The Empress Estate

ring the $90 per‑plate cost. The sluce of chicken was overly salty, the rice tasted undercooked (almost like chewy Rice‑A‑Roni), and the--carrots, pasta, and potatoes--were bland and forgettable. The cake was even worse: the frosting tasted like pure Crisco and powdered sugar, and the cake itself was stale. For the price paid, this was unacceptable. The cocktail hour wasn't any better. The "artichoke" dip tasted like mushy stuffing, and the drinks tasted like mixer only, with no balance or flavor. For anyone considering this venue, I strongly recommend researching previous reviews carefully. When you're trusting a business with one of the most important days of your life, you deserve consistency, quality, and professionalism--none of which we experienced. Honestly, they should offer insurance for bad food and cake sad to say.

. I preferred to lose money than to have ourselves or our guests experience this venue. I strongly recommend extreme caution before booking this venue. Read reviews carefully, ask very specific questions, and consider upgrading your wedding insurance if you move forward at all. Our experience pointed to a consistent pattern of unprofessionalism from both staff and ownership, including poor communication and a dismissive, argumentative response to concerns. The tone from management in particular made it feel like client feedback was not taken seriously. At the tasting, the food quality and presentation were not what you would expect for a wedding venue. Items were difficult to distinguish, poorly presented, and did not reflect the standard expected for a formal event. The overall execution felt careless and inconsistent with what was being marketed. I got food poisoning after the tasting and I could not imagine going through that with my big beautiful wedding dress. I spent thousands of dollars on I could not visually tell the difference between chicken and steak. It was popped on my plate as though I was in jail the salad was really just Spring mixed lettuce in a bowl with no additions or dressing options available on the table and tongs were not used the stuff, grabbed it with their hands and threw it on my plate. The wine tasted like the bottle had been opened for weeks. It was red Kirkland brand wine. I was charged $12 for at the tasting. More broadly, we did not feel confident in their ability to deliver a high-stakes, high-cost event like a wedding to an acceptable standard. Staff did not have a clean appearance and they did not have a uniform. They were wearing street clothes that looked dirty on ironed and disheveled. Based on our experience, I would advise couples to proceed with extreme caution and ensure every detail is clearly documented before signing anything. I regret moving forward with this venue and preferred a significant financial loss rather than continuing with them or having my wedding day here. Pay attention to how the owner responds to reviews and don’t take any lack of professionalism or dismissive argumentative tones lightly.

set up to be a challenge. But from the start, the Empress had so much included in their wedding packages that it made them an easy first option. Every step of the way, we kept reiterating that we knew this would be the right choice for us. The planning sessions were helpful, especially early on if you're not sure where to begin. Kim was truly our light in the darkness as we navigated planning our wedding celebration and creating alternate plans for any weather issues or technical delays on the day. In fact, we did have (unrelated) issues with our celebration and as soon as the team at the Empress knew about it, they went above and beyond to help our bridal party problem solve so the day continued smoothly.

e to book some vendors such as caterer, bartender or cake bakery. The day of the wedding day went great! The venue can be a little hard to work with sometimes. All inclusive is nice, however they will charge for absolutely everything, per person. Prices add up fast, be careful.

lies, amazing day of coordination, fantastic vendor references, delicious food and attention to detail, truly I couldn’t have asked for a better venue, especially planning out of state! Zoe, Kim and Alexandria’s had work and dedication made the day run smoothly, and they coordinated with my hired out vendors to ensure everyone was up to date with the final schedule for the day. Beautiful location, kind people, and truly above and beyond care made mine and my husband’s day absolutely perfect. If I could rate 10 stars, I would!! 

ked out and we could not have asked for a better day! The venue is “all inclusive” as a venue. You will still need a wedding planner to organize the ceremony. And you will need to bring you own officiant. But as far the venue goes. It’s beautiful. The staff was extremely helpful and food was delicious. All our guests raved about how well everything went.

nks to their numerous options for food, cake, decorations, and beverage plans. The food was delicious, with plenty for all our guests, and the cake was a highlight as well. The venue itself is stunning. The staff is incredibly attentive, ensuring everything went smoothly and communication is excellent; they reply promptly to messages. They are also very transparent about their contracts, making everything easy to understand. I appreciated their monthly payment plan, which alleviated financial stress leading up to the big day. One of the features I liked is the flexibility in guest count; you can finalize numbers just a month before the event. This is a huge advantage compared to hiring third-party catering. Lastly, I highly recommend considering their preferred vendors as they know very well how the Empress operates. I especially recommend Stevie, the florist—she's both affordable and talented. Overall, The Empress made our wedding unforgettable!

ddressing all our questions and concerns efficiently. On the big day, the team worked tirelessly to make sure everything was perfect, bringing our vision to life without any issues. My wife and I couldn't be happier with our experience and would highly recommend The Empress Estate Wedding Venue to anyone looking for a flawless and memorable wedding celebration.

the ceremony. The appetizers, dinner and cake were delicious, the staff was professional and beyond helpful, and every detail was taken care of as planned. It was so nice to just arrive, enjoy our special day, and leave at the end of the evening without a bunch of clean-up. The Empress crew handled everything, allowing us to be stress-free the entire event. I am so glad we chose this venue for our wedding and would highly recommend it!

tors that you work with while planning and during the day of your wedding are pleasant, transparent, and knowledgeable. -For wedding food, the food was very good and plentiful (we had a buffet and everyone was full). Even the cake was good, which I was skeptical about. -There's no fee to use a vendor outside of the preferred vendor list (at least for DJs or photography, which I used outside vendors for) -The location is stunning. Both the chateau and the mansion are gorgeous and surrounded by well taken care of trees and flowers. Also beautiful and customizable centerpieces. -Good prices. Compared to other Washington venues, Empress Estate has good rates for food, centerpieces, and labor, and also was very transparent about their fees. We booked more than a year out and used a payment plan for the majority of the costs. -Flexible with the weather. We were able to move our ceremony inside (if needed) with very little notice. -Breakfast at the BnB was very good (but not vegetarian friendly) -Received deposit back in timely manner Cons: -Turn over. We worked with three different coordinators during the planning phase. Certain details about our event didn't seem to be communicated between coordinators. These issues included: 1. Forgetting we paid for coffee and tea (and arguing when we asked for it to be provided. It was set out late and we got no money back) 2. Getting different answers about whether chargers were included in our package 3. Scheduling our planning meeting late 4. Sending invoices at the wrong time. -You cannot schedule independent tastings at this venue. They offer quarterly group tastings and encourage couples to come to at least two. My partner and I went to two tastings, but the tastings has basically the exact same menu. Therefore, it was impossible for us to taste all of the available food items before the day of the wedding. -Dietary restrictions. The venue was very hesitant to give us information about what was included in each dish. We also had to provide our own signage to show which allergens were in each food. This lack of communication led to a dish with an allergen (the three cheese pasta apparently has tomatoes) that we weren't aware of. -Lack of communication with our vendors. Our vendors struggled to get in communication with the venue. Even one of the preferred vendors lacked information about the venue. -Vendor meals. Unlike making venues, the vendors are included in our head count. Therefore, if you want your vendors to eat, you have to pay the same price as a seated guest who has access to the open bar and centerpieces. -Many policies weren't spoken about in person but rather hidden in email chains (such as the vendor meal policy). -I don't know if this is typical, but you have to provide your own banquet license which makes you liable for damage and injury due to alcohol. -The general manager Zoe is difficult to work with. It's clear the day of coordinators are aware and try to work around him. He is terrible at communicating, authoritative, and rude. He did not help the day go smoothly. -The preferred vendors tended to be more expensive than other vendors in the area. -Hard to schedule a rehearsal (you can only do it in the morning)

this place. Working with the planner Sarah V. was fantastic and she was extremely helpful, professional and always available to answer questions. The day went off without a hitch, the food was fantastic, the staff were great and we had a beautiful day. I would recommend this venue to any couple!

inclusive venue! ABSOLUTELY would recommend!!

human. I didnt feel like I was another bride and it was another wedding it felt very personal and caring. Sarah's excitement about planning a wedding blend into mine which made the entire experience wonderful. The venue is gorgeous from the manor to the deck and all the flowers in between especially when the sun sets just right. In the actual wedding day everything was planned behind the scenes me and my groom could truly enjoy the day without thinking. The staff was very polite and cordial. I'm really glad we choose the Empress estate it made my wedding day feel magical

ordinator and event manager Sarah Villanueva was very helpful in answering all our questions and helping us plan our beautiful wedding. She provided us with options and made us feel comfortable throughout the process. On the day of our wedding, we were a little nervous but Sarah and her staff helped our nervousness fade away. Everything was taken care of and we could just focus on our love. After the wedding, we checked into the mansion and the owner greeted us with a fire. This allowed us to extend our beautiful day and cap off our evening. Finally, we would like to thank The Empress Estate for making our dream wedding come true.

ur wedding in August 2023. We loved the outdoor atmosphere and how beautiful the Mansion was. With it being an all inclusive venue, we were excited about the price range as well. We moved forward with the payment plan all throughout 2022 and had our first planning meeting in March 2022. We went over our package details and pricing. At our 2nd planning meeting, we were surprised at the lack of communication from the team that there were price changes. We were never notified nor were told that we would be included in that change. Luckily, we were able to advocate for ourselves but it was a bit awkward that we had to bridge the gap of communication between the owner and wedding coordinator. We had to reference back to our contract and welcome guide given to us multiple times due to the fact that they made so many changes to their packages without notifying already reserved couples. Communication was not in our favor the majority of the planning process with Empress I would've appreciated at least an email about price changes / changes to the packages. Our wedding day went smoothly and we had the wonderful day of coordinator and Sarah to help us. The only comments I would have would be for the waiting staff. I had multiple guests tell me the waiting staff was a bit rude / unapproachable when asked questions regarding food / drinks. When toasts came along, my husband and I actually had to go up to the bar because we weren't served with toasts first (really...?). We worked our butts off to get out by our allotted time because they charge you an extra $500 if you stay after the time you paid for (even if you're cleaning up). All in all - I enjoyed the wedding and scenery, but it was a bit frustrating to be left with surprise costs and added stress. Other that those things, I really did enjoy our wedding day. Only advice to future couples is to advocate for what you're wanting straight up and communicate and document everything so that your day can go smoothly and stress free.

aff is extremely prepared for any sort of weather change in a matter of minutes. Zoe was immediately welcoming & wonderful to work with, and helped to explain everything to us every step of the way. Reasonably priced, all-inclusive, customizable packages - we so appreciated only having to coordinate with 2 outsourced vendors!! The food was -delicious-, the bartenders were friendly and professional, and the clean up crew was so organized, efficient and kind. The getting ready experience was one of the most memorable parts of the day; Sarah was hands on & made sure we had snacks, bubbles, and anything we needed! Our day-of coordinator Alexandria was hands down, -incredible- in every sense of the word. Because of her expertise, the day flowed effortlessly without a single slip up; I had even forgotten my flowers up in the balcony, was literally walking down the aisle, and the -second- I turned the corner, she appeared with them out of nowhere and placed them in my hands. (I’m not kidding, it felt like a movie experience). My wife and I truly couldn’t have dreamed of a better experience for our wedding. Thank you, Empress Estate!

credible wedding planner named Sarah who is AMAZING at her job!! She works hard to ensure everything is taken care of and all goes smoothly! Their motto is that everything should be easy and stress free for the couple (and it truly was)!! They have a varieties vendor list that they work with and recommend that are familiar with the venue, to make things easy! They have a great system and process in place to make the whole wedding planning process streamlined and simple to follow as it relates to budgeting, due dates/deadlines, wedding schedule, payment processing, etc. They provide catering, cake, tables/lines/silverware/dishes and so much more! They recommended We and 16 of our guests stayed the night at the mansion and they provided breakfast for us in the morning! We feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to get married at the Empress and to work with Sarah!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

g all our guests were taken care of. Sarah, the wedding coordinator, was an absolute pleasure to work with. She nailed every detail.

ely beautiful, thank you for helping me have my fairytale wedding!!

groom and I flip flopping about an indoor or outdoor wedding whenever the rain stopped, but they were so understanding and quick to put everything together. It was nice to have a calm competent team on our side.

helpful. they were very patient with all of my questions and they worked hard together to pull off our wedding day. we couldn’t be more grateful or happy with how the day came together.

2. The cake, food, and drinks were perfect on the coldest winter day. We chose the empress menu choice. The prime rib was yummy! There was plenty of drinks for our guests. The dance floor was amazing and we chose dj that works with the Empress. The guests and I and the bride enjoyed it all and were glad to have our wedding reception at the Empress. The Empress worked well with all of our vendors. We made memories to last a lifetime! There was consistent and clear communication throughout the planning process with the Empress Estate Sarah and Zoe. The grounds are beautiful and the wedding party air bnb was perfect for my friends and I to stay , both in the woods and historic and beautiful, and have whole made sausage, omlette, fruit, coffee and pastries. We couldn't be happier !! Thank you! Love the Hutsons

nd the day off. Staff puts you first on the wedding day, they make sure you eat and have drinks. So helpful on such a stressful day.

people, and has a mansion (that you can stay at!), but for the fact that they coordinate the wedding, provide catering and the cake, as well as have alternative options if it happens to rain on your outdoor plans! That's right, they can relocate everything indoors! Which is a must when trying to plan an outdoor wedding in Washington State. Zoe got us started on our journey with planning the wedding at his venue. He is a man with a plan and definitely has mastered the wedding planning process down to the minute. He will provide you with a list of his preferred vendors, but will work with whoever you pick as long as they agree to stick with the timeline you and he will put together for your special day. He will need to have an idea of how many people you plan to invite, and a potential day for the wedding selected for him to work up numbers for you. I loved that you could get ready at the venue and they have a room upstairs for the Bridal party and one for the Groom and his men! Day of the wedding, Sarah ended up being our coordinator. She was amazing! New exactly where to be before we even knew we needed her. She kept everyone organized and on time. Made it super easy to know where we needed to be. The catering was wonderful, everyone was super kind and thoughtful. I chose the buffet style for the food (which I should have mentioned, he has cake tasting events throughout the year that you can attend and sample the food and cake! As well as explore the grounds and see the mansion). Everyone enjoyed the meal and cake, and the sparkler send off was a success! Thank you all for providing and maintaining a beautiful property, and having a team that worked together to make our day run smoothly. It was truly a pleasure working with you all, and a memory that I will treasure.

through out the wedding planning with coordinators . Day of wedding service was amazing from decoration, food, drinks and service from staff. Made our wedding dress come true and we had an incredible night full of memories to last us a life time .

pful, and detailed orientated. They make sure everything runs perfectly. I couldn't ask for a better wedding and it is all thanks to their help!

s to Empress as a venue and catering to the moment we said “I do”!!! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your professionalism, care, love, patience, amazing decorations, incredibly delicious food, for the classiness in every touch and for your perfection from the beginning to end!! Us, our families, friends and guests were incredibly impressed by the Empress!! We had our dream wedding and a true fairy tale moment that will be forevwr remembered by all of us!! We recommend The Empress to everyone that wants to have ONE IN A LIFE TIME EXPERIENCE in their special event!! SO grateful!!! ❤️ Natali & Michael Burgess

u for all your help in the run up to the day. Your calm and collected approach really put my mind at ease through my many questions and queries as well on the day. Thank you so much to the whole team fr everything you all did on the day to make it so special, all those little touches really made the day for us and blew all our expectations . the food was amazing and you have great team

stay the same the entire night. Please do not let me discouraged you on booking but rather, highly recommend extension research. After meeting with the owner, we thought, let's go ahead and give him the benefit of the doubt (reviews were a mixed bag).That sure felt like a slap in the face. Not only was this a BIG investment, the event felt sugar coated for everyone. Yes, it should only be your day as newlyweds however; there were multiple flags that started to happen throughout the event. As vendors are setting up, their was hostility and the owner belittles them as if their kids (#1). My best man along with our decor team start to setup with the blueprints we made and begins to argue on how and where you should be setting up (#2). I'm trying to figure who was the day of coordinator as it's "part of the package" and just wing it with organized chaos from the owner (#3). Food, was a mixed bag, don't recommend the green beans. Majority of my 100 guest had bugs in their mixed drinks, the bottle being pour had them sitting at the bottom, guest thought it was odd that it was black and then clear (#4). #5, towards the end of the evening prior to sparklers, a fiasco broke out when a family friend (over 21) brought a sealed expensive bottle of tequila. This was meant to be as a gift and fell off the table. The owners presses that the family friend has been underage drinking out the bottle and could cost him his liquor license. Family friend was very apologetic for dropping the bottle that didn't break but spilled on the floor. Owner enraged, yelled at the family friend AND the mother for how much of an inconvenience this was and TOSSED the bottle that was nearly full over the counter and hitting the bartender. All the mother wanted was to take back the bottle, guess that meant having it tossed at the feet. Dumbfounded of what happened, the next day I came back to pick up lost/found, he tells me, their was a situation that happened but don't worried I got it controlled and lied to my face. There's a difference between being black/grey and rude/disrespectful. I understand weddings aren't perfect but, it was far from good. Might as well try to make the best out of it with the money spent. If I had the chance to go back in time to picking a venue, this wouldn't be my choice.

are prompt, knowledgeable and beyond helpful. The venue is breathtaking. The service is spectacular. all guests said it was the best wedding food they have every had. The bartender made amazing drinks and people rarely had to wait. The night started and ended perfectly, we beyond happy with our experience. If you are looking for a wedding venue , this is it. No need to look further. You won’t regret it!!!! Thanks 🙏

e go out of their way to meet your every need, and are on top of everything. Just wonderful Thank you 🙏 Lala

t again in the near future to enjoy as a guest! We will always recommend you to anyone looking to get married in The empress estate You have an amazing place Best wishes

d what a beautiful setting the empress estate is. You have supreme organisational skills Best wishes Momo

he day of and respected all our wishes. The only real issue was the planning sessions were slower and more tedious than we would have liked. However, it's hard to fault them for this because they were short staffed and the person in charge of the planning was new to it. We are very satisfied with our day and made wonderful memories at Empress Estates. If you are looking for a hassle free day from start to finish then definitely give them a look!

etup or clean up. I would recommend the Empress to any one that wants an organized wedding

est day and made so many special memories at your beautiful venue. We hope we get to visit again in the near future to enjoy as a guest! We will always recommend you to anyone looking to get married in the empress estate I can’t tell you how many people said what a beautiful setting the empress estate is. It really was like a dream come true, and everything was perfect, we will be forever grateful for creating such a wonderful & personalised experience Your supreme organisational skills took the stress out of everything! All best wishes + Love from Alex vector

verything ran smoothly and on time. Thank you Zoe for helping make our daughters wedding so beautiful!

tressful and unpredictable time, they promised that our big day would happen without a hitch. And it did. Zoe and the rest of the staff were wonderful to work with. They were reassuring the whole way along, and had great communication with us. When our wedding day came our expectations were exceeded. The venue itself is stunning, the staff made it a breeze and stress free for us and our family & friends. The food, cake, and drinks were exceptional. The serving staff were so professional and kind. Our day was truly magical and more than worth the wait. Thank you for everything and we recommend any engaged couples to tour the Empress Estates!