Ralston White Retreat

ried in the California red woods surrounded by nature and she wanted to find a venue that would allow for an entire weekend of celebration with housing that would allow friends and family to stay on sight and enjoy a weekend of fun, celebration, and relaxation. That was a very tall order. Since our daughter lives in Chicago my wife and I were in charge of finding a venue that would allow for our daughters vision to become a reality. After a lengthy on line and in person search process we had the good fortune of discovering the Ralston White Retreat. As my wife and drove on to the property for the first time our hearts skipped a beat as the Ralston came into view. It is a spectacular sight. The home surrounded by the redwoods was exactly what we were looking for. The house is a beautiful 3 story mansion that have that old world charm. The center stair case and rotunda with its beautiful word work reminded of the Titanic. There are bedrooms that allow for nearly 40 overnight guests. We took possession of the venue on a Friday at 11am and it was all ours until Sunday at 3pm. The mansion is surrounded by beautiful redwoods on all sides and it completely secluded. You feel like it it your own private home for the weekend. We had a beautiful 3 day celebration that never felt rushed. The 3 day rental allowed for my daughters vision of a "wedding weekend" to come to life. There are options for a ceremony on the beautiful heart shaped front lawn or a more natural setting on the lower area surrounded by redwoods. It was a special weekend in a very special place. We were blessed by our time at the Ralston. In closing I want to take time to acknowledge the amazing staff that were a big part of making our wedding weekend such a success. Christy & Gabriel were AMAZING from start to finish. In our search for a venue my wife and I encountered venues that seemed to be most interested in giving you the rules and requirements. From our first encounter with Christy she was most concerned about making sure we could plan the wedding that our daughter was dreaming of. This was a wedding planned long distance by two out of town families with no local presence in the Mill Valley area. I knew that was going to require someone that we could work with on the other end. Christy was the person from day one. Our daughters wedding was originally planned for June of 2020 but like so many other life events covid caused us to have to regroup and reschedule. Each time we had to reschedule Christy was so kind and patient at helping me get the new dates secured and on the calendar. As the wedding date drew closer Gabriel made sure to have everything we needed ready and available for when we arrived. Both Christy and Gabriel have the gift of hospitality and it shows in their work at the Ralston. When we said goodbye on Sunday it felt like we were saying goodby to friends. Thank Christy & Gabriel for being an important part of Hannah and Mitch's wedding weekend. If you are looking for a venue that provides for the things I have mentioned in this review do yourself a favor and plan a visit to the Ralston White Retreat. It may just be the last venue you visit!