By Julie Horner
Filtered summer sun sent shafts of warmth through the boughs and spilling into bright pools on the forest floor. The redwoods stood sentinel and silent in anticipation. Fiddle, banjo, and hammered dulcimer were tucked into place among the twisted roots and burls ready by the touch of a string to fill the forest with music. Rose petals had been strewn lightly atop the duff as scented carpet, inviting reverent tiptoe toward nature’s biding altar deep in the heart of the mountaintop cathedral. From the silence came a distant thunder. Birdsong stopped for a breathless moment as the ground began to rumble underfoot. Billowing steam and pulse-quickening whistle, the mighty locomotive rounded the bend full throttle, heralding with a majesty rivaling all forces on earth the arrival of bride, groom, friends, and family to share a day of love and merriment among the ancients.
Planning Ahead
Spring rains clear the palette for renewal and bring a certain eagerness for new beginnings. According to Jack Crawford of Music Now DJs in Scotts Valley, 2018 is shaping up to be a very busy year. “I’ve been doing bridal show after bridal show after bridal show! It seems like a busier year than last. Last year we had the rains and road closures.” Now that roads are on the mend and heritage venues like the Felton Trout Farm and the Brookdale Lodge are making comebacks, spring is the perfect time to begin making wedding arrangements for this year and next.
A Few Favorite Places
If your plans include an exchange of vows, the Santa Cruz Mountains provide a pristine and easily accessible destiny. Nowhere on earth is there a place more serene, warm, sweetly scented and welcoming as the Santa Cruz Mountains. Here are a few favorite locations that capture the splendor.
Roaring Camp Railroads & Bret Harte Hall
Offering a unique and unforgettable experience on a steam train ride through the redwoods to a towering, circular cathedral grove. Or marry under the oaks with a stunning view of the mountains. Choose an old-fashioned BBQ chuck wagon feast or hold your reception in the dance-friendly barn-like setting at Bret Harte Hall, an experience both cowboy boot rustic and elegantly sparkling.
5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton, California 95018 | 831-335-4484 | www.roaringcamp.com/wedding
Felton Guild
A best kept secret near Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park where you can hear the steam train whistle blow, weddings are held in a peacefully accommodating fairy ring of redwoods with an expansive lawn area for the reception. Located adjacent to the Cowboy Diner, which offers catering and the perfect place for the rehearsal dinner.
5449 Highway 9, Felton, CA 95018 | 831- 336-8093 | www.feltonguildweddings.com
Quail Hollow Ranch
A favorite off the beaten track day-hike destination for locals, the secluded historical ranch house is nestled within a 300-acre nature preserve. This sunny location offers sheltering oaks and expansive natural vistas, nature interpretive center, a pond teeming with turtles and waterfowl, and a horse boarding stable.
800 Quail Hollow Road, Felton, CA 95018 | 831-454-7938
www.scparks.com/Home/BookaFacility/WeddingandEventSites/QuailHollowRanchWeddings.aspx
Ben Lomond Quaker Center
Rustically charming, this beautiful, no-nonsense self-service retreat center offers simple, modestly priced, comfortable accommodations on 80 acres of redwood forest. Weddings are held in a verdant clearing against a magnificent redwood backdrop.
1000 Hubbard Gulch Road, Ben Lomond, CA 95005 | 336-0218 | www.quakercenter.org
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Where sea meets the sky and miles of native earth between, wedding ceremonies and receptions can be held at various locations throughout the park. Some popular areas include the Campfire Center, Sky Meadow, and Sequoia Group Camp.
21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek, CA 95006 | 831-335-3455 | www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540
YMCA Camp Campbell
A ring of tall majestic redwood trees forms the beautiful backdrop to the outdoor chapel. Located in the heart of the redwood forest north of Boulder Creek, receptions can be held in the Swenson Family Lodge with its massive log architecture and multiple rock fireplaces, or the Sommer Room with its window-wall view of all outdoors.
16275 Hwy 9, Boulder Creek, CA 95006 | 831-313-4163
www.ymcasv.org/ymcacampcampbell/html/groups_weddings.html