If the list of FAQs does not help you. Please give us a call and one of our staff would be happy to help you.
- How many events do you host at a time?
- What equipment and services do you provide?
- Do you have any noise restrictions?
- Are there any caterer or vendor restrictions?
- May I serve hard alcohol? Can I bring my own alcohol?
- Am I allowed to decorate the facility?
- Do I have to rent the eight overnight guest rooms for my event?
- What kind of facilities do you provide for our caterer?
- Are there any additional expenses outside of the site rental fee?
- What is the deposit schedule?
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- What happens if there is inclement weather on the day of my event?
- How many guests can the venue accommodate?
- Do I need to hire a wedding coordinator?
- I would like to invite children to my event. Is childcare required?
- What does an average wedding cost at holman ranch?
- Are pets allowed on property?
- Sunset Times, Temperature & Weather
- Where to Find Us
HOW MANY EVENTS DO YOU HOST AT A TIME?
We host only one event at a time. This guarantees you a completely private, intimate and exclusive experience for your special day.
WHAT EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?
We supply event equipment for up to 150 people. We provide 8’ rectangular banquet tables for dining, bars, gift table, guestbook table, escort card table, etc. We have natural wood folding chairs, enough for a ceremony and reception. For shade, we supply market umbrellas and stands. We also supply propane heaters, including the fuel tank. We also have cocktail tables made from wine barrels. You are welcome to rent additional equipment to personalize your setup. Your caterer will normally supply the linens, china, glassware and flatware for your event. We include security staff and a facility manager during your event. There are six restrooms available for your use and plenty of access to electricity. We also include a complimentary one-hour rehearsal. We supply you with parking attendants and on-site shuttling service for three hours. This includes three golf carts with drivers. There are many other amenities, but this short list should help to give you an idea of all the benefits we provide in our rental fee.
DO YOU HAVE ANY NOISE RESTRICTIONS?
Yes. As an outdoor facility in a residential neighborhood, all amplified music must end at 9:00pm sharp. There are no exceptions to this rule. An event can continue until 10:00pm and all vendors and guests must exit the property by 11:00pm. The majority of our clients choose to have an off-site after-party to continue the festivities.
ARE THERE ANY CATERER OR VENDOR RESTRICTIONS?
You are welcome to bring any vendor, but we do ask that they all be licensed and insured. We do offer a preferred vendors list as a suggestion. The vendors on our list are familiar with our property, services and restrictions. Their knowledge coupled with their individual expertise will help reduce the planning workload for you so that you can enjoy the planning process. Any vendor not on our list would also need Holman Ranch management approval. We encourage you to personalize your event to your own tastes.
MAY I SERVE HARD ALCOHOL? CAN I BRING MY OWN ALCOHOL?
It all depends on your caterer. When you are choosing a caterer, be sure to let them know that you would like to purchase your own alcohol. There are also bartending/liquor services that will provide the alcohol and service. We do have a few restrictions at Holman Ranch for safety/liability purposes. We ask that no shots be served and that last call occur at least 15 minutes before the scheduled end time of the event.
AM I ALLOWED TO DECORATE THE FACILITY?
One of the many great things about Holman Ranch is that you can personalize the venue by providing your own hand-selected vendors. You are also welcome to decorate. We just ask that all decorations are placed and removed within the rental time frame. Additionally, since we’re a newly restored historic property, the decorations cannot be secured with nails, screws, tacks, tape (unless painter’s tape), etc.
DO I HAVE TO RENT THE EIGHT OVERNIGHT GUEST ROOMS FOR MY EVENT?
For weekend events during the high season (April 15-November 15), we do require that you rent the eight newly restored overnight guest rooms. But payment options are flexible. Your guests can pay for their own rooms with a credit card to the office, you can subsidize a portion of the rooms, or you can host your guests entirely.
WHAT KIND OF FACILITIES DO YOU PROVIDE FOR OUR CATERER?
We do have a prep kitchen available for the caterers. We provide a commercial fridge, freezer and ice maker. There are plenty of bar refrigerators as well as a hand sink, bar sink and mop sink. The caterer will need to bring all prep equipment and a heat source. When shopping for a caterer, we highly recommend choosing an off-site caterer. They will have the experience needed to cater at any location, no matter the kitchen scenario.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL EXPENSES OUTSIDE OF THE SITE RENTAL FEE?
Tax is included in the rate. There is a 10.5% tax in addition to the room rental rates. We do not charge a service fee. We do not charge cake cutting or corkage fees because those are the responsibility of your off-site caterers. (Hint: Most off-site caterers don’t charge those fees either.) You can even have rose petals at your ceremony without incurring a cleanup fee.
We do require all of our clients to carry day-of-liability insurance. These policies can sometimes be obtained through your homeowner’s insurance at no additional charge. Purchasing a policy usually costs only $200-300 for our requirements and provides a great amount of protection and peace of mind for you. The only time we would charge you are for additional services or rental hours.
WHAT IS THE DEPOSIT SCHEDULE?
To officially book an event, we require a signed contract and your first nonrefundable deposit. Your deposit is equal to 1/3 of your total event (rooms and site fee) balance. The second deposit, equal to ••• of the total remaining, is due six months before your event. The final deposit is due 30 days before your event. All deposits are nonrefundable. We also require a $1,000 refundable damage deposit due 30 days before your event.
WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
We accept all major credit cards, checks and money orders. There is a 3% processing fee for credit cards.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS INCLEMENT WEATHER ON THE DAY OF MY EVENT?
We always determine a rain plan ahead of your event. The rain plan depends on your guest count, type of event and the severity of the weather. We are very fortunate in Carmel Valley to have most of the year covered in sunshine! We rarely experience the fog and enjoy temperatures about 10–15 degrees warmer than our coastal cousins. But it’s important to be prepared. Tenting is the best rain plan. There are several areas that can be tented to accommodate almost any size and type of event. There are other options available as well. We are happy to discuss these options with you. We want you to be comfortable with the worst-case scenario, then you will have a spectacular day, no matter what.
HOW MANY GUESTS CAN THE VENUE ACCOMMODATE?
The majority of our events host around 150 guests. But we have produced intimate events for 20 people and large affairs for 500.
DO I NEED TO HIRE A WEDDING COORDINATOR?
Holman Ranch does not require the services of an outside wedding coordinator, except for the Grand Estate Package. For the other packages, we do highly recommend hiring a wedding planner for at least day of. Your site fee includes the services of a Facility Manager who will oversee your event and all services provided by Holman Ranch. The management of outside vendors is the responsibility of the wedding couple. We find that many couples do not have the time or live close enough to the Monterey Peninsula to plan the special touches that will make their wedding day the event they have envisioned
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE CHILDREN TO MY EVENT. IS CHILDCARE REQUIRED?
Although we don’t require childcare, we highly recommend it. Holman Ranch is an elegant facility, but we are still a ranch. There are areas for children to get into trouble.
WHAT DOES AN AVERAGE WEDDING COST AT HOLMAN RANCH?
The average cost for a wedding can vary greatly depending on the details and decisions made by the wedding couple. Day of the week, number of guests, time of year, type of food service and other decisions can all affect the budget. Since you are allowed to bring all your own vendors, you have a lot more control over your budget at Holman Ranch than at other venues.
ARE PETS ALLOWED ON PROPERTY?
We do welcome pets on property for your event. They do need to be on leash at all times, directly supervised (i.e., not tied up somewhere) and cleaned up after. Unfortunately, we do not allow pets in the guest rooms.
SUNSET TIMES, TEMPERATURE & WEATHER
Sunset Times
It helps to consult the Farmer’s Almanac and take away about 15 minutes due to surrounding hills. The temperature drops off rapidly between 10–20 degrees at sunset.
Rainy Season
January–March is the heaviest rain. April through the first week of June, you can expect scattered showers in the evenings and through the mornings. Around the third week of September, scattered showers can possibly return. Events held before sundown are usually safe until the second week of November.
Cooler Season
In April, May, October and November, we suggest starting your event no later than 1:00pm; from June – September, no later than 3:00pm.
Rose Patio Shade
From May to August, the Rose Patio is shaded by 4:30pm, and September to November, it’s shaded by 4:00pm.
Temperature
During the summer months (especially July to August), it’s about 78 to 82 degrees but can reach 96 degrees and up.
WHERE TO FIND US
60 Holman Road Carmel Valley, CA 93924
Holman Ranch is a private residence. Please call ahead for an appointment.
Holman Ranch is conveniently located 12 miles from Highway 1, off Carmel Valley Road, and just 30 minutes from Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY).
