Avalon Legacy Ranch

A friend got married here last week and unfortunately had some pretty awful weather. Luckily, they moved everything around and were able to still have an awesome ceremony and reception in the covered porch area. It was a lot of fun and I have to say the food was fantastic! The staff was always around to help and were on top of clearing tables and dishes as the reception went on. They even had someone greet each car as they arrived and walked them to the entrance with an umbrella (my wife was especially thankful). From a guest’s perspective, I had zero complaints.

I visited Avalon Legacy as a vendor this weekend for a wedding. The setting was quite pretty. The owner, Debbie, however couldn’t have been more unprofessional. She was extremely rude not only to us vendors but to the entire wedding party as well. I was completely appalled. I would definitely pay attention to the other negative reviews on here as they seem to be very much on par with what I experienced this weekend.

The place is beautiful. The staff was friendly and helpful. The wedding was a resounding success.

Absolutely beautiful venue! My best friend got married here in the fall and it was gorgeous.
There was a very nice, very spacious area upstairs for us to get ready — there was plenty of room for 6 bridesmaids plus the bride, and later the hair and makeup artists and the photographers.
The outdoor area for the ceremony was perfect, and it was just a short walk over to where the dinner/​reception was held. Again, perfect!
And the 2 fire pits with seating were so great for drinking, relaxing and talking with friends.
All in all, the venue was fantastic and helped to make the wedding run as smoothly and beautifully as it did. Highly recommended!

While I can appreciate that everyone has different beliefs, I was really taken aback today when I called to inquire about a possible viewing to see this space. I told Debbie that my fiancé and I were looking at venues and would like to come by. When she found out that my fiancé was a women, she stated that she was a preachers wife and believed that marriage was only between a man and a women. Had she stopped there, I could have respected her difference of opinion. She took it a step further when she said «I don’t want to get sued and be in the news so if you want to come here fine but we don’t support that lifestyle.» She went on to say she has a gay family member which I felt was somewhat irrelevant. If you are hosting a same-​sex wedding, don’t waste your time. If you are a straight couple who believes in equality, beware! I told her that I appreciated her honesty, I suppose, but I was certainly not interested in coming down there to visit with someone who only accommodates couples to avoid being sued…

Our wedding turned out great! As a bride, I loved the feel, flexibility, and variety. I happen to be a wedding photographer, have been for 6 years, and have worked with dozens of venues all over the state, country, and out of country. As a professional wedding vendor, I would have to honestly say that I was disappointed with the lack of professionalism and organization.
We took a tour and at the end we all sat at a beautiful wooden table. Right as my father signed the check, Debi propped her bare feet on the table right in front of us. It really irked me that anyone would do that in front of people signing a good amount of money over to you.
We then made sure to make an appointment with Debi for our engagement photos. I was a little perturbed because when we got there, the gate was locked and no one was in sight. We called her and she seemed to hardly remember us calling. She had us reach right behind the gate and find a spare key to unlock the gate, which broke. In the end, we were told to jump the fence. The porch was littered with trash. We found a couple weeks worth of dog poo on the upper balcony connected to the bridal suite and noted the door to the suite upstairs was propped open and there was poo on the inside. Take that as you will. I find not locking the venue a direct liability. Had we been criminals, we could have destroyed the place and stolen everything.
We signed the contract ⁰⁸⁄₁₄ and it took until late ⁰¹⁄₁₅ to receive our copy back in the mail after a few weeks of voicemails and emails Debi says she never received. Difficult communication was a common theme throughout our experience. As a bride, I would’ve appreciated more reliable communication and I felt completely ignored
Day of the wedding, we were greeted by dog poo in the bridal suite, crumbs on the coffee table, used makeup in the bathroom, and flies everywhere. The women’s bathroom outside was leaking from the ceiling and the toilet paper was soaked from the rain. The propane heaters were not all fully filled and 2 of them went out before the reception started. They did nothing to refill them. We are thankful that Debi allowed us to put a tent over the chapel area despite never having done it before, and chopping down a tree in the process. We’re also thankful she allowed us to keep food in the fridge overnight
Professionally, I have no respect for the management of this venue, solely because I’ve seen how venues should be run. Debi likes to post photos of the events. She should do this and has every right to, but the quality of the photos she posts do not show any aspect of the day in good light, especially the bride. I was glad she honored my request to not post photos of me. It’s just a personal professional pet peeve. You should always showcase the best of your venue, no less. Debi won theKnot. coms Best of Weddings 2014. We’re directed NOT to share this win with the public until a certain date — it’s the first bullet in the email. But she posted the win on the same day she got the email. Professionally, I lost respect for her. All it took was reading directions.
I’m giving this venue 2 stars, because we did have a great time. I wouldn’t recommend this venue to anyone, but only because I have a list of venues that are in the same price range and happen to come with more experienced management. This review was originally double the length so please feel free to contact me for any questions on our experience
Marisa Polson

I attended a wedding here a few months ago. The venue is rustic chic which is very popular now. I have never been to a venue of this type before but now that my own daughter is getting married I want to find a place that measures up to ALR. The open air wedding chapel was my favorite spot on the huge space. Also the fire pits gazebos with the blue glass fire rings were absolutely enchanting. I could have sat there all night. There were plenty of bathrooms available to accommodate the 150 people. Even though it rained I never had to worry about getting wet. Everything was covered. The inside of the house was breathtakingly beautiful with special details to lighting and furniture that was inviting and cozy. The tables were beautifully decorated. As I said I need to find a place to measure up to ALR because we don’t live in Texas. It is tempting to move the location 1000 miles just to be able to use this special place.

BUYER BEWARE: Our wedding was here and Debi didn’t respond to messages quickly and does not help you plan.
Shortly after the wedding, she was in trouble with the Fire Marshall. She setup a table in front of a window and lighting. My family decorated the tables with the help of Debi and her mom.
The window light caught a blanket on fire. The light under the window was on early afternoon and the table went up in flames. Thanks to my friends, it was extinguished before anyone or any structural damage was done.
Multiple witness accounts: no one who worked on property knew where fire extinguishers were and stated there weren’t any. Only Debi’s mom helped inside and instructed someone there was an extinguisher under the desk which was a propane tank. When Debi was asked about extinguishers she never commented and told her sons to hurry and get the hose working. My friends tore through all common areas to find an extinguisher without finding one.
After things were under control, Debi was asked if we should call the fire department, she didn’t respond but walked off and shook her head no. After she rudely and aggressively asked for our event insurance. I asked her what we could do so this didn’t happen again and she said, «Make sure nothing is in front of the light.» I told her, «That’s not an acceptable response. Can we please put tape or something on a switch so it doesn’t get turned on?» (She setup the tables). She fired back, «You don’t get to talk to me like that. My house almost burned down! Get me your event insurance information!» I quickly left as her presence as she was causing more stress. She was exaggerating since most of the damage was done to our decorations and tools and the damage to her house was superficial. Debi showed no interest in making sure everyone was ok or helping with my wedding. When cleaning up the fire we found a light which appeared to have fire damage on it just not as severe.
When we arrive to setup, Avalon was completely trashed from the night before and we were forced to cleanup everything. Someone still lives in the house as closets still had clothes and shoes in them, the fridge still had food in it and was filthy, the beds weren’t made when we came back on Sunday, and day of the groom’s suite had a dog puppies in it and one pup ran through the house during the reception getting paw prints everywhere.
We came back on Sunday bc it rained after our ceremony and we couldn’t get everything out of the house without damaging our property. Sunday, there were empty and half drank soda cans (which we had NOT left) as well as a large bowl of half eaten mac n cheese in the sink from our food. Who knows what else they helped themselves too. We left the house cleaner than it was given to us.
Based on investigation of Collin County Fire Codes, Avalon is in violation of MANY codes and I highly recommend anyone looking to book this venue finds a new one.

BRIDES-​TO-​BE AVOID THIS VENUE! You don’t need added stress. Be ready to pre clean before you set up! It was weird that we arrived actually later than the 9am time that we set and Debbie was meeting with potential clients and the place was not clean, we had to wipe down the table and chairs before we could set up, as well as remove other decorations from the night before. The spool the cake had been on the night before was gross. I had brought glass cleaner to use on some vintage window we brought and when I couldn’t find it I asked if they had seen it, well they were using is, handed it back to me pretty much empty. We did have a fire occur during set up from some lighting that had been covered up that we were not aware that even existed„ there were NO FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ANYWHERE, we had at least 5 people searching while others hurried to try and get water to put it out. (however 2 magically appeared the next morning) Even before the fire was out Debbie was asking about our insurance and pointing blame. I feel it would have gone over better with an apology and assuring us she would have the mess cleaned up and it wouldn’t happen again. It rained during the reception and water came through between the house and reception area creating slippery areas and getting people wet. I would actually give the outside area looks and chapel area a 4 star it was stunning, the only flaw was that the aisle are can be slick when wet. I think Debbie’s lack of experience in the wedding planning area and communication skills needs a lot of work.

This place is wonderful if you plan on having a group of 100 – 150 or more. Debbie and Fay are extremely nice people and they had no problem showing me and my friend around while we were on our search for a venue for my wedding. The prices for a Saturday and I are $ 6500, and $ 5500 for a Friday or Sunday wedding. As much as I love the fact that an outdoor chapel, three fire pits, bridal suite upstairs, formal sitting with comfy couches and leather chairs, a long dining table, and wrap around porch area are available with plenty of seating, it is difficult being in the area outside of the town of McKinney, not having accommodations for overnight guest. However, I do highly recommend this place if you are looking for a group of that size, and you do not mind spending at those rates. Would also like to add, Debbie spends a great deal, along with her landscape artist, on the shrubbery and flowers that are in bloom and the Cedar trees behind the chapel area are just beautiful.

Avalon Legacy Ranch is a beautiful retreat center — great for outdoor weddings by the lake, at the chapel, on the hillside, or host a wonderful event on the porch built to hold 100 +.
Owner is nice & helps brides who plan their own wedding (yes — I planned every detail except the photo shoot). & Has fabulous partners to help in a pinch.
Location is just a few minutes out of McKinney but is still close enough. Can bring horses to event with Stable & Riding Ring too.