The Oaks at Duncan Lane

husband and I ate. The people that run this property are very nice (for the most part), and were also very helpful. However, after getting married here, I would not recommend it. We found that our experience with the owner, Shayla, was very abrasive and at times hostile when questioned on her reasoning for certain things (when we asked what kind of account our payment was going into, since you are required to make monthly payments and we did not want to risk losing our money, we were told by her that it was “none of your business”). Another issue that we had here was that for as much money as you pay, the rules are VERY strict. There are no shots allowed. There are certain florals colors that you are not allowed to have (if you do, they cannot be allowed anywhere near the ground, tables, or chairs). Most of these rules are easy enough, but for the price you pay, very restrictive. Now, all of this could have been completely overlooked- but the reason I will never recommend them: my husband and I were BOMBARDED with issues the entire night of our wedding. From the start of the day, the staff was extremely rude. Not directly to me (usually), but to my family and to everyone else. The day-of coordinator (who was actually very sweet leading up to the day, so this surprised me) was mean to my sister who has Down Syndrome, and I was approached by several different people who said that they heard her yelling at her. She was also just generally unfriendly, which on such a special day, was very unusual. The final straw for me was toward the end of the night during the reception. The groundskeeper, Angie, is very rude and unprofessional. Apparently there was an issue where the kids at the wedding were throwing a football in the large dirt lot. She came out, and instead of calmly asking to speak to my father, she screamed at every single one of my guests and told them that if she saw the football again that we would lose our deposit, and that she would shut down the wedding and make everyone go home. Then, a while later, there was an issue where a parent let a child take a puff of a cigar. I completely understand why they were upset- we can't have underage smoking or drinking at a wedding. But instead of approaching that child and that parent, Angie once again, SCREAMED that she was going to shut my wedding down, and proceeded to yell at every single one of my guests. The next morning, she called to tell me that "since you had SO many kids there last night, there are things that are broken that we will take out of your deposit". I said okay, no worries. Then, my guests tell me that the lights that "my guests" broke were actually broken by an employee by mistake. So I contact her again and she said "oh yeah he told me"? As if she was not planning on telling me and instead was going to let me pay for it? Also, they only sent back a portion of the deposit and did not state why. Also, during the night, any time an issue arose, if Angie was not yelling at my guests about it, they would grab my husband and ask him to go fix the problem. How unprofessional is it to ask the groom on his wedding day to fix issues? If there was any sort of issue, the Bride and Groom should not even be aware of it, but at one point, I was so bombarded by Angie yelling at my guests that it completely put a damper on my night.

something truly special. Our journey to this venue was a bit unconventional as we had to switch venues just five weeks before our wedding. The team at the Oaks was not only understanding but also incredibly accommodating. They made what could have been a stressful situation feel like a breeze. Their willingness to work with us on such a tight timeline was a true testament to their dedication to making our day perfect. One of the standout features of this venue is the remarkable ambiance it offers. The natural beauty and the picturesque outdoor spaces were the ideal backdrop for our special day, and our guests couldn't stop raving about how beautiful it was. What truly sets this venue apart is the incredible value it offers. We were amazed at the reasonable pricing, especially given the quality and elegance of the space. It allowed us to allocate more of our budget towards other aspects of our wedding, making it an even more memorable occasion. Our wedding at The Oaks was an absolute dream come true, and we owe a significant part of that to the venue operators and their stunning location. We can't thank them enough for making our special day so magical.

an underrated aspect of any venue. Shayla, Jordan, Morgan, Linda and the Duncan family were great hosts and they all worked well together, like family, which was important to us in our venue search. Their hospitality and work ethic was first-class. We visited the venue in June 2022 and Jordan gave us a very in-depth tour. After looking at the grounds, he then gave us detailed pricing about the venue, the all-inclusive amenities as well as the catering and bar options. You will not find similar amenities likes this anywhere in California. Jordan and his father-in-law are constantly updating The Oaks. There were many improvements and new additions between our tour in June 2022 and our wedding in July 2023! Leading up to our wedding, everyone at The Oaks was extremely communicative about what was needed and when. They also handled a lot of wedding tasks themselves, which was a huge bonus. The day of the wedding we were relaxed and had nothing to worry about. The ability to be on-site at 10 AM was great because both of us had our respective spaces on the property, in the main house and the groom suite, to relax with our wedding parties and families prior to our ceremony and reception. Every one of our guests was enamored with the beauty and set-up of The Oaks and its attention to detail. For a 90 degree wedding day, the oak trees provided so much shade that it was perfect, cool weather in the middle of summer. We can’t recommend this venue enough for anyone in search of one.

and fast communication throughout the entire wedding planning process. Shayla, Linda, Jordan, Morgan, Shayla's parents... I can't thank you all enough! Our wedding day was perfect from beginning to the end. Our guests also raved about the natural beauty of the venue and loved the food from catering. I wish I could relive our special day over and over again! Thanks from the bottom of our hearts. -The Bustamontes

was dirt, but there was such an air of potential and confidence in the Owners that made us decide to book more than a year out. Over the year+ timespan, we watched this already beautifully piece of Pala grow into the insanely gorgeous wedding venue it is now, hosting weddings that just enveloped everything we’d wanted for our own. The process was easy with Linda’s help over the last few months up until Day Of. I tell you, you need a coordinator. You don’t wanna stress? Get a COORDINATOR. And get a team of people who are there for you when you need them (Aka: The Oaks Team) It’s been three months since our wedding and I still wish I could rewind and do it all over just to relive it, and be so happy knowing our most important day was in the hands of Shayla, Linda, Jordan, Morgan & Everyone else involved from The Oaks and Temecula Catering. Thanks all ❤️ The Wormingtons

ng there were problems that I shouldn’t have ignored. I’ll spare the long-winded details, but essentially there was a miscommunication with pricing. When I provided the emails that led to the miscommunication, the price was not honored. Pricing came up again when they added thousands of dollars to my bill for an upgrade I had not purchased. I only found out about this because my dad (who paid) mentioned it. They removed the item from my bill but had my dad not asked me about it we would have never known. No compensation was offered for this. The options provided for bar and catering were extremely limited. Only 2 bar options (both very pricy) and one for catering. The catering was mediocre at best. We actually complained about it after our tasting and they allowed us to do a retest, but it was still not great. Since there was no other option we just rolled with it… definitely could have gotten much better quality with the money spent. Because the venue is still under construction, multiple things changed from the point that we selected the venue up to the actual wedding date. We were aware this was a possibility, but it is another reason I would be wary to book. For example, a huge white storage barn was moved right next to the ceremony area, which was a pretty big eyesore. Also, the area at the top of the hill, which was beautiful and lush in the Spring, is not maintained by sprinklers and is dead and dry in the Summer. I found the wedding coordinator to be nice but not helpful, and in some instances do more harm than good. They advertised a certain arch as being available but removed it from their inclusive package at some point during my engagement. I ended up having to drive to Orange county, twice, to see it because the first time it was rented out and unavailable even though I had been told to just stop by. What a waste of time and gas. Lastly, is that after the wedding we stayed in the on-site suite. (The outdoor lights were glaring so bad and we couldn’t figure out how to turn them off even after searching the house for every light switch for 20 minutes). After we left for our honeymoon the morning, I asked the venue if they could save my bouquet I had forgotten in a vase and they said they had already thrown it away. I was heartbroken, since I had paid $250 for it and planned to have it preserved. I had also forgotten my wedding dress on the bed and they did save that for me, but a wedding venue you would think they would know that bouquets are sentimental and expensive. There were many other hiccups along the way but what wedding doesn’t have that? I’m just trying to highlight the ones that were not particular to me and may affect others. Pros: - Venue is beautiful and unique. It is hard to find one like this - They really tried to be kind and accommodate me - They were flexible with some changes to their usual policies - They had a golf cart for the older folks - Tons of compliments from my guests who did not have to endure the behind the scenes issues Ultimately, if you are really on top of things, only care about a beautiful venue, and don't mind problems popping up this is probably ok for you. But if you expect it to be smooth sailing, look elsewhere.

d make our day run smooth. They went above and beyond to make sure nothing went wrong. Even down to giving our fur baby his medicine at his dedicated time so the FOB was able to enjoy the night with us and not have to worry about watching the clock. We can not thank everyone enough for the amazing service they provided. This venue was worth everything!

t the venue so easy. The kitchen is fully equipped with a giant and spacious fridge, coffee maker, and a microwave, my mother felt right at home. :) For anyone on budget, you can save money on your florals/decor for this space because everything is so beautiful already <3 Thank you so much to Shayla and Morgan for being so easy to reach out to for your attentiveness. It made our wedding day a breeze!

off without a hitch and my sisters wedding was incredible!! Thank you so much, and yes book this place!!!

ith problem solving and making sure we were enjoying our day no matter what. They went above and beyond to make it the best day ever for us. The venue is breathtakingly beautiful and the work they have done on the property before and since our wedding is amazing. You can't go wrong getting married here. They will take good care of you.

start up would have. But Shayla, her husband, her parents, and the rest of the team worked laboriously to resolve the issues. We were honored to have been the first big event and we received GORGEOUS photos, from the ivy covered stairs to the boho chic bridal suite. The landscaping was in progress during our day but their plans to continue the hardscaping further looks so promising. We cant thank them enough for the time they invested to make our dream a reality.