Manager Spotlight: Catering and Event Planner Joyce Whelehon

Stepping into the San Vicente Resort, it’s clear that something exciting is on the horizon. From refreshed event spaces to new culinary touches, the resort is gearing up for a season of enhancements designed to elevate gatherings for the community. At the center of it all is manager Joyce Whelehon, the resort’s catering and event planner, whose vision and energy are shaping a fresh experience for guests in 2026 and beyond.

With a passion for bringing people together and an eye for detail, Whelehon oversees everything from intimate celebrations to large community banquets. Whelehon joined the San Diego Country Estates in 1979 and has been working there for 46 years. She began her career in the golf shop, where she handled all the merchandise buying for 27 years. She was asked to move upstairs and never looked back.

She is present at every event, personalizing every detail of the client’s vision. If the food is good and the staff is liked, it is a story for success. From setting up the banquet room to meet the clients needs to coordinating with the kitchen to ensure everything runs flawlessly, Whelehon helps clients enjoy their own party, while she takes care of the details.

Whelehon and her team specialize in weddings in locations throughout the Resort, including Golf Course Hole 18 Waterfall and Georgia’s Garden. The San Vicente Resort is a perfect location for a wedding because they offer hotel rooms and guests can stay the entire weekend. She added that all of the catered food comes from the San Vicente Resort kitchen.

“You don’t have to get in your car once you arrive,” says Whelehon. “It’s very family oriented.” She coordinates school and family reunions, and work team-building events. On the property, guests for these events can independently have breakfast, visit the snack bar, use the pool, and get a round of golf in. The San Vicente Room and Oaks Grill is set up and equipped with a speaker, sound system and slide show that can be used for anything from business meetings to family reunions.

The wedding venue is available to host all aspects of the wedding, including the rehearsal dinner, engagement parties, bridal parties, and even bachelor and bachelorette parties. The option for an all-inclusive experience allows guest to never have to leave the premises, adding more time for relaxtion and less stress. 

Whelehon also coordinates baby showers, birthday parties, quinceaneras, Bar Mitzvas, retirement parties, anniversaries, and celebrations of life. The resort features a variety of stunning spaces that can be just right for your event. The resort offers specialized menus for each event with different price points. Whelehon works with her clients and the kitchen to create menus that fits each event-and budget-perfectly.

Whelehon dresses for each occasion and theme. If it’s a horseback riding club, she will dress in the western theme to add to the fun. Her vision is to ensure every client gets maximum value for their investment and that they feel taken care of.

When Whelehon isn’t planning events, she enjoys shopping and going to lunch with her girlfriends. She enjoys hosting parties with her friends and spends time with the two kids who are both married and live in Ramona.

“I have the same house, same job, and same husband,” says Whelehon. She was hired at the Resort in February, was married in June, and bought their house in August, 1979.

As San Vicente Resort enters an exciting new chapter, it’s clear that its heart lies in the people who bring it to life. With Joyce Whelehon’s experience, creativity, and personal touch leading the way, every event becomes more than just a gathering—it becomes a lasting memory, thoughtfully crafted and warmly shared. To start planning your event with Joyce today, Click here