Navarra Gardens

The venue itself is gorgeous. The grounds had us and our guests in awe, and there was truly nothing more magical than seeing our tables in the sunlight dappled oak grove. All that said, Karen the owner made the process a bit ridiculous. There were multiple instances of having to send back a copy of our paid invoice confirming that we had booked things like the bridal cottage the night before the wedding or the additional getting ready space the day of. Even though it wasn't listed this way, she tried to tell us we couldn't have the additional space until almost 3 pm, which for a 4 pm wedding doesn't work for everyone to get ready. The groom's shed, which is included as a usable space, isn't insulated, and on a warm summer day it was roasting in there and the boys weren't able to use it to get ready anyways. She was short with several of our friends who were setting up, expecting them to do venue labor because she didn't have her own hired help, and expected one of them to climb a rickety ladder to change a smoke detector battery (which she ultimately did herself). The real icing on the cake was her dog, Kuro, who she continued to allow out even though we had asked multiple times to have him put away due to having our own dogs there as part of the wedding. The last straw for him being out was when he jumped onto the cake table and ate most of our wedding cake. I will repeat. Her. Dog. Ate. Our. Wedding. Cake. It was a small cake, and not our primary dessert, but I had to chase this dog down in my wedding dress to get my cake serving set back as well. I would've been willing to accept this as just a dog being a dog moment, even if she was responsible she was very apologetic. But then she called us 2 days later on our honeymoon to inquire about a vase that had gone missing from the event center. I wasn't made aware until a few days later that it had been broken by our crew, and she expected a replacement in order for us to get our deposit back. When my husband met her with the vase, she informed him that she had already sent the check in the mail rather than bring it to him as arranged 🤦🏻‍♀️ When we got the check, there was ALSO sticky note admonishing us for having one of my bridesmaids stay with me in the cottage the night before, because she normally charges per person staying. TLDR: your pictures will be stunning and guests wowed by your venue choice, but be prepared to be nickel and dimed, and watch out for the dog getting into your food.

We absolutely loved our experience with Navarra Gardens! Karen was a wonderful host and did so much to help us. We wouldn’t have changed a thing!

This venue was off the charts. The decor, buildings and gardens were stunning. There were so many added features around every corner and ever building. The owner went above and beyond multiple times trying to make the day perfect. I highly recommend this venue.

“Thank you Karen for your hospitality and generosity of sharing your home with us on our special day!