The Padua Hills Theatre

Oh my gosh. This review is overdue, but I don’t even know where to start! I guess at the beginning…

I got engaged in May of 2019. We fully planned on having a long engagement but then COVID hit and it halted any planning that was in the works. In December 2020, we decided we needed to start seriously planning or move our plans farther into the future. I currently live in the DC area but grew up in SoCal and so for Christmas 2020 we arrived in California with a plan to find a wedding venue. The only problem was that most places were still fairly closed down. This presented some interesting challenges (some of which involved my mother and I sneaking around various venues just to get a look inside). But we needed a venue, without one nothing else could move forward. We visited about 6 different venues and nothing felt quite right. We found beautiful places, we found all-inclusive places, we found wineries and we found rooftops but it wasn’t clicking. I went back to all the various wedding search engines and looked one last time and all of sudden Padua stuck out. I’d probably scrolled past it multiple times but now I was seeing it in a new light. So we put it on our list for the next day.

The drive up to Padua is easy and pretty (a must for all our out of town guests). We pulled up and there was plenty of parking (a must for all our in town guests!). It’s secure and safe but not too far off the beaten path. We walked in and it was beautiful without even being decorated or set up. We wandered around the venue for a while and then we ran into Wayne (who we didn’t know at the time was the chef) he asked us if we needed any help -because we were clearly just wandering, haha. We told him we were just looking around and he said, “Let me find someone to show you around!” Wayne grabbed Evan (from Entertainment Express) and Evan gave us a tour that sealed the deal. He gave us a light demo and showed us the amenities. He let us walk around without feeling like we were breaking rules and answered so many questions. I walked away knowing I needed to book this venue.

When discussing specifics everyone at Padua endured question after question from me. They even answered when my now husband wanted to know where they got their beef from as he grew up on a cattle ranch (haha). Ryan was so attentive and patient with me through every step of the planning process. They never made me feel like I was bothering them and seemed almost excited to hear from me every time I called. They were always straightforward and easy to communicate with, which is absolutely necessary when you’re planning your wedding across the country.

The wedding rehearsal was easy and seamless. If you need someone to whip your bridal party into shape they’ve got your back. They know how to maximize the hour you have with them and at no point did I feel stressed that we were forgetting something. In the months leading up I was worried about only having a venue coordinator and considered hiring a day of planner but am so happy I didn’t spend the money. They seriously had it all together and cared that the day went according to OUR plan and were not just concerned about making the venue look good as I had heard some venue coordinators at other places do.

The wedding day was absolutely perfect. Unless our bridal party has kept all the missteps and disasters a secret, I truly feel like nothing went wrong. I was calm the whole day and not at all nervous. I knew there was nothing to worry about. Everything went according to plan and everyone has told us they had a great time- a few even claiming it was the best wedding ever. The food was excellent - from the hors d'oeuvres to the entrees -and HUGE portions, Wayne even came out to admire his handy work - something my parents loved (they have been raving about him for months, honestly they may never stop). When we did our tasting we thought surely they won’t give us that much on the actual day, but they did and it was just one more thing that impressed us about Padua.

The dancing and party was unforgettable. I loved that Entertainment Express was in house, it added so many things that you don’t even realize. If you want to party you have found the right place. (I wrote a separate review for Entertainment Express because they deserve their own glory!) But in short- we got down.

At the end of the day Padua was one of the best decisions I could’ve made. Picking a wedding venue is so hard, there is so much riding on it and you don’t want to live to regret your choice. You hear horror stories of rude coordinators or inedible food. Throw COVID in and it will stress anyone out. But, I can wholeheartedly say that I will never feel that way and never did. I would pick Padua again in a heartbeat. They do weddings right- they take care of their couples and they do it professionally, happily and lovingly. It makes you want to throw a party all over again - maybe in 15 years ;)

So, thank you Padua for making our wedding day a wonderful memory. We have looked at pictures and talked to so many people countless times and all of that couldn’t have happened without all of you. We are so grateful and blessed that we chose you!