California-San Diego

Anyone have experience with Grand Tradition?

Has anyone been married or is getting married at Grand Tradition? My FI and I are looking at getting married there but don't have the time (at the moment) to go and visit because we are in our last year of school. We have an appointment set up in December but we are looking for answers to our questions before we go there and fall in love with something we can't afford.

Is it  reasonable/affordable?
What kind of budgets do they work with?
What have your experiences with the staff been?
Is it all inclusive?
What questions should I ask them when we visit?

Thanks in advance!

Re: Anyone have experience with Grand Tradition?

  • frenchy730frenchy730 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My (now) sister-in-law just got married here a few weeks ago.  It is a very beautiful place.  They have two wedding locations on site-- the outdoor tent area and the indoor "mansion" area.  She had her ceremony in the outdoor waterfall area and the reception was in the tent area.  It was very nice, pretty spacious (120ish guests), and the staff was very helpful.  

    The only thing I personally didn't like was that it kind of seemed to me like a wedding factory.  The staff definitely knew what they were doing, which was nice, but they seemed to treat you like :"just another wedding" in the way that they ushered you in and out of your scheduled events throughout the day

    For the price, they paid about $100/person for a Friday reception that started around 4.  The food was great, buffet style.  I'm not sure what the bar tab ended up being,  It was very nice that they were able to drop off their decor a few days before and not worry about setting it up.  

    The other downfall is that it's quite a ways away from any hotels.  There's a small little cheap hotel next-door, but it doesn't look very nice and it seems like more people live there than stay for a night.  Pala Casino and Resort are about half an hour away, but it is still a casino, which could be either good or bad for your guests!

    So yeah, nice place, kind of the middle of nowhere, definitely a wedding business.  Good luck!
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_california-san-diego_anyone-experience-grand-tradition?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:64Discussion:8d840693-6021-4d9a-b48d-0f4bfb59ececPost:132468c7-0960-40d7-8ece-ca9b5d9263ac">Re: Anyone have experience with Grand Tradition?</a>:
    [QUOTE]My (now) sister-in-law just got married here a few weeks ago.  It is a very beautiful place.  They have two wedding locations on site-- the outdoor tent area and the indoor "mansion" area.  She had her ceremony in the outdoor waterfall area and the reception was in the tent area.  It was very nice, pretty spacious (120ish guests), and the staff was very helpful.   <strong>The only thing I personally didn't like was that it kind of seemed to me like a wedding factory.</strong>  The staff definitely knew what they were doing, which was nice, but they seemed to treat you like :"just another wedding" in the way that they ushered you in and out of your scheduled events throughout the day For the price, they paid about $100/person for a Friday reception that started around 4.  The food was great, buffet style.  I'm not sure what the bar tab ended up being,  It was very nice that they were able to drop off their decor a few days before and not worry about setting it up.   <strong>The other downfall is that it's quite a ways away from any hotels.  There's a small little cheap hotel next-door, but it doesn't look very nice and it seems like more people live there than stay for a night.  Pala Casino and Resort are about half an hour away</strong>, but it is still a casino, which could be either good or bad for your guests! So yeah, nice place, kind of the middle of nowhere, definitely a wedding business.  Good luck!
    Posted by frenchy730[/QUOTE]

    yeah, that's something I'm a little worried about while looking at their page and reviews. It seems like they do so many weddings, they hardly seem personal anymore. It is nice that they have experience though!

    Thanks for the info! It's especially helpful to hear that there aren't many hotels around because most of my guests will be traveling from either OOT or a few hours north. We live in San Bernadino County. We aren't having a long reception though, so that might make up for it.

    Thanks again!
  • edited December 2011
    Im getting married there in 3 weeks. I can tell you they are so helpful. Yes it is a bit of a wedding factory but its so comforting knowing theyve seen it all and can handle anything. Also, they offer a lot of great ways to personalize the wedding. They also are very open to your own ideas. It depends on what kinda wedding you're shotting for. It definitely has a wow factor and is a great alternative to all the beachy weddings. It is pricey. We're paying 120 a head and thats with an added food item to the buffet and hor dourves. Also keep in mind there is a minimum guest count. for Arbor Terrace its 100 guess so at a minimum your looking at about 11000 minimum. On top of that youll need cake, dj, optional linens and lighting. Its not cheap. Its definitely worth taking a look at if you can afford it.
  • edited December 2011
    Thanks TeamMJ :) We will be taking in consideration everything you've said. It's good to know they're helpful because some of us inexperienced brides (like me) need the help!!
  • edited December 2011
    Oh sure thing, thats a big part of our decision. That and its beautiful!!! Seriously though i feel completely comfortable putting my wedding in their hands. And that says something coming from a control freak like me.

    Good luck!!! Im sure youll find somewhere thats perfect. When i went to Grand tradition, i couldnt imagine getting married anywhere else. Thats how i knew :)
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