Testimonials
Danielle & Matt Hall
When my husband and I got engaged we knew we wanted to have a wedding in Malibu, but had no idea HOW we were going to be able to do it in a budget! After looking at over 15 places along the coast we were referred to Andy and his beautiful home.
When we first went to look at the house we were totally sold. The backyard is absolutely breathtaking, with views of both ocean and canyon - it's all we EVER dreamed of for our special day. But of course, spacious and scenic comes with a price tag. To our complete surprise, Andy was willing to work within a budget and went above and beyond to make our day special.
When you talk about accommodating venue owners, Andy is by definition....exactly that. We were able to drive up to the venue many many times within the course of the 9 months leading up to the wedding. Every bride has a vision of what they want but sometimes it's very hard to see this without actually visiting the site. We were able to see the site a day before another wedding which gave us plenty of ideas. We were able to visit the site with the caterer, our parents, videographer, etc before the actual day. We felt so comfortable with Andy - and he made it very easy to communicate literally the entire year leading up to our wedding.
In order not to bore any bride or groom out there with our play by play experience, I have one thing to say. If you are looking for an unbelievable venue in Malibu that you don't have to sacrifice certain things to lower the price - LOOK NO FURTHER. Trust me, it's not even worth it to take more appointments. If it helps any to know, we ended up going back to Andy after 4 more months of searching for a venue.
“If you are looking for an unbelievable venue in Malibu that you don't have to sacrifice certain things to lower the price - LOOK NO FURTHER.”
Our day was absolutely perfect. There were a lot of moving parts, but it all went off with little to no hiccups. We wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of Andy as well. He is there the day of to make sure things go smoothly. We even had a slight problem with the shuttles and he made trips up and down the driveway with our guests to make sure everyone was where they wanted to be at any time. We even had our rehearsal dinner there on Friday which was the perfect way to make sure things were secure the night before. I don't know many or any venues in Malibu that will allow you to have a rehearsal dinner the night before - included in the venue cost. We also made trips up to Andy's house the entire week before to drop things off so we didn't have to take everything to the hotel with us (decorations, alcohol, centerpieces, you name it). He was MORE than accommodating.
Andy just wants people to be able to really have the BEST day of their lives. And as if our day wasn't perfect or special enough, he even added in a picnic on our 1 year anniversary in the backyard! So we are already planning out our picnic as we speak - we cannot wait to get back there! Booking this venue was the best decision of our lives. To think we were going to just walk away from it the first few months into planning boggles my mind. Our friends and family are STILL raving about the property. They are still raving about "the most beautiful wedding they've ever been to." In my opinion, the best part is that Andy's property is exclusive. It's not marketed to the general population of people looking to have a wedding in Los Angeles or Malibu. So in that sense, you don't feel like the venue is overused like say Calamigos Ranch or Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate. Andy's is exclusive and private - which is part of the reason we fell in love with it!
“Our friends and family are STILL raving about the property. They are still raving about ‘the most beautiful wedding they've ever been to.’”
We wouldn't quite be able to put into words how grateful we are to have met Andy! He worked with our budget and allowed us to have the most amazing wedding at his home. Thank you a million times over Andy! You are a true gem, and we definitely could not have dreamt of a more perfect wedding day.
Carey and Ryan Wight
My husband and I hosted our wedding and reception at this venue and it is spectacular. Andy Cohen was very helpful in working with our wedding planner during the planning stages to make sure we had everything we needed. He was easily accessible via phone and email whenever we needed him. The payment process was easy and he did not try to milk any more money out of us then was initially agreed upon as many wedding venues and vendors try to do. If anything, he tried to lower our costs. Andy stayed at the house for the wedding to make sure everything went smoothly and we were happy to have him. We had a rowdy crowd and he just enjoyed watching the festivities and making sure all was well. We had a band and the house is so secluded that noise is not a problem.
“The venue is absolutely breath taking with a huge piece of land sporting 360 degree views of the ocean in front, close enough to hear, and mountains behind. Many of our guests said they have never been to a more beautiful wedding.”
The venue is absolutely breath taking with a huge piece of land sporting 360 degree views of the ocean in front, close enough to hear, and mountains behind. Many of our guests said they have never been to a more beautiful wedding. It can hold up to 300 guests. We had about 150. Our caterers used the kitchen which is made to entertain and prepare for parties. We did not need to use the house but the dining room faces the ocean and can be used as a dance floor with hardwood floors. The house is very open with a connected living room and sitting room to the dining room/dance floor for guests to hang out. Two bathrooms are also right there for easy use.
Andy let us use one of his vintage cars for pictures. The world famous El Matador beach is directly across the street and also great for pics. There is ample parking on the PCH and in the private parking lot at the beginning of the drive way. You will just need a shuttle service to transport guests up the steep drive way to the house. There is also room at the top for some parking so our vendors found it easy enough to set up.
We have nothing but great memories and good things to say about this venue!
Tracey and Will Didinger
When my wife and I began looking for wedding venues, we couldn’t find anything that met all of the criteria on our checklist. Most venues were either too stuffy, had too many rules, wanted us to stop celebrating too early, or were simply too expensive for what they offered. After visiting underwhelming venue after underwhelming venue offering cookie-cutter wedding day experiences, panic and frustration started to set in. Luckily, as we were about to concede our weddings originality and pick one the aforementioned venues, our wedding planner introduced us to Andy Cohen.
From the moment we met Andy at his beautiful house in Malibu, we knew this place was going to be special. It only took my wife about 5 minutes to declare that this was where we were going to get married. Andy’s venue was presented to us as a blank canvas with Zuma Beach and Point Dume as it’s backdrop. We could use his house and expansive lawn anyway we wanted to. He wanted us to plan the wedding we had envisioned and was more than willing to help at every step along the way. Andy didn’t present us with the silly rules and restrictions that other venues demanded. He simply wanted us and our guest to have a good time while respecting his property all the while. Andy’s calm demeanor and laid back attitude toward two strangers taking over his house for a weekend made the decision to get married in Malibu very easy.
“It only took my wife about 5 minutes to declare that this was where we were going to get married.”
Throughout the planning process Andy was very easy to contact and prompt with responses to our numerous questions. It took us a few trips up to his property to get the layout of our wedding planned and perfected. Each time we went up to Andy’s house we had planners, photographers, caterers and others in-tow; Andy always had a smile on his face and was happy to help.
The actual wedding day was more beautiful than we could have hoped for. The venue, being up on a hillside and without any immediate neighbors, provided us and our guests with a very intimate evening to celebrate. The space was everything we had imagined and the night went off without a hitch. Andy even brought in one of his classic cars, a 1940’s Mercury Woody Wagon to add to the beach ambiance and provide us and our guest’s with a unique backdrop for photos.
We had our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception all on Andy’s lawn, which is big enough to space all three phases of the night out into different areas without loosing the intimate feeling that we wanted. Since the location is close to many state and county beaches, my wife and I were able to slip away to El Matador state beach to take some wedding photos on the sand.
“Since the location is close to many state and county beaches, my wife and I were able to slip away to El Matador state beach to take some wedding photos on the sand.”
All in all my wife and I are very thankful that Andy agreed to let us get married at his house. We will forever remember our wedding day, and Andy certainly played an integral role in making it truly something special. Without a doubt we would give our highest recommendation to Andy, and would encourage anyone thinking about getting married in a relaxing beach setting in Malibu to choose this venue.
Liz and George Bamgbose
On a mid-summer day in Malibu one can expect a warm ocean and sunny skies for miles, except on July 18th, 2015. After months of planning and family in from around the world, we made our way up to Andy's house in a very unexpected rain storm.
Although plans changed and we moved our ceremony indoors, we could not have asked for a more amazing venue to exchange our vows. Andy was incredibly accommodating as we overhauled his entire living space to allow for an indoor ceremony and happy hour. The skies soon cleared and we made our way outside, dancing under the stars until we couldn't dance any longer.
“The skies soon cleared and we made our way outside, dancing under the stars until we couldn't dance any longer.”
It was a treat and privilege to have this private and intimate venue for our wedding. We truly had a one-in-a-kind day and night. Andy was incredibly helpful in making sure everything was up to snuff (electric, landscaping, etc). On top of everything else we had trouble getting our shuttles up the driveway in the rain and Andy helped out by driving his car up and down, up and down - thank you!
We could not have asked for a more amazing place to bring our families together. It was magical.