Kim P.
Yelp
Do you want a magical, delightful, delicious, romantic, unforgettable, smoothly run wedding? Then get married at the 1880 Union Hotel.
I cannot say enough good things about the 1880 Union Hotel & event staff. It is the PERFECT venue for a romantic wine country wedding. Or any event, really! Good times are sure to be had, no matter what the occasion.
Beautiful, versatile outdoor/indoor setting, outstanding food & drink by Chef Brooke Stockwell & Jesse Brockman, stellar planning/coordination by Aly Cokely & Amanda Loesser of Tricia Dahlgren Events, and impeccable guest/hotel services by Ben Cokely. Sam Kapcio also gets mad props for getting the ball rolling on what many of our guests are saying is the best wedding they've ever been to!! Seriously.
I don't usually write (or read) lengthy reviews, but more detail is warranted as we are over the moon with how well the Union staff pulled everything off:
Food & Beverage: The standard Union fare is rustic gourmet California cuisine at its finest, but Chef Brooke & Jesse can pull anything off; we wanted some southern flavors (Texas and New Orleans,) and they created several custom dishes for us including a queso bite app! (They talked me out of a queso fountain, which in retrospect would have been very unsexy , so I am grateful for that.) The Union kitchen is completely accommodating to various tastes - the only thing they won't do is use out-of-season, sub-par ingredients. Brooke's signature tri-tip is OFF THE CHAIN and a must-have at any Union Event. The specialty cocktails were fabulous and a tad off the beaten path, so our more traditional guests had fun trying something new. (Although traditional drinks can of course be done.) And obviously...killer wine.
Event Planning & Coordination: Aly was our angel throughout the planning phase - so responsive, so detail oriented, so caring and thoughtful. She helped us bring several wacky New Orleans-inspired ideas to life including a 6-piece jazz band parading through town & us throwing beads from the balcony, among others. She put our minds at ease that everything was taken care of, which is all you can hope for on your wedding day - to forget all the planning and have an awesome time. On the day of the wedding, Aly brought on the lovely consummate pro Amanda, who attended to the bridal party's every need quickly and calmly, without missing a beat. In short, she kept me/us sane and I am so grateful for her presence!!
The Venue & Hotel: Charming, recently renovated historic hotel with gorgeous outdoor gazebo setting for ceremony and awesome vintage details inside. Your wedding guests will never be bored because there are so many different areas and details to explore. The best part about this property is that our parents and almost the entire bridal party got to stay on the grounds all weekend, with a large common area, so it was like being in a dorm (in a great way) with all your closest loved ones all weekend. When you rent the Union for an event, you get the entire hotel to yourself! So much fun. Ben Cokely did a fabulous job with all of the room assignments and guests services - it was a lot of moving parts and he was consistently attentive, reliable, and always with a smile on his face. Not to mention he and Aly are just the cutest couple!
I could go on and on, but I think that covers most of the highlights. THANK YOU 1880 Union Team, from the bottom of our hearts, for creating a beautiful, unforgettable wedding weekend for us. We will recommend you to anyone and everyone, and hope to be back for an anniversary party or some sort of reunion before too long!!
Big Hugs,
Kimmie & Calvin