Getting Married in the San Lorenzo Valley: Venues and Local Vendors
A steam train carries your guests into a grove in Felton, and the ceremony starts when it stops. That's one of nine verified venues within a short drive of Boulder Creek if you want to get married under redwoods, a run that goes from a historic Brookdale hotel to county park halls you rent yourself.
The venues were never the hard part. It's the rest of a wedding, the florals, cake, photos, music, hair and makeup, officiant, and rentals, that used to feel thin up here. That's changed: we've since verified vendors in every one of those categories who serve the valley.
What follows are the venues operating in the area, then local vendors grouped by what you're booking. Everything comes from each business's own information, so treat it as a place to start making calls rather than a verdict on anybody. Every listing is in our directory, and where a vendor's status is uncertain we say so instead of guessing.
The Venues
Brookdale Lodge (Brookdale)
Address: 11570 Highway 9, Brookdale. Phone: 831-609-6010. Website: brookdalelodge.com.
The historic Brookdale Lodge hosts weddings and parties in its River Run lounge and event space, and its remodeled rooms mean guests can stay on site. The on-site Brookdale Diner can handle catering. It's the closest full-service wedding-and-lodging venue to Boulder Creek.
Roaring Camp Railroads (Felton)
Address: 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton. Phone: 831-335-4484. Website: roaringcamp.com.
Roaring Camp runs ceremonies at Cathedral Grove, reached by steam train, or at the Redwood Grove, with receptions in Bret Harte Hall. Its published wedding packages run from about 75 guests up to 275 depending on the ceremony site, so ask which combination fits your count. Its wedding coordinator is Stacey Mabuhay (staceym@roaringcamp.com). This is the marquee redwood-railroad option, and it books well ahead.
The Sequoia Retreat Center (Ben Lomond)
Address: 11445 Alba Road, Ben Lomond. Phone: 831-218-5872. Website: sequoiaretreatcenter.com.
The Sequoia Retreat Center holds ceremonies at Peace Park among old-growth sequoias, with receptions in Las Alas Lodge or the string-lit Pixie's Garden patio. On-site cabins give the wedding party a place to get ready and guests a place to sleep, and the venue supplies tables and chairs.
Waterfall Lodge and Retreat (Ben Lomond)
Address: 325 Hidden Falls Trail, Ben Lomond. Phone: 831-212-3895. Website: waterfallsantacruz.com.
Waterfall Lodge is a private 80-acre redwood property with a sunny ceremony meadow and 32 cabins and cottages that sleep up to 86 overnight. It's a bring-your-own-vendor venue and hosts weddings of up to 150 daytime guests, plus retreats.
The Barn at River House (Ben Lomond)
Locality: Ben Lomond. Phone: 831-688-0355. Booking is by phone (ask for Casey). Web presence: Facebook page.
The Barn at River House centers on a 3,500-square-foot barn on a private stretch of the San Lorenzo River, with a wisteria arbor, a gazebo over the water, a redwood ceremony grove, and about 10,000 square feet of lawn seating up to 250 for dinner. It's available April through December and includes a bridal cottage and catering station. The exact street address isn't published, so confirm details by phone.
Highlands House at Highlands County Park (Ben Lomond)
Address: 8500 Highway 9, Ben Lomond. Booking phone: 831-454-7901 (Santa Cruz County Parks). Website: Highlands County Park.
Highlands House is a 1940s house you rent for weddings and parties at a county park, with a grand room for dancing, a prep kitchen, stored tables and chairs, and two upstairs rooms for the wedding party. One thing to know before you fall for it: you book through Santa Cruz County Parks at 831-454-7901, not a private event company, so the process runs on the county's reservation system. County Parks currently lists a maximum capacity of 75 people for the Highlands Park house, well under what the room looks like it could hold, so confirm the number for your date before you plan around it.
Sydalyn Hill (Felton)
Locality: Felton (exact address not published; tours by appointment). Phone: 408-892-1994. Website: sydalynhill.com.
Sydalyn Hill is a family-run farm venue on a sunny hilltop off Highway 9, surrounded by Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, with valley views, orchards, gardens, and an open meadow. It hosts a limited number of weddings each year, up to 150 guests for full packages, plus micro-weddings and intimate day events for up to 30. Its site currently shows full-size weddings booking for 2027, so ask about dates early.
Felton Guild (Felton)
Address: 5449 Highway 9, Felton. Phone: 831-336-8093. Website: feltonguildweddings.com.
Felton Guild has hosted outdoor weddings since 1994, built around a redwood cathedral ceremony space seating about 130 and a reception lawn that holds more than 200. The on-site Cowboy Bar & Grill provides catering and full bar service, with couples building a menu directly with the restaurant.
Kennolyn Events (Soquel)
Address: 8400 Glen Haven Road, Soquel. Phone: 831-479-6700. Website: kennolyn.com.
Kennolyn is a 450-acre estate and camp venue with two settings: the hilltop Hacienda Estate overlooking Monterey Bay, and Stone Creek Village, a redwood setting suited to weekend-long destination weddings of roughly 75 to 150. It sits over the ridge in Soquel rather than in the valley itself, included here as the nearby regional option for couples who want scale.
A few more venues are worth a call if you'll travel a little: the Amphitheater of the Redwoods at Pema Osel Ling in Watsonville (a 104-acre redwood retreat with on-site lodging and catering), Quail Hollow Ranch County Park in Felton (a county-permit ranch house and lawn), and the Hilton Santa Cruz / Scotts Valley for a full-service hotel wedding.
Florists
Boulder Creek has in-town floral makers plus reliable valley delivery.
- In Boulder Creek: Boulder Creek Flowers & Lokahi Designs (also known as Everly Designs) does wedding and event flowers by appointment. Woodland Floral & Creations (801-564-9944) makes hand-painted sola wood flower bouquets and arch pieces, a keepsake alternative to fresh flowers. Camp Joy Gardens (831-338-3651), the organic farm nonprofit since 1971, arranges flowers for weddings and events.
- Down the valley: Wild Iris Floral and Botanical in Felton (831-278-0151) serves Ben Lomond and the valley.
- County-wide studios: Ferrari Florist & Gardens (since 1946), Redwood & Ranunculus, Quaintrelle Farms, Dahlias & Details, and Seascape Flowers in Aptos.
Cakes and Desserts
- In Boulder Creek: Dessert First Bakery makes custom wedding and celebration cakes to order and shares a kitchen with Jenna Sue's Cafe rather than keeping a shopfront, and Butter Late Than Never Baking Co. is a licensed cottage bakery taking custom orders.
- Across the county: verified wedding-cake makers include Edith Meyer Wedding Cakes (a Santa Cruz wedding-cake specialist by appointment), The Buttery, Companion Bakeshop, Sugar Bakery Co. in Soquel, Gayle's Bakery in Capitola, and Freedom Bakery & Confections in Watsonville.
Catering and Bar
Couples here tend to mix dedicated caterers with restaurant catering lines.
- Closest: Wylder Space, farm-to-table wedding catering from Chef Molly Bravo in the Felton and Scotts Valley area.
- Around the county: Humble Bumble Catering, Feel Good Foods Catering, Santa Cruz Catering Company, Sunny's Catering, Aptos St. BBQ for barbecue, and D'La Colmena for Mexican catering. The Wild Bite is a women-owned small-bites caterer who also does day-of coordination, and Busy Bee's Cafe & Catering caters county-wide.
- Restaurant catering: the Brookdale Diner caters at 831-609-6126, and Scopazzi's Restaurant & Lounge in Boulder Creek (831-338-4444) has private-event rooms.
- Bar: Tip Top Taps is a mobile tap bar covering the county.
Photographers and Video
Several wedding photographers work the valley, and a few are Boulder Creek locals. Kassandra Thomsen Photography names San Lorenzo Valley redwood weddings in her own service list, and Kyer Wiltshire specializes in redwood-forest weddings and shoots both photo and video. De Joy Photography (Amber Amelingmeier) brings 18-plus years and 300-plus events, Sand and Stone Media covers photo and video, and Kelly Griffiths Photography travels throughout the county.
Music and DJs
ICON DJ serves Felton, Scotts Valley, and redwood estates with no local travel fee, and DJ Warwick keeps a dedicated Ben Lomond wedding page, which makes both natural first calls for a valley wedding. Santa Cruz DJ Company in Scotts Valley (founded 2008) runs 200-plus events a year, and SIM Events is a full-service DJ and entertainment company covering Santa Cruz and Monterey.
Hair and Makeup
Wedding hair and makeup here is mobile, coming to your venue or getting-ready suite. Kelly Jo Beauty works studio and mobile, Cristal Stephani is a mobile makeup artist, Meghan Elisabeth (the Nomadic Stylist) does mobile bridal hair, and Kala Ketchum and Malina Terra both do on-location wedding hair and makeup. Spa Bella Mobile Spa serves the Santa Cruz area; confirm it covers your valley venue when you book.
Planners and Coordinators
Weddings By Aimee names the San Lorenzo Valley on its site and works with a low-waste focus, the closest local fit of the planners we found. Mia Jasmine Weddings specializes in redwood and mountain weddings, and Wedding Connection and Event by Dawn both plan across the county. For day-of coordination specifically, A Paper Flower Wedding (Sarah G.) and The Wild Bite both offer it.
Officiants
You do have valley-serving officiants. Santa Cruz Officiant lists Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, and Felton directly in its service area. Marry Me In Santa Cruz (Jane Bendick) performs ceremonies and elopements across the county, and Elope Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay is a separate officiant-and-photographer team focused on elopements.
Balloons, Decor, and Rentals
- Balloons and styling: Luzovich Celebrations is a San Lorenzo Valley stylist who also makes party favors, and Bash Works and Aesthetic Events & Co. do balloon garlands and event styling (Bash Works also rents bounce houses and marquee letters).
- Tables, chairs, tents, and lighting: verified rental companies serving the county include M&M Party Rentals in Watsonville, Alexis Party Rental, A to Z Party Rental, Special Events Rentals, and Chic Event Rentals.
Delivery up a mountain road can carry a distance fee, so confirm your exact venue address when you book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which valley venues let you bring your own caterer and vendors?
Waterfall Lodge is explicitly a bring-your-own-vendor property, and Highlands House through the county is self-catered by design. Others, like Felton Guild with its Cowboy Bar & Grill and Brookdale Lodge with the Brookdale Diner, pair you with in-house food and bar. Always confirm the vendor policy with the venue before booking outside help.
How do I book Highlands House for a wedding?
Highlands House sits in Highlands County Park and is reserved through Santa Cruz County Parks, not a private operator. Call the county parks reservation line at 831-454-7901 to check availability and the rental process. County Parks currently lists a maximum capacity of 75 people for the house, so confirm the number for your date.
Are there any wedding venues actually in Boulder Creek?
Brookdale Lodge in neighboring Brookdale is the closest full-service hotel-and-event venue, and Boulder Creek itself has florists, bakeries, and photographers who live in town. The dedicated ceremony-and-reception estates cluster south in Ben Lomond, Felton, and Soquel, a short drive down Highway 9.
Is there a wedding officiant who serves the San Lorenzo Valley?
Yes. Santa Cruz Officiant lists Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, and Felton in its service area, and Marry Me In Santa Cruz and Elope Santa Cruz both perform ceremonies and elopements across the county. Contact each to confirm your date and location.
Who bakes wedding cakes near Boulder Creek?
Dessert First Bakery in Boulder Creek specializes in custom wedding and celebration cakes, ordered direct rather than from a shopfront, and Butter Late Than Never Baking Co. is a licensed Boulder Creek cottage bakery. For more options, Edith Meyer Wedding Cakes, The Buttery, Companion Bakeshop, Sugar Bakery Co., Gayle's, and Freedom Bakery all make wedding cakes across the county.
Everything above is a verified place to start, not a recommendation. Browse the full Boulder Creek Local directory for local vendors, and send corrections or additions through the submit page so the next couple gets accurate information.
