The Empress Estate

Updated January 26, 2024

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About This Vendor

The Empress Estate: Elegant, Unique Rustic Venue

Call, Email or Book a Tour for Details! ⚡️Mansion Micro-Wedding Special! (Friday-Sunday June-October) Venue: $3900 Catering: starting at $39 a person Inquire for a personal proposal and add-ons to make your day extra special! What's Included: 5 hours of exclusive venue rental time (ceremony & reception) Use of our tables, Chiavari chairs, place settings, and more Full set up, tear-down & clean-up of your event Professional Staff of bussers, servers, bartenders & more to deliver excellent service to your guests Personalized reception with floor-length house linens and house centerpieces Wedding Planning Sessions Day-of Wedding Specialist At our venue, you and your family will savor the moment while we handle all the details. Just arrive, dress up, tie the knot and party stress-free! Looking to extend the celebration with some of your VIPs? Consider staying overnight at the Mansion, which grants you exclusive access for indoor photos, an after-party with you and 14 guests, and a delightful breakfast the following morning! All for only $1990! *Tax, and a 20% staffing charge and minimums apply. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Empress offers a variety of stylish settings for your ceremony and reception to create the perfect intimate and elegant venue for your unique wedding experience. All settings are back-dropped in neutral color schemes, waiting for you to add your unique touch to create your own special event. As an all-inclusive venue, we include staffing, setup, use of rentals (tables, chairs, linens, etc), clean-up, and an event specialist team to assist you with every package!

Amenities & Details

Ceremony Area, Covered Outdoors Space, Dressing Room, Handicap Accessible, Indoor Event Space, Liability Insurance, On-Site Accommodations, Outdoor Event Space, Reception Area

Guest Capacity

Up to 300

Ceremony Types

Civil Union, Commitment Ceremony, Elopement, Interfaith Ceremony, Non-Religious Ceremony, Religious Ceremony, Second Wedding, Vow Renewal Ceremony

Venue Service Offerings

Bar & Drinks, Bar Rental, Cakes & Desserts, Cupcakes, Other Desserts, Destination Weddings, Destination Wedding Packages, Destination Wedding Planning, Food & Catering, Planning, Wedding Design, Rentals & Equipment, Service Staff

Settings

Ballroom, Barn, Castle, Estate, Garden, Historic Venue, Hotel, Mountain, Park, Trees

Business Attributes

Black-owned Business

Pricing for The Empress Estate

Option	Value
Starting Cost	Affordable
Cost Starting
Price Range
Couples Usually Spend
Peak Season Months
Peak Season Cost
Peak Season Reception Cost
Peak Season Ceremony Cost
Peak Season Bar Service Cost
OffSeason Months
OffSeason Cost
OffSeason Reception Cost
OffSeason Ceremony Cost
OffSeason BarService Cost

Browse The Empress Estate pricing PDF below for sample services and estimates.

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The Empress Estate Reviews

Amy Willis (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

This was our dream venue!! Literally, it’s the most gorgeous property! The Empress Estate has both the fairytale castle and the cabin in the woods feel. They provide you with an incredible 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!
Reviewed on 14-08-2023

Dominique Hoium (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

My husband and I married here on 10/21/2023 and I cannot tell you how Thankful we are that we selected this Venue. We had attended a wedding here once before and fell in love with 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!
Reviewed on 27-11-2023

Michelle Merritt (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

Sarah was an amazing planner! She was always timely with her responses. The venue...STUNNING! We selected the Chateau as our ceremony location and it was beautiful! Love this all inclusive venue! ABSOLUTELY would recommend!!
Reviewed on 28-09-2023

Kytazha Pope (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

I felt very taken care of. As the bride I have a lot to stress over Ms. Sarah made sure we didn't have to worry one bit.From the moment we met it felt very professional but also 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
Reviewed on 20-09-2023

Cristy Miller (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

The Empress Estate is an absolute picture perfect wedding venue!From the mansion to the grounds and scenery. We couldn't have picked a better place to get married. Our wedding coordinator 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.
Reviewed on 19-09-2023

Geoff Desir (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

Very beautiful venue with a lot to offer. Staffing was amazing and they make the wedding process super smooth and affordable. They also help with clean up which was wonderful.
Reviewed on 17-09-2023

Johanna Ellis (other) 4 out of 5 Rating

When we got engaged, we were told to book as early as possible due to the rise of weddings post Covid. We were excited to have booked with Empress Estate back in January 2022 for our 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.
Reviewed on 16-09-2023

Natashia Bongiorno (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

What an amazing experience we had! Truly the most accommodating, friendly, welcoming, and professional staff. The venue is absolutely beautiful at all times of the year, and the staff 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!
Reviewed on 20-08-2023

Ashley Watson (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

I booked Empress Estate for our wedding venue and I cannot put into words how absolutely magical my experience was. They have round the clock staff serving drinks, food and ensuring all our guests were taken care of. Sarah, the wedding coordinator, was an absolute pleasure to work with. She nailed every detail.
Reviewed on 08-08-2023

Laurie Hanna (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

I have dreamed about my wedding since I was little. The empress estate was perfect Sarah, Ramsey, and the owner Zoe we’re so nice. we had our wedding in the mansion. It was absolutely beautiful, thank you for helping me have my fairytale wedding!!
Reviewed on 23-07-2023

Rachel Peters (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 23-03-2023
The Empress Estates is such an incredible venue. Not only is the scenery breath-taking, Zoe, Sarah and the entire time make your big day go smoothly. They were so patient with the 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.
Reviewed on 26-03-2023

Chelsea Vincent (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 04-09-2022
we loved working with the empress. we held our wedding there in september of 22 and it was the most beautiful backdrop for our wedding day. the staff was great to work with and so 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.
Reviewed on 12-01-2023

Sophia Hutson (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 22-12-2022
The Empress Estate was a royal experience! We loved we did not have to do anything, but let the day unfold and be treated like king and queen for our special wedding day on 12/22/22. 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
Reviewed on 24-12-2022

Maria Middleton (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 06-11-2022
The Empress is a gorgeous venue. We loved that we could pick where on property we wanted our ceremony. Staff was very responsive and helpful throughout the whole planning process and 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.
Reviewed on 13-11-2022

Miriam Pruchnic (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 05-09-2022
We chose the Empress Estates to be our wedding venue not because it has stunning landscape, 10 different spots on the property to have a wedding ceremony, can accommodate up to 300 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.
Reviewed on 02-11-2022

Nicolette Peterson (bride) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 27-08-2022
We got married at the Empress Estate this summer and I feel like an honest review is due. We were given a tour by the owner who sold the venue as “all-inclusive”. Turns out they just have a “preferred vendors” list. Many of the numbers provided were non-working and when I informed them, they responded “oh, he must have left the state.” The owner also said the cocktail hour would be held between the two buildings where the fireplace and outdoor bar is. We loved it. After signing the contract and at our first planning session we learned it’s an additional $500 to have the cocktail hour there. The food was just ok. Cold, no seasoning. Our cake was dry and cold. I received feedback from many guests about the owner. He would awkwardly micro-manage the bar and other staff. He tried to cut off my bridesmaid within 10 minutes of arriving. The bar wasn’t even open yet! Here’s the best part. The bartender was slow and confused all night. At one point she told my brother “sorry about that. I’m so high right now.” Are you kidding me??!! As we’re packing up to leave the owner held me hostage in conversation about how much my guests loved the place, it was a gorgeous wedding, etc. He said it seems like I have a lot of single people as guests and that I’d likely be back because they will want to get married here. What a joke. Also, we have hardly any single attendees which is why we skipped the bouquet toss and did a anniversary dance instead. Just shows what he knows about us personally and how he cannot read a room. The bar closed at 9 even though we had the venue til 10. They never made a last call. I, as the bride! Was standing at the bar and he put up a “bar closed” right in my face! Later on when I complained about this, he told me he doesn’t make last call because then everyone would rush the bar. My florist said we didn’t have to clean up the flower pedals. The owner had my bridesmaids out there in the night with their flashlights cleaning them up!! I wish I knew at the time because I’m so upset about it now. Positively, the view is nice. The grounds are pretty, not gorgeous. In a state where plants are plentiful, the grounds are pretty sparse. And I have to shout out Sarah. She was friendly and so helpful. She was quick to respond to my emails and on the actual day she accomplished every task I gave her. Big time thanks! And edit to ad. It’s been 3 weeks since we got married. We knew the day following the wedding that we were missing cards from the gift table (cards as in people leaving a greeting card with a cash gift inside). When they didn’t turn up in our stuff we started to ask our wedding party and family if they had them. We’ve learned that the cards missing are the ones that were dropped in the card box before the ceremony. They should’ve absolutely made it home with us. I’m not accusing anyone of stealing but the circumstances really stink where cards were left unattended around staff who admitted to being high.
Reviewed on 21-09-2022

Michelle benavides (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 03-09-2022
Amazing venue the chateau is absolutely beautiful ❤️ the views from the ceremony, outside patio for cocktail hour were perfect for our September wedding! We had great communication 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 .
Reviewed on 05-09-2022

Natalie Page (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 01-07-2022
The Empress Estate did a wonderful job making my wedding stress free! They are worth every penny, as the staff there truly know what they are doing. They are smooth, organized, helpful, 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!
Reviewed on 13-07-2022

Natali Burgess (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 21-05-2022
Thank you so so so much Zoe, Sarah and the whole entire Empress team to make EVERYTHING absolutely more than perfect...simply OUTSTANDING & UNFORGETTABLE from the moment we said yes 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
Reviewed on 14-06-2022

ebe Sakit (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 02-05-2022
Thank You so much for letting us use your beautiful venue for our wedding day. We really had the most incredible time over your location was the most perfect setting.zoe thank you 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
Reviewed on 16-05-2022

Johnathan Si (bride) 2 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 22-04-2022
Dated April 22, where the magic came to life. The venue is beautiful and weather gave us a chance to be outdoors. The ceremony turned out great, afterwards, well I thought it would 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.
Reviewed on 15-05-2022

Lawrance Law (other) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 13-04-2022
I wish I could give them more than 5 stars! From start to finish, the empress estate made my sister’s wedding dreams come true. zoe and the staff are amazing at what they do. They 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 🙏
Reviewed on 14-05-2022

Diala Yassin (guest) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 29-04-2022
I came as a guest and my friends wedding went perfect! The food was delicious, the staff kept everything clean the entire night and we had so much fun dancing!Thank you Zoe
Reviewed on 13-05-2022

Lala Aldaj (other) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 30-04-2022
This is a very beautiful place with a fantastic views of the ocean. My sister in law got married there and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect venue.The people that work there go out of their way to meet your every need, and are on top of everything. Just wonderful Thank you 🙏 Lala
Reviewed on 11-05-2022

Totti Alta (other) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 29-04-2022
Just a big thank you to you and your team.We had the best day and made so many special memories at your beautiful venue.Great services and delicious food. 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 You have an amazing place Best wishes
Reviewed on 10-05-2022

Momo Abd (other) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 27-04-2022
Just wanted to thank you all for my sister fairytale wedding. You guys took care of every detail and we loved every second of this special day.I can’t tell you how many people said what a beautiful setting the empress estate is. You have supreme organisational skillsBest wishes Momo
Reviewed on 08-05-2022

Rachel Wade (bride) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 24-04-2022
This venue was perfect for us!! We read all the fine print soo we knew what was on the line!! Thankfully everything worked out amazing the weather was perfect!
Reviewed on 28-04-2022

Isaac Powell (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 21-03-2022
Empress Estates made our wedding day very easy and care-free. They took care of everything from the food, setup and tear down, and decorations. The staff was very professional on the 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!
Reviewed on 29-03-2022

Talal Radwan (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 01-02-2022
We had our wedding at the Empress , it was absolutely amazing time. I had my dream wedding The food was amazing and it was stress free wedding. My mom loved not having to do any setup or clean up.I would recommend the Empress to any one that wants an organized wedding
Reviewed on 01-03-2022

Alex Vector (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 14-02-2022
Dear zoe / the empress estate Just wanted to thank you all for our fairytale wedding. You guys took care of every detail and we loved every second of our special day.We had the best 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 experienceYour supreme organisational skills took the stress out of everything!All best wishes + Love fromAlex vector
Reviewed on 01-03-2022

Kimberly Smith (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 28-07-2021
It was an amazing day for me. Everyone was so kind and helpful. I would highly recommend this venue to future brides.
Reviewed on 28-02-2022

m w (other) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 12-12-2020
I shot the wedding of the sweetest couple there last year during high covid time. It was a small event but they paid well for the venue and time. Throughout the event they were rushed through the dinner line, put it away super early and tried to refuse service to the maid of honor because she was helping the bride while the dinner line was in motion. They also pushed them out 2 hours early even though they had paid for that time. We were all ushered out by 9pm. I felt awful for my couple. It's a beautiful venue with so much potential. It's a shame the owners treated their clients so terribly.
Reviewed on 16-02-2022

Alexis Chamberlain (other) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 29-07-2023
While searching around we came across this beautiful piece of property. The prices on the website were totally in our price range and we were very very excited. Booked a tour and all. Upon arrival, the property was even better in person. We thought to our selves “this is the place”. After our tour guide then said “no wedding here is under 15k”, “our in house catering is required”, and “drinks are not included in the 15k”. We were immediately disappointed. The pricing online is very very misleading, the pricing is the venue yes, however there is no catering pricing. Which then makes me think “why do you even have a venue price if it’s not accurate because of the requirement of the in house catering”. Our tour guide told us “if you did an AM wedding, mid week, and In the off season you might afford it”. Mean while we never told him our budget, and he said word for word “we typically like booking people from Seattle area because they don’t have family members that typically help with the cake, or food etc”. Which I found extremely odd and then it made sense to me why our friends got ripped out of 6k because they don’t tell you how much the catering is until you sign the contract and they have a zero refund policy. I then did some digging and found out there had been numerous people that had the same problem. Others that had been stolen from their deposits because of the fine print. I just really hope others don’t have the same problem which trying to find a place for their special day.
Reviewed on 12-02-2022

Elina Liufau (other) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 07-01-2022
Very nice beautiful place & good service ! The owner was very nice & welcoming.
Reviewed on 30-01-2022

Julie Harvill (other) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 17-12-2021
Our daughters wedding was at the Empress Estate. It was absolutely stunning. The food was delicious. The staff were very professional and helpful. Zoe the owner did a great job . Everything ran smoothly and on time. Thank you Zoe for helping make our daughters wedding so beautiful!
Reviewed on 20-12-2021

Mariah Nguyen (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 28-10-2021
My husband and I chose the Empress Estate for our wedding in October of 2019. Everything with the Pandemic happened and we had to reschedule until October of 2021. Throughout the stressful 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!
Reviewed on 17-11-2021

Ambree Roxann (other) 5 out of 5 Rating

This venue is a dream! We are so excited to be hosting a party here in November! This will be our second event we have hosted at the Empress It’s stunning up there in the Fall & the owner has always been so accommodating to our group ! If you haven’t had a chance to check out this venue I highly recommend a picturesque autumn drive up to view the grounds!
Reviewed on 12-10-2021

Rick Nader (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 11-09-2021
Zoe and his staff have it together when it comes to a great venue, great food and great service. Nothing was missed and plenty was customized per our wishes for our wedding. When you drive up to the place, you're not sure what to expect as it's set well back off the road. Once you cross the property line though, it's beauty takes over. Whether it's the castle-like residence (where our wedding party stayed over night) or the three-tiered landscape where we were able to host the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. I don't have the best words to describe, check out the website, or better yet take the trip out to Woodland and see for yourself. Thanks for hosting an awesome wedding, Zoe!
Reviewed on 20-09-2021

Shanna Roberts/Stevenson (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 21-06-2021
My husband and I got married here in June. That time of year everything is so colorful and bloomed. The grounds are very picturesque and so many places to choose from.The day was very well planned out and I didn't have to think about anything. Zoe and his staff were very friendly and helpful.Food was amazing and the cake was beautiful.I loved everything about my day there. I highly recommend The Empress Estate for your wedding day!!Thank you Zoe, Stevie and al the Empress Estate crew for making my day perfect!!
Reviewed on 21-08-2021

Paria Mazareei (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 22-07-2021
Information for future couples: We originally had our wedding planned for Saturday, July 25th, 2020. Due to COVID-19 we decided it would be best to reschedule to the following year. Unfortunately no summer weekends were available and we had to settle for our new date Thursday, July 22, 2021. Even though we had originally paid a weekend price for the event, the venue made no accommodations to adjust the price to a Thursday event, which is less expensive. The “treatment coordinator”, Rose, was assigned to us to help out during the planning. She had an attitude the entire time which made us uncomfortable, even unwelcome, and made it very obvious she doesn’t care. Definitely not the attentive/sharp/caring coordinator you’re looking for. During our chain of emails, I reminded her multiple times to change the “no champagne” to “yes champagne” since we wanted to toast. She reassured us champagne will be served during our toast, only for it to NOT happen. She never even corrected the contract!To make things worse, the owner then pulls out the contract in the middle of the wedding to prove a point that we didn’t want champagne.. extremely unprofessional. Thankfully our friends took over the situation and handed out the drinks quickly for the toast, but it was an absolute unnecessary chaotic situation, which could be prevented had Rose done her job. Rose had also reassured us that our candles will be lit during cocktail hour by the venue staff to be ready for reception , she failed AGAIN to communicate that to the team, hence NO candles were lit. My friend and her father had to scramble and take care of it. Pure negligence. We had about 180 guests, and the venue KNOWING that number, still only had ONE bartender and ONE dinner buffet. excessive long lines for both, which again, could be avoided. When addressed w the owner afterward he said “we have never had a wedding this big so we didn’t know”. You knew the guest count!We were taking photos during cocktail hour but apparently the servers took control of the food and barely served the guests! the guests were restricted and not allowed to eat as much as they wanted! Very cheap!! This applied to the dinner as well! The owner also kept pushing the DJ to lower the music from early on and all throughout the nightWe had a lot of ceremony decoratives which we had hired workers to pack up by the end of the night, looks like they left a box or two by mistake, and the next day some of the items were found in the venue trash by my husband. Luckily a worker was kind enough to show him the items. However, there are still lots of large items missing and I would like to go through all the trash, but my email requesting that is getting ignored!We have expensive items missing! the emails regarding Rose not doing her job are not being acknowledged either. Figures! Our gut feeling was right all along about them not really caring about the couples. Out of all the unprofessionalism we witnessed, treating us like this after the wedding is almost expected. Even if you are SURE our items are not there, have the decency to at least acknowledge our concerns and let us come search anyway!What a shame that we paid this amount of money for a venue that is CLEARLY not about making the couples have a peaceful/stress-free night. There is some MAJOR lack of communication between the staff and owner and a lot of negligence which costs the couples unnecessary stress on their most important night.
Reviewed on 01-08-2021

Gelina Hussar (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 14-07-2021
THE BIGGEST SCAM EVER! DO NOT BOOK HERE! They changed our even schedule multiple time, tried to scam my contract for more money, AND Took the food we paid for and closed our down ceremony early! SUCH A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT! No one is on the same page there and the owner is a LIAR! DO NOT BE FOOLED, THEY ARE HORRIBLE!
Reviewed on 15-07-2021

Yana Mishuk (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 25-04-2021
Had my dream wedding here, everything was so perfect! From the very start we had a personal wedding event coordinator, Rose, she was so helpful with the whole process up to the day of the wedding. Also loved how organized they were, they had made a timeline of how the day would look like and mapped everything out. Was actually very stress-free, which is one of the most important things I had wanted my wedding to be like. I had also wanted my ceremony and reception to be held outdoors if the weather was supposed to be good, which kept changing between rain and sun that day. The venue thankfully had made a backup plan in case it were to rain, and did our rehearsal in both places, so had peace of mind. My wedding here at The Empress Estate was a dream, thank you so much for everything!
Reviewed on 17-05-2021

Nick Radeam (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 09-12-2020
We had our wedding a the empress state I have to say it was perfect, all inclusive has been the very best thing, it was all in one spot and The staf were amazing It was absolutely perfect thank you
Reviewed on 14-12-2020

Sharleen Parrino (parent) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 04-09-2020
Beautiful venue, excellent staff, wonderful services. Highly recommend.
Reviewed on 25-09-2020

Marquesa Shamloo (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 04-09-2020
Look no further for reviews and CHOOSE this venue! The owner takes the time to listen to every detail for your special day and make it come true. They have so many services available including: catering, sound systems, decorations, alcohol service, florist, etc! The venue itself has so many beautiful areas, including the Empress Estate, the Chateau, the open fields, gardens, arbors, and more. They truly help your wedding go smoothly by bringing the services to you, providing an excellent staff catering to your every need, and consistent communication during the planning process.XOXO Marquesa & Bejian
Reviewed on 18-09-2020

Max Bondar (groom) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 09-08-2020
Absolutely gorgeous venue! We're so glad that we chose it over any other option we had. Zoe went above and beyond to make our day extra special. My wife and I were both amazed how much effort he put into it to make it perfect. Zoe accommodated all of our special requests for details and cultural preferences. We got everything in writing on the Empress planning guide and we stuck to the plan. Everything went very smoothy during our event (Zoe and Stevie were around to help out when needed). We attached a glimpse of just how amazing this venue really is! Best day of our lives! We received great reviews from our friends and family and we will definitely recommend this venue to anyone who is interested. Huge thanks to Zoe and the Empress team for making our dream wedding come true! PS: We were initially concerned about some of the negative reviews but we've personally had a great experience. After sitting down with Zoe, we've learned he has very extensive experience with weddings and he gave us a lot of great advice beforehand to make sure our wedding runs smoothly. If you show respect for the venue and the owner Zoe, you will have a blast! TIPS: #1 Prepare a solid plan with your future spouse & the Empress wedding coordinator. #2 Get it in writing on the Empress planning guide #3 Trust the Empress team to make it happen #4 Don't change things last minute #5 Have fun, and if it's not perfect, enjoy the day anyway! :) - Max & Anna Bondar
Reviewed on 17-09-2020

Sheree Mekhled (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 26-07-2020
Dear Zoe Thank you so much for making our wedding day so amazing and the best day of our lives! It really was like a dream come true, and everything was perfect, food and your stuff and all services , thanks 🙏 Our warmest wishes,Shereen
Reviewed on 13-09-2020

Shereen Altaeib (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 26-07-2020
Just a big thank you to you and your team.We had the best 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 🥰😘
Reviewed on 28-08-2020

Mykalie Davison (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 08-11-2020
Please let me make this abundantly clear, if I could leave this venue LESS than 1 star, I would. If you want your wedding planning experience to be a total chaotic disaster, this venue is the place for you! If not, steer clear. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE CROOKS. Honestly, I’m only writing this review because it looks like sometimes if you leave a negative review, the owner will contact you and after three unanswered emails regarding rescheduling our event due to COVID-19, I’m desperate for a response. We signed a contract with this venue before the pandemic and now that our wedding date is getting closer and our state’s restrictions are getting more stringent, my fiancé and I decided to start the process of rescheduling our big day. When I contacted The Empress Estate to discuss options, I received a very poorly written COVID policy almost instantly and have received zero communication since (other than our automatic payment reminder of course). The “options” this venue has given us are laughable and include: going forward with our date as normal and adhering to whatever restrictions are in place at that time, rescheduling for a date in 2020 and paying half our space rental fee on top of the thousands of dollars we are already paying them, rescheduling for a date next year and paying the full space rental fee at whatever the 2021 rate is (they don’t know what the rate will be yet), or canceling our wedding and forfeiting all money paid this far per signed contract. When I asked for more information about the 2021 rates, I received no response. I tried several more times to get ahold of someone and have received zero communication. I looked through some reviews from other people who have been screwed over by these people and I’m so disgusted and so horrified. I also found glowing, positive review left by one of the wedding coordinators on Google reviews. If a business needs it’s own employees to leave positive reviews to boost its rating, you know there is a problem! In addition to all this, the online portal that these guys use doesn’t sync with the payment system they use. So even though my fiancé and I have made all our payments (roughly $6500 worth), their portal system says we haven’t made a payment to them since February. So if you already booked a wedding with these crooks, make sure to save your payment receipts! ALSO, the person who WAS our wedding coordinator appears to have been let go and we were not notified. So I’ve wasted quite a bit of time trying to get in touch with a person who doesn’t work here anymore. We had high hopes for this venue and in the beginning, they were great and got back to us right away. We were told they’d be there to support us every step of the way and then once we signed the contract, it was like flipping a switch and communicating with these people is like pulling teeth now. It’s clear they’re only in this business for the money. OH AND! It appears the owner likes to lie and claim not to “have any record of any couple with that name” when he gets a negative review so beware! I’ve got a screenshot of our contract at the ready for anyone who doubts the authenticity of this review. Again, just to be PERFECTLY CLEAR: Walking barefoot through a field of hot glass shards while birds peck out my eyeballs would be a pleasant experience compared to dealing with this venue. DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR BUSINESS I AM BEGGING YOU.
Reviewed on 05-08-2020

Jamie Clester (groom) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 21-12-2020
Will not give you your money back. THESE PEOPLE ARE CROOKS!...These people expect you to keep paying for a date they cant confirm will be solid themselves(actually, \"not the forseable future\"). But if you want to keep it they cant confirm the money you have already spent is going to be as valuable \"when\" you can plan your wedding date. GARBAGE PEOPLE, GARBAGE SERVICE!@
Reviewed on 05-08-2020

Derrick Sharpe (groom) 1 out of 5 Rating

Communication was excellent until we signed the contract. Now with COVID preventing them from being able to withhold their end of the contract they cannot be reached. I have sent countless emails with limited responses. The responses I do get are misdirected and do not relate to anything I asked them about. They proposed that we could change our date, but we would have to pay the rental fee again! The empress estate is running a racket pyramid scheme! It is evident that they have spent our money on other events or improvements to the venue the minute we made the payment and it is clear they don’t have the funds to refund us even though they cannot fulfill their end of the contract.
Reviewed on 04-08-2020

Abby Sheak (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 06-11-2020
The venue is beautiful and initially they were wonderful, but ever since Covid struck, they've been absolutely terrible. Our planner must have been let go, but nobody ever told us of this, she suddenly just stopped responding to our emails and, after weeks of our questions going unanswered, the vendor manager was our only point of contact. The Governor recently announced that weddings are prohibited, every single one of my vendors reached out to me immediately...except the empress. After a week of emailing and calling every single day, the manager finally responded and all he said was \"I prefer communicating through email, if you want to speak on the phone we can speak when you have your next planning session which isn't until 30 days before your event.\" My fiance and I both continued to email and call him everyday because this venue charges large monthly payments and we were no longer feeling comfortable making these monthly payments considering the situation, we didn't want to continue paying for our event not knowing when or if it would happen. We continued to get ignored. The manager finally called us, in his voicemail he claimed that we cannot make a decision to cancel or postpone more than 30 days in advance. NOWHERE in our contract does it say that AT ALL. He completely made up this rule because our final payment would have been due 30 days prior. He then stated that if we wish to postpone, we can do so if we pay the venue fees again to hold our new date. So not only are they expecting us to continue making payments for a cancelled event, he's telling us we can't make the official call to postpone until we have PAID HIM in full, then we have to pay the fees AGAIN even though we are not choosing to do this, we are being forced to by the fact that there is a worldwide pandemic and gatherings are now illegal. We understand that the business is being hit hard and that many couples are probably panicking and contacting them, so we were more than willing to communicate with them to find a happy resolution, unfortunately they have chosen to ignore us all together again. We are now having to go through legal representation just to get them to speak to us. No couple should have to see their wedding day turn into a legal battle.This place is completely robbing their couples that are already going through emotional hardships due to this lifetime milestone being stolen away from us. They are completely morally corrupt, all they seem to care about is getting an extra penny, not showing any support or compassion towards the couples.
Reviewed on 03-08-2020

Caylin Pickard (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 01-01-2020
They were amazing! The food was killer, the venue was spotless and gorgeous, they were so nice and made the entire process so simple
Reviewed on 12-03-2020

M S (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 02-07-2020
Planning a Wedding is stressful. Its even more stressful when you military, living overseas and getting ready to deploy. I tried to give this venue the benefit of the doubt. However after four months of them not being able to attach a document to an email theres either two outcomes. A. The employee doesnt know how to. B. Their doing it intentionally.Either way not the level of competence I want running my wedding. I'm glad it worked out for some of you but if anyone else runs into these issues dont wait four months like I did. It wont get better.
Reviewed on 23-11-2019

Kanae Fukuda (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 05-09-2019
My husband and I got married here in September and we had nothing but a positive experience! The owner was very kind, our coordinator was always on top of things and when we forgot to include a small dance in our plan, she was able to coordinate with the DJ for us right away and everything went smoothly! The food here is AMAZING, they weren't kidding when they told us they take pride in their food --- and our guests even got to meet the chef! We did the all-inclusive package so after the reception, my husband, myself and the wedding party got to stay at the location and the staff brought out midnight snacks for us to eat by the fireplace. We had such an amazing day and couldn't have asked for more. Thank you Empress Estate and the staff for helping us create such a magical moment!
Reviewed on 22-10-2019

Jimmy Henry (groom) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 13-07-2019
The Empress Estate is a lovely venue! We fell in love with the location within seconds of driving up for the first time. We toured the venue in the summer of 2018 and knew this was the spot we wanted to celebrate our special day. Thankfully our date was available. Planning for our day was very simple and wasn’t stressful what so ever. The Empress has a variety of wedding packages and they coordinate a few planning sessions to make everything flow and come together with ease. During the year of planning we did have a transition between a few event specialists but nothing got lost during the transition in staff.Our wedding was in July 2019! We used three areas within the venue. The ceremony was held outside in a lovely forest terrace, we used the Woodland Chateau for dinner, toasts, etc. and then moved down to the Empress for dancing! We were one of the Empress’ first same sex marriages as well and all of the staff made everyone feel welcomed! Zoe even agreed to switch out the lights around the Empress from white lights to rainbow colored lights. The venue was glowing in color during the late night hours. We also rented out the Empress suites for the wedding party to stay in. Zoe brought out an outstanding midnight snack and fixed up a scrumptious breakfast the next morning for all of our guests who stayed overnight. All in all the Empress Estate staff was fantastic and having Nichole, our event specialist, available on the day of to help watch the clock and manage the timeline was as huge help to the overall flow of the day. We highly recommend the Empress Estate to every engaged couple.
Reviewed on 30-09-2019

Abby Knight (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 25-08-2019
This place is a fairytale lovers dream! It is beyond beautiful. The food on the day of exceeded my expectations. We had a few issues with no response to emails in the couple months leading up to the wedding, but the day of everything was exactly as planned and perfect! Stephanie was amazing the day of at making sure everything was exactly what we wanted. This place is worth the price tag!
Reviewed on 03-09-2019

Lauren Nunnally (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 14-06-2019
Oh my goodness. I am still in disbelief over how absolutely perfect my wedding day was. I can truly say that this day was the BEST day of my life, and a huge part of that is due to the excellent team at the Empress. The planning process with Ambree and Nichole was fabulous, easy and fun. Zoe, the owner was fantastic and eager to please. The Empress mansion is incredible and breath taking, and has hundreds of amazing photo opportunities, just calling your name! My now husband, Scott and I had our reception at the newer building, the Woodland Chateau. Wow. Just wow. The space is absolutely gorgeous. We didn't feel the need to bring in much decor at all. Natural lighting just flooded the space and allowed for some amazing photographs. The venue's grounds are breath taking as well. It is high up on a hill so you will be able to see the river in the distance and the town down below. Awesome selfie opportunities just everywhere ;)Back to the day of the wedding. Nichole is the woman of the hour, let me tell you. She made it happen and made everything flow so smoothly from beginning to end. She made sure everyone stuck to the schedule and that everyone was happy and had what they needed. ALSO. MY WEDDING DAY WAS HER BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY NICHOLE! She is the true MVP. I couldn't recommend this venue more. Go take a tour, you will not regret it. Oh btw, the food is to die for.
Reviewed on 01-07-2019

Anna Perry (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 06-04-2019
Wonderful experience with The Empress Estate!! Everything turned out perfect and exactly as planned. Our cake was fantastic (highly recommend the Earl Grey Spiced with Lavendar and the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese filling!!!), the food was a HIT and the set up was perfect. I was initially a little worried with the spacing and table set up during our planning session/email correspondence, but it all worked out day of and the staff made every effort they could to ensure everything went smoothly and set everything up with my wishes in mind. Long story short - based on the mock-ups, I was nervous that we weren't going to have enough dance floor space with the amount of tables and our 6-piece band (usually, weddings booked here use a DJ service..) but we did and it was AWESOME!! The grounds are so beautiful, you truly do not need much decoration. However, they allowed us to bring flower petals for the reception tables and our own small pre-made floral arrangements for the aisle and later used them on the cocktail tables. Nichole was OUTSTANDING day of and had the help of Stevie co-owner/florist for all things coordination. We had an extreme last minute change of ceremony location because the weather took a turn for the BEST and allowed us to stick to our original outdoor setting, the staff was so flexible and helped make it happen! So many people commented on how it was the best and most beautiful wedding they have been to because it truly was so magical.
Reviewed on 09-05-2019

Christina Allen (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 04-05-2019
I had my wedding here and it was truly magical. Nothing went wrong. Stevie was my coordinator for the day and my florist and she was spectacular she truly made my day special. My guests all had a fun night and enjoyed the bar! I would recommend this venue to anyone looking for a flawless magical wedding! Dinner was excellent and I enjoyed the chef coming around to check on us
Reviewed on 05-05-2019

Emma Varra (parent) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 06-04-2019
I just have to say my daughter had her wedding here and not only was it affordable for her father and I but it was also beautiful. They handledEverything only thing my daughter and son in law had to do was show up! Highly recommend to anyone.
Reviewed on 05-05-2019

Donna Larue (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 02-02-2019
I had a magical wedding here! Everything turned out perfectly. The staff was amazing the food to die for! Everything we could have imagined our night to be came true. Even with me running late to the ceremony they accommodated us! My guests had a great time! It is truly beautiful and I would recommend to anyone wanting a special day!
Reviewed on 02-04-2019

Nichole Greenland (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 22-08-2018
My husband and I got married here last summer. The venue and grounds were breathtaking. The customer serve and help provided by the empress employees was above expectations. They were so responsive and helpful through the whole process. And having a day of coordinator was AMAZING. The food and cake were so good, couldn't have been happier!! Thank you so much empress team!
Reviewed on 18-03-2019

Rebecca Hodgin (bride) 3 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 01-11-2018
The venue is beautiful! The owner, Zoe, is fantastic. He gave us a personal tour and spent as much time as we needed to discuss the venue. He was great with email and answering questions. However, our day of coordinator took the day off during our rehearsal. We met with the other owner, who was late instead. Our reception area was not fully set up at that time but we were assured that it would be by the time of our arrival the next day. It was not. The venue was locked, even though we had to pay for a full extra hour to get there early for set up. We wasted about 20-30 minutes that we paid for where we couldn't even get in the building. The day of coordinator was training someone else and was constantly gone. She disappeared to find table clothes for about 15 minutes, and then disappeared again because they were dirty. This meant that we couldn't set up that part of the reception. The chairs were not at all of the tables either. There were also dead flowers on the fireplace outside (where we were having the ceremony) that the owner from the day before told us could be removed, we just needed to tell the wedding coordinator. She was MIA for so long that we ended up grabbing some of the servers and asking them to remove them. One of the other wedding alters outside had dead flowers all over it as well. This was a place that we were hoping to use for photography but couldn't. I gave the B & B room assignment list by email to the multiple addresses I had for the estate, and when my guests arrived, the coordinator started interrupting our set up wanting to know what rooms people were in, even though they had that information and we were behind already because of the lack of the venue being open and ready like it should have been. We also had no warning that the Estate, where we were staying with most of our guests for the B & B, was missing part of a roof and there was a giant crane in the backyard. It would have been nice to know this because most of our guests were freezing cold at night (we would have told our family to bring extra blankets) and we also couldn't use this area for photography. The photographer was a recommended vendor, and he didn't know either and was planning to use that area and had to come up with other pictures on the spot. The honeymoon suit had a sink full of water that no one unclogged before we arrived. It really seemed like the zeal for our wedding from the estate staff (other than Zoe) disappeared after we had paid and the wedding season was towards a close. Zoe really made our day special and did everything he could to help us. The estate is beautiful and we would like to stay again in the B & B. However, if you are considering a wedding here, be prepared to have to email multiple times to the staff (other than Zoe), a lack of general communication, and that most staff will be late. The food was very good. The cake tasted excellent but didn't really match the photograph that we provided (the venue bakes the cake) and looked decent from one direction. The lights outside were not turned on, and the photographer had to go find the switch. My relative fell down the outside stairs in the garden area because no lights were on. This has the potential to be a great venue. Overall, we are happy, but a lot of things seemed unprofessional, and this set our entire day back with time. For an afternoon fall wedding, this really cut down on our photos. Be prepared to micromanage.
Reviewed on 07-01-2019

Isabella Cruz (bride) 3 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 31-08-2018
The venue is absolutely beautiful. The new chateau is where we had our wedding and the views are stunning. However, the management and owners were very unprofessional during our wedding. We had issues with our seating chart where some guests were left with no where to sit and management was not able to adapt and were rude to the bridal party. There are last minute fees that they will hit you with a few weeks before the wedding ours was about $1500 for convenience that was not mentioned beforehand. They do not do private tastings for your menu. They do group tastings with other several couples and serves specific foods, we went to three tastings and not once did they serve what we had requested so we had no idea how our food was going to turn out on our wedding day. Luckily the food did turn out very good, the cake was delicious. The reception must end at 10 pm which is early compared to other venues so the whole night was very rushed trying to fit in dinner, special dances, speeches and then dancing. Other than the venue being beautiful we did not have a great experience. I felt embarrassed talking to guests days after the wedding hearing their experiences with the owner and management. Our wedding turned out beautiful but at an unprofessional cost.
Reviewed on 16-09-2018

Marcy Nowak (bride) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 11-08-2018
We had our wedding a few weeks ago (the ONE Saturday in August it just had to be raining....) and everything was amazing. I showed up and the staff was taking care of everything. Zoe (the owner) was keeping me posted along the way in regards to the ceremony, which was planned to be outside. In the end we were able to continue on as planned with the rain finally subsiding. Lindsay was the coordinator we primarily worked with and she was AMAZING. She helped us every step of the way with our planning sessions and the day of. Beautiful grounds and everybody was in awe over how great the food was. The only reason I'm not giving all 5 Stars is some hiccups we had along the way with pricing and ownership. They changed their pricing and some policies after we signed our contract, and then tried to tell us that basically our contract wasn't good enough and the new fees/policies affected us.In the end, it all worked out how it was supposed to, but it was extremely frustrating being told one thing and not taking into affect our binding contract.
Reviewed on 22-08-2018

Brad Larsen (groom) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 28-07-2018
When looking for a wedding venue, we focused our search on historic mansions in the Portland – Seattle corridor. We wanted a venue that offered our guests a distinctive and memorable experience; an event that they would remember for many years to come. After visiting our Top 5 options, we quickly chose to book with the Empress Estate. The packages offered were very clear and inclusive. Things that are add-ons at most venues were included as standard, and that made planning and managing vendors easier for us and our coordinator. The venue itself offers tremendous flexibility, and we built a plan that leveraged the full capabilities of the property. We used the mansion for our Cocktail Hour and overnight experiences. We used the Forest Amphitheatre for our Ceremony, and we used the Woodland Chateau for the Welcome Reception and the Wedding Dinner & Dance. Working with Lindsay was a pleasure, as she is very precise and offered helpful suggestions during planning, the rehearsal and the day-of. The chef prepares food that has great flavor, seasoning, and presentation – far above most wedding providers. The cake was superb, and many of our guests kept asking who we ordered it from (Empress!). Finally, we added on a Dessert Bar for midway through the dance and our guests LOVED it! Working with Empress was easy, and when the weather for our wedding weekend was forecast to be significantly warmer than normal, Zoe sat down with us and helped us work through some event modifications based on how the sun/shadows work at the property. He even had bottles of iced-down water placed by the ceremony venue for our guests. Overall, I would highly recommend the Empress Estate for a wedding or even for a corporate offsite event.
Reviewed on 11-08-2018

Judy Finn (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 21-07-2018
Our wedding was flawless!! When we first booked the Empress, the Woodland Chateau was still under construction and I was a little nervous to commit without seeing the finished product but I could not be happier with the results.Lindsay was an amazing coordinator, she was just the right mix of light-hearted humor and down-to-business attitude that made the wedding day go off without a hitch.The food was delicious and Zoe made sure I got my cheesy potatoes (because what bride isn’t craving cheese on their wedding day!?) and even made extra for the midnight snack.I booked my flowers through Two Poppies Floral (closely affiliated with the Empress) and Stevie nailed my vision all the way down to the flower crown.If I could I would do it all again! 10/10 in my book.
Reviewed on 07-08-2018

Jacqueline Carrier (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 20-02-2019
I am writing this review because of the overall experience we had with Empress Estates. I will start with the ridiculous NO REFUND policy regardless of timing or circumstances! Beware Brides, any money put down is NON REFUNDABLE regardless, even when you cancel 14 months out on a Saturday in the summer & Zoe tells you they have a waiting list until fall of the following year! (Knowing they filled this with a waiting list of brides the moment I cancelled) Zoe, the owner was unrelenting in his policy and will keep all the money! It's not a matter of re-booking your date at that point!Outside of the policy, the communications were terrible at best! From the early inquiry on the website with no answer, to waiting unattended for over an hour past our appointment \"tour\" time. The wedding coordinator, Katie, left after 3 months of planning with her, leaving very little details noted. When we came to the food tasting event, the staff were uneducated on the food they were serving and appeared very unpolished and unprofessional despite their uniforms. Overall in the first 4 months, we had lost trust that our wedding would be handled professionally. We tried to look at the positives as the Chateu reception and grounds were well kept and beautiful, but the lodging accommodations put us over the top. The location is remote and the Empress Estate interiors are very dated and the carpets appeared dirty and worn, thus it was not an option for us to stay here. We looked around, but Woodland only had a Best Western and local Motel Inn's, Kalama had the new McMennamin's but it was a far cry from the Elegant grandeur of the estate theme and required all rooms be paid up front. Travelling into Vancouver, was about a 45 minute commute on a Saturday evening & a very long trip for your guests travelling after an evening wedding. Overall outside of the unprofessional experiences we had early on, along with the logistic challenges of finding surrounding lodging, we decided to cut our losses and move on from this venue. Be Prepared to Travel!
Reviewed on 07-06-2018

Jessica Henry (not set) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 29-04-2018
Absolutely as breathtaking in person, as it is in photos! We are so excited for our big day, and for our guests to be able to enjoy the beautiful setting! The wedding coordinators have all been awesome to work with! I highly recommend!
Reviewed on 28-12-2017

Ashley Galbreath (bride) 3 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 25-08-2018
Beautiful wedding venue, everything was just how we pictured it. There were a few hiccups along the way though,If you have a party that likes to drink I would not recommend this venue to you. The owner is very strict with the alcohol, so much so that we had a ton of alcohol left over. They told us our keg was empty and stopped serving that, come to find out that it was still half full. Short staff on the bartending they only had one bartender , whom was not friendly at all and went missing half the night. We were told to bring as much ingredients for our signature drinks as we wanted served and they served not even half! I had two pregnant bridesmaids and all they wanted was coke and it was really hard for them to even give us that because the owner said it was for the mix drinks. Just little issues like that, which kept it from an amazing venue to a perfect one. The owner is very strict and he has ALOT of rules... But beautiful venue and our coordinator Lindsay was wonderful
Reviewed on 23-12-2017

Sarah James (bride) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 19-05-2018
Very helpful with wedding planning. They take care of the bride to be. Can't wait to get married there.
Reviewed on 22-12-2017

Danielle Gonzales (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 22-02-2019
I love the Empress Estate, I will be very sad after my wedding because I won't have an excuse to visit this beautiful property anymore!!
Reviewed on 22-12-2017

Dijana Benthin (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating

This venue could not even be compared to any other location that I checked out. It is absolutely beautiful! We are honored to be the first bride and groom to be married at the new house. Katie made sure that everything was exactly the way I wanted. I forgot the ribbon to my dress and she made sure that she found one that was like the exact one that I had. Zoe and his wife Stevie are wonderful people as well. I have 3 young children so I really wanted to have something where I did nothing myself. Katie sent me names and phone numbers to great vendors that we used. She made the process extremely easy for me.For being all-inclusive, I would say that the price is very reasonable. The Empress Estate staff went above and beyond for my special day. I am very pleased with how my wedding day turned out. Very well recommended! Also - EVERYONE loved the food. A variety of options and the guests could eat as much as they wanted. Winter wedding - 12.2.17
Reviewed on 09-12-2017

Sarah Dobyns (bride) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 01-11-2017
Our wedding coordinator, Katie, was very helpful and kind throughout the process. She helped the wedding day go very smoothly and made sure everything was in order. The food was great and there were many different choices. The new building looks amazing!
Reviewed on 25-11-2017

Ashlee Ludwig (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 04-11-2017
As soon as i saw photos for the venue i knew this was the location for me. My husband was set on a church setting so getting him to go see this was a struggle. As soon as he saw the venue and the outside terrace he knew this was the spot for us. we booked that day. We loved that they had multiple locations to get married so they could alter at the drop of a pin. from the moment of booking all the way till the wedding it was a pleasant experience. They worked with us on payments which is a huge help when trying to plan a beautiful wedding. they offered multiple food/cake tastings that helped us pick out just the perfect items for us and our dinner. The wedding coordinators were there every step of the way and answered every silly question i had along the process. the day of the rehearsal it was due to rain the day of our wedding. The coordinator told me its a high chance of rain. I kind of felt at that point i was being pushed into having it inside, mostly due to my guests. So we did the rehearsal based on an inside wedding. As the coordinator was explaining the layout to us we ran into the owner Zoe who asked why i was so calm when i was getting married the next day. i told him they handle everything so why should i be worried, i had none other than having an inside wedding, Zoe said than we have an outside wedding! We than rehearsed for an outside wedding as well and played it by ear. The day of my wedding it was still due to rain but we were not totally sure when the rain was going to come. Zoe watched the weather like a hawk and made sure we got the dream wedding we really wanted. He knew our heart was set on outside and so he was going to do everything he could to make sure that happened. AND IT DID!!! The food was amazing, the cake was perfect, the whole staff was wonderful. I can honestly look back at my wedding day and say it was 100% perfect. This would not have been possible without the help of Zoe making sure i got what i wanted.
Reviewed on 18-11-2017

Ana Beltran (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 03-06-2018
If I can give this place a 0 star I would. From trying to schedule a tour to finalizing my package they have made it nothing but confusing and difficult! I had to reschedule my tour at least 4-5 times because their website WOULD allow me to schedule but then they would direct message me about the dates NOT being available and blamed it on a glitch.The staff specifically Katie and the owner Zoe, have made my experience so confusing and so stressful. The owner and i discussed and agreed on a package, they then sent me the final form to fill out and sign to finalize my package and right after that Zoe had katie inform me they have changed their mind. They offered me packages way more expensive. I called to get an explanation and Katie told me and I quote. \"You must have really liked the venue, when things get confusing people just leave\".What kind if customer services is this? I drove 4 hours to meet the owner and discuss my package, after agreeing to the package and not being satisfied they abruptly changed my package I called and spoke with Tia she informed me the entire month of June was still available and also did not understand why they decided to change my package after they had already sent me the final agreement form.Katie wanted me to return for a for a 2nd tour and re-explain to her what I wanted. I was like why??? I have already explained myself 3 times to 3 different people, no one knows anything. Everyone is playing she said he said, the coordinator/planner Katie isn't even up-to-date on the packages she sounds super unsure about everything.
Reviewed on 31-10-2017

Brandie Smith (bride) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 27-05-2018
We didn't book here but it was a high contender! The staff was so friendly with answering questions and they have a huge selection of locations to get married at on the property. This is an all inclusive location so most of the work is done for you, and you can even stay here over night for an additional cost which honestly is pretty fair. It's also close to additional places to stay and I do think they offer a shuttle service. The venue is amazing to at least consider. Beautiful views.
Reviewed on 25-07-2017

Christina Jensen (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 25-05-2017
Everything was set up very nicely. The whole day was very coordinated and set up perfectly. The staff are very organized. The food was amazing! The flowers done by Stevie were exactly what I wanted and do beautiful!! Great venue to have your wedding!
Reviewed on 15-06-2017

79 Reviews, with a Rating of 4.23 out of 5.0

Contact Info for The Empress Estate

Contact	Value
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/empressestate
X (Twitter)	empressestate
Pinterest	empressestate
Instagram	empress_estate
Website	www.theempressestate.com
Phone	(360) 225-5555
Address	460 Empress Lane, Woodland, WA, 98674
Email	TheEmpresscoordinator@gmail.com

The Empress Estate on the map

Meet the The Empress Estate Team

Empress Team The Empress Estate Coordinator

Empress Team (Coordinator)

Here at the Empress, we take pride in making sure your day goes as smoothly as possible. *We pride ourselves in helping you create your dream wedding! *We offer in-house catering and decor*Full set-up & Tear-down & Clean-Up*Staff to provide efficient service during your reception. *Day-of Event ManagerWe take care of you & all your guests so you don't have to worry. Our couples tell us we take the stress out of weddings, and we love doing it!

Wedding Service Guide (WSG)