Come Take a Tour at SMR Events!

Many people ask about what a tour out here on our beautiful ranch looks like, so I figured I’d share what the perfect venue tour at SMR Events looks like!

First and foremost, I like to find out how much time they have for a tour, because I understand everyone has a busy schedule and it is likely they are trying to accomplish more than just one tour in a day! With two venues to explore and a follow-up complimentary tasting at the Ancient Peaks tasting room, the full tour experience can take up to a few hours.

I prefer to start the tour by having the couple meet me out in the vineyard at Ancient Peaks Barn. This gives the couple a feel for the drive and location of the venue. While it is not far from the Ancient Peaks Tasting Room (about 6.6 miles to be exact), it is just far enough out of town to give you that feeling that many couples are looking for: 360 views of vineyard and hills with no “city” life in sight! The first stop on the Ancient Peaks Barn tour is the Oaks Veranda. We walk down to the ceremony site, and this is when they start imagining how they would prefer it be setup for saying “I do!”. I always bring an iPad with photos from real weddings at each barn and this really helps the vision of their big day. After some discussion, we then walk up to the barn, walking across the outdoor patio into the large open barn doors. With a permanent bar, special lighting strewn throughout the barn, and a wide-open canvas for the reception, we discuss the endless possibilities of how to utilize the space! Not to be forgotten, we then head out to the covered patio and discuss other details such as parking, indoor vs outdoor reception, where the dance floor usually is, etc. etc.

And what comes next?

Questions! I ALWAYS welcome any questions a couple might have. Every tour, I bring an SMR Events folder with our packages printed out so that anyone can write things down as we go. I also understand that questions might not all pop up at once, so I encourage people to write them down or put them in your notes app and email or text me as things come up!

At this point, it’s typically been about 45 minutes, and we are ready to explore the next venue: The Historic Santa Margarita Ranch Barn! Now this barn is just as the title says – HISTORIC. Settled by Franciscan missionaries in the 1770’s, it was established Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia as an ”assistance mission” between Mission San Luis Obispo to the south and Mission San Miguel to the north. They also erected the stone-and-mortar Asistencia. The now-covered walls of the Asistencia still stand today, providing an elegantly rustic backdrop for many weddings and special events. On this venue tour, we start at the Estrada Garden, where most people hold their ceremony (though some have had their reception on the lawn!). After we walk through the grass, discussing options and looking at photos, we walk on over to the barn. On the route to the barn, you get to view the trains which are always a great topic of conversation, being that we house multiple original Disney carts! As we turn the corner of the barn, we walk across the beautiful grass lawn with brand new gas firepits. Once we enter the barn, couples are in awe of the stone and mortar and just how much space this barn offers inside!

By now, it’s been close to an hour and a half total time touring both venues. My favorite part about the tours is to follow it up with a complimentary tasting at the Ancient Peaks Tasting Room. This allows the couples to try our wines and experience part of the perks of any package booked – like becoming a wine club member for a year! This is also a great time for them to reflect, sip on some wine, and discuss which venue might work best for them.

If you are going for a full tour experience with a full tasting, I say setting aside 3 hours is best, but we can of course always alter it to fit your needs and timeline!

If you are currently searching for the perfect venue for your wedding day, book a tour with us today and see just how much SMR Events has to offer!

See you on the ranch!