This is a Wedding Event Place!! I went on a fantastic tour today of Stonebridge Manor. This mansion (By the way, 13 bathrooms qualify a big house as a mansion.) is so beautiful. You have to understand, this is located in Mesa, Arizona. There is not one single palm tree or cactus on the grounds. That is almost heresy. Every place in Arizona, I have found, has to have the obligatory cactus and/or a palm tree. It is the preferred part of the gardening scenario. But no, the owner has trees everywhere. There is a pergola ( arched covered walk) that has yellow flowers. Bougainvillea, roses, green grass, every kind of flower, and water features are beautifully displayed in places to sit, view, enjoy, and peruse.
Here it is, December 12th and I did have a light sweater and jacket, but that is all. The sun was shining. It was about 70 degrees. I’m sorry for all of you people who are in Maine or Illinois. I know your weather is awful. But, this is such a beautiful place, almost all the time. The heavy season is from October to April because that is when the weather is almost always perfect. Light season is May 15 through June 15, September 1 through September 15, and January 3 to Feb 17. Summer, everyone takes off. It is hot then.
A Wedding to Remember
That is why this is such a great place to have an event, such as a wedding, high school graduation, reunion, big anniversary, whatever. They have everything you need for a STRESS-FREE wedding, including decor options, culinary, beverage, cake, DJ, Flowers and Photography, and The Officiant (Pastor). I want to stress the STRESS-FREE wedding. They do and provide everything. They have all the necessary people on hand to put everything together without having to find or look for anything. And, they can do two events at once, one in the front house and one in the beautiful back tent pavilion.
And, it is surprisingly affordable. I would have expected $20,000. But no, in 2006, Michael Mills, who owns this marvelous place, looked at the market and determined that it had some problems coming. His previous career was as a CPA. The man is smart. He called all his suppliers and told them he was lowering his prices by 15% and expected them to do the same. Then, when the crash did come in 2007 – 2011, he was perfectly placed to bring a wonderful event venue for weddings or anything that brings people together for an affordable price. And, he has continued this practice.
The History of this Place is also interesting
Originally built in the late 70’s by Carl Jensen, one of the original founders of Forever Living Products, an aloe vera company. The Jensens were really secretive about building it. They never applied for a permit to build. They just plowed a narrow road through a huge orange tree orchard and brought everything in. The only reason anyone knew about the place, was that Falcon Field Airport had a plane, with a city inspector, happen to fly over it. So, the building permit and final inspection were issued by the City of Mesa on the same day.
The house has so many interesting features. The Jensen’s had 9 children and each child was given a choice of a building feature. So, there are secret passages built into closets, a large sauna, Jacuzzi, a weight room, and a windowed turret on the 3rd floor so the two younger boys could watch the planes take off in the nearby Falcon Field. The backyard included a gazebo, barbeque pit, sunken/lighted tennis court, racquetball courts, and an outdoor Jacuzzi. The 30 x 60 foot pool is 12 deep and covered in one-inch mosaic tile.
The Jensens sold in 1985
The Jensens occupied the house for many years, and then sold in 1985 to a group of investors, hoping to build a large area of beautiful homes, but the city wouldn’t budge, even though they had all the underground lines and utilities ready. Nope, it was too close to the airport.
Then, a retired school teacher from California bought it and planned to turn it into a bed and breakfast, because it had four stories with 10 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, two kitchens, two laundry rooms and a movie theatre. The hall on the second floor (now used for getting ready for the Bride and Groom) is an amazing 150 long.
Then it was bought by the owners about 20 years ago
However, she died before that could be realized and the present owners bout it in 1998. Two childhood friends who wanted to get out of the dry world of being CPAs and open a wedding and reception facility. They have been spectacularly successful and now they can accommodate two events simultaneously with the addition of a 6,000-square-foot beautifully tented pavilion (from the old tennis and racquetball courts. They also added three additional kitchens, abundant parking, and landscaping of nearly 25,000 square feet with lawn and extensive planters, trees, and shrubbery.
For years, this house was called the Aloe Vera Mansion. But in 1998, it was renamed Stonebridge Manor because they added a stone bridge. They recently had their 3,200 wedding in 2018. And, they have added a high-end restaurant to the side area. That is the reason I got to go on the tour with a women’s Christian group. We had a fantastic lunch there. And, that restaurant is very “in” in Mesa. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting to have a high-end event that will be memorable for years. This is an absolutely beautiful setting for anyone’s special day.
The highest price and fanciest wedding was only $13000 and the least was $7200, according to the information I picked up today, 12/12/18. And that includes all the costs. That is a steal! By the way, you can call them at 480-641-3131. Or, you can just rent the venue for $4500 to $9000. Or go to their website at http://www.stonebridgemanor.com.