My husband and I recently had our wedding at Fern River Resort, and it was an amazing experience from start to finish. From the moment we arrived, we were captivated by the beauty of the Redwood forests and the tranquil atmosphere that enveloped the resort.
First and foremost, we must mention Lisa, the site manager. She was an absolute gem and went above and beyond to ensure that our special day was nothing short of perfect. Her attention to detail and willingness to assist with every aspect of the wedding planning process made a world of difference. We highly recommend hiring her as a day-of coordinator; her expertise and dedication are unmatched.
The resort itself is a hidden gem nestled among the towering Redwoods. The cabins, all remodeled and refurbished, provided a comfortable and cozy home away from home for our families. It was wonderful to have everyone staying on the same grounds, which created a sense of togetherness and convenience throughout the weekend.
The ceremony and reception sites were nothing short of breathtaking. The custom-built Redwood gazebo added a rustic and elegant touch that made our ceremony truly memorable. The amenities at Fern River Resort exceeded our expectations. We spent evenings gathered around the central fire pit, sharing stories, and enjoying the company of our loved ones. The private river beach provided a peaceful escape, and the community campfire ring, ping pong table, and badminton court offered endless entertainment options for our guests.
Being located within proximity to the Bay area and Santa Cruz was a huge advantage for our destination wedding. Our guests were able to easily travel to the resort, escaping the city's hustle and bustle while still having access to the unique beaches, restaurants, and shops that Santa Cruz has to offer.
Overall, our wedding at Fern River Resort was a dream come true. The combination of natural beauty, impeccable service, and attention to detail made it an unforgettable experience for us and our guests. We highly recommend Fern River Resort to couples looking for a magical wedding venue surrounded by the majestic Redwoods. Trust us, you won't be disappointed.

So beautiful. We rented the whole resort for a wedding for 4 days; it’s right in the middle of the redwoods bordering Henry Cowell state park and right on the San Lorenzo River. Nicole and the rest of the staff were all terrific. The cabins are cute and cozy. Nicole also acted as day of coordinator for our wedding and we can’t recommend this highly enough. She asked all the questions we would have never thought of and kept the whole train on the tracks. She is calm and collected and the exact person you want in your corner when dealing with the process of planning a wedding. Fern River Resort truly was the perfect venue for our wedding and we couldn’t have asked for anything more.

In August 2018 we began searching for an outdoor, forested wedding venue where friends and family could stay on site. We’re happy it led us to Nicole and her excellent staff at Fern River Resort. Our wedding there in August 2019 was beautiful and all guests left happy.

The venue has different locations which can all serve different purposes. We opted to have our ceremony in front of the river, cocktail hour in the garden in front of Cabin 11, our reception on the lawn, and dance floor in front of the gazebo. It would be easy to change things up and make them feel your own.

Their outdoor kitchen was well equipped for our big burger and hotdog rehearsal dinner and for us to bake 20 pies for our wedding dessert. There were ample spaces throughout the property for teams of our friends and family to do wedding prep activities.

We hired the venue owner Nicole as our day-of coordinator. She was great to work with—communicative and professional. Throughout the night, she kept things running on time and worked with us and our other vendors to improvise and adapt when it was needed. Her help was invaluable—we didn’t have to worry about anything and were able to fully enjoy our wedding. The staff at Fern River Resort were willing and able helpers throughout the weekend. Thanks especially to Joe the handyman. You know someone is dedicated to his job when he drives to the property at 1 AM to make double-check that the sprinklers are turned off so our tables don’t get drenched!

We rented all 15 cabins Thursday-Saturday. Our guests were very pleased with the cabins exclaiming that they were more spacious than they had imagined they would be. Nicole patiently satisfied our requests for certain cabins to be extended on Wednesday and Sunday nights. For a three night stay, it averaged to about $200 per guest. Very reasonable! Nicole made it as easy as possible to reserve and pay for all the cabins.

If you’re looking for a venue where you can live out your summer camp wedding wishes, look no further! We can’t wait to visit Fern River again for a stay at one of the cabins and a chance to relive all our wedding memories.