The absolute most beautiful wedding venue - it is stunning, serene, and feels like you're tucked away in the forest. I can't emphasize how many endless compliments we got on how gorgeous and unique the Sequoia is (especially the ceremony space surrounded by redwoods, and the cocktail hour deck with an amazing view of the forest) Diane, the owner, is so lovely, responsive/communicative, and accommodating. I was worried about having a secure place to store my jewelry- she got a safe just for us to use! I realized the morning of the wedding that I hadn't assembled our fujifilm cameras - she immediately stepped in to help. The venue is very customizable - it's BYOB (though FYI about wine/beer only policy- we served spritzes and sangria as our signature drinks), you can choose your own caterer, and we were able to save on florals because the venue is so pretty, it doesn't need any dressing up. We initially debated venues solely because the Sequoia was farther away for our guests -- but we kept coming back to the Sequoia, and I am so so glad we did. We would pick it again in a heartbeat! read more

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I'm a wedding planner and I work with Sequoia retreat a lot. The staff there are beyond top notch. The dedication and care they show to their couples and vendors is so rare and meaningful. Whenever we have the privilege to work at this property I already know it will be a dream experience. If you want to find a venue that truly cares about you and creating a meaningful experience for you and your guests this is the spot. It's tucked away amongst noble giants offerings stunning views from their deck. The owners really go above and beyond. When faced with any type of situation they meet it head on and provide an atmosphere for vendors to collaborate and create magic together. read more

We got married here at the end of September and had such a positive experience! The Sequoia is such a special place and photos don't do it justice. Diane (the owner) was also a joy to work with and was beyond helpful and communicative throughout the experience. 1000/10. read more

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We had a fantastic experience having our wedding at the Sequoia Retreat Center! The venue is uniquely beautiful with multiple indoor/outdoor spaces and is perfect for those looking to do a more custom wedding in nature. Diane & her team were so nice to work with--responsive, flexible, and very accommodating to any and all ideas. Diane especially was very knowledgeable and seemed quite invested in helping us plan our wedding. We are so thankful for that, since it helped us turn our wedding into something we felt was uniquely ours. On the day of the wedding, we ran into several unforeseen circumstances (as expected ), but luckily Diane was there helping to smooth things out behind the scenes. We highly recommend this venue & feel so lucky to have found it read more

The sequoia retreat center was a dream come true wedding venue. We had the privilege of getting married here on 8/18/23. The get ready cabins are amazing, the ceremony space was beyond beautiful, the cocktail hour deck was perfect, the dinner space was intimate and gorgeous, and the indoor dance floor was so much fun. Diane was wonderful to work with, provided lots of vendor recommendations, answered any and every question for us, and helped us make our dreams a reality. The venue supplies all of the tables and chairs, provides a ceremony triangle arch, cocktail hour tables, fire pits, a few specific decor items, and the most beautiful views. It was an honor to get married on these sacred grounds and get to spend the entire day and night in that space. Our guests could not stop talking about how incredible our venue was. The only downside was having to leave! We LOVED our time in this space and had the most special wedding day we could possibly ask for. read more

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My husband and I stumbled upon this beautiful location when we had to redo our elopement plans after a landslide made our first plan unavailable. We found their cabin on air BNB and when we told Diane what happened, they let us use their facilities and grounds for our little ceremony. They were super friendly and we had a beautiful wedding with their help! read more

The Sequoia Retreat Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

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A stunning venue with an amazing story that percolates into the grandeur, beauty, and peacefulness of the place. Our guests couldn't get over how beautiful the venue was. Diane was a joy to work with, and our planner was so grateful to be working with someone who ran a tight ship! We are so grateful to the SRC for cultivating such a gorgeous and special place. read more

Absolutely outstanding venue for getting married in the redwoods! My wife and I got married at the Sequoia Retreat Center two months ago and it was truly a special experience. The Sequoia was actually the first wedding venue we toured, and we fell in love with it immediately. Pictures really don't do justice to just how awesome this space is. We did our due diligence and toured several similar venues in the area, but whenever we noticed a shortcoming we found ourselves thinking, "well the Sequoia has that," or "the Sequoia does that better," or "I like the layout of the Sequoia better." We visited again after touring 5 other venues to make sure our memories weren't rose-tinted, but everything was exactly as we recalled, and it made our decision a lot easier. Diane, the owner, was an absolute joy to work with. It's clear that she really loves helping others bring their wedding dreams to fruition. She was flexible and incredibly supportive of whatever ideas we had for our special day, and also has a wealth of knowledge from previous guests. She's very communicative and upfront about costs, what is and isn't included with the venue, and general guidelines for vendors, etc. Our friends still mention how gorgeous our venue was, I really can't recommend this venue highly enough! read more

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Amazing amazing AMAZING venue!!! My husband and I got married here about 3 years ago (August 13, 2017) and to say it is a hidden gem is an understatement. We stumbled upon SRC truly by fate after being horribly screwed over by another forest venue...which ended up being the BIGGEST blessing in disguise. Diane and the SRC staff were an absolute dream to work with as my husband and I planned the wedding long distance from Florida (we are originally from CA though) with several unforeseen life circumstances. Not only was their communication AMAZING, but they brought our (my LOL) vision of having a Twilight inspired wedding to life. The staff is warm and caring, preferred vendors are amazing, food is to die for...and the venue....the VENUE!!!!!!!!! It absolutely speaks for itself. We cannot wait to go back and celebrate several of our anniversaries there and retake photos!! I cannot recommend them enough, and wish I could get married here over and over again. 3 years later and I'm still dreaming about it!! Thank you SRC for bringing our fairytale to life and giving us the best day ever!! read more

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Overpriced and difficult to work with. If you are planning a wedding save your self the dissatisfaction. Our "wedding planner" was hard to communicate with, missed multiple details, and on wedding day wore an old tank top with yoga pants and messy hair. Our photographer said she couldn't take certain shots to to her being in the frame. The rooms were a nightmare. Hard uncomfortable beds with scratchy towels. Something you should not have when paying $280 a night!!!! There's a great Inn down the road from the center that's 1/2 the price with wonderful rooms. We were envious of our guest staying there because we didn't sleep the entire weekend it was so uncomfortable. Luckily our other vendors went above and beyond to pick up the slack left by the Sequoia and we had a successful wedding. Save your money and the headache keep looking for another venue. I addressed all these concerns to the owner and received no response. No shock there, they typically take 7-10 days to respond to an email. So unfortunately I had to air my grievances here to inform the next couple what is in store. read more

My final graduate school in-person weekend was held here. There were 10 of us for most of the weekend, plus a few people who joined us during the day. It was wonderful to have the space to ourselves, until the last afternoon. (see comment below) It truly felt like a retreat. The location is beautiful. From my cabin (Bluejay), I couldn't see any other cabins. I couldn't really see anything except beautiful redwoods. The cabins have all the basics, although you'll want to bring a hair dryer, if needed. I am far from out of shape and the walk up the hill from my cabin to the lodge left me winded. If you have anyone with mobility challenges, you will want to consider the "upper bird" cabins for those folks. There is also a one-way road that wraps around the lodge and cabins, so driving is an option. We spent much of our time in the lodge, which has gorgeous views. The space was ample for our group, yet also felt cozy. The staff were prompt with meals and we had plenty, if not too much, food. Everything was quite delicious and healthy and they easily met the dietary needs of those in our group. One thing is holding me back from five stars. On Sunday afternoon we were in the middle of fairly intense work and we heard people talking outside. Then four people came in and started looking around. They were giving people a tour! This was incredibly disruptive and I think it is inappropriate to give a tour when we had paid for the space during that time. Or at least be quiet about it. read more

Hello So I made my way 3 hours to arrive to the tour only to find out the was no one on site and I would be taking a self guided tour....it took almost a month to even set a date and time between several emails. had I known  could come take a self guided tour any time I would have gone at a sooner date that fit my schedule better.   This place is absolutely beautiful however first impressions are everything... I was hoping to set something in place for next year for a larger group you see I'm the yoga  teacher for a transformation center I work with an elite team who devote their lives to help impact and change lives of others. We have 300 members and we're hoping to offer something amazing for our VIP members.  The reason I am looking for something to accommodate 15 right now is those are a select few ladies who have asked for something this year. They are facing trauma in their life and needing space to heal.   So as beautiful as this location is and as bad as I want to set something up I really have a sour taste in my mouth from the service.   A phone call would have been a more professional to cancel rather than a text.  Apparently I was not the only one another lady was stood up as well.  This speaks loud to me this tells me that this is regular practice of customer service.  I find this unacceptable and our group will not be spending our money here no matter how beautiful the location.   I stumbled across 2 folks from the waterfall lodge and let me tell you they see a face and they stop to say hello and ask if you need help if only I was planning a wedding I would have booked with them just by the constant service I received on two seperate encounters.  I'll leave on this note,  I pride myself on service. Other than all the hours of training and experience here is a suggestion that you and your staff read and apply the book "the Disney Way" this made a huge impact in the quality of service I provide and can help your business in your future. Creating a welcoming atmosphere greetings within minutes of arrival calling after interactions can change so much.  Even calling the customer you dropped the ball on would be a wonderful opportunity to turn a no into a yes.   Best wishes  Racheal read more

Absolutely beautiful, incredible wedding venue. I attended a wedding here last weekend, and it blew me away. If you love beautiful redwoods, this is the place for you. It was convenient to get to, yet so perfectly remote. Everywhere you look is true, absolute beauty. The staff was incredibly helpful, and this sets the bar in wedding venues. This place is something else. Must see to believe. read more

Magical. That's the first word I think of when remembering the location of my wedding. The Sequoia Retreat Center was the perfect place for our weekend-long wedding celebration. Here's why: Nature. Throughout the weekend, you are surrounded by Redwood trees soaring into the air, dirt trails to walk on, and even a small stream to sit by. I remember looking up during the ceremony itself to see hundred foot tall trees surrounded me, my bride and our families. Its something I'll remember for a long time. That said, there are lots of hills which means beautiful vistas, but lots of hiking up and down. Venue. The "Lodge" has a commanding view of the Santa Cruz mountains and a roaring fireplace. There were also a few small houses on site that served as home bases for different families. Accommodations. Your guests may be staying in cabins all over the property. Some are fancier than others, but all are a little rustic. Clean and comfortable, but definitely more camp-like than resort-like. Staff. The owner, Diane, is a warm person with a great dedication to making Sequoia Retreat Center not just an event venue, but a place for spirituality and community. Her staff was top notch and passionate about what they do. Food. The meals Sequoia prepared for us were delicious, locally sourced and fun. Privacy. This may be the wrong word. One of the things I liked about Sequoia was that we had the run of the place for the weekend. Being up in the mountains and away from things created a true sense of community. read more

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Beautiful setting! I was here with 20+ others for a weekend retreat. We had the place to ourselves. It was rainy and cold but the setting was still beautiful and when the sun came out the views from the Redwood Grove were stunning. We lit a fire in the huge fireplace in the main lodge and that was great too. The food was terrific and the cabins were clean and comfortable. I had no interaction with staff so can't comment on how it is to book here or the pricing. read more

I've been a professional wedding photographer in northern California for the past ten years. I have photographed at some amazing venues but Sequoia Retreat Center is one of my all-time favorites for its beauty and flexibility. There is so much you can do with all the spaces available for events. The ceremony space for weddings down among the towering redwoods is spectacular! Also, having cabins for your guests to stay on site makes it a great destination wedding venue. I highly recommend this place! read more

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I was a guest at this venue for the first wedding I've had the chance to go to since this whole worldwide mess. As a guest of course I didn't have anything to do with the event itself and got to just enjoy the scenery and the ambiance. In those things this place is a really nice and quaint place. Already in a relatively remote area one has to drive pretty far and uphill to get to the actual retreat center. The roads are uneven and narrow - be safe and courteous and you'll find the parking spaces safely. Once parked there are different areas - the area we went to had the cabins, the residence with the attached barn and patio for the reception with a firepit and of course the serene views. It all requires a bit of walking to get to each of the aforementioned places. The ceremony itself was held amid towering giants of trees which dappled the light even outside of golden hour for. Komorebi at it's finest - a peaceful yet dramatic effect. read more

The Sequoia Retreat Center is a magical place for a wedding. We recently rented this venue for a Fri-Sun wedding celebration. While my wife Andrea had her own vision for a perfect wedding, my vision was a ceremony in the redwoods and a "no curfew" style party afterwards. Diane and her team did a great job setting everything up and making sure we had everything we needed. My favorite parts of this venue were the cabins on site, the large property that we had exclusive use of, the beautiful views from the lodge, the bring your own beer and wine policy, and the loose curfew requirements (I hate going to friends weddings that get shut down completely at 10pm right when the party starts!). We did notice that communication was a little more lax than we would have liked. Diane has a great google doc setup that allowed us to communicate our setup preferences, but emails with specific questions or requests would sometimes take a day or two to get answered. I should also note that this was not an afternoon wedding. We had to plan from the time some guests arrived on Friday night, to when they left on Sunday morning. We would do it again in a heartbeat, only this time we would hire a wedding planner to take some of the planning and executing load. Thanks Diane and team! read more

This was one of the most beautiful places to have a wedding! Our group stayed in the waterfall lodge portion of the property, the cabins were fantastic, the redwoods were gorgeous and we were lucky enough to get power back on shortly after dinner! Mike was great and so helpful, he even got an additional generator to make sure we had power so they party didn't have to stop! read more

We held our wedding here in June 2014. The area had personal significance to us which is why we chose it. We also appreciated that the owners really cared about the space and first and foremost looked for guests and staff who would respect it and were much less of a wedding venue. The space is as beautiful as you see in photos and it is truly a magical place for wedding. My comments here are based strictly on the event coordination and catering which I feel are lacking compared to other professional services, and believe most of the 5 star reviews here are people who hired full service wedding planners or day of coordinators. We were totally prepared to DIY and deal with things that went wrong, but some of the catering issues were just a bit careless beyond what was expected. Had we had a day of coordinator on site, it may have been resolved, but we did have friends acting as point people who tried resolving things like missing plates and did all of the decorating and set up. Really our misgivings are about the professionalism of the catering. Here are a few things that we and several guests noticed brought to our attention during and after the wedding. Bummer! -Despite us having laid out an alcohol plan for the rehearsal dinner, bonfire, and wedding, the SRC staff did not do any of the hauling and relied on our guests and parents to tap kegs, haul cases of wine and champagne from Peace Park to the bonfire site, and back up to the ceremony site. We are not sure why we had to provide an alcohol plan if we were to do the moving around ourselves as it led us to believe their staff would do it. -Appetizers were served without plates. While this would have been fine, it really wasn't. The appetizers were buffet style and there was a line to get to them, but there weren't any plates to carry the food around. As a result people were walking around carrying soggy napkins. As the bride I had about 10 people ask me for a plate while I was waiting in line, so I went up and asked for a plate - the people in the kitchen told me they didn't order enough plates and we were out of luck. I asked they staff if they at least had one just for me, so I wouldn't have to carry around a drippy napkin in a white dress, but they didn't. The result - a friend went and stole all the plates that were meant to be for the cake, so that people could use them for appetizers. Thankfully I have good friends, but really?! The whole layout didn't make sense. -Although we paid for their bartending service, the champagne glasses were all placed on the tables (we never asked for a champagne toast, this was their doing), and there were none available at the bar. The bride and groom were poured champagne into wine glasses. This really wasn't a big deal, but seemed a little careless. -We were told food from the rehearsal dinner would be moved up to the bonfire on Friday evening (we had paid for staffing for both events, as we understood with the catering and additional fees we paid), but again we found our friends and family doing the lifting, hauling food around, bringing down more cases of wine, and putting food away at the end of the night. All while staff hung around and chatted with our guests. Pretty great to see that. -Dinner on the wedding day was served super late, the staff even came and asked the bride what time it should be served. Maybe we should have written out a point by point schedule but I think at a certain point a professional caterer would have noticed that everyone was sitting down and waiting to eat? When I think back to my wedding dinner I unfortunately think about how massively hungry I was sitting there and waiting for food to be served. Unfortunately it was not just me but me and everyone I knew. We were kind of bummed about that. It pains me to write this review because I loved everything else, but I want to save other brides who are hesitant about the catering. I would absolutely host my wedding at the SRC but would instead hire a professional catering service, just so you don't have to worry about things like missing glasses, plates, late food, etc. We were expecting to be all hands on deck to resolve issues, but didn't expect our friends and family to also move food around, ask for plates and glasses for such careless little things. If you do use their catering, hire a full-service day of coordinator to handle the annoying details for you! There were far more than I listed here - these are just what still stand out to us four months later. Everything else was spectacular and Diane was great about communicating up to the date. I fear this will be chalked up as "high maintenance bride" but in reality I think this is a bare bones venue where you should really be convinced to hire a day of planner. We still did a ton of work to manage the wedding and event but really felt the catering needed a lot more work. read more

The venue is gorgeous and the staff attempt to support you. Unfortunately, little is beyond the surface - we had a great tune at our wedding but for the most part, it was due to the labor we put in. + food + setting + outdoor music (though I don't think this is possible anymore) + no curfew - Your groom will be hauling kegs around and doing a lot of labor. So will you. So will your families. On wedding night. - You won't get a refund on unused settings, regardless of what the contract states - If you buy a very expensive bartending package, chances are you won't get a bartender and you won't get a refund (we sure didn't) - Food prices for what you get - If you're looking for crazy amenities......like ice to keep drinks cold, forget it. Your family will be making multiple trips to town. read more

Trying to connect and arrange a tour of the property for our wedding was difficult and drawn out over four weeks. We got so frustrated by the simple task of setting up a property tour with them that we decided to look elsewhere. If they're unprofessional at this point, what is it going to be like the weekend of the event? How I feel about them: Fine, don't take our $25K plus for a wedding weekend. Think we dodged a bullet here. Advice to the venue? Punctuality and congeniality count a great deal. read more

Sequoia was our top choice for a wedding venue after seeing several locations in the area. That was until we started actually trying to talk to the wedding planners to move forward in the process. Right from the start it was weird, the event coordinators refused to meet with us. They were always too busy no matter when we made available to talk with them. Then the few times we made times to talk with them they just didn't show up, wasting lots of our time. They had some of there catering staff who were really nice but didn't have the knowledge to answer our questions about the venue. Then made promises about the venue that they refused to keep at a later time. After a few weeks of phone tag we did finally get to talk to them where they changed there prices from sentence to sentence. Strangely at this point we still wanted to move forward with them because the venue looks nice, the price was right, and other reviews on here vouched for them. But that's when they turned into real terrors. They all of a sudden told us they couldn't cater our wedding which is why you would pick them and wouldn't give us a real reason. and began to harass us to lock in our date or stop bothering them. If this was a small purchase then i could understand them not wanting to answer our questions, but this was 30k$ dollars! They can spend 15 minutes and respond to our questions. Maybe in the end the event coordinator and food is amazing, but we would never know because for some reason the owners of this establishment wanted us to not bother them and just hand over the money and we were not willing to do that. Please consider some of the many other local venues in the area before falling back to this one, there are MANY MANY other places to get married under the sequoias and they are just as beautiful without a staff with a attitude. read more

I too was in a wedding here in early July. Me and a guest stayed in the flower cabins and it was OK. The shower, if you turned it up to full pressure, felt like little pins prickling you all over--especially sensitive places like your lips, face, and mosquito bites! Yup, got the mosquito bites here too. Lots of bugs, bring bug spray!! But for nature's beauty, sometimes we must suffer... I also recommend you bring a BIG flashlight for getting around at night because it gets pitch black under the canopy of trees. Also, bring flip flops if you need to hike up the hill the whole way to Las Alas Lodge, phew! But don't be like me and put two separate high heels of the right foot in your purse to wear once you get to the top and end up in flipflops all night :) At least they were cute, decorative shoes and that was the mehendi party night and not the actual post-wedding celebration itself! Oh and the catered lunch I had day of the wedding was YUMMMY... never had a curried lentil quinoa salad before but I can't wait to have one again! Finally, don't get a car wash before coming here....your car will end up all dusty-dirty from the unpaved road portions, and your feet/shoes too. Just bring some baby wipes if it bugs ya' and get your car washed at some point after you leave :) read more

Sequoia retreat is a magical location under the redwoods. The trees....truly a highlight, I attended a yoga retreat and loved the setting and the amazing teachers. We were not well taken care of by staff. The meals were good not great, breakfast did not include enough food. Staff could not be found. Cabins are rustic, bunk beds, funky shower heads. No attention to detail. I would recommend one or two day stay MAX read more

We got married here last year, so this review is a little delayed! But it was truly the most wonderful and magical weekend of our lives. We're so grateful to the whole team at SRC who brought our vision to life, were a pleasure to work with, and really showed us and all of our guests a magnificent time. The food was delicious, they were very flexible with us as vegetarians and made it all scrumptious, the place is just beyond beautiful - it was all a total dream. All of our guests were from out of town, and half from overseas as I am Australian - and everyone was just oohing and aahing the whole weekend about what a stunning place it was. To this day many tell me that it was the best wedding they've ever been to!!:) thanks a million to you all for making our wedding so superb!! We'll cherish the memory forever!!! read more

The Sequoia Retreat Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

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We attended a wedding in March and the location was beautiful. The ceremony was wonderful and the lodge was a great place for dinner, dancing, and drinks! I loved the patio lights!! The only 2 pitfalls were that retreat has atrocious parking for guests (make sure to carpool if you stay off-site) and that it is really hard to figure out how to leave the site to go home or to an off-site hotel (bring a flashlight and your ninja senses to drive home). read more

Attended a wedding here in July. The woods are gorgeous, it is isolated, yet close to Ben Lomond for supplies and such. The cabins are well spaced out, but pretty sparse, bad shower and worse mattresses (should have done my back a favor and slept on the floor). The ceremony was beautiful, as was the "bonfire" (small fire pit that was not safely monitored by Staff), but more than once they ran out of food at the end of the buffets (the food was ok), and the parking directions were basically: "Yes, that little spot perched on the side of a cliff where you will be blocking sight lines for both incoming and outgoing traffic? Park right there." Nevermind the perfectly safe and paved lot just down the road. Gorgeous venue and a fun wedding, but logistics are lacking. read more

When I started looking at wedding venues a year ago, I quickly decided that I wanted to get married in the redwoods. I visited a few venues that fit the bill, but I knew from the moment that I visited the SRC that this was the place I wanted to get married. The venue is breathtakingly gorgeous, and I loved the idea of having the venue for the entire weekend, which not only takes the stress out of the wedding day itself, but also gave us more time to spend with our guests, most of whom were traveling from out of state. Diane was wonderful to work with. Our email communications were a little slow at first, but as the day drew nearer, Diane was there to answer my question and help at every turn, and often responded to my emails in the wee hours of the morning. She also worked seamlessly with my wedding coordinator to make sure that everything flowed smoothly during our wedding weekend. We used the SRC's catering service and could not be happier. They took care of our rehearsal dinner BBQ, the reception dinner, the dessert bar, as well as breakfasts throughout the weekend. I loved having the flexibility to customize my own menu for every meal and event. For example, I wanted was allowed to have three different kinds of pie and 2 different types of cupcakes, along with an assortment of other treats for the dessert bar. Diane even had her staff throw in a smaller 2-tier wedding cake for free (and it was DELICIOUS!). Our guests could not stop raving about how delicious the food was! Most of all, we are so grateful to the SRC staff for being so helpful throughout the weekend. They are a small operation but they run like a well-oiled machine and are very very good at what they do. They really bent over backwards to accommodate our requests. For example, I knew that I wouldn't have much time during the wedding to enjoy the desserts, so I asked Diane to set aside some of the desserts for us the next day. She had the kitchen staff box up one of each of the desserts and deliver it to our cabin so it was waiting for us at the end of night---such a treat for us at the end of a long and hectic day! Another example: I was the last person to leave the venue on Sunday, and forgot to take the leftover wedding cake from the fridge in the lodge. I mentioned this to Kim, one of the SRC staff, so that she would remember to discard it later (I figured it was too late, they had another wedding coming that afternoon, and I already had enough things to schlep home). Kim insisted on driving up to the lodge herself and retrieving the cake for me so I could take it home. I'm so glad that she did! My husband and I got to enjoy the cake after we got home, and some of it is sitting in our freezer for later! Thank you Diane, Scott, Kim, and the rest of the SRC team for making our wedding weekend magical. It was everything we hoped it would be and more. read more

The Sequoia Retreat Center - Redwood Amphitheater - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ben Lomond, California

My wife and I were married here on 5/18/19. Our experience working with Sequoia Retreat Center was top notch. The venue is beautiful, our onsite guests enjoyed staying in the cabins, and their on-site food catering is stellar. Sequoia catered the food for our reception, as well as our hors d'oeuvres and pre-ceremony nosh. Everything was delicious -- we highly recommend the butternut squash ravioli and salmon! If you're considering this place, take a tour! The Redwood Amphitheatre, and the sense of quiet and seclusion of this venue, is really magical. We also contracted a coordinator (LJ) who routinely works this venue and was incredible helpful. We had an unseasonable storm come during our wedding, and LJ helped to orchestrate countless last minute changes to accomodate the weather (such as booking a large tent for our reception) and kept the Sequoia staff aligned around the same [changing] plan. Coordinating a full weekend event at such a large venue initially seemed intimidating, but with Sequoia's great staff + LJ, everything went smoothly. We booked all of Sequoia for the full weekend. If you do this, you also get access to a house on-site, which was great for my wife and bridesmaids to get ready on our wedding day. I highly recommend this -- the house is beautiful, spacious, and is a very comfortable place to get ready. Since it rained on our wedding day, we actually took many of the pictures of the bridal party there, since it's so spacious and the lighting is so good. We had a large Friday welcome event (about 100 people), which was stunning. We did it in Alba Grove, amongst the Redwoods. Many of our guests had travelled from the east coast and upon arriving, felt really transported to true Northern California. The Sequoia team was responsive, friendly, and we enjoyed working with them through our planning process and during the wedding itself. BYOB policy for beer & wine was also a major money-saver, compared to doing a catered bar. read more

Massively thankful that I found this place as a spot to host our work team retreat. My team and I absolutely loved it. We truly had such a magical experience there, and everything was so seamless and easy. The crew was responsive over email prior to the retreat, very flexible around last minute changes, and had everything perfectly arranged and set up for us while we were there. Also-- the food is DELICIOUS! We were all raving about it all weekend. I would definitely recommend this for work retreats to my colleagues in the future. read more

The retreat center is set in a beautiful setting amidst the redwoods. And it's in the Santa Cruz mountains, so the site is very steep and hilly. I was out of breath every time I walked between my cabin and the lodge where we gathered as a group. The food was good. Nothing fancy, but healthy and basic, which is what I like anyway. All our meals were served on time and the service was great. My only beef was that there was SO much hiking to get anywhere. The value to staying on site is to be able to go back to my room from time to time if I want to rest, but this wasn't practical given the hike required. The cabins are basic, so don't expect luxury accommodations. Small bathroom with shower, a narrow closet to hang up some things, and a bed. That's it. But it was clean. The staff were all very friendly, and the lodge held our group and their activities well. read more

We held a 40 person work retreat here to escape San Francisco, connect with remote co-worker and soak up the majestic and inspiring atmosphere of the Sequoias. IT was amazing and incredibly affordable for what we got. Great service, beautiful surrounding and a place to focus and be productive. Thank you for an epic experience team! read more

I was the maid of honor for my best friend's wedding here on Saturday, June 6th. Diane and her crew were so wonderful to work with and they made it such a comfortable, family atmosphere. The staff sees to it that everyone is taken care of and they really put in the extra effort. It makes you feel as though this is the only wedding party they have! All you heard from the guests was "How did they find this place?!" It's soo beautiful in a cozy, natural setting. The view and the smell of the trees is the best. What this venue has that others do not is you get to have the ENTIRE venue to yourself for the entire weekend! That's unheard of (as I used to coordinate weddings and events in the Bay Area). You show up Friday, drop everything off, get settled in your individual cabins (yes, on-site), have the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, crash at your cabin, wake up and have breakfast in the lodge, get ready all day, wedding and dance all night, stumble back to the cabin, and have another great breakfast at the lodge Sunday. It was a blast!!! I definitely recommend this place as a gorgeous setting where everyone can be together in one spot all weekend! Like Tamir said before me, the perfect balance of elegance and nature. PS We used Matt Box with Blue Sage Catering and the food was wonderful!! read more

SEQUOIA IS WONDERFUL. We've just finished our wedding weekend at Sequoia and it was an entirely positive experience. I seriously could not recommend any business more highly. The cabins are perfectly clean, comfortable, and in a few cases (Za Zen especially), incredibly beautiful. My partner and I stayed in Za Zen. The sun streams in through the enormous highlight window in the morning, filtered by the tall trees. We woke up without an alarm and went out to the porch to soak in the clean air, looking down to a quiet Peace Park. What a gift to feel so serene on my wedding morning, and the day after. Every one of the staff members are super helpful. Every person in a Sequoia uniform was friendly, and would make sure that whatever we requested happened ("Please bring a water jug!", "We need a step ladder!", 'Please take down the lantern string we hung wrong!", "Time to start the bonfire!", etc.) Of course, Sequoia Retreat Centre is a forest on a hilltop. Yes, there is dirt that your high heels will sink into if you are silly enough to wear them. There are steep forest paths that get your heart pumping. There is beautiful deep darkness at night that does indeed require a flashlight. Joyful sounds from other groups in the hillsides (not at SRC, but surrounding areas) sometimes echo through the site. There are bugs and sunshine. read more

My son and his bride had their wedding at the Sequoia Retreat Center in September 2011, and everything about the weekend was magical. Diane and Scott do a great job of making everyone feel at home. The cabins are basic but clean and quite comfy. The food was exceptional. The setting couldn't have been more perfect. I've never attended anything like it anywhere-- witnessing a wedding underneath a beautiful canopy of majestic redwoods. Quite special! I found all the hiking around the property quite invigorating and rejuvenating. This is a very special place, and I would love to have the opportunity to come here again sometime. read more

A venue that charges people to hold a wedding and a reception should provide adequate facilities (bathrooms) for the guests.

I got married here over July 4th weekend this year. It was 150 people, three days (125 people Friday, 158 Saturday), and very few (it's a strain to think of any) glitches. It is a perfect place if you want to have a fun-filled, beautiful, unique wedding. It will be difficult to put into words how spectacular and amazing both the venue and the staff/service but I will attempt to do so. Planning process: We booked SRC about ten months out, after looking all over for a place we could spend an entire weekend and where our friends could stay on site. I worked primarily with Diane, but also with her husband, Scott, and their onsite wedding coordinator (LJ). They were always gracious and responsive and answered all of my (quite obsessive) emails and questions. I went onto the site five different times to look at cabins, scope out the site, meet with them, and every time they met us with a smile and were willing to walk around with us, answer questions, etc. They create drawings/google docs for you to work with which are incredibly helpful and allow everyone to be on the same page. I also had an outside wedding coordinator and it made it so that she, SRC, and I were always on the same page and understood the logistical details of the wedding. If you are financially able, I would say having an outside coordinator is helpful because of how big the site is (and SRC will work directly with them) but probably not totally necessary (LJ, who is amazing, is herself a wedding planner!) The site: Is spectacular. There's not much more to say except that you wont be disappointed. Also, there are several different areas on the site so you can surprise your guests by having a brunch one place, the ceremony another, the dinner in another, etc. You feel like you are in a fairytale and you hear no noise from anywhere else. The area where you will likely have your reception, Pixies and Las Alas Lodge, are incredible and overlook a beautiful valley of trees and the horizon. One thing to note is that the site is big, so if you have a particular vision for where you want certain decorations or events to take place, being organized is necessary (but SRC makes it easy with their planning). I see in other reviews that parking has been an issue--we were worried about that but it was completely fine. If you're able, having a shuttle may be helpful, but we had 150 guests, many of whom drove themselves and it was no problem. Catering: SRC catered our wedding dinner as well as two brunches and lunch. We had rave reviews about the quality of the food--it was super fresh, interesting, and hearty. I would not have changed anything. We did a tasting which was delicious and they will really cater to your likes (I am a vegetarian who hates mushrooms, my husband is a major meat eater....they made it work). The service was also great, and there were no mix-ups or hold ups. We had steak, butternut squash ravioli, and wild salmon and everyone told us it was an amazing dinner. Cabins: all of our friends loved the cabins and staying together. We have some friends I was worried would think it was "too rustic" but the cabins are beautiful, spacious and very clean. They also have a little house on the property which is where I stayed and got ready with 9 bridesmaids. It was perfect and SRC delivered us a delicious lunch and champagne! We have heard only positive reviews. Finally, SRC really allowed us to have a wedding we wanted. They don't impose many rules (the ones they do, like no hard liquor, they are serious about though) and they don't impose their vision on you. They execute what you want impeccably (for instance, we wanted certain wines on certain tables, and wanted s'mores and a keg to be brought to the fire pit...and they did it all) and they leave you to have fun and celebrate on your weekend. There's not a sense of them rushing you through anything or it being a money-making only operation, and that is invaluable on the what everyone wants to be the best weekend of their lives. I could literally go on and on. I am a pretty picky/detail-obsessed person, and we planned our wedding primarily from the east coast and SRC gave us truly the best weekend of our entire lives, and one we will never, ever forget. My husband teared up leaving the site, as it was truly perfect. You will NOT be disappointed. I am obsessed with it and with how kind and generous Diane and Scott are. read more

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The site itself is beautiful. The accommodations are adequate but rustic - lots of bunk beds - at least they were comfortable. The food ranges from only OK to decent - I guess it depends who is cooking. They need to use some spices in most of the food. read more

Beautiful location for a Wedding! I came for a wedding. The area where the wedding/reception was held was magical with the red wood trees and rustic themed barn. Very few mosquitoes surprisingly! There are some nice cabin on-site that are newly updated. There are some areas that are still "under construction" but ytou won't see those unless you stay near the waterfall lodge. There are great hiking trails and even places to camp if you choose not stay in a cabin. I'd stay in the cabin though. There are clean bathrooms and showers with all your little toiletries (shampoo, etc.). The beds are all twins but there are still comfortable for a 6'3 guy like me. Staff here is great and very accommodating. Mike was very helpful when we had issues figuring out what guests were staying in which cabins. Also, Ben Lomond has a nice little downtown area in case you forgot something. It's just down the mountain about a 10-15min drive. read more