Levyland

I had my wedding here over Thanksgiving weekend 2012 and it was so great! Yes, there is no privacy. Yes, there are only two showers. Yes, there is no smoking on the property. Yes, Edgar is there on the day of your wedding making sure everyone is following the rules. I’m still giving this place five stars because none of these things were a secret when I decided to rent it out for the week.
My advice to anyone who is planning on having a wedding here is TO GET A COORDINATOR! Since this is not a traditional wedding venue, there are so many things to think about that you can take for granted at a traditional venue. Things like making sure the appropriate doors are closed at the right time,

This is a great venue as long as you HIRE A PLANNER. We chose Levyland because it was a «blank canvas» and figured that we could work on decorating the week prior. It was the most stressful week of my life!
I was worried about getting our deposit back, even though we cleaned like crazy but we did get it back in full about a week afterwards. Something I thought was strange was that they didn’t contact us at the end of our stay. They simply sent us a check and that was it. They did not ask Us how our wedding was after pretending to care since we signed the contract.
One major problem with the property I had was the drapes in the garage. If you are not calling your property a «wedding venue» but it is «featured» as one, then you should probably fix the problems with the property to provide for those services. The garage is pretty bad looking without the drapes, and Anne, who works for the owner of the home offered to put them up for us for $ 500. Ouch! That was too much! For used drapes and plastic piping? Hmm… Because we were stressed out with all of our work we decided to opt for the drapes and when we got there they were horribly dirty and stained. We called her and she did rush over however and took them home to be washed. Not exactly a $ 500 value, but we were desperate and unfortunately i think she relies on customers to feel this way to make her extra income.
One other problem I had was that they did not make it clear that the top gate is NOT Levyland property, so we had a random guy parking in front of Levyland to go to the beach saying he was «friends with the guy that owned the place and he had permission», and a lot of people walked through and even had the code. If it is not Levyland property then why is there a gate there with the address on it? We were constantly locking everything just in case. We also had lookey loos as well as a cop that stopped by to tell us to look out for homeless people crossing the train tracks on their way to the beach. (Oh great!)
All in all it was nice to have the room for our out of town guests but I would rather have done something all inclusive to spare the stress! It ends up working out to the same amount of money anyways :)

We just have our wedding at Leyland Estates in January 2016. It was the most perfect day!
As many have noted here, there are many restrictions to the property but they are VERY clearly explained before hand. It was a great location for our guest and family. There isn’t a set maximum occupancy but we were surprised how packed our wedding was of 150 guest, really it would be better for 120 and less. The venue is great to have your own inspiration and ideas. We did our flowers ourselves and brought in a food truck which was a real crowd pleaser.
When we checked into the venue and did our initial walk through we found several little things that we took note of so we wouldn’t be charged. The cleaning crew did not do the best job cleaning up the previous guest from the week before, we found several plastic forks and food around the property. The property is limited to the trash that you can have, one of the trash cans was already filled from cleaning crew’s trash so we ended up having to hire a company to remove the trash from the day of the wedding. Also, the gas grill in the backyard was not up to the best standards and had some issues as well as the inside stove. We communicated this with the property manager and we were not held responsible.
Overall, the property was fantastic and we enjoyed having our wedding here! Make sure you read the rules and restrictions prior to booking.

I went here to just check it out. I like it but that main bridge after the loop I saw 6 kids around 13 going under the bridge doing God knows what. Someone should put a sign up. There is rail road tracks under there…

We just had wedding here recently and loved many things about it but despise many other aspects. The rules are for a little above and beyond the call of duty. It’s a great place to get married just not to celebrate afterwards. The staff assisting with the venue is way under par. They have a security guard at your wedding constantly nagging guests. Look into all the reviews and comments before you commit to a pricey happy hour venue.

As many reviews note here, there are plenty of restrictions to follow… and some of them are silly. But these are very clear before hand — therefore why complain? If you need music blaring into the late hours, choose another venue As those are all clearly stated, I will not repeat them.
We loved Levyland. We were lucky enough to have our wedding there the weekend of July 4^th and couldn’t have been happier with how things turned out.
If you are looking for a blank canvas with which to paint your dream wedding, this place is ideal for you. You have a full week with which to plan your events and you may go to town with your DIY heart’s desire.
I get that it’s not for everyone, but for us, it was a perfect venue.
Here are some other things to consider:
— The venue is ideal for 100 people… beyond that it starts to feel tight. Also great for rehearsal or a day after breakfast/​bbq. We did a 4^th of July bbq the next day and it was a hit. (Their outdoor deck and BBQ are top notch)
— The beach is probably about 200 yards away and does not have access by car. Vendors should work with you on this, but I’d recommend having usher’s up at the venue to help elderly and handicapped make the trek.
— Mosquitos are a thing. We were lucky to be there a couple days after a plane came by and dropped some insecticide, but even still, have remedies.

We just hosted our daughters wedding at Levyland this past Saturday. The event was beautiful and magical. However, some of the rules of Levyland are stringent and ridiculous !!!
First of all the chain to the Bach access is ridiculous !! If you own property that close to the beach that host events, you SHOULD-​have contact with the city to have a key to that chain. There are laws for handicapped, this chain breaks the law for handicap access!
The Mosquitos are a problem. Buy tons of citronella candles and tiki torches!!! Place the candles by the back door where the caters work, that was the biggest population of the Mosquitos !
The BIGGEST pest was Edgar (the security guard) he was rude when the DJ stopped at 10:00 pm. We tried to put music on and he kept shutting us down. It’s just like having music and guests in your home. As a Carlsbad residence we play music and have guests over well into the night without complaints. The back garage door should be able to stay open. The noise ordinance is 10:00 & the neighbors are well aware Levyland is a venue for parties! We had a trio play during the cocktail hour, they had to play in a stationary spot due to the crazy lady who lives across the lagoon. Again neighbors are well aware of what Levyland is and noise ordinance is 10:00 P.M. It’s just people making something simple difficult. I KNOW people who have gone all night at Levyland. I have a direct connection to Bob Levy and you can bet I will contact him in regards to the way some of the evening was handled.

Levyland is a beautiful setting for your wedding, no doubt about it. All the flowers around the property make for natural decoration, and the beach is a short walk away. But the Levyland customer service leaves much to be desired.
There were issues after we left with the security deposit. When we arrived, we were never given a proper walk-​through of the house, or provided a list of items we would be responsible for. After we checked out, we were informed that they were missing 1 wine glass, 5 large dinner plates, 7 spoons, 3 forks and 2 washcloths, all from IKEA totaling $ 27. The communication was very poor on their end, and it took 2 weeks of back-​and-​forth emails to finalize our security deposit return. We really felt nickel and dimed by their management. The house wasn’t fully stocked when we checked in, so it was hard to trust their numbers when there was no inventory list given (even after we repeatedly asked them for one). Not at all what we expected from an «upscale» rental. The whole process was a real hassle, and was unfortunate to go through after our wedding.
The house is an interesting design. It’s a completely open layout inside (including the bathrooms). There’s no door to the upstairs bathroom, just a cloth covering. So you have to be REALLY close with the people you’re staying with.
The «high speed» internet is ridiculously slow. Like, 1996 modem slow. When we were emailing a picture of the entrance to our guests the day before the wedding, it took literally 40 minutes to send. Speaking of which, you will need to be very clear about directions with your guests. The entrance is unassuming and easy to miss. Also, you can’t enter «Levyland» in your GPS, as it will direct you to the wrong place. You must enter the actual street address.
So, beautiful venue, lots of versatility to have the wedding you want, but the post-​rental experience left a bad taste in our mouths. If you do choose Levyland, be sure you ask for an inventory list up front.

Considering all the different choices there are in San Diego, I really think Levyland is truly one of the most beautiful locations. We just got married in June and the weather was beautiful, the house was picturesque, and it made for the perfect backdrop.
So just a couple of notes for anyone planning their big day at Levyland:
–The mosquito warning is real and can be brutal. In June, «mosquitos season» hadn’t even started and they were definitely active. I highly recommend ordering the citronella tealights on the Home Depot website (only offered online). The citronella tiki torches also made a huge difference for the actual wedding day. Bring lots of repellant!
–The music will be shut down promptly at 10pm. It’s just one of the rules and it’s easier to plan around it from the start because there are no exceptions. As an additional tip, check your DJs out in advance, ours was terrible! He didn’t play very much of the music we asked for, he butchered our first dance with crappy transitions, and pretty much played the music from his iPad. Luckily, our friends really made the night and still kept the night going.
–The draperies in the garage will cost $ 500 for installation and uplight rentals. A little on the pricey side but what isn’t when it comes to a wedding? We purchased our drapery from someone who had their wedding there last year. It was really beautiful because it draped the ceiling as well as the walls so that it didn’t seem so «garagey.» We did have to install our drapes ourselves so that took a little effort and time. If anyone is interested, please email me (
). I will sell the drapes for $ 150. Also I would recommend renting at least one 30″ fan for the garage. All those people dancing made it super warm and due to the noise restrictions we couldn’t open the back side of the garage doors or the back access door.
–If by the last 2 weeks before your stay at Levyland, you still don’t have a final count of guests, go with the smaller number. People are bound to not show up or be late, so don’t pay more for extra guests.
Couple of shoutouts to vendors that really rocked it for our wedding:
French Gourmet– They made amazing food and cake! The wait staff was courteous and professional. They know the house very well so you don’t have to hand hold them through anything. They even worked with us on the cost of each place setting, we spent so much less with them than the rental companies.
Meagan Brown– Really awesome make-​up artist. All my bridesmaids looked amazing with glowing flawless skin! She can be pricey but after all the makeup artists I researched, her costs were really reasonable. She is super professional and will get the job done.
I have so many more little tips for making your stay more enjoyable at Levyland but I’m pretty sure this post is crazy long already. All in all, it was a great experience. Anne was great to work with and long as you communicate with her in advance your plans. Edgar didn’t talk to us all night and thus we never had a issue with him. He was like a security guy in the background, lol.
Good luck!

Great location, 3 HUGE downfalls.
You only get to get married once in your life. While Levyland is a great location, their management and communication is sloppy at best.
HUGE DOWNFALLS:
1. They will nickel and dime you. They charge for all guests over 125, yet are unclear as to what you’re paying for. They will not provide extra necessities, such as extra paper towels, trash bags or toilet paper for extra guests. They will not refund you if those extra guests do not attend.
2. Communication is very poor. The property across the lagoon underwent a large scale construction project. We booked the property 1.5 yrs. in advance. Levyland never communicated this to us until after we had booked and paid for our reservation. We were shocked to find out the backdrop of our wedding was a construction site only a few months before our wedding as we visited the site a last time to do some planning. (We were planning remotely.) Even more disappointing, Anne never even bothered to give us a call as a courtesy, just as a heads up.
3. Tons of restrictions. They day before your event Anne will tell you there’s a surprise guest attending your event, that you didn’t plan for. Turns out he’s the rule enforcer, Edgar. We were told we could bring the event to a «new level» at 10pm– ie. turn down the music. Totally understood as it’s in a residential neighborhood. HOWEVER the rule enforcer will shut your music down at 10pm on the dot. No exceptions, no questions. You have no options and your guests will go home. Do not plan to celebrate beyond 10pm.
These are only three examples. There are many others. BOOK AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Levyland Estates is not only a GORGEOUS wedding venue, but a fantastic way to celebrate with friends and family for an entire week. We were able to have family members stay and get to know each other through the week. The property is quite picturesque with a beautiful garden, lush plants, trees and flowers alongside the lagoon reserve and ocean. The main house & tree house were quite comfortable with a breezy, open feel that created a relaxed beach ambience. The amenities were perfect for 10 people for a week, and we appreciated having a laundry room and full kitchen. We were able to slowly prepare for the wedding while taking breaks for beach time, lawn games and BBQing. It is very close to Carlsbad Village, so we ventured out to the cute restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, and grocery store. We loved that the rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception were all on one site, and they were quite flexible with décor. Levyland staff (Anne is awesome!) were quick to respond to any issues or questions.
A few things to keep in mind (and Levyland staff provides info on all of this as well):
Get a really good planner or day-​of coordinator. We did, and I am so thankful! With any venue where you bring in all rentals, décor and vendors, it is very important to make sure you have all the details covered. This could save a lot of stress and headaches!
Levyland is SO worth the price. With smart planning and an awesome coordinator we stayed in budget since we controlled all vendors and rentals.
The music regulations are extremely strict so make sure you meticulously stick to the rules they provide. I suggest coming up with a good A/​V plan with Levyland staff ahead of time to help alleviate any issues that could arise.
Hotels book quickly in summer, so make sure you get on that right away.
Prepare for evening mosquitos… just do it.
Overall we had an amazing week and it helped create an unforgettable wedding! Our families and friends are still talking about how incredibly special it was, and we are hoping to go back someday! Thanks Levyland!

PICTURE PERFECT. I was recently married here and it was the most beautiful experience. Everyone commented on how gorgeous the home and view was and I couldn’t agree more. Any bride looking for a different place to hold your wedding, look no further!

dang, i can be so lazy sometimes with finishing and posting my reviews… but for the benefit of all your kiddos out there considering levyland as your wedding venue, i feel compelled to finish this review.
we looked at MANY wedding venues, both online and in person. we wanted a place that offered some privacy, easy parking, and most of all a place where there wouldn’t be an official end time. we hate that. here you are at your friend’s wedding, having a rocking good time. the booze is flowing, you’re dancing… and then: CUT THE MUSIC. the royal kick out begins. the fun-​spoilers prevail and you’re forced to move to some lame hotel bar to close out the night. or go home. BOO.
as soon as we saw levyland (the pics on the website don’t do it justice), we knew it was THE PLACE for us to hold our wedding. it’s amazing! but it may not be for everyone, depending on your needs.
PROS:
— it’s a stunning, modern, and private home.
— you get it for 6 days/​5 nights, and the cost is LESS than that of a 6-​hour venue rental in OC/​SD/​LA. and it sleeps 10 people!
— a beautiful lagoon runs along the side of the house, and it’s full of amazing wildlife, including migratory birds. very peaceful and relaxing. also the ocean is right there — just a 2-​minute walk down a private path. and you can hold your ceremony on the beach without needing a permit or any other fuss.
— you can hold multiple events there without any added rental/​venue cost. and there are many spots to hold events: the lawn and patio facing the ocean, the deck overlooking the lagoon, the beautifully landscaped driveway and non-​garage-​looking garage, the beach, etc. the house also serves as an excellent central meeting place (if that’s what you’d like).
— the landscaping is gorgeous. you feel like you’re out in nature. all this natural beauty means you don’t need to spend $$$ on outdoor decorations to try to pretty up the space. there are also gorgeous wildflowers blooming all over the place if you book your event for springtime. this makes for amazing photo backgrounds and ambiance.
— there are no vendor restrictions (other than bands, due to noise restrictions: see cons.). you are welcome to choose any vendors you wish to work with.
— unlimited planning visits: you can visit levyland as many times as you want prior to your event. the only thing is that they are only open on mondays during the day (rentals run from tuesdays until the following monday, so this is the only day renters aren’t there).
— the house is double-​gated, so no one gets in or out without your permission (you can set the gates to remain open during your event, if you wish).
— carlsbad is a cute, quaint, less expensive, and more manageable beach town than many of the surrounding areas. hotels were way cheaper than OC or SD, too.
CONS:
— levyland books up early! like 1 – 1.5 years in advance.
— this is a guest house rental, not a wedding venue per se. everything, and i mean EVERYTHING, must be brought in. this includes: outdoor lighting, chairs, tables, linens, possible oven/​cooking equipment your caterer might need, decorations, etc.
— no privacy for those staying there, unless you limit it to two people in the main house and two in the «tree house».
— there are noise restrictions, due to the proximity of other fancy $$$ houses in the area. this means no live (amplified) bands allowed. you can have acoustic music, though, and outdoor music may be played only until 7pm on the beach side (where the pricey houses are located). music can be played outside until 10pm on the other side of the house. after that, music can only be played indoors (in the garage or house) with the doors and windows closed, and it can’t be audible from the outside (meaning it can’t be super loud).
— you have to deal with whatever screw ups (ahem, «amendments») the previous tenants might have done with regards to outdoor lighting on the trees and above the reception area (on the driveway). for example, the market lights above the driveway were totally jacked up when we arrived. we had arrived expecting them to work and be fine, and i hadn’t purchased any additional lights to string overhead. it took hours (and a few electrical shocks) for my father and sister to fix them. total pain in the ass! :/​
— mosquitoes. remember that beautiful lagoon i mentioned? by summer time, it can become a crazy breeding ground for mosquitoes. we got married in late march, and it was still cool enough so that the mosquito larvae had not hatched — hence no bugs, thankfully. depending on the weather (how hot is gets), i’ve heard from others that the mosquitoes can be pretty bad, so be prepared.
anne (the one who shows the property) and edgar (the property manager) were both very helpful, pleasant, and accommodating. levyland is an amazing and unique venue, as long as you know what to expect.

As a wedding designer and coordinator, I have done numerous weddings at Levyland ant it is a great venue for a wedding or party. The team that manages the property are great to work with and very accomodating while making sure they stay within their «rules.» Given that it is a vacation rental, and it is rented for the week… the set up and break down is a breeze! The industrial kitchen is a caterer’s dream.
The previous review from someone who visited the property stated that people could see from outside into the upstairs loft bedroom was inaacurate. NOONE can see into the bedroom from downstairs either inside or out. I have never encountered an odor AND there is no public beach access road on this property. (There is an access road, but it is not public.) AND — this property is well hidden from the street, and cannot be seen from any street. So privacy is not an issue anywhere on the property.
If you are thinking of Levyland as a wedding venue — you won’t be dissappointed!

Had a great time DJing a wedding here. The rules are rather strict but as long as you have enough experience and knowledge to figure out how to abide by them and still give the guests a good time, it goes well. I ended up doing a special sound active lighting wall to turn the garage into a great place to dance. For details, see my video of the setup here:
I totally recommend this venue, as long as you get vendors that know how to abide by the rules and still make the event a great time.

Came here for some friends’ wedding and had a great time. Apparently it’s not an «offical» wedding venue – it’s just a nice modern vacation home that can accommodate fairly sizable events. A few minutes’ walk from the pounding surf, it’s set in a wetlands kind of area with beautiful landscaping. The wedding ceremony itself was held on the beach, but it certainly could have been done on the grounds also. The long driveway and garage turned out to be a great place for a wedding reception, not to mention the wonderful deck out front with an awesome view of the wetlands and ocean beyond. The wedding was certainly not big by usual wedding standards (40 – 50 people, perhaps?), but still a pretty big party for one house. The best part was the ample parking – there had to have been 20+ cars and there was still space left over, which was pretty impressive.
During the hors d’oeuvres and the cocktail hour I had a fun time exploring the house and taking in the view of the surrounding area from different vantage points. All the previous mentions of the lack of privacy in the house certainly warrants merit from what I could see, but among close friends and family I don’t see it being a problem. Considering that my friends who got married here were very pleased with it is really all the endorsement you need – they’re the ones who had to deal with the logistics of this venue. I just had to come and enjoy it! All in all a beautiful and unique setting for an equally beautiful and unique wedding. I’m so glad I was allowed to be a part of it and I’d love to be able to just take a vacation here with some close friends sometime in the future!

Wow, talk about a wedding you will never forget. We choose Levyland for the great location and proximity to the beach. We knew booking our wedding for the weekend after Thanksgiving could be rolling the dice and possibly mean some cold weather, but we never guessed we would have the most beautiful weather ever! It was 74 degrees on the day of our wedding… in November! We were able to house out of town guests here, have Thanksgiving, the rehearsal dinner and a morning after brunch. All under one roof. My husband especially liked being able to surf the morning before our nuptials. It made for some great pictures.
I enjoyed being able to choose my own vendors and have my wedding be everything I wanted it to be. The staff is great and very helpful with making suggestions.

Just spent the weekend there for a wedding and it was awesome. Make no mistake that this place lives up to the hype. The design, the view, and the proximity to the ocean are all worth whatever it costs to have a wedding here.
The four stars are for a few of the things that may not be advertised. First, it sleeps 12. It has two showers. Do the math. I stayed with family and friends so the lack of privacy was not an issue for us. If sleeping in a communal loft or having to shower without a door or shower curtain are a problem for you then you may want to get a hotel room.
Second, on the day of the event, they have a guy who walks around letting you know what you can’t do. There are areas for smoking, etc., but at the risk of losing your deposit, I don’t know why they need to have some random guy hanging out all night eye-​balling your every move. It was a bit strange but apparently necessary for whatever has happened in the past.
The experience in general was great. I think the need to know about sleeping arrangements and the lack of shower space is necessary for some people to know since it is advertised as a place for family reunions, etc. You better be a REAL close family in order share the space.
Also, make sure you get some kind of extra insurance just in case someone trips and falls on the uneven pavement…

I got married here in April and it was perfect. The setting could not have been more beautiful, especially at that time of year. Wildflowers were blooming everywhere — absolutely gorgeous! A true one-​of-​a-​kind venue!

We just had our wedding here and would not recommend this venue to anyone. Please be aware that what the ‘staff’ (basically people who work for the home owner’s pet company) tell you about the property is not what you will get. We booked our wedding over 14 months in advance and had almost all of the regulations — dancing, music, dj, where the tables could be, everything, changed within 3 or 4 weeks of our event. I have spoken with other couples who had their wedding in the weeks prior to ours and the same exact thing happened to them.
We made it work, but we were already so far deep into the planning that they really had us between a rock and a hard spot. Yes, our wedding wasn’t a total disaster because of Levyland, but the the way that it was all handled by them added a degree of stress and re-​planning that was unnecessary. Look to other more organized places to have your wedding, that actually is a venue.
In addition, the mosquitoes are furious and thick. They will tell you that the property will be ‘professionally sprayed’ prior to your event — this involves a maintenance guy walking around with a can of raid spraying the bushes…
This is a residence, not a venue. All of the neighbors complain about the fact that the owner is using this property commercially, and as a result they are trying to keep the money coming in by placing very restrictive (no music after 7pm!) noise restrictions on the weddings so as to not have the city crack down. If we would have know about this restriction beforehand, I doubt that we would have continued with Levyland.
The normal noise regulation is 10pm for residential zones, but the owner knows that he cannot continue to charge for weddings if the house is in a residential zone because the neighbors will let the city know what is going on — so up goes the restrictions that are not disclosed at all upon the signing of your legal contract and sizable deposit.
If it was up to us we would have definitely spent our money somewhere else that was actually set up to hold weddings. Sounds good up front, but the sudden changes to our ‘contract’ made it not worth it.