through them did not read what we had talked about (despite pointing out the changes and sending an updated copy months prior) and the bartender was complaining that the drinks were "difficult" according to multiple guests. I pointed these issues out to Christina, the day of coordinator, and what she had to say was "Sorry you feel that way" and talked about trying to "appease me". Your staff being rude and vendor not doing/saying what was agreed upon isn't a feeling, it's lack of attention and professionalism. When I finally went up to the bar to get my first drink from this bartender, the first thing she said to me was "someone said I was complaining and I wasn't" snappily. That would have been easier to believe had she not had such a ridiculously rude tone with me.

DJ Steve, florist (Dottie), and the banquet hostess, Willow, were AMAZING though. The photography through API was an entire other issue, after the lost all photos of me going down the aisle.

The manager, Jeremy, called after I posted reviews to apologize and try to offer more excuses on behalf of the officiant, coordinator, and bartender, as well as refunding the cost of the ceremony. The most he can do at this point.

Would I recommend this venue? No...but I would highly recommend some of their vendors.

Update: I was told by Carrie K that the Regional Manager, Kali, would be reaching out...that never happened, and when I mentioned it, I was told to contact her myself. The poor communication and lack of accountability runs all the way up the Wedgewood ladder. Book elsewhere. Kali wound up reaching out after I pointed out to Carrie that this was another example of Wedgewood's poor professionalism. She claimed not to know what happened, so I sent her a detailed note of everything that occurred; I also asked her not to respond if she was simply going to make excuses as everyone had prior. She never did, so this is the acceptable standard for ELITE...