The Felton Guild is such a charming and peaceful forest venue tucked away in the Redwoods, and I recently had the honor of photographing a wedding here; I absolutely fell in love with the setting! It feels secluded and intimate, with a cozy, woodsy atmosphere that's perfect for couples looking for something a little different. From a photographer's perspective, the lighting in the grove is soft and dreamy, especially during the ceremony. The surrounding trees create a natural canopy that adds to the sense of privacy and connection, while the reception space is large enough to host a decently sized guest count. The staff were incredibly helpful as well! If you're dreaming of a redwood wedding that's relaxed, heartfelt, and full of character, this is a venue worth checking out! read more

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We had our wedding at the Felton Guild this past Saturday 8/5 and it was absolutely fantastic. We got so many comments about how beautiful the venue is. The ceremony space is intimate and surrounded by magical redwood trees. The reception is on the lawn and contains plenty of space for dinner, dancing (we rented a dance floor), and mingling. We had about 67 guests. Kathy was wonderful to work with and all her vendor recommendations were also wonderful (and more affordable than most wedding vendors!). We went with Cowboy Bar and Grill for the catering and it was perfect. The music has to be shut off by 8 pm but we had an after party at a bar in Santa Cruz and it worked out so well. I highly recommend Felton Guild if you are planning a wedding in Felton! read more

We had the most amazing wedding at the Felton Guild. Kathy answered all of our questions in the planning stages. She was prompt and professional. She even offered to help set up if needed. The Cowboy Bar and Grill did the catering for the welcome/rehearsal dinner and wedding reception and I was very happy with both. Jim was also very responsive to all the inquirers and it was a day to never be forgotten. Highly recommend both venues. This is more of a self serve venue thou. You bring in all decorations and pack up and take out, so do have some helpers. Also, keep in mind with the catering that someone at your tables will have to pour the champagne AND cut and serve the cake on plastic plates and with plastic forks. We ended up renting plates and flatware for the cake. My son ended up hiring a wedding Coordinator (best decision ever) for the day that brought helpers to do all the tasks that we didn't want to ask our guests to do i.e. cut and serve the cake. Fun, Fun Beautiful day! read more

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We had our wedding at Felton Guild at the end of April 2022 and it was a wonderful day. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone interested in the Felton/Santa Cruz area! Everything came together beautifully and Kathy was a huge help from when we initially toured, throughout the prep, during the wedding day, and even now (she found our friend's earing!). The unique part about this venue is how intimate it is. The ceremony site is a small redwood cathedral that they set up with wooden benches (sits up to 130). A few rock steps lead to a gorgeous wooden deck where the bride/groom/wedding party stands. We had a friend play a keyboard during the ceremony and thankfully there was an outlet that he could plug into right behind the wood deck. From the ceremony site, guests make their way to the bar/appetizer area that has redwood tables. Shortly after it opens up to a lawn area where the reception is typically held. We utilized the redwood tables they have at the venue, but we rented chairs, a dance floor, and three heaters from Alexis' rental. (not sure the heaters were necessary!) side note: We also rented 2 porta-potties that were set up to the side of the ceremony site in the parking lot (this was sufficient for 120 guests!). Also important to mention there is ample parking and staff from Felton Guild help direct guests. We had the restaurant next door, Cowboy & Grill cater our event and they were AMAZING! Since they are extremely comfortable with the space, we really had nothing to worry about. They set up the bar and appetizer area, all of the tables, and the catering area (we did the taco bar and it was fantastic w/ vegan options!). All we really had to worry about was the dessert table and decorating the tables. I 100% recommend them!!!! The sound ordinance requires music to be shut off by 8 pm sharp and then your time at the venue ends at 9 pm, so you utilize that hour to say your goodbyes and pack up. The rental companies picked up their items the next morning. Don't hesitate with booking this venue :) We have not received photographer photos, but if I can update this review with more pictures soon I will! read more

Felton Guild - Ceremony Site - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Felton, California

This place looks great and is a beautiful setting, but caveat emptor on a few things. There is a noise ordinance and the police were called about our DJs music. (3pm in the afternoon) The dance floor is small and limited. There are neighbors around the place. One portapotti. Bright sun in middle of the day and seating for eating had no umbrellas. read more

We got married here in September. It was a fairytale come true. The space was perfect for us and really helped us capture the natural and spiritual elements we wanted to for our wedding without any of the institutionalism. We had a fun wedding that brought people of all different backgrounds together. It was the perfect blend of a formal rite of passage with a laid back vibe. It was the best setting for what we wanted to accomplish. For future brides, here are the need-to-knows: Amenities: There is a brides room and a grooms room. There is only one bathroom for guests to use. I opened up the brides bathroom to all female guests to help with this. In both locations, the lines were about 4 people deep during the height of the party. It was okay, but definitely the max you can get away with. If you have more than 100 guests and are serving alcohol, rent a portable bathroom. Space: We had about 100 guests and everything was very comfortable. I think the space could accommodate 150 for both the ceremony and reception, but it would be cramped. A few of our guests were 200-300 lbs. and were comfortable on the benches. I thought a few people would have to stand during the ceremony, but to my surprise, everyone fit in the seats. The reception grass space is roughly 60'x50'. Toward the road there is a 12'x10' cement area and toward the exitway there is an 8'x8' cement area. The grass area is what you have to work with for seating and dancing. There is a paved area, roughly 12'x60' and the DJ has to hook up in the corner next to the road. This area worked perfectly for the DJ and buffet food service. On-site tables and chairs: I think there are 20 redwood tables there that you can use and chairs at no cost. The chairs however are green lawn chairs. We rented some birch chairs with white seats for about $2 each. I don't remember the table dimensions, but we were able to sit 6-8 at each. They are bulky and if you have more guests, you may need to rent some regular size ones to manage the space. We rented 4 60' rounds for our families and a small 4'x'30" for the sweetheart table, and used the tables on site for the rest. We brought 5 umbrellas as I was worried that the sun would be in people's eyes as it set. It was 80 degrees that day, our ceremony was at 4pm (4:15 start) and dinner was a little before 6pm, and we really didn't need the umbrellas. This was on September 22nd. Maybe they would have been needed before the solstice though. Management: Kathy, the owner, is a character. She seems a little flighty sometimes, but really came through for us and everything went smoothly. On the day of, she helped direct traffic and made sure all our guests were not disoriented. Potential Turnoffs: The reception space is right next to Highway 9. For us this wasn't an issue. Our table was near the road and I didn't hear anything. During one speech, a motorcycle went by and the person had to pause for a few seconds, but it was fine. You have to handle set up and tear down of the reception space. Although, if you use the on-site caterer they probably set up the chairs and tables. Our friends, cousins, and caterer set up the space and helped with break down for us. We brought many flashlights for the tear down and it was fine. Also, Kathy didn't want us to leave the dance floor on the lawn as the rental company would not be able to pick it up until Monday and our wedding was on Saturday. The catering crew unscrewed it at night and put it on the pavement before they left. I stressed about this for a while before the wedding, but there was no need. Just delegate it 2 months before and have a schedule for everyone. Commune type setting. There are rvs in the parking area, houses and a restaurant on site. For us, this wasn't a problem. The setting was so transformative once you were in it that it didn't matter. Our guests, no matter how conservative, still loved the space. read more

Felton Guild - Taken by Julie Cahill Photography - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Felton, California

Great restaurant in a new home. Food was delicious. We enjoyed scrumptious sweet potato cakes drizzled with a great jalapeño glaze for our appetizer. I had a Popeye with grilled chicken Gorgonzola, glazed pecans and other delicious veggies topped with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The honey buttered cornbread was tasty. The pulled pork entree smoked ‼ My only disappointment was that they don't have a blender so my margarita was on the rocks. It was still awesome. read more

Felton Guild - Waiting to order sweet potato puffs with jalapeños glaze. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Felton, California

My husband and I just had our wedding here last weekend. This venue was absolutely everything we dreamed of for our small intimate wedding. We both love the Santa Cruz vicinity and fell in love with the idea of getting married in the redwoods. Kathy put up with my incessant emails asking every question under the sun. She was always extremely quick to respond to me, and was pleasant, kind, and patient 100% of the time. She went out of her way to meet with us at the venue twice (we traveled from out of town, and she was always gracious enough to accommodate us). Everything ran smoothly the day of our wedding, with the space being swept up, benches and chairs put out, and Kathy helping to direct our guests to the parking area. We could not have asked for a more perfect wedding day, or a more beautiful venue. We are very grateful to Kathy for helping things to run smoothly, and would definitely recommend this venue for anyone looking for a romantic, woodsy vibe. read more

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My fiance and I made the 45 minute trek from San Jose to Felton Guild to see if it was the perfect fit for our wedding venue. Listed below are some pros and cons of the site: Pros: *Gorgeous Redwood trees and forest like scenery *Kathy, the owner, was very friendly and nice. She promptly answered all phone calls and emails regarding the venue. *A restaurant sits on site and offers catering. Cons: *SMALL. The Redwood sanctuary has small benches; if your guests have hips, they'll tip those benches right off their foundation. *The green lawn chairs. *The motor homes and RVs that sit near the rear of the site. *Limited (and I mean limited) parking; the venue shares parking with the restaurant. You'll like this place if you a. Want a quiet venue b. Don't mind having your guests sit on dusty lawn chairs c. Are having an intimate wedding (Kathy said the venue could fit 120, but I'm thinking 120 children...not adults. I say 50 people maximum) We nixed Felton off of our list because a. It was too small b. We would have to rent a tons of things c. I could hear my grandmother complaining about the seating read more

I photographed a wedding at Felton Guild last fall and it was so lovely there. read more

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My daughter was married here and I'll preface this by stating the venue and redwoods backdrop was stunning. However the micro-managing that was done by Kathy the day of was less than desirable. From continuing to change the entire layout the day of the wedding continuing to state, "well normally people do xyz" then when it didn't align with this brides layout then she begins to state its for compliance and liscencing down to the direction the speakers need to face, to stating she will monitor the volume, placement etc. She was a complete nightmare. The audacity to call the bride as she is getting ready was disgraceful to argue people nowadays are paying her even more for the venue and arguing contract, when asked to not call my daughter and stress her out she continued to walk around the venue with her phone on speaker trying displaying her need to be right for 40mins. My daughter remained poised as we reviewed the contract over and over to see she was making items up as she went as nothing she kept going on about aligned with the contract. Beautiful venue specifically chosen for the redwood backdrop but I would not recommend it with the way it started and ended. Please note although you pay for the venue until 9 pm she makes a scene to shut you down at 8PM approaching the DJ and demanding he turn it off then proceeded to argue with bride about it on the dance floor. read more

I ALMOST had my wedding here! I'm listing everything I loved about this place as a wedding venue and then why a chose not to use it. First, let's remember this is not a country club or fancy winery. The Guild feels down to earth and welcoming without a bit of pretentiousness. Ceremony seating is on wooden benches in front of the redwood grove of trees that you get married under and the tables that the venue provides are the rectangle wooden picnic type (though the chairs more typical of banquet rooms). Grounds are beautiful and I loved the whole flow of how everyone would move from ceremony to reception. They have a lovely room for the bride to ready herself and another "room/area" for the groom. So these are the real things that I loved about the idea of utilizing this place. 1) only one wedding a day and basically have the whole day. 2) can utilize whatever caterer you want. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE! 3) no alcohol restrictions, can bring everything in yourself, no corkage fees, and hire your own bartenders if you want. Buys cases of beer, bottles of wine and water/sodas from Costco! This saves bundles! 4) we could bring our DOGS! Yay! they could be part of the ceremony and hang out for the reception. 5) little need for extra or expensive decor because everything is so beautiful there. Everything can be done simply, in fact too fancy would be completely out of place at the Guild. 6) the pricing/rental fees were great. And included quite a bit of stuff. We were really ready to have our wedding at the Guild. But here is why we didn't. 1) we had a few too many people, that would have caused us to have to rent additional tables, etc. 2) we know our families/friends would want to party it up being up in the Santa Cruz Mountains wasn't going to be a good mix for our guests. Hopefully this info will find it's way to someone that will really like this place too. read more

Ok, I have to preface this by saying that I had my wedding here and it was beautiful. This venue is gorgeous, well kept, and a steal for the price. The two stars are for price and beauty..... Please read on.... That having been said, after my experience with the owner, I would caution anyone considering holding their event here. Kathy is a very nice woman who certainly means well, but she doesn't seem to know the slightest thing about running a business. My calls were never answered and when she did return them it was several days later. ok... thats not that big of a deal right? Well, when you're planning your wedding, that is a VERY big deal. Especially because the contract is only 3 or 4 pages of ambiguous nonsense. It provides no information on liquor licenses, or anything about insurance, or anything else. We chose to go with The Felton Guild because we could bring everything in on our own and we weren't beholden to preferred vendors. We had planned a BBQ picnic wedding, and secured an incredible bbq catering company, Hill Country BBQ (Check them out, they SERIOUSLY rock!) There was nothing in the contact about limits on who or what we could do, and having the on site grill was very important to us to keep the authentic feel we had envisioned. Everything was fine until two days before my wedding when my parents received a call from Kathy who was sternly informing them that we couldn't have an open flame grill and if we did try to go forward with it, the fire marshall would be called and we would be shut down! TWO DAYS BEFORE MY WEDDING!!!!!! TWO! Naturally we freaked out, had to dig up the contract to confirm, once again, that this information was not hidden somewhere in it (it wasn't!!!) and we called the fire marshall to ask about her claim. Fortunately, the fire marshall had no idea what we were talking about, said that as long as it was contained in a grill it wasn't even remotely an issue, and that the fire department had more important things to do than busting up a bbq wedding. Ultimately, my dad called Kathy and relayed this information and we went ahead as planned. I have since learned from a little Facebook trolling, that someone else had the exact same experience! Down to the fire marshall threat! If no bbq is that big of a deal to her, she should seriously write it into the silly thing she calls a contract and move on. I just hope nobody goes through this again. If you're planning a simple wedding and using their neighboring restaurant, great, you'll probably be fine. BUT if the appeal is the amount of freedom offered by the venue, heed my warning and proceed at your own risk! read more

I just got married there yesterday and I can't add anything more to the reviews that came before me. It's a beautiful, intimate setting, perfect for casual and elegant weddings alike (if you have a small guest list). I got so many compliments on the venue and I have to say, the venue itself couldn't have been more perfect. The one thing I could have done without was the NOSY PEOPLE WHO WERE CHECKING OUT THE VENUE DURING MY WEDDING. THE PHOTOGRAPHER HAD TO STOP SHOOTING BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WERE WALKING AROUND IN THE BACKGROUND. THEY WERE STANDING IN THE RECEPTION AREA DURING MY RECEPTION AND TALKING LOUDLY ABOUT IT. When I complained to my mother about this, she said Kathy, the manager, told her it happens all the time. I was shocked and appalled. This should not have been allowed during my, or anyone's wedding. It was completely ridiculous. My wedding day would have been absolutely perfect if not for the rude, shameless people who wandered around the venue not even 10 minutes after the ceremony finished. Word to the wise, if you want this venue, you need to tell Kathy in no uncertain terms that NOBODY is allowed to take a look at the venue during your wedding. read more

This venue is amazing. At first, I was a little nervous of the size for the capacity of guests I had for a ceremony-only space and small cocktail hour in the redwood cathedral. With about 150 people and some guests standing it was fine. I had many of my guests commenting on how pretty and beautiful it was. Couple of my guests referred to Bella and Edward of "Twlight, Breaking Dawn pt. 1" wedding scene. Lol. :p The redwoods really make it so much cooler too. After the ceremony, we had Sebastian from next door (Oak Tree Restaurant) do small hors d'oeuvres and appetizers just behind the ceremony area. Mostly small gravel on a dirt path way, but the staff maintains it well before your big day. It was a nice spot for the food and set up, there's more seating scattered in this area. Lots of tables and side ones for decorations or for what we use one of them for, drinks and champagne stations. If you need a ceremony space, and the church thing isn't your cup of tea, this location might be a good fit. Shot out to the yelpers in the previous reviews. : ) They were a big help. The Guild is at least a place to check out for any bride on the venue hunt. I'm so happy I exchanged my vows here. Hidden gem in Felton! : ) read more

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I really enjoyed what was offered at this venue, nice looking and private seeming for being right on the road, with people living onsite, and next to an extremely busy restaurant. The owner was very nice and helpful. I paid to reserve my date and all was good. 6 months before the wedding my father died which was a huge loss and very hard on my fiance and I. At this time I reached out to the owner who originally stated that she would pay back the deposit as long as there was adequate notice so the space could be filled. I understand this dilemma for the owner and hoping that 6 months notice was adequate.... I received no response at all. Of course I would like my money back, but i would have been happy with any response at all(including a sorry too bad we cant refund you type of response), which I did not receive. Between my fiance and I we reached out 6 times between email and voicemails and the Guild did not have the decency to even respond to our messages. I would never recommend The Guild to anyone! To not respond at all while we were trying to replan our wedding do to an unforeseen death of my father is heartless and cruel, not to mention the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. Losing a father at a young age is difficult and heartbreaking especially when trying to plan a wedding as it includes parents in the process. All we wanted was a response and we got nothing from them, no reply at all. These people only care about their money, so remember this when dealing with them. Just be careful when dealing with them and no matter how it is presented they are not concerned about your happiness, in the end for them it is all about the $$$$$$$$$$$ they don't care about you. This is my first and hopefully only yelp review, I do not normally do this, but this is incredibly painful and I want people to know how much these owners really care about you and your happiness........ read more

Kathy was absolutely amazing to my family for my brothers wedding! Just 4 days before the wedding the previous venue that had been booked for 4 months pulled some shady stuff and messed over my brother and his now wife and Kathy was like a superhero coming to save the day! This place was an absolute blessing and was absolutely beautiful to hold my brothers wedding at! Kathy was such a great help and the day was so beautiful! Thank you so much to Kathy and the staff at the Felton Guild! read more

My experience with Felton Guild was both stressful and magical. Magical, because it happened to be available for the weekend in June that my husband and I were hoping to have our wedding ceremony. Magical, because it immediately spoke to my barefoot wedding in the woods fantasy complete with tables made of redwood trees and a white arch. Magical, because the day itself was beautiful. Now, for the stressful aspects... Communication: My husband and I initially met with Kathy, reserved the date and signed the contract. Everything sounded fantastic and accommodating. In the weeks to come, I had multiple conversations with Kathy over the phone about wedding plans. These conversations seemed to not be taken note of, as the phrase, "I am confused about what you are doing" became all-too familiar. It was very frustrating to have the same important conversation over and over again whilst planning my wedding. Mind you, this same conversation/description of order of events happened repeatedly until the wedding rehearsal, which will receive its own section. I will talk more about the Cowboy Cafe as well, but this added another frustrating element to communication. I would have conversations with Kathy about wedding plans as well as Jim, the owner of the Cowboy Cafe. These two did not seem to communicate about events that they are both a part of, so that included even more relaying of the same information. Perhaps, this is simply an effect of a new restaurant and two managers that have not worked together for long, but I am positive that there are much more effective ways to communicate with customers and keep track of basic agendas and plans. Cowboy Cafe: We were highly encouraged to use the Cowboy Cafe to cater the wedding. Previously, we had eaten and enjoyed the Cowboy Cafe so we were excited to see that it had moved to be connected with Felton Guild. Unfortunately, the menu did not meet all aspects of what we were envisioning for wedding, but we agreed to order some appetizers at least. This meant another meeting. This time, I brought my Mom with me to talk about food with Jim, the man that runs the Cowboy Cafe. Somehow, this opened a can of worms that threw me off for a moment. Suddenly, we went from just talking about appetizers to discussing tablecloths, napkins and pricing per person. After phone calls and emails, I sorted things out with Jim. We ordered and paid for meat/cheese platters for the cocktail hour as well as cornbread for the main meal. On the day of my wedding, I got notice from Jim that the appetizer plates were out, but later came to realize that the cornbread never came out! One of my bridesmaids told me he had come out to offer to bring it, but this was after it was time to eat. I do not understand why I would go through the trouble of discussing specific prices (which seemed to be inflated in comparison to the prices on the restaurant menu) and ordering only to not receive said things paid for. Wedding Rehearsal: On the day of my wedding rehearsal, I was thrown a curve ball. There, whilst my bridal party was waiting for the order of events, Kathy confronted me with a problem that seems to be rooted in things that I have previously written about. She showed me the contract that she had to correspond with my wedding rental. She demanded $700 in cash for another hour that she had not previously accounted for when we initially signed the contract and the $300 security deposit. Sketchy. Am I ever going to get that deposit back? Meanwhile, she still did not know whether or not I was going to have both a ceremony and a reception. I am absolutely positive that I had clear and concise communication with her weeks ago about my wedding ceremony AND reception. This, during my wedding rehearsal. Stress. I sent my Mom to Kathy to help sort things out after the rehearsal. My Mom also got a sketchy feeling from talking to Kathy that made her question if racism was involved. Now, I am sorry if you did not catch the misnomer in the quoted price, but no one has the right to talk down to my Mother in any condescending/racist way. Post sorting things out with my Mom, Kathy spoke with me again. This time it was about moving things onto the grass. She said she had made it very clear that I was not allowed to do that. Honestly, I have no recollection of said rules being relayed to me. I looked over the contract again and it was not there. So, why am I being yelled at? Kathy ended this conversation on a comforting note by telling me that she might not be there at 11 AM when we needed her to unlock the doors for our paid rental time - what. Interaction with family & guests: On the day of my wedding, I received multiple reports back from family members that were spoken to in a similar manner. People were getting yelled at again. This was very disappointing to hear about. All in all, Felton Guild is an absolutely charming spot to have a wedding. Beware of working with the management. read more

We looked loooong and haaard for the perfect woodsy wedding venue, and finally, after much googling, we found Felton Guild. Not listed in any bride guides or wedding planning websites, Felton Guild prides itself on being a "hidden gem" (so well hidden that i only discovered it on someone else's personalized website for their own wedding)! For us, Felton Guild was a perfect fit... but its not for everyone. Here are the plusses and minuses: PROS: The redwood catherdral is exactly what i always pictured as my ceremony site there's a pretty "reception grove" for cocktail hour and also a reception lawn for dinner/dancing super inexpensive in relation to other venues (for this bride on a budget, truly the best part) you get the whole day at the venue, instead of a six-hour window Kathy the manager is super-sweet and let us use the venue the day before for rehearsal and setup, free of charge The layout of the space and reception lawn are really cool Air-conditioned bride's room -- so crucial Although they dont have an in-house caterer, its adjescent to a delicious family-style restaurant (Oak Tree) that will bring food fresh from the oven out to your guests. The ceremony site is intimate and personal (could be a con for some bigger weddings, but we had a small wedding so it was a pro for us) its right across the street from henry cowell redwoods -- we took some amaaazing wedding photos over there Your guests will always remember your unique locale Like getting married in the woods, except without the hassle of renting bathrooms, chairs, tables, clean-up crew, etc CONS: They don't have email, or take credit cards! (i know, insane in this day and age, but its how they roll) Although the venue itself is beautiful, its adjescent to a mobile home park. It didn't bother us enough to turn us away, but its certainly not ideal. As previously mentioned by another reviewer, this place aint no country club... Our dj equipment actually blew the power fuse! Kathy swears that never happens and it was a quick fix, but if you're heavy on the equipment, anticipate that could happen. If youre getting married in the summer during sundown, consider renting umbrellas for the reception lawn. it can get bright and hot. For the reception, they have these chintzy green plastic chairs and picnic tables. We classed it up with some pretty rented linens from Alexis Party Rental. if we had more money, we would have rented better chairs too. not totally pertaining to the venue, but working with Sebastian at Oak tree was a bit of a challenge because his English is pretty lousy (but he makes a bad-ass green lasagna -- not on the menu but he made it special for us) All in all, we had a great experience and would totally recommend to other offbeat brides on a budget. Thanks Kathy for making our day amazing! read more

Let me first validate the two stars. The venue was absolutely gorgeous and the food from the neighboring restaurant was amazing! If you're looking for an earthy or rustic theme, do not overlook this venue. Now for the bad. We had a 6 month engagement and didn't have time to waste, so naturally we booked the venue right away. We visited the venue and meet with Aldina who ran the catering side of the business. She was a very nice lady and seemed to understand the business very well. We agreed on menu items, alcohol selection, needed staff, and overall pricing. Everything was fine and we were confident things would just work out. About 3 months later, we got a call from Kathy who runs the place. She said that Aldina has left the business and Kathy would now take over the operations. Although we expected the venue to maintain the ethical business practice of staying true to contracts, we decided to meet with Kathy to review everything and make sure our expectations are aligned. Soon did we find out that Kathy, while very nice, truly has zero business sense and is incredibly hard to work with. Although our agreement with Aldina was clearly written on the notes that Kathy had in her hand, she still said that she would not honor it. She said the numbers were not profitable enough for the venue. To be honest, that's not my problem and they shouldn't have made that agreement if they couldn't honor it. Don't lecture me about "you have no idea how much goes into this and how hard the team works"... I do understand, but I also don't care because she should have accounted for that in the pricing! Plus the setup crew will be generously tipped so don't try to make me feel bad for them... While working in the wedding business, you need to understand that brides and grooms have ZERO time or patience to deal with sketchy and deceiving people. Multiple times did I have very clear conversations with Kathy about various things, but a few weeks down the road she claims she does not recall what we talked about. I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!! TAKE NOTES LADY AND STICK TO WHAT YOU AGREED ON! During my wedding I walked up to get a beer around 7:30pm and I see her clearing off the bar and putting stuff away. "Kathy what are you doing? Its only 7:30!". She tells me that we have gone through 3 kegs and she doesn't want to leave the restaurant with no kegs. Welp, to bad Kathy... again, you agreed to supply the kegs and that's what we are expecting. She was seriously going to close down the bar without asking me! Our guests we not causing trouble, no one was too drunk, everything was all good. Who do you think you are closing the bar I paid A LOT of money for and for no reason? Get out of town! Aside from that, she kept bugging my guests with more and more rules during the wedding... rules that she never told us prior to the wedding! If she had a concern, find my wedding coordinator. Don't bug me, my wife or my guests. Listen, we are very easy people to work with and we didn't have any crazy requests... just normal wedding stuff. In conclusion, this place rocks! Just make sure you INSIST on an official contract very early in the planning stage. Document EVERYTHING Kathy says in writing or email. read more

We wanted a woodsy, rustic but classy and simple wedding. And the impression we got from our research was that Kathy, the owner of Felton Guild, would be very hands-off. So more work for us on the planning side, but we would get to make more choices like caterer ourselves, allowing us to save some money. What we didn't realize at the time is that things have changed since the time of the other reviews; Oak Tree Ristorante is now the only caterer you can choose if you go with Felton Guild. Aldina (manager at Oak Tree) was great in talking with us and showing us around; unfortunately Kathy didn't show up till most of the way through the tour when we ran into her gardening in the back. The whole space was so, so beautiful and what we really were looking for; although the ceremony space in the redwood grove was pretty small. It looked like it would be hard to fit in more than 100 people, and some people would have trouble with visibility and/or have to stand in the back. We decided after touring Felton Guild to go to Oak Tree Ristorante to try out the food for lunch. The food was very good. The pesto gnocchi was extremely tasty. But for me, that is not enough to book someone for a wedding, I want to know they are a straight-shooter, and someone I can rely on day-of. We had foccacia with oil, a serving of pesto gnocchi, and a serving of spinach ravioli, and the bill came out to about $40. When we got home, I received Aldina's follow-up email, detailing a $500 set up fee for the bar, a $500 tear down fee, etc. which seemed like a lot to add on top. Beyond the required caterer, there were limits on our ability to bring in our own wine. Overall, we felt we weren't sure how prices would end up (with fees), how things would go day-of service-wise, and there were restrictions on catering and alcohol, so even though we really loved the space, we decided not to go with Oak Tree and Felton for the wedding. Food was great, though! read more

We just got married here last week, and as a previous reviewer commented, it was indeed magical. The space is breathtaking for a wedding. I have lived among the redwoods my whole life, and to be able to come back home from the East Coast and get married in a redwood grove was a dream come true. I think it's important to clarify that although we had some concerns, overall I am really pleased with our choice and feel like it was a nearly perfect day. However, I did experience some of the stress other reviewers have mentioned, related to a certain lack of communication and organization on the part of the owner, Kathy. Perhaps it was needless worry, because at the end of the day everything came off without a hitch, but it's important to be aware of if you are considering this venue. First, the grounds are just the best place to have a small wedding if you are a lover of natural beauty and/or if you have a thing for getting married in a forest, like me. We researched dozens of possible locations all over the West Coast and ended up here, basically in our back yard (my parents own a small vacation house in the neighborhood). One of the wonderful things about this location is that the cost is reasonable and flexible, depending on how much time you plan to use the space. It's also great for cutting costs in other ways (without affecting your experience) because of how naturally beautiful the location is. We accentuated the natural beauty of the grove with some rose petals, a long runner for the aisle, and a few hanging flowers off the chairs along the aisle, but that was really all we did to the ceremony area itself and it was simply lovely. We did not use the Cowboy Diner for catering, despite being strongly encouraged to by Kathy, who made it clear that we could not bring in an outside caterer. In fact, the change in restaurant ownership to the Cowboy Diner right when we decided to place our deposit a year and a half ago almost sent us elsewhere. As a granola-y vegetarian type, the restaurant offended my ethics and aesthetics. Initially I thought we would have to use them if we wanted to use the grove, and I was pretty set on the grove. So, I reluctantly contacted them about what they could offer in terns of wedding-appropriate vegetarian food. I was not impressed with their options and we were back to re-considering other locations. As a compromise, I began to explore the possibility of using the grove for the minimum 4 hours for the ceremony and a mini reception, and then have a full dinner reception at another location. Kathy was willing to allow us to bring in things for a cake and champagne reception in the grove area next to the ceremony area. She made it clear that this was an exception she was willing to make because of the small number of people (less than 30) and the absence of under-drinking-age folks. My husband and I are older - in our late 30's and early 40s - than the usual newlywed couple, so I think that added to our credibility and trustworthiness along these lines. Really, looking back, Kathy was quite accommodating. I became nervous after reading some of these Yelp reviews and noting myself that she did not initiate much communication, was unavailable through email (only communicated via phone), and the few times I spoke with her it didn't seem like she had a way of organizing and accessing information about her various reservations. This was extra stressful because we were planning everything from 3000 miles away and the arrival and sending of checks and paper contracts took time and wasn't easily tracked. Perhaps I put too much trust in digital communications, but it was a challenge for me to trust everything was in order based on this one vague and poorly-written paper contract. I also resented having so little time to setup. We were on a tight budget since we had to pay for a separate dinner reception location, so we could really only afford the minimum rental length of 4 hours. This left us only 1 hour to setup, with 30 minutes for guests arriving/seating, 30 minutes for the ceremony, an hour of "reception" time, and an hour of cleanup. That hour of setup was pretty nutty. I had to get my hair and makeup done before arriving at the Felton Guild, then decorate the grove and "reception area," setup drinks and cake for serving, and greet vendors, in that hour (with help, of course) and then do a quick dress change and makeup/hair touch-up before the ceremony. It didn't help that when trying to enter the Bride's Room to drop off my dress and armfuls of items 15 minutes into our paid rental time, the door was locked, and I and my maid of honor had to call and then wait standing around, arms full, for Kathy to come over to unlock it, all while dropping things on the ground and trying not to sweat off my makeup. Not ideal. But in the end, it worked. So, despite the stress around planning and setting up, it was an amazingly beautiful, magical, and memorable location for our wedding. read more

Well: we had gift certificates for $75 bucks and still had to cough up $55 for a romantic Valentines dinner. The food was great as far as quality and taste. The down sides: The poor rating is for the very small portions and rushed service. 1. It was very expensive for what you got 2. There was no (or very little) choice in menu. They pushed only one selection, a 5 course dinner including desert. Sounds like a lot, right - wrong! 3. We were a bit rushed. The whole dinner lasted only one hour including wine drinks. The check was there before all the plates were removed. 4. The portions were meager to say the least. The salad was adequate. For the two of us there were only 4 ravioli's, a lamb chop the size of a silver dollar (and just as thin), a fair size (about 4 oz.) piece of cod with two small shrimp, and a desert of cheese cake about two inches long, 1 inch wide (we ate it in one bite). read more

I had a great experience with the Felton Guild and working with Kathy! I did my wedding reception with 55 people in the redwood grove in May 2019. When I initially toured the facility, Kathy was late for our appointment because she was touring someone else, so we decided not to book the space. However, 2 months before my wedding, my planned venue fell through. I contacted Kathy again, she responded within hours. She was extremely helpful and accommodating. As I began planning my event with only 2 months to spare, she was extremely responsive, responding to all emails within 24 hours. She accommodated my request to use the space in a way that it had never been used before. On the wedding day, she was available at 8am to help our family set up. She provided us with a hot glue gun and chalk when we needed last minute supplies. We used cowboy catering, and I found them to be very responsive via telephone and flexible in making my event happen. Overall, my wedding reception went off without a hitch and it was a fairytale! read more

I just had my wedding here a week ago and I couldn't be happier with every aspect of the event and the venue. I found Kathy to be accommodating, friendly, and easy to communicate with. I never called her with a question or concern that she didn't respond to in a positive and cheerful way. I don't think I ever had to leave a message because she answered the phone and when I texted or emailed her I always got a quick response. She works closely with our caterer, Cowboy Diner, so that made things so much easier. She also is knowledgable about florists (I used Pink Petals), bakers, and where to rent the porta potties and dance floor which was necessary due to the large number of guests. I understand that my wedding was the largest one held there to date and things went off without a hitch. The venue is absolutely beautiful and I'm so happy that Felton Guild was our choice! read more

Our niece wanted to get married in the redwoods on spring equinox. Felton Guild was the place. Nice grounds and facility. If you have older folks who need to sit, you'll have to arrange chairs. The gravel walkways aren't really wheelchair friendly unless you've got off road tires or a strong pusher. We used the onsite restaurant Oak Tree Restaurante for the meal, a bit of a disapointment. The food was overpriced and the service was really slow. Food was promised at 2:45 but the main entree wasn't served until 4:30. For 51.00/head, we got antipasta tray, a plate of beet salad, a plate of ribs, a plate of chicken breasts, a plate of cut up steak all set on the table to serve yourself. Kind of expensive for what was there. The restaurante wanted 2.00 per slice to cut the wedding cake. The grandmother and aunt of the bride did the honors and saved 150.00. Go with outside catering you'll be happier. All in all, the Felton Guild wedding facility is good and I would recommend it, the restaurant, not so much. read more

My niece wanted an outdoor wedding under the redwoods in January. It occurred just 17 days ago at the Felton Guild. We signed the contract with Kathy, the owner, in July after visiting the site. The redwood cathedral and the lawn area were beautiful. She told us right at the start that if it's raining on or just prior to the wedding date, the cathedral would be off limits due to the risk of heavy wet branches that can fall. Indeed, it rained all week prior to the wedding day. So the wedding ceremony occurred on the lawn area which has 1 beautiful redwood tree as the focal point. For a fee, Kathy shut down the restaurant for the reception. The restaurant was filled to capacity, if not beyond. This is where Kathy shined. She figured out a way to set up the tables and chairs (even rented some) to get everyone seated in a comfortable way. With the centerpieces on each table it was beautiful. When it was time for the dancing, Kathy took charge and moved out a block of tables and chairs and created the needed space. (Other seating was available for those who didn't want to dance.) Space was definitely at a premium but in her creativity she set up the cake table, gift tables, sign-in table, and DJ area. Kathy made sure the wine and food flowed at every table. In summary, Kathy worked very hard for us during the entire six hours of the wedding and reception. She literally "made" the day work for us. So why not 5 stars? We had our rehearsal dinner there the night before the wedding. And that's when she raised the cost of the wedding entree by $2.00 per plate. By that stage I was way too tired to question it. I highly recommend this beautiful wedding venue. My only suggestion is that you put everything in writing and each have signed copies. read more