The Sequoia Retreat Center

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.

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!

We were married at this magical venue on 8/21/21, and all of our guests marveled at how beautiful our wedding was. You really do feel like you have traveled to a faraway place when you step onto this property. Everything about it feels authentic. The art is subtle and inviting. The trees are wild and overgrown and encompassing, the entrance to the ceremony lawn is like a portal to a simpler time, the various cabins are romantic and tucked away to be discovered, the main lodge is a magnificent mid-century masterpiece made of glass and wood around a walled stone fireplace. Sharp, delicate lines shoot up into the sky as long posts dig into the forest floor below, holding out a giant deck that we used to dance the night away. I danced my heart out with my favorite people, perched high on a mountain over a blanket of redwood trees unfolding for miles across the Santa Cruz Mountains. Diane and Scott, who own the property, are an absolute dream to work with. Diane took true pleasure in bringing our vision to life and sent us a comprehensive excel book to help us with planning. She was a text or call away when we needed her and had a great vendor list that she was happy to share. She put us in touch with our day-of-coordinator, Sarah Greathouse, from A Paper Flower Wedding, who had the kindest energy and ensured that our day ran seamlessly. Diane employs a lovely, hardworking crew and the sweetest chef ever, Julie, who created our delicious plated menu and vibed with me about a dessert table that was “Potteresque.” The weather in August was unusually cold on our wedding day, but the little fire pits around the property provided charming gathering spots for anyone who forgot a jacket, and Diane already had ample seating options for us to choose from, so we didn’t need to rent anything extra. We rented the property from 10-10 on Saturday, but Diane allowed us to come up earlier as well as on Friday just to make sure we had everything we needed in place. She really is the perfect person to own a wedding venue. During previous visits, like our tasting, she sat and shared a bottle of wine with us and talked about life for awhile. We absolutely love her. We had to postpone our wedding four times because of covid, and our first venue was a true gem that was already booked by the time we felt safe enough to move forward. We searched high and low to find something that made our hearts sing like that place did, but we couldn’t find it. We almost spent way too much money on a compromise, but we kept looking, and man, I’m so glad we did. We both knew IMMEDIATELY, when we set foot on this property, that we would be married here, and I will be dreaming about the happiest day of my life for a long time.

Oh my, where to start. The grounds are lovely and so well cared for. This was a perfect venue for our mindfulness retreat and all our guests commented on how tranquil and relaxing the setting is. We made use of the redwood grove and the Peace park as well as the lodge and the large deck overlooking the forest. Marvelous. The staff is unfailingly kind and accommodating, they went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we need, from our first tour to return visits to lock down logistics for the retreat. The cabins are comfortable, with lots of room for families to bunk together if they wish. Yes, there's a hike up to the lodge, but oh, the view and the experience will not be easily forgotten. We will most definitely be back again.

FANTASTIC! We had our son and his fiances rehearsal dinner here! It was such a beautiful location, the hosts were AMAZING, there were plenty of amenities to accomodate a group, and you cant beat the amazing redwoood trees. We felt so cared for by the attention to detail from the hosts and could not have asked for a better experience!