Mount Palomar Winery

or courtyard for the reception is dreamy! This was the 5th venue we ended up touring and after we visited, we were teary eyed because we knew we didn't even need to keep looking. Not to mention, it's extremely affordable compared to other venues in Temecula/SD/LA! Plus it is DOG FRIENDLY :) Shellie was our POC from the very beginning and was with me from 9AM to 11PM for my wedding. She is amazing to work with! She really knows the venue inside and out, is on top of her game, and never missed a beat! I work in the event planning industry and as soon as I met Shellie, I knew I was in good hands. Because I ended up hiring vendors myself (most of which were on a list provided to me by Shellie), I didn't need to hire an outside coordinator. Shellie and her team did all of the coordination the day of. The day of my wedding went absolutely perfectly. The venue looked pristine, we started on time (and stuck to schedule thanks to Shellie), food was tasty, and due to the venue staff's hard work, I didn't worry about a thing and just got to enjoy my wedding like every bride should! TRUST ME (I work in the event planning industry), this is an AMAZING venue to get married at!

ut Mount Palomar made it a breeze! Me and my husband couldn’t have been more happy with the way everything turned out. This is how amazing Mount Palomar is...me and my husband had planned to have both our ceremony and reception outdoors, but due to a storm that rolled in the night before we were unable to have our reception outdoors. I of course was very bummed because I had another vision of what I wanted it all to look like, but the Mount Palomar team assured me it would be just fine. BOY Were they right!! Not only was it “just fine” it was Amazing! The set up was gorgeous, and it was a nice intimate romantic feel! I received so many compliments from my guests!! If I could do it all over again I would, and I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you Mount Palomar for making our wedding dreams come true!

the first appointment I made, and didn’t have someone set for my appointment. I was advised I would receive a quote And never heard back from anyone else after multiple attempts to reach them by phone and email. The destination is OK but the service response is super disappointing. Not sure if this would be worth my time to continue to follow up and spend so much money with a team that has no desire to be professional and follow up with a customer.

looking for a vineyard wedding.

their wedding here.

f strict rules and the stringent nature of the venue manager, Shellie, starts to become a bit of a drag during the planning process. Shellie is very smart, and efficient and organized. She can whip any underperforming vendor into shape very quickly. The amazing thing about Shellie is that I knew with 100% certainty that my wedding day would go off without a hitch. No matter what problems arose, she would fix them without bothering me (like when the DJ forgot to mention the Send Off and she made it happen anyway). She has a really good heart and just wants your day to go perfectly, which we really felt whole heartedly from her during the 2 years we planned this wedding. The not-so-great thing is that her rigidity also spills into your day in other ways as well. During our rehearsal, the first thing Shellie said to my wedding party was that she didn’t want them to give her issues - and proceeded to reprimand them about bringing in flasks (which never happened). It was giving a bit of a bad vibe going into the weekend. Shellie does NOT compromise on much, and when she doesn’t get along well with your wedding planner (like mine), things can get difficult to mediate. Ceremony - The venue restaurant was playing loud music during our ceremony. That was really disappointing, but luckily someone turned it off before we recited our vows. Drinks - A very unfortunate rule Mount Palomar has is the signature drink policy. If you splurge to pay for a full premium hosted bar for your guests, you still can’t allow any of those guests to drink your signature drink. So if your signature drink is a margarita, no one else can drink that unless they pay for it… even if you paid for a full premium hosted bar all night. The rule is supposed to help out the couples who only pay for wine and beer for their guests, but it really screws the couples with a full bar. Also, the signature drink list that they give you at your tasting consists of extremely sugary drinks that only high schoolers would enjoy. Also, the head bartender was very rude. At the after party, he made me feel really bad about wanting a different drink than my signature drink, which isn’t fair because it’s my wedding. And he also was very snippy to my guests. I heard that from several people. Bridal Suites -- Something to keep in mind is that Shellie will not allow you to leave anything in the Bridal Suites overnight. So if you have an outfit change and leave your wedding gown, or bring a bag of jackets and change of shoes or something, you need to find someone from your wedding party or a guest to go grab them and put it in their car. Which pulls them out of the party. That was really hard to coordinate, and seemed unnecessary since there was no event on property the next day. It would have saved a lot of time and effort for me if we could’ve just picked up those things the next morning. The above are important things for brides to keep in mind, but overall, I would absolutely suggest this venue because it is so unbelievably gorgeous. But, I would highly suggest that you hire a wedding planner that has worked with Shellie before — believe me, you’ll be happy you did.

ment I would in a heart beat because I have never had a stress free day like I did on my wedding day. The team went beyond my expectations. Mount Palomar made accommodations due to the weather. The team made sure that I didn’t get wet. So they were all on top of their game, had umbrellas to cover me and even laid a black carpets so my dress and veil wouldn’t get wet. Shellie made sure my husband didn’t see me before the ceremony. The bartender were so professional and very very good! Shellie & Aurora were a wonderful day of coordinators, even though we only had Aurora for a couple of hours. They were magical at what they do!!! The food: wow! My guest were talking and messaging me saying how amazing and delicious that food was. It made my guest want to lick their fingers. The chefs did phenomenal job! To end my review, otherwise I would write for days! I say want to end by saying that Mount Palomar and their team is something to consider on your special day. It brings back tears knowing how magical my night was due to them. I highly recommend this venue for your one truly magical night. Thank you team Palomar for making my day one to remember forever and always. We thank you from the bottom our hearts!

was a pandemic going on. We rescheduled for 7 months later, everyone expecting Covid-19 to settle down by then, but it was early 2021 and it was still really bad. State and County Orders specifically said no Receptions are allowed, so we asked Mt. Palomar can we move our date again or we will have to cancel, and they ignored our emails and calls and just took the money we had already paid for our wedding (nearly $20,000), and ran away with it. How is this legal? Well, it is not, and that is why we are hiring lawyers to get our money back in full. We understand small business is affected by this global pandemic, but so is the customer. Also, they kept pushing for us to continue with our wedding during the pandemic even against State and County Orders. I even emailed County Legal Counsel who confirmed in writing that Receptions were not allowed at the time, but Mt. Palomar was running a shady business and having large Receptions all along. Their wine is not very good anyway, they sent us a few samples as part of our wedding package, way too sweet. Nothing crisp. Take your money elsewhere. Shellie Milne is a disaster of a Wedding Coordinator. Mt. Palomar is a terrible run winery.

us view, great food & wine along with professional service… look no further, Palomar is the place. We highly recommend the venue and their staff. Eric Morales Extreme DJ Service

ways look forward to my weddings at this venue. There are SO many places to photograph that literally no two weddings of mine at this venue look the same. It is amazing! So if you are looking to book this venue for your BIG day, look no further. <3

I know this was not a common choice, but I am so happy our guests got to experience both locations (most guests were coming from Arizona and had never been to a winery or barrel room). Sandy was always quick to respond to all my questions and everything went smoothly on the day of. We had a perfect wedding! Thanks Mount Palomar Team!

big day as easy and seamless as possible. We are had an absolutely fantastic experience from the moment we paid our deposit up until the end of our wedding night. Having Sandy there to answer questions and make sure everything went smoothly gave us so much peace of mind. Thank you Mount Palomar!

ys felt welcome and that our day was the venues top priority! The venue itself was everything we dreamed of and gave me goose bumps the first time I walked down the aisle touring the grounds! Its extremely spacious and the views are to die for! The bridal suite was also a great touch with a steamer, sparkling wine, and plenty of mirrors for the bridal party to get ready in! I highly recommend considering this special place for your day!

essly. Oh and their wine is amazing!! We highly recommend this venue!!

the outdoor wedding ceremony and reception sites were on a separate level and blocked from the public access areas - we honestly felt like we were on our own private little winery. Sandy was beyond helpful and responsive to my (many, many) emails throughout the months leading up the wedding. She was so easy to work with and I am so grateful I was able to work with someone so professional and who seems to truly enjoy working in the wedding industry. Kimberly was our day of coordinator and she was prompt, friendly, organized, and got things done! Our guests are still raving about the views, the location, the food, etc from our wedding! The staff was so accommodating with all of our requests! The value and experience we got for our wedding far exceeded our expectations and that is a true testament to the staff at MPW. We look forward to returning to Mount Palomar in the future, as it will forever hold a very special place in our hearts! Thank you so much for making our wedding dreams come true!

eathtaking. We could not have asked for a better day, truly. Sandy was a joy to work with and she ensured that all our questions/concerns were answered in a timely manner - And we had a lot of those since this was a destination wedding for us! Our hearts are forever grateful to MPW and their incredible team! I highly recommend anyone looking for a stunning venue with amazing service for their wedding day to seriously consider Mount Palomar Winery. You will not regret it!!! We are lucky to know that we can go back to our wedding venue for years to come and it will always be beautiful & special to us and our family. If you are on the fence between this venue and another, look no further! This team and venue will make your dreams a reality. Thank you MPW for all you did for us, we are forever grateful to you all!!

ere to reassure me and help me. The wedding was more magical than I ever pictured and the staff exceeded all expectations through the whole process. Our guests are still raving about the food, drinks, winery and whole wedding. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Mount Palomar Winery for the best day ever!!!

(event coordinator). 1) Ceremony site: incredibly gorgeous! I didn't even add any decorations because I didn't want to ruin the natural scenery 2) Cocktail hour: right behind the ceremony site. Incredibly convenient for the guests and for taking photos after the ceremony 3) Reception: we did ours outdoors (they also have a barrel room for indoor option). Again, everything is just so naturally beautiful that I did not add any decorations (save $$$). Market lights are placed as default. Bathrooms are easy to access and clean. I had a few kids that came that were watched closely by their parents and it looked like they were having a great time too - I had fiber optic wands and glow sticks which probably helped =) 4)Wine: our favorite by far in Temecula and we drank a lot of wine while looking for a wedding venue. Our wedding package came with a hosted bar and guests who normally don't like wine really enjoyed the wine selection. They also have a wine tasting room so guests who came early hung out there while waiting for the ceremony to begin. 5) Tips for the bride: Sandy (the event coordinator) has a lot of experience. She isn't pushy and if you ask for advice, she is able to provide great words of wisdom and provide perspective. She is also very accommodating and responds to your emails w/n 24-48hrs. There are bridal and groom suites on site and you can park your car right outside for convenience. On the day of, she constantly checked in with me to make sure I was want of nothing. My wedding was fun with minimal stress and I actually got to enjoy it. Their Suggested Vendors List is choice! Highly, highly recommend.

e and responsive to our questions and requests (thanks Sandy!!!). I knew nothing about how to plan a wedding or an event of this scale, and Sandy really helped me through the process to ensure that everything was done on time and to a very high standard. Kimberly was our day of coordinator and she made everything absurdly easy on the day and kept everything running on time. By the time it came down to it, we were actually able to enjoy the wedding, as opposed to worrying about any logistics, which was exactly what we wanted. The food was lovely, the wine was exquisite, and many of my guests told me it was one of the best weddings they had ever attended. It was also by far the best value for the package you get compared to other venues in the area (we toured several others). I truly don't think we could have picked a better place to get married, and thank you so much to everyone at Mount Palomar for helping us have a wedding that surpassed even what we hoped for!!!

ere as private and exclusive as Mount Palomar. The staff were so professional and experienced they answered every question on spot. The alcohol selection was great, not to mention one of the few wineries in the area that has their liquor license. They only do one ceremony per day, so in no way do you clash with other wedding parties and the exclusivity of the upper level is the greatest. There really is no opportunity for wedding attendants & wedding party to clash with restaurant & winery guests. Privacy was a huge deal for my husband and I when it came to venues, I visited another winery (Ponte) which was equally as beautiful but not as private. I witnessed 3 ceremonies going on at once while my visit and disliked the organization of it all, I practically saw the whole ceremony from the restaurant from one of the ceremony sites (there were several) and I felt uncomfortable watching as usually it is an intimate event. Anyway, Mount Palomar exceeded my expectations when it came to the day of, there were several hiccups throughout the day of course but staff handled each problem professionally and quickly. Sandy and Kimberly were both awesome. Unfortunately the day before my wedding it poured and poured all day, my reception was scheduled to be outside but as soon as forecast was certain, Sandy (wedding coordinator) emailed me with a new plan of moving indoors to the barrel room with new seating arrangements and set up. It was perfect! No stress needed just my decision as the day of my wedding would be wet grass and cold. Just like that, the reception was quickly moved indoors with ceremony still outside. I rarely had to make contact with vendors the day of as staff handled all of it and I was able to relax and enjoy as much as any bride can on the day of. Pictures were beautiful, the place hardly needs any decorations as it is covered with beautiful scenery all around and a view of all of Temecula (one of the highest peaks). I could hear guests rant and rave about the location and how they would've love to get married there as well. All I could say is I wish I could've been my own attendant to my wedding to witness all the splendor of the day and venue. Very large area to decorate as little and as much as you want. My day was perfect at Mount Palomar, thank you all of the staff.

ity to help my vision come true was simply the spectacular. Their packages made planning so easy and simple, which when in the whole wedding planning was a weight lifted off my shoulders. Our guests raved about how beautiful the location was, how friendly the staff was, and how everything flowed effortlessly from one part to the next. My husband and I are so happy with the way our wedding turned out and couldn’t imagine having it at another location. Sandy and her team are fantastic!

delight. Sandy was always quick in returning calls. Overall the wedding was beautiful & we had a magical night. To be honest about our experience, I need to share a few negatives. I say this in hopes that for future weddings they will reflect & make changes. We live in AZ. The first issue,they fired the caterer. We came into town from AZ, to do a tasting months before w/ her. I wasn’t told for over a week(the previous caterer had called to let me know). After a week I called them. They tried to convince me the new company was fantastic & better than the previous caterer (they weren’t better at all). I’m a “foodie” so the food was extremely important to me. The previous caterer was fantastic. I knew NOTHING of the new caterer & other people’s opinion is just that, their opinion. This happened 3 weeks before the wedding. I couldn’t drive from AZ for a new tasting. I asked Sandy what the bottom line was on options. It ended up, there were no options after she spoke to Chris, Dir. of Operations. I asked to speak to her & Sandy had her call me. BIG MISTAKE on my part in wanting to speak w/ her. It went from bad to worse. In my mind I would tell her where I was coming from & she would listen and do the same & we may agree/disagree/ or come up with a compromise. My job includes customer service & I would NEVER treat a client as she treated me. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you she NEVER let me finish a sentence & cut me off every time I spoke, within 3 words. The level of frustration I felt when I realized she never had any intent on listening to me was overwhelming. I couldn’t believe she was so rude & condescending. I finally told her how bad she was treating me on this call & told her I deal with clients & in a million years I would NEVER speak to them as she was speaking to me. This was her reply, “Anne, you are emotional, you are a bride. You will look beautiful, you will look beautiful in your dress, we love you(I have never met her) your day will be beautiful.” Then she gave an underlying threat that if I wasn’t happy they can just pull the wedding. In no way was the conversation at a level to make that threat. I was shocked & shut down very quickly in fear that would happen. I wish I could describe her robotic, condescending way she spoke to me. I just hung up the phone & cried. An hour later I called Sandy & told her what happened. I said that I somehow have pull myself up from this & move forward. It was so awful & it put such a huge damper on things I can’t tell you. Chris should NEVER be allowed to speak to any client. The 2nd issue I wasn’t aware of until after the wedding. Several guests said that right after the champagne toast, before dinner, they were collecting glasses, before guests were finished. The server actually said “We need to take the glasses because people steal them”, then she said she needed to wash them so she could go home. They collected napkins, water glasses etc. way too early with the impression of getting staff duties done as a priority over making guests comfortable. My guests words were “it was bad”. Overall, it was majical & a few things should have been handled differently, but Sandy & Kimberly were a true delight & made the day beautiful. Thank you!!

lomar was by far our favorite. Sandy was extremely helpful and quick to respond when we had questions. We had the whole wedding venue property to ourselves. We used the barrel room for the “after party” and had late night “snacks” (pizza & sliders) for our guests and it was a blast! The entire wedding from the ceremony to the reception looked like a dream with the beautiful landscapes & sunset! We are so happy we had our amazing wedding celebration at Mt Palomar Winery!

il-oriented - There wasn't a single time I had to stress out about anything because they were always one step ahead of me to make sure coordinations were running smoothly. The wedding packages are the most inclusive and have the best value compared to any other venue we toured (we toured 9 other venues) and their ceremony and reception spaces are jaw-droppingly gorgeous! We had multiple guests comment that our wedding was the best they've ever been to and it was largely due to Mount Palomar and its incredible staff. Thank you for helping us make our wedding day one of the best days of our lives!