The Secret House of Ivy — Local services in Downey

PSA: these people only care about making money. Unfortunately if you sign that contract there is absolutely no way they will treat EXTREME DIRE situations in a case by case basis or with any human empathy or understanding if EXTREME situations arise and you are unable to move forward with your event. Yes their contract says no exceptions but we are literally talking the unexpected death of your mother here. You’d think there would be some kind of empathy from a small family owned business .

We had to move our date once because my fiancés father was diagnosed with cancer (also his grandfather died) and could not fly out for our event due to treatment and they accommodated a new date however literally just now a month and some weeks before our wedding date in oct my mother tragically and unexpectedly passed away from cancer.

They would not at the very least allow us to use our deposit for a new date in the future once more because we had already moved it like initially requested. We completely understand if it had been a cancellation without basis but we could literally not anticipate or accommodate around our family’s illnesses. And honestly this was my mother we’re talking about. The most important person in my life who was young and seemingly healthy and someone who out of left field completely deteriorated and now will never see me get married. It was the most traumatic experience of my life and I can’t even imagine moving forward with a wedding without her. But I was desperate to not have let that money go to waste given all the unexpected expenses I now have to factor in for a funeral. We hoped they would understand but clearly that didn’t matter enough to even receive a heartfelt understanding or response from the owner. It was literally the assistant who called and said oh well she said there was nothing that could be done.

Just please be cautious the reviews may seem great and all but when it comes to actual real life situations and bumps in the road that could come about they will not care unless you provide more money. I understand running a business - we were even willing to share proof that all of this happened no matter how painful it was because the last thing we wanted to do was inconvenience anyone and this was the absolute last thing any of us expected or would have wanted but they simply put, could care less.

I then asked for a reimbursement given the situation and of course they said no and I understand fine you do have a business to run at the end of the day but at least be humane and understanding and try to handle extreme situations in a case by case situation and offer some kind of accommodation for such circumstances. Instead of working with the client to possibly find a solution like utilizing the provided deposit for a future date they preferred just losing the client entirely because at the root of it all, they do not care. You’re just a number to them.

They even had the audacity to say oh the owner lost someone too we know what you’re going through. Sure you do. I’m sure given your situation you likewise would have reallllly appreciated this treatment from a business and complete lack of regard (sarcasm). And I’m sure they would have at the very least appreciated a sincere pesame from the owner coming from a place of mutual grief and understanding like other small family owned businesses were to us and our situation.

I guess I thought they would be different as a family owned latino business but at the end of the day and above all its just any money hungry corporation; they will not be empathetic to dire situations and accommodate their clients in humane and understanding ways. I just hope no one else has to go through this type of trauma and pain. Please just keep this all in mind be wary and above all else best of luck to everyone during these unexpected and...

The Secret House of Ivy is the cutest little hidden gem in downtown Downey. I had my wedding here 3/29/2024 and I’m so happy we chose this venue. It’s the perfect place to have an intimate wedding (or other event), it fits up to 92ppl formally sitting down. The venue itself is already SO beautiful on its own you need minimal decor and the staff is very friendly! They worked with me to make sure everything was exactly how I wanted. Karina is the one in charge and she was such a pleasure to work with. She is so detail oriented! She made the whole experience feel like it was all on a personal level and like she cared about the details of our wedding which was the best part for me. It’s a rare thing to find for a venue owner to care that your event looks amazing and also runs smoothly from beginning to end and Karina did just that! She provided us with helpful advice and just made the overall process as seamless as possible! I definitely recommend this venue for ALL your events and if The Secret House of ivy is small to accommodate all of your family, no worries I would still recommend contacting Karina as she’s opening up 3 more venues in the city of Whittier and one of them is a secret garden as well! ☺️ Overall we had an amazing experience and the most beautiful memories here, everything felt so magical from start to finish but ESPECIALLY on our wedding night, it was my very own fairytale wedding. 🤍 Just look at these sneak peak photos our photographer sent us! Hire her as well!! Photographer IG:...

In just a few hours we will be celebrating my daughter’s Quinceañera and we are excited we found this beautiful hidden garden. When I scheduled an appointment to view the venue we were contacted by Luisa, Karina’s assistant and answered many of my questions over the phone in regard to the venue. The treatment we received when we met in person made us feel welcomed and we no longer looked elsewhere. My husband daughter and I decided there and then this was the perfect place to celebrate such a special event. Karina the owner is an amazing person and very friendly. Her expertise made the planning and coordinating of our event an easy process. She offered to add at no extra cost color lights at the entrance of the venue, how great is that! We feel extra special for that gesture of generosity. I can’t wait to add pictures of our event!

UPDATE The day after the quinceañera and we can't express enough how happy we are we chose The Secret house of Ivy. The attention and service we received from the time we arrived to when the event ended was extraordinary. From the staff, to the catering and the in house DJ Muzik Empire it was one of the best experiences we've had. Karina was on deck making sure everything was...