Ridgewood Event Center - Hesperus, Colorado

Megan Schroeder

Our wedding at Ridgewood was magical! The property is unique and stunning.
Joan was great to work with and a total pro. She was very accommodating to our needs and created some seriously gorgeous flower arrangements. I can’t recommend her and her rental company enough. It’s also helpful that most vendors in Durango have experience working at Ridgewood. Joan understood my vision and the final execution was my dream wedding day!

Teri Nuhn

I have only had the BEST of events there at Ridgewood Event Center. The family who runs it are absolutely AMAZING! I had my wedding there and they were phenomenal in helping me during that day. They let us utilize the Event Center in a way that respected their space and my Indigenous culture. Not only did they host the Durango School District's Native American Graduation Ceremonies for years, until my departure, they also, provided other events that hosted my family in such loving ways. I will be forever thankful for this beautiful and sacred space that is lovingly attended to and how they care for their clients and guests.

Grace Johnson

My husband and I had our wedding at Ridgewood event center June 2023. It was absolutely amazing! We used the on-site event coordinator Joan Alford for our wedding planning and she was wonderful from start to finish.
Many of our guests and the bridal party also stayed at Blue Lake Ranch the lodging near the event center. Beautiful and convenient! Thank you to the whole team and the Alford family!

Chelsea Nelson

Follow up- Im not in your records of being a customer because I was completely ghosted. I was ignored for literally months until I posted a negative google review. That is when I finally got a response. I was excited to move forward in planning my wedding after the pitch I was given. I was supposed to get an email with details and pricing. I was actually told I'd be getting a sample website of my wedding. I was so excited. It literally never came. I never got a follow up text or call or email. Sadly, I've heard so many other brides have the same experience. Promised their dream day (all within their proposed budget)...then no response. If you do get the chance to be one of the few lucky brides selected to actually have some conversation and planning of their wedding day at Ridgewood... good for you, you may even want to buy a lotto ticket!

Elizabeth Nicholson

My Husband and I got married August of 2023. The Ridgewood Event Center was the venue that hosted the most special day of my life! As an event planner myself, I am used to planning and coordinating weddings, community events, and any celebration. I was SOO excited to sit back knowing that Joann (venue wedding planner) was going to coordinate, set-up, take down, and follow the timeline. Come my wedding day, the most IMPORTANT things were not executed. I am far from disappointed. Not only was this venue full of empty promises, they had my family members run their errands, neglected to find a solution when the Ice company didn’t show up, and shoved my party favors that were very specific to South Africa in a closet. That means that most of my guests did not receive a thank you gift. My father-in-law made biltong (the second item that was specific to South Africa) and that too was abandoned until the end of the night when most guests had left. Joann did not follow the timeline. In return we didn’t have a “cake cutting”, nor did we even have any dessert because the staff from the venue took it home! I catered Jean Pierre so all the pastries were not cheap. Joann also left behind my bouquet toss. Both of these events had certain songs that were supposed to be played. Nothing happened. On top of everything she decided to keep most of my decor and I had to make a second trip to collect the items.

If you are looking for a venue that dresses appropriately for your special day, I learned you will need to request this from the venue. Attitude plays a big part in any event and Joann was not pleasant to work with day-of according to family, and other vendors. We waited 15 minutes to be served dinner as a couple.

I rented out glasses for the bar and my guests and they snuck in plastic cups without approval which is not what I wanted for our wedding. Especially if we are renting glasses from them. Most of the staff was under 21 and were unable to set-up champagne in certain spots that were promised. I had to pay my bartender an extra fee for doing that. My napkin decor was neglected which was disappointing because my invites foreshadowed the table settings. I also bought reserved signs and those were not put out.

If you would like to plan your own wedding this is the venue for you. Beautiful views, decor, rentals, floral. I highly don’t recommend working with Joann. I cannot have this day back, and I wish I never had to write a review like this. I believe this will help other couples make a decision on what services they will actually receive.

Melanie Quist

We are very grateful to Joan and the excellent staff at The Ridgewood Event Center. Not only was the venue beautiful but Joan’s added personal touches and her special way of making everyone feel at ease on this happy, (yet a little stressful for this mama of the bride) makes this place absolutely gorgeous!

Timberline Photography & Films

As a photographer, I can honestly say I have never been to a wedding here and not been completely blown away by this incredibly beautiful venue! Joan has always worked hard to make sure everything goes as planned on the wedding days I have worked here. You won’t find a prettier venue in the Hesperus area with the stunning accommodations across the street at Blue Lake Ranch.

Angela Hart

Ridgewood is a beautiful venue in the countryside near Durango, Colorado. It's a wonderful setting for weddings, family reunions as well as smaller events like baby showers and parties. There's an open wood beamed, light filled main venue as well as many different outdoor settings among the trees. The views are exceptional with mountains, woods and water back drops. Ridgewood will work with you depending on how much you want to do yourself or have them do for you. For instance if you want to bring in your own caterer or use theirs. They offer an in house florist who does really beautiful arrangements, or you can use your own. They have everything you need for your tables -glass ware and dishes, linens ect. They also have a sister property a mile up the road, Blue Lake Ranch that's a gorgeous Bed and Breakfast that can accommodate up to fifty of your guests. If you're planning an event, schedule a tour so you can see for yourself this beautiful venue.