Wedding venues are always looking for ways to differentiate themselves from their competition, and those that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award are already several steps ahead. In addition to its Diamond Certified status, Mountain House Estate sets itself apart by approaching each job with a singular focus. “We’re solely a wedding venue, not a golf course or winery that happens to do weddings,” explains Managing Member John Alden. “Our entire business model is geared toward one purpose: making sure each couple’s special day is spectacular.”

Mountain House Estate has been hosting weddings and other events at its 40-acre property in Cloverdale since 2015. The company’s amenities include multiple ceremony and reception sites, outdoor lighting, tables and chairs, full kitchen facilities, a large parking lot, a dance floor, an onsite venue manager, and more.

Another distinguishing attribute of Mountain House Estate is its affordable payment structure. “Upon booking a date, most venues want their clients to immediately write a check for the entire thing, but we don’t do it that way,” says Mr. Alden. “All we require is an initial down payment, and then we break up the remaining balance into monthly installments until the event. This approach gives our clients more budget flexibility and affordability with event planning.”

Streamline the wedding planning process by working with a venue that utilizes cutting-edge technology.

In the past, if a couple wanted to check out a wedding venue, sign contracts or create a seating chart, they would need to visit the venue in person. Thanks to innovations in digital technology, this is no longer the case. Today, there are online resources that enable couples to do all of these things remotely. This is especially convenient for those planning their weddings at remotely located venues. Here’s some information about a few of these resources:

Allseated
Allseated is a digital platform that helps people visualize and plan their events. “Primarily, it allows couples to create virtual seating charts for their wedding receptions,” explains John Alden, managing member of Mountain House Estate in Cloverdale. “When they’re finished, they can share the chart with their wedding planner and the venue’s staff will arrange it exactly as planned on the day of the event.”

HoneyBook
HoneyBook is a business management software program that allows businesses to manage projects, correspond with clients and send/receive payments. “We use HoneyBook to send documents and correspond with couples to plan their weddings,” says Mr. Alden. “One nice thing about using HoneyBook is all correspondence is logged, which creates one continuous chain of communication. We commonly exchange 100 to 200 emails during the wedding planning process, so this resource really helps keep things organized.”

TrueTour™
TrueTour allows couples to take 3D, 360-degree tours of wedding venues. “TrueTour is a great tool for checking out remotely located wedding venues and showing guests what they can expect,” says Mr. Alden. “It’s very lifelike and immersive—you can go to any area of the venue and get a 360-degree view from that spot. We’ve had couples from all over the country book their weddings here without ever visiting in person because they were able to check out the property via TrueTour.”

Q: Can you help me find vendors for my wedding?
A: Absolutely. We actually have two vendor lists: the ‘nice list’ and the ‘naughty list.’ The ‘nice list’ consists of vendors we have worked with before and can confidently recommend based on the quality of their work. The ‘naughty list’ consists of vendors we have worked with before and do not recommend based on their performance. Of course, there are many vendors who aren’t on either list because we haven’t worked with them before. If you want to use a vendor we’re unfamiliar with, we’ll be happy to check them out for you and verify their track record.

Q: Do you host other types of events besides weddings?
A: Yes, we host all types of events, from corporate events to nonprofit fundraisers to birthday parties.

Q: Will I need to rent tables and chairs?
A: No, we include tables and chairs with your event booking.

Q: Can my event go late?
A: Yes. Because of our location, you don’t have to worry about noise restrictions.

Q: What’s your maximum capacity?
A: 250 people.

Q: How far in advance should I reserve a date?
A: It depends. If you’re looking for a numerically interesting date like 4/3/21, you’d better jump on it—those typically get booked a year or two in advance. Even if you’re not concerned about the actual date, it’s always better to book as early as possible, because if you wait too long, you may miss out.