Waterfall Lodge & Retreat Reviews
Reviews
4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
20 Reviews
98% recommend it
Awards
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![Kaedyn]()
Kaedyn H. Sent on 04/13/2024March 2024 - Wedding at the Waterfall Lodge
We celebrated our wedding at the Waterfall Lodge this March and it was genuinely perfect. The staff were all so incredibly kind and helpful, the venue was gorgeous (in the rainy season the waterfall is super prominent and is an amazing landmark) and the lodgings were super cozy even on cold nights. We were initially worried about our guests navigating the grounds but Waterfall was very coordinated and there were no issues. We can't thank the wonderful folks at Waterfall Lodge enough for the wonderful day! -
Samantha T. Sent on 10/08/2023
Look no further for your wedding venue
We cannot recommend WL&R enough. The venue is STUNNING! From our very first visit we were greeted with professionalism and kindness. We toured the venue in the pouring rain and one of the staff members, Bella, graciously continued the tour. She was thorough in her description and outlined everything in detail. Cristina is amazing! She responded to all of our emails promptly and with a lot of detail. She was consistently helpful throughout the entire process. The venue speaks for itself….the redwoods are stunning. We had our wedding in September and we were nervous for heat but it was perfectly perfect! Birds were chirping during our ceremony and the weather was perfect. The trees are captivating and we had many of our guests commenting on the breathtaking beauty of every aspect of the venue. The ceremony site is stunning. Absolutely stunning. The dinner area, under the trees and lights, was perfect. The barn was gorgeous and perfect for dancing. The cocktail hour overlooks a valley of redwoods that cannot be found anywhere else. We did not want to leave! Michael, Cristina, and their team helped us have our fairytale wedding and we cannot thank them enough. -
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![Megan]()
Megan R. Sent on 08/18/2023Magical Setting
There is nothing more magical than this setting for your big day! It's secluded and surrounded by the most gorgeous trees with a beautiful lodge and outdoor patio for all your festivities. It is such a special place to get married and all our guests enjoyed their getaway in the mountains. -
![Nicole]()
Nicole K. Sent on 05/17/2023Venue Speaks for Itself
This was our first venue we looked at and I knew immediately it was the one. The venue is so stunning, everyone kept asking how we found this place and how it was one of the most beautiful weddings they’ve ever been too. I wanted a location where our guests could stay all together and it was everything I could’ve imagined. Don’t second guess this place!
**the photos below are just from guests, I can’t wait to see our professional photos!!** -
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![Sydney]()
Sydney D. Sent on 12/10/2023Magic under the redwoods
Waterfall Lodge is a dream of a venue and I would get married there again and again. The ceremony site feels like pure magic, standing under the redwood trees surrounded by the most important people in your life. There is easily space for your welcome table and for people to mingle as they start shuttling in. There is lodging available on site, so our wedding party did stay on site with us which was very special. It did take some extra coordination on our part to assign rooms and ask everyone ahead of time to commit to staying onsite. It also took some extra coordination to organize the shuttles for offsite guests from the parking lot and another shuttle for guests who didn’t want to drive. But in the end, it felt so worth it.
The space for the reception is perfection, from the farm tables to the hanging string lights, to the barrel tables, and the spectacular lodge to host dance parties. My only minor complaint about this area was that there are only 2 bathrooms, so when you have 115 people drinking, there is constantly a long line. But the bathrooms were inside so people were warm and mingling.
Communication with the Waterfall Lodge was okay but I do think could have been better. We found ourselves trying to piece together exactly what the Lodge would come with (from tables and dimensions to decorations) so it would have been helpful to have a list with photos that is continually updating. We also weren’t notified of one of the cabins being taken off the site so when our guest went to book, they weren’t able to and we had to shift things around. Lastly, we were informed when we booked that this was a beer and wine venue only but our coordinator let us know 3 weeks before the wedding that they changed the rules, so we didn’t have enough time to change the menus and add in a specialty cocktail.
All things considered, it was a magical day and Waterfall lodge is so special. It just does take a little extra work to make sure you are getting the wedding of your dreams. -
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![Alyssa]()
Alyssa B. Sent on 09/20/2022Our DREAM Wedding!
Waterfall Lodge is the most BEAUTIFUL place to be immersed in nature and to celebrate such a special ceremony as getting married. You can just tell everyone who is involved with caring for the venue — Michael, Beccan, Mark—absolutely love this land, these trees, and this venue. Michael especially helped us so much in welcoming us to the venue for our site visit, showing us around, recommending vendors, and giving advice on the best ways to utilize the venue to its fullest potential. We felt so cared for throughout the planning process and especially on the weekend of as they were all onsite to help everything run smoothly. Our loved ones/guests could not stop complimenting the venue and were absolutely amazed at how majestic and at the same time intimate it was to be staying there all together throughout the weekend. It was literally our DREAM wedding. Waterfall Lodge will always have such a special and warm place in our hearts! -
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Lauren W. Sent on 08/25/2022
We knew before we even saw it!
My husband and I knew that we wanted to get married at Waterfall before we had even seen it in-person. We had toured other venues and Waterfall was our last one. The moment we saw it, we just knew and are so glad we did! The lodge in and of itself would have sold us on the property but the added perk of staying on the property in A-frame cabins and being in the middle of the redwoods was a dream. Between the ceremony and reception, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting. The staff was knowledgeable and we appreciated the site visits we had with Michael with his expertise and advice on how to make our wedding day as smooth as possible. Waterfall allowed us to bring in our own vendors but also provided us with a preferred list. Our only complaint would be the sound ordinances in Santa Cruz, we didn't want the night to end! But the day was perfect and we will just have to fawn over the photos for years to come. We are so happy we were able to secure Waterfall as our venue and you should too! -
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![Maximilian]()
Maximilian B. Sent on 11/11/2022Amazing wedding weekend in the woods
Waterfall Lodge is a magical venue that was everything we wanted. The ability to have your guests stay onsite allows you to create a truly perfect weekend. The staff & management of Waterfall are very experienced, and if you listen to their advice they can help ensure that everything goes smoothly, even when trying to throw a big party deep in the woods. We wanted to throw some unusual events for our guests (including a bike ride & a hike), and the venue was supportive and helpful throughout. I can't recommend Waterfall enough! -
Andrea F. Sent on 06/02/2022
Most gorgeous venue on earth
Waterfall Lodge is one of the most gorgeous venues I have ever seen. The entire property is pristinely maintained and they are constantly doing updates to keep the property, spaces, and cabins to continually make it even more beautiful. Working with Jaime, Mark, and Michael was a great experience and they are so professional, organized, and accommodating and helpful that it made the experience THAT much better… because not only is the venue beautiful – but so is all of the staff. We absolutely loved having the cabins available onsite and our guests were so pleased with not needing to drive anywhere and being at the property the whole time. We had many guests tell us how much they loved being able to meet people before the actual wedding by staying onsite in the cabins – it made for such a good experience for everyone. The cabins themselves are also very cute; and are very clean and have towels, toiletries, etc. And let me tell you what a gorgeous backdrop a forest of redwoods makes for your wedding ceremony. There was also so many great places for photos – and Waterfall just makes pictures look that much better. I don’t even think it needs to be said that Waterfall is a venue I highly recommend – as it just speaks for itself. -
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![Kelsi]()
Kelsi S. Sent on 11/27/2021Magical Redwood Venue - All BYO but WORTH IT!
The team at Waterfall Lodge - Jaime, Mark and Michael really helped make our wedding day completely magical! Jaime was amazing for the year leading up to our wedding answering my (many, many) questions and helping my guests get set up in cabins, etc. We truly had the best day ever and already miss Waterfall Lodge!!
The owner, Mark, went above and beyond helping make our wedding day completely perfect, even during an insane rain storm, evacuations, power outages and more!
He is such a kind person and his incredible help seriously astounded us! The venue is truly a gem and helped make our wedding vision become a reality, a magical wedding amongst the redwoods with our dearest friends and family! We already miss Waterfall Lodge and hope to come back some day.
Huge thanks to Michael as well for all of his help and craftsmanship making such a great venue possible.
This is a 'BYO' vendor venue so know that you will need to put quite a lot of work into making sure all the many professionals and pieces are in place for your wedding, but with a good wedding planner (Dawn Sternadel - Event by Dawn) and using pretty much only vendors from their preferred vendor list it was a wonderful experience and we crafted the most beautiful 2 days true to me and my husband's style and vision. I will remember those 2 days very fondly for the rest of my life! -
![Anita]()
Anita K. Sent on 12/16/2021Magical Wedding
We held our wedding in October at Waterfall Lodge. It was so beautiful, words can't describe the magical feeling in the redwood forest. It's a very secluded venue, so you can have a very private wedding. The redwoods are STUNNING. Photos really don't do justice in how it feels. The staff is wonderful. From planning to the moment you arrive and you leave, they are all so kind and helpful. Because I'm from Canada, I planned the whole wedding abroad. I didn't get to visit the venue before having my wedding and the place did not disappoint! I wish I had stayed longer. I would recommend if you can rent out the venue for the entire weekend. One day/night was not enough!
Jaime, the events director was very flexible at this venue and made it easy for us to organize everything.
Michael, who built the whole place is so helpful. He's also very knowledgeable about the whole place so if you have any questions about the logistics of setting up everything, he's your man! -
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Butch A. Sent on 09/18/2021
wedding guests
My wife and I had the pleasure of attending Kelsie's and Corey"s wedding at Waterfall Lodge wedding several weeks ago. The ceremony and the venue were both the best we have ever experienced.
The climax redwood forest was spectacular. The accomodations were very nice. -
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Mansi P. Sent on 06/12/2022
Stunning & magical redwood forest
My husband and I got married at Waterfall Lodge in April 2022. From the moment we toured the venue, we knew it was the perfect place. The natural beauty in the redwoods is elevated with the perfect landscaping by the WL&R team and magical little cabins tucked way in the trees. We chose to get married on a Sunday (they require Friday & Saturday to be booked together as 2-day events) and everything went off perfectly.
Everyone speaks about this magical Michael in their reviews and it's for good reason — he came in about 12 weeks before our wedding, helped us hammer out all the details, and ran the day like an absolute pro. I was able to float through the entire wedding day not worried about any of the details going wrong.
I would also recommend using vendors from Waterfall Lodge's preferred vendor list — every single vendor we chose off that list was excellent, professional, and knew the venue in and out. It made planning SO much easier. -
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![Kelsi]()
Kelsi G. Sent on 12/06/2021Waterfall Lodge is STUNNING
Waterfall Lodge was truly the most incredible backdrop to our big day that we could have possibly imagined! Their staff is very helpful leading up to the event and Michael (the property manager) is an ABSOLUTE LEGEND!!!!!! We had crazy rain on our wedding day... so much so that when we woke up in the morning, the power was out in the entire city of Ben Lomond! Michael worked relentlessly to ensure all the generators were working. He absolutely did everything he could to ensure everything was working properly throughout the rest of the day and we attribute a lot of the day's magic to Michael's hard work :) Mark (the owner) is SO SWEET and you can tell he has so much passion and pride for the property. He has worked hard to make it the sacred space that it is and it shows. Jaime was so helpful leading up to the event, answering every question I had in a timely manner, which was so helpful for this crazed #CoronaBride! The cabins are cute and quaint! Everything was very clean and I am so glad we chose Waterfall to host our closest friends and family for our big day :) thank you, Waterfall!!!
P.S. for any future brides that may have the misfortune of rain on your wedding day at Waterfall... we ended up hosting the ceremony in the lodge. I was reluctant to make this decision as I had always envisioned it in the redwood grove, but it ended up being SO magical and cozy. It was a tight fit, so not everyone could be seated, which allowed for everyone to squeeze into a big circle around the room. It felt like our closest friends and family were surrounding and embracing us for our big moment!! It was truly incredible -
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![Melgrebe]()
Melissa G. Sent on 06/01/2022Cinco de Mayo wedding
Had our wedding on cinco de Mayo at WFL and we were so glad we chose them to spend our special day at. The owner, Mark, was very kind and understanding to our needs. The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous; you are tucked away in the redwoods with 30 cabins for your guests to stay in. It feels like your own personal resort. We definitely recommend getting golf carts to have on property (you can go with a separate company that delivers to the property)- as it is a far distance from some of the cabins to the reception and ceremony site. It is on the expensive side but all in all it was well worth the price. We got so many compliments on the space. -
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![Hunter]()
Hunter Sent on 10/29/2019Good Venue but there are some things...
So everything about the location of this venue is awesome! There is no better ceremony site and elegant looking barn and that is why we chose them. The issue I have with this place is their sound ordinance. The ceremony was capped sound wise even for a 2:30P wedding. This made our bridal party entrance music hard to hear and guests were confused. It was hard to hear the DJ and no this wasn't because of his equipment. When we moved down the hill for the reception the DJ was ordered to turn down the music three times by the site manager and it through off a performance. I had to tell the DJ to turn up the music personally because of this noise ordinance and he was instructed yet again by the venue to turn it down. We were playing classical and jazz all night so I don't how there could be a problem. That ticked me off most of all.
The other complaint I have is their scheduling. Initially we went to sign the contract and apparently there was a couple already booked for that date. The venue did make up for this mistake by offering other perks to which I was grateful for and moving in a different direction with their staff so they definitely fixed things in my opinion.
I think for what the venue was worth the location is worth it! Sound and planning issues aside it really made the difference having the wedding here! Very thankful my family from the Midwest were able to experience the Redwoods here for their first time! -
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