Flying Caballos Ranch

I was in my brother’s wedding this last summer at this ranch and am still blown away every time I think about it! We stayed on the property in the darling homes for a whole week, and I truly fell in love. It was the perfect hidden treasure with rolling hills and tall grass, beautiful trees and overall just amazing open space.
Not only did we get to stay at the venue, but we had the rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception there as well. The hot tub and fire pit were such a nice added bonus, and the guests loved making s’mores over the fire after dinner! Everything came together so beautifully and the staff was truly amazing. They worked so hard to make sure we were happy and that everything was running smoothly. I VERY HIGHLY recommend this place!

This past summer I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid in a wedding held at this very special ranch. The spaciousness of the property, combined with the three separate accommodations made it not only an incredible space to host the wedding of my dear friends, but also the perfect setting for an unforgettable weekend for family and close friends to celebrate, enjoy each others company and stay comfortably all together in a beautiful location.
Between the outdoor grill, the hot tub and plenty of space for lawn games, our group spent most of our time outdoors enjoying the perfect SLO weather. The scenic setting of this ranch makes practically impossible to not to relax. The guesthouse and cottage, where family of the bride and groom stayed, were very nicely decorated and had everything you need for a comfortable weekend stay.
I personally stayed in the main farmhouse with the bride and the rest of the bridal party. The warm and inviting layout of the home was ideal for preparing and having meals together, finishing up last minute wedding crafts and relaxing with the bride-​to-​be. The day of the wedding we had plenty of space to get all of us ready with hair stylists, makeup artists and photographers in tow. The bright colors and beautiful furniture of the rooms made for great pre-​wedding photos.
The wedding itself was magical and the property is laid out in such a way that each portion of the event had its own special location. From cocktail-​hour near the farmhouse entrance, the ceremony in a scenic field overlooking the valley, a wonderful dinner in the backyard lit with strings of bulb lights and of course the dance floor… that was full as soon as the music started! One of my favorite things was the fire pit, which made for a cozy setting to catch up with friends and take in the beauty of the whole night.
Overall, I couldn’t have had a better time at Flying Caballos Ranch and can’t wait to return. Members of the bridal party and I are already talking about renting the property for a long weekend so we can take advantage of the nearby wine tasting. I would highly recommend this property to anyone planning a wedding, reunion or even just time away with friends or family. It truly is a unique place where everyone can come together to create lasting memories in a beautiful setting.

10 Stars! 20 Stars! 100 stars!
This place is a dream come true. so charming and filled with adorable details that make you feel as if you jumped in a time machine to the 1950’s.
We had our wedding here on Sept 26^th 2015, and it was even better than I remember during the site visits. We came down from San Francisco for a wedding weekend, and I would do it all over again if I could! I’ll try to make this an easy-​read, but keep in mind, I would write a novel about this place…
+ Weather was perfect; a little windy in the afternoon but nothing outrageous. We didn’t need any heaters at night, but apparently there is usually fog that rolls in this time of year
+ The «yard» around the main house was nicely landscaped for our reception– So gorgeous!
+ We arrived Thursday, checked out Sunday, and enjoyed a lovely evening with family Thursday night. This was great for seeing what the lighting was like a nighttime
+ Fire pit is clutch!
+ Did’t get a chance to try the hot tub, but check it out!
+ Houses were very clean and ready for our arrival
+ EVERYONE that came to our wedding raved about the venue
+ Amazing backdrop for our ceremony
+ They offered to switch the colored light bulbs out for us to all white-​lights. SO helpful!
+ The owner sent a handyman over to fix issues we had within the same day and even came by himself to make sure it was all taken care of
+ We had the water tower as our wedding night «suite» and it was like a dream… waking up with birds chirping and a gorgeous view. Couldn’t have asked for a better morning with my new husband
Sarah was wonderful to work with and made the last few months of planning so easy. She took over from our other point of contact and did an even better job of answering our questions, and being available for vendors to come by in the weeks prior. even after just having a baby! Thank you Sarah!
If you want the perfect wedding day, with an amazing property to enjoy with your families in the days leading up to it, choose Flying Caballos. We plan on coming back with family for many years to come to relive our magical day.

My daughter had her wedding at Flying Caballos and I cannot say enough good things about this venue for a wedding. Our family and the groom’s family were all able to stay in the houses at the venue, which made the logistics of getting everything done so much easier. Ayla, the property manager was very helpful and it was great that they had all the tables and chairs that we needed right there on the ranch. After the wedding was over, we were able to relax and enjoy the beauty of the ranch.
The ranch itself is amazing, surrounded by the rolling hills of San Luis Obispo, planted with beautiful flowers and a well-​maintained lawn, lit up at night with magical lights in the trees. We enjoyed campfires in the evenings at the fire pit and the hot tub was wonderful as well. We also really enjoyed being so close to downtown San Luis, with stores close by for all those last minute items we needed.
If you are looking for a wedding venue, I would highly recommend Flying Caballos. It was perfect for us, a day we will always remember.

This has got to be the best place to hold a wedding. I know this because this is where I was married. Our entire family was able to stay on the property for three days and everyone loved it. The views are magnificent and the 10 person tree house hot tub was a huge bonus. Every bedroom was well decorated with the most comfortable pillows. The venue came with a wedding coordinator (Krysta) that was the most professional and organized person I know. She had awesome communication with my wife throughout the entire process of planning the wedding. The day of the wedding the person in charge of the catering called in sick but luckily our coordinator handled everything and my bride and I didn’t notice, she rocked it! Krysta if you read this Thank You!!! The day of the wedding was windy but again Krysta was able to move things around and make it so the wind didn’t effect our wedding. No complaints on this place. Most memorable and perfect day of my life.

Beautiful venue with a great location in SLO! I love the history of the house, the train rolling thru and the views of the hills. It’s one of the greatest venues in SLO to enjoy your wedding experience for the entire weekend with your friends, family & guests! I’ve photographed a wedding here and I really appreciate the authentic farm house, the views and all of the variety this property offers!
Highly recommended!

We booked our wedding here over 8 months ago and now with less than 6 months left until the event, they just called us, told us that the location had been double booked, and we’re just SOL.
They offered to move us to another date (more than 2 months later), but we booked this wedding almost a year ago! We already have a complete nonrefundable honeymoon booked for after our wedding. I’m not going to go on a honeymoon, then 3 months later actually get married.
This is beyond ****ed up and right now I’m so mad the only thing I can think to do is let other people know not to give their business to this awful management.
It’d be one thing if they noticed the double booking a week or two after we made our reservation, but there’s less than 6 months left until the wedding! That is no where near enough time to find a new location. What the hell were they doing with this information on the other booking for the last year?
SAVE YOURSELF THE HEARTBREAK, AVOID WORKING WITH THESE PEOPLE

From the moment we stepped onto the property, we knew it was the place we were going to get married. Our wedding was a dream, and we have not only our amazing wedding coordinators to thank, but also the serenity and simple beauty of Flying Caballos. It was important to us that our families, having never met before, get to spend ample time together. We rented the main house, guest house, studio and Watch Tower for three nights (Fri-​Sun), and we all stayed on the property together.
This made not only preparing for the wedding and the flow of the day itself easy, but also, the day following the wedding we had a good bye BBQ and were able to invite people back to the property at their leisure to chow down and say their goodbyes.
**Having the extra day at the ranch after the wedding was one of the best decisions we made. No rushing to pack up and get out of there after the long day before, plus, our families got to spend even more time together which was very special for everyone and resulted in some of our most favorite memories of the weekend.
Table and chairs for up to 150 are now provided by the ranch. The chairs are nice with a natural wood look — tables are mostly round and fit perfectly in the space. — in fact, once we started the table set up, I was surprised at how much more space there was in the yard than I originally thought. We had a party of around 150, with 18 tables and we never felt packed. The groom and I had a perfect view of everyone at our wedding from our sweetheart table.
There is a really cute double outhouse that is in the middle of the yard, so no need to rent a portable outhouse (unless you have over 150ppl).
It was easy for catering and rentals to set up in the shed on the side of the property — you would never even know they were there on the day of the wedding.
There is a 10PM amplified music cut off for San Luis Obispo County, but don’t fret! The main house has a built in outdoor speaker system which is set to not go over a certain decibel, so once the official DJ/​band stops, you can continue playing music to your hearts content. This was such a plus for us. The dance party never really stopped all weekend long.
In all honesty, I probably could have not brought a single thing to decorate the space, as the attention to detail of the entire property is magical enough in and of itself. Every nook and cranny has so much character. The lawn furniture, the fire pit, the redwood water tower hot tub, the list goes on and on… people go gaga over this place. You’re guests will inevitably be in awe of the property and the setting.
They spent a lot of time and energy in the off season planting new heavy duty grass which held up really nicely with the summer’s wear and tear. Our wedding was towards the end of «wedding season» and we were pleased with the grounds. No complaints there.
TIPS: There is no AC in the guest house and main house — while the main house gets a nice breeze, in the guest house you may need to bring a oscillating fan or two to keep the air moving on hot summer nights. We set up a tent in the yard and the kids had a fun camping adventure.
Brides — be aware that you’re walking and frolicking in a place that is chock full of vintage and antique furniture. This means some of these pieces, especially the outdoor furniture, have some rusty and somewhat jagged edges. I tore my dress on one said piece of furniture and the groom snagged his suit pant leg on another. At that point we had already tied the knot so our priorities were elsewhere, but it was a bit of a bummer.
You’re going to use the fire pit and you’re going to run out of wood. Make sure to bring some!
Check with the property manager regarding the schedule for the sprinkler system. We were surprised on our last night there while sitting around the fire pit when the entire lawn sprinkler system turned on. It was a funny moment for sure, but could have been avoided…
Last I heard there were plans in place to build a barn with kitchen facilities at the bottom of the hill. Imagine two choices for your venue, indoor or outdoor, and a built in back up plan if it rains. Amazing.
Finally, price. The way we see it — sure, we laid down some cash for this place, but compared to some of the other venues in the area that charge just as much for ONE day vs. the THREE we got — it was a no brainer. It was worth every penny and a weekend we will remember forever.

I loved our wedding. We had an awesome weekend. It was beautiful.
However, if I could go back to when we booked our venue I would have stayed away from Flying Caballos. We spent $ 10K for our closest family and bridal party to stay here for 3 nights. Our rehearsal and wedding was on the same property.
PROS:
— Joleen is the sweetest, warmest person.
— The property is unique and gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like it.
— Hot tub in the old water tower.
— Firepit with wood and seating.
— Lots of lawn furniture.
— You can have your loved ones all together for a weekend.
— Rehearsals, weddings, brunches can all take place on the property.
— Semi-​secluded while still being near town.
— For $ 25 per tent a few more people can camp there
— Two kitchens.
— Central heating. (This is also a con because the windows on the first floor bedroom of the farmhouse were nailed or painted shut and I was uncomfortably hot even while sleeping with the door open)
— Pets allowed. This was a priority for us because we wanted to include our two dogs.
CONS:
— $ 10,000 (for ~20 people sleeping there and using the property for events — they also clean and change the sheets for you at the end)
— No major cleaning or repairs included.
— No tables, chairs, coordination, or anything included. You must rent everything. (There are enough accessible toilets not to have to rent portable restrooms though.)
— The lawn is torn up from constant use. There are so many bald spots, it’s pretty ugly.
— The yellow chair that swings from the small house is gone. No one told me it was going to be removed so we missed some photo ops and fun I was looking forward to.
— The dishes were gross. Dust, food stuck to half of them, lipstick still on the rim of glasses, etc.
— Every remote was broken or the batteries were dead or missing. We had to buy batteries to use the TVs. The smaller house TV is wrapped in some weird wood frame and we couldn’t access the buttons without disassembling it.
— Joleen was 30 to 60 minutes late to every meeting I had with her, except the first one when she was already there with another couple. I had to call and remind her after waiting and she always forgot and didn’t keep my number.
— Joleen forgot the info sheet when dropping off the keys the first night around 4pm. She was going to swing by within the hour or email it to us. My friend who needed to finish up some work spend the next 6 hours freaking out because Joleen didn’t come by or email as she said she would and wasn’t answering her phone. Around midnight she sent a text with the wifi password. Never got the gate code so we just left it open the whole time and hoped no one shut it and locked our guests out.
— The outdoor speaker by the back door of the main house was suppose to be fixed. It was not.
— Some of the furniture was broken but not in noticeable areas such as rips in the sofa. etc… it was more like doors of dressers off the hinges so you couldn’t open them without them falling off, etc
— Several door handles fell off in our hands and the toilet paper holder in the honeymoon suite water tower fell off the wall.
— At least two of the lamps didn’t work or the lights were burnt out.
— The top floor of the honeymoon water tower was full of the most flies I have ever seen in my life. We tried to let them out, not go upstairs at all, and I was still grossed out.
For $ 10k, I would at least expect reasonable customer service, a housekeeper to clean the dishes, and basic repairs to be made.
It took apx 6 weeks for my deposit check to be refunded.

LOVED this place, loved, it loved it loved it. Wanted to use it for our wedding 100%. The lady who showed us the place was very nice as well. We thought it was just awesome.
Finding out that the place was 10K for the weekend and there really weren’t a lot of perks included in that price. Well, that just left us feeling a little indignant. Really think about what 10K can buy you. There were no real options, we either have the place for 3 days and 10k or no wedding. Sure we could have booked a weekday for a little less but not much and that’s way to inconvenient for people.
Most people don’t realize that the wedding industry grosses more prophet than the breakfast cereal industry and it’s easy to see why. Just saying the word ‘wedding’ seems to drive the cost up 20%. Perhaps if we had an endless money flow from which to tap this place could have been conceivable but we’d rather spend that money on things that matter more to us.
Sorry guys, best of luck anyway.

One of my best friends got married here and the venue was gorgeous. The venue includes 3 houses so it is great for people who have family and friends coming from out of the area (their family was from Sweden). She had «Momma’s Meatball» cater here and they used the kitchen in the main house, we got ready in one of the rooms in the main house while the boys got ready in the second house. We also had the rehearsal dinner here (outside on the lawn). The property also has a hot tub and pool table so it is a lot of fun to just hang out here and relax pre/​post-​wedding.

My cousin got married in SLO and the the bride/​groom, wedding party, and parents rented out all 3 houses on this drop-​dead gorgeous, sprawling estate.
From Website: «The Flying Caballos Ranch was originally owned by the Gaxiolla family in the early 1900’s and encompassed several hundred acres. The Gaxiolla’s were Swiss immigrants who operated the ranch as a dairy farm; the original farmhouse was built in 1905 for the entire family. In 1952 the guesthouse and studio were built to accommodate one of the brothers who got married and wanted some privacy from his bachelor brother who lived in the main house. The Gaxiolla’s grew their own vegetables, vineyard, and orchard. They hunted deer and fished for salmon, all on the ranch. Currently the ranch consists of approximately 100 acres with horse and cattle grazing, a year round creek and unobstructed views of Edna Valley and Islay hill».
The property has been completely restored to its original glory. Its a breathtaking vacation rental & special event venu. There are three rentals available including the main ranchouse, the green guest house, and an adjacent studio apartment.
We spent the afternoon here the day after Saturday wedding for a family BBQ. I truly didn’t want to leave.