Where to even begin with how amazing Kennolyn is? The staff, the location, everything about our wedding was perfect! When we toured Kennolyn back in 2023, we met Elyse for the first time. She was incredibly helpful and friendly from the start. We immediately felt great about the venue and decided to book it for our wedding. Between booking and the wedding, we enjoyed several fun events like the wedding overview day and the details meeting. The overview day was a blast--meeting vendors, sampling the food we'd enjoy on our wedding day, and exploring all the beautiful spaces Kennolyn has to offer. The bridal area was lovely for getting ready, the groomsmen had a fantastic time in the groom's suite, and the ceremony and reception spaces were perfect. There was even a grassy lawn for the kids to run around on. From our first meeting, Elyse was incredibly responsive and helpful with my countless questions. She ensured everything was perfect for our big day. We got married at Hilltop Hacienda, and the day went off without a hitch. My husband and I didn't have to worry about any details because the staff had everything under control. They were friendly and helpful to all our guests, who couldn't stop raving about the perfect day. The views were gorgeous, and the ceremony and reception spaces were stunning. The bartending staff were so kind and made everyone feel like old friends. The food was phenomenal, with many delicious options for our guests. The entire staff made sure everything flowed smoothly from one moment to the next. We genuinely had the BEST DAY EVER, thanks to the Kennolyn team. Elyse and Deirdre ensured everything went well and helped calm any nerves I had. It's been a month since our wedding, and my husband and I keep saying we wish we could do it again every weekend because it was so much fun. I cannot recommend Kennolyn enough to anyone looking for a wedding venue. read more

Kennolyn Events - Cocktail Hour - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Soquel, California

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I wholeheartedly recommend Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda! I was married on 5/20/23 with the Spring Promo package, and I was so happy with the experience. The venue is gorgeous, and it was the perfect place for my outdoor wedding. There is a redwood grove or great lawn facing distant views of the Pacific Ocean that are both beautiful options for a ceremony. The patio facing the lawn is perfect for dinner, and the indoor courtyard is stunning and great for cocktails and dancing. We didn't use the Hacienda itself much except for guests who wanted to sit by the fire (it's a good backup plan for inclement weather). The bridal house is amazing and accommodates many people for getting ready (multiple rooms and bathrooms, living/dining areas, with a gorgeous patio with the same amazing views out to the ocean). There is also a separate Casita with a bathroom for the groom's party to get ready. There are so many beautiful natural and architectural places for photographs as well. The landscaping is beautiful, so you don't need to spend money on many extra florals. Weddings have exclusive use of the venue, which makes it really private and intimate. The Spring Promo deal was a great value and included buffet catering/cake/dessert, alcohol package, DJ/MC, tables/chairs/etc, ceremony arbor, some florals (it was enough given the landscaping), taxes/tips. The deal is for 100 guests, and when my group ended up being half of that, Andrea (Events Manager) was so kind and tried to give us more value for the money: double the variety of passed appetizers than was initially included in the package and adding orchids (my favorite flower) to the florals. The all-inclusive nature of the package was so amazing for not having to worry about each of these things individually. Since the catering was included and food was very important to us, I was initially nervous to sign the contract before tasting the food. My family and I were so happy on our Tasting Day when the food was excellent, and everything we tried was delicious (and I think we have pretty high standards for food)! They were also so accommodating of dietary restrictions and preferences. Since our package was a served buffet, the vegetarian/vegans were given their own plates separately. The cake and assorted dessert were also delicious (and they were willing to make a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting as we requested). The DJ/MC (Courtney Helms) was assigned from Sound in Motion, and we got along great. He did a wonderful job too - I danced the whole night! He was also very accommodating with including French music that we compiled (my husband is French). Finally, I cannot say enough wonderful things about Andrea (Event Manager), Elyse (Wedding Coordinator), and the entire staff! I did not have a wedding planner, and they filled the job beautifully. I was so impressed with their communication. They responded promptly and warmly to every email, line-by-line, answering all my questions for months! They were so supportive and patient, and they seemed as invested as I was in having a wonderful wedding day and making everyone happy and comfortable. I am forever grateful to them and to Kennolyn for such a magical day! (Beautiful photos by @EmilyMerrillWeddings) read more

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Stayed for the weekend to attend a friends wedding I'm giving this resort a six out of five because of the slide would recommend coming back here again read more

What a wonderful wedding weekend we had at Kennolyn's Stone Creek Village. 1) It was so fun to have so many of our friends and family staying on-site with us. It gave us the opportunity to truly reconnect with people in a comfortable and relaxed fashion. 2) The Kennolyn staff is amazing! They were so friendly and helpful and quick to remedy any situation. 3) The food was excellent. The BBQ chicken on Fri night and the salmon and steak on Sat night as well as the breakfasts and lunch. It was all wonderful. 4) There were plenty of activities for all ages so everyone was entertained. Couldn't have asked for a better wedding venue for my last son getting married! Thank you Kennolyn Staff!!! read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Kennolyn for a wedding. The meals were amazing and there was no shortage of activities to be had around the venue. It brought back so much nostalgia for when we used to go to similar camps and it was the perfect space to bring all our friends and family together. read more

We cannot sufficiently express what a magical venue Kennolyn Hill Hacienda was for our recent wedding! From the STUNNING setting to the EXCEPTIONAL planning and day-of support and service, coupled with delicious food and wine, you can be confident that your wedding day at Kennolyn will be all, and more, than you could dream for! After viewing 7 other venues in the Bay Area and meeting with each respective Event Manager, we knew Kennolyn Hill Hacienda was "the place" for our wedding. First, the enchanting setting: Kennolyn Hill Hacienda sits atop a peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains, surrounded by majestic Redwoods and other native flora. In the far distance is the view of the ocean. The hacienda itself is gorgeous, starting with its wooden carved door opening into the courtyard, which is framed with flowering trumpet vines on the inside and bougainvillea on its outside walls. In the middle of the courtyard is a beautiful and romantic 3-tiered fountain. This courtyard was perfect for the cocktail hour and dancing, as well as for several Memory Tables adorned with photographs, and separate tables for Seating charts, cards, guest book etc. Separating the courtyard from the Terrace, where a very elegant al fresca dinner took place, is the Hacienda Room. Romantically decorated with a bit of ceiling draping, ambient backdrop lighting, a large lit striking fireplace and ample comfortable seating, the Hacienda Room was perfect for the buffet and dessert set-ups, as well as for a relaxing indoor seating area. The bistro-bulb lit Terrace beautifully accommodated our 17 8-guest tables overlooking the redwood groves, ocean view and remaining lush landscape. The Casa de Caldwell, available starting at 10 am for the bride and her bridal party, is exquisite. Its Latin décor is striking, and the casa is very spacious with multiple rooms and bathrooms for the bridal party to comfortably get ready in. The casa's terraces and gardens are breathtaking - elegant on their own to hold a wedding ceremony and reception! There is also a casita for the groom and his groomsmen with its own bathroom. The staff even opened a private room for the Matron-of-Honor to comfortably breastfeed and place her baby down for a nap during the wedding. On to the service and support provided by the Kennolyn staff: TRULY EXCEPTIONAL. We worked with Elyse (she is REMARKABLE!) for over a year planning our wedding. Andrea, the Events Manager, was often involved as well and she is absolutely delightful! So positive, efficient, friendly, and always ready to help! Towards the end, we also had the pleasure of working with Deirdre (just as lovely and helpful!) All three were present during the rehearsal and the wedding! The ceremony and reception were flawless! Elyse must have received an average of several emails from us every week, for over a year. Often, we barely had time to hit the send button that we received a response, with line-by-line answers to our questions, requests. Never once did we sense that we were becoming annoying. We had several requests that Kennolyn made happen. An immediate "cannot be done" is not in Kennolyn's staff vocabulary. They go way above and beyond in accommodating each couple's' vision for their special day, as is feasible to achieve. The food was excellent, as was the wine paired. The bride's mother is French, and the relatives who attended from France commented on the quality and how tasty the food was. And the French know good food! From the research we completed before choosing Kennolyn as our venue, we can wholeheartedly state that you will be hard-pressed to find another venue in the Bay Area where you will get so much value for the cost. The value includes an secure site surrounded by unparalleled and endless beauty, a hacienda, a courtyard, a terrace, an expansive lawn area, a redwood grove, the Casa and Casita, an event coordinator who is as good (if not better) than a topnotch wedding planner - along with her equally incredible supervisor and colleague, a "Sound in Motion" DJ (excellent), fantastic food and wine, sweetheart table and lovers' seat, guest tables, linens, chairs, china, etc. , heaters, fireplace, fountains, sun canopies, guest parasols, bistro lighting, multiple arbors, dessert serving dishes! Most of all, what you will receive is a Kennolyn Team who is as committed as you are to making your Wedding Day a Dream Come True! read more

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I don't even know where to begin with this review because our May 2018 wedding weekend at Stone Creek Village at Kennolyn was amazing!!! We knew we wanted to incorporate the beauty of the redwoods, an opportunity for our family and friends to spend quality time with one another, and a venue that would be mostly inclusive of all wedding needs - Kennolyn fit that bill perfectly! Working with Janine and her team was fantastic!! Janine is an amazing coordinator who is extremely professional, understanding, and patient. The Kennolyn staff was nothing but professional, helpful and accommodating. Along with Janine, they helped make our weekend wedding a superb success making sure to take care of all of the major and minor details. Janine coordinated with the outside vendors like a champ and never once did I feel like I needed to intervene, and I like to intervene. One thing that caused some concern was the fact that we had to sign a contract before a formal food tasting but all of that was alleviated the moment we stepped foot onto their site during one of their "meet and greet" events with their catering staff. We were invited to bring up to 2 guests and we met other couples who were also having their weddings at Kennolyn, meet vendors for services that Kennolyn didn't provide as well as sample a vast variety of their menu items before deciding what our wedding menu would be. The food was spectacular and we were able to leave the event with a wedding menu in mind. Our guests loved the options and the quality!! There were some additions we added to our weekend package: the bonfire and s'mores package for Friday night and the ropes course on Saturday morning. Both are HIGHLY recommended and if you are considering and evaluating if both are worth the value, for the purposes of our wedding and giving our family and friends opportunities to have shared memories, get to know one another in different capacities, it was a complete SUCCESS!! If you're considering Kennolyn's Stone Creek Village I would 100% recommend it! To this day, our guests still speak about their experiences as "one of the most fun and memorable weddings/weekends" they've been to. My husband and I would recreate the whole weekend again @ Kennolyn if we had the chance!! read more

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I was very hesitant to leave my honest review here, but feel it is necessary for future couples. After reading the most recent review, it validates that Kennolyn treated other clients in the same way. I'd like to highlight why we choose Kennolyn. My fiancé & I toured the Hilltop Hacienda in Dec '19, contracted in Jan '20, & were going to get married in Sept '20. * The grounds are beautiful * There is a bridal suite onsite * Catering, DJ, & an on-site coordinator are included. This allowed us to source/book less vendors * Signature cocktails. This was a huge selling point for us, since most non-hotel venues only allow beer and wine * Venue hosts an overview day for their couples to meet preferred vendors, see set-up designs, & taste F&B from their menu * We're local to the Bay Area. Kennolyn felt far enough to be a destination, but close enough to home. We truly felt that we could have a wedding weekend with our guests in SCC Now, let's fast forward to March '20. CA is sheltering in place. Our wedding overview day gets cancelled and international travel is banned. We are hopeful that by Sept, we'd still be able to have our wedding and maybe the preview day will be rescheduled. April rolls around and we receive an official update from Kennolyn. If your wedding is between May through the end of Aug '20, you can rebook through July 3, '21. All future payments for those couples will be rolled over. For Sept-Nov couples, this isn't being offered, however, you will only be charged for the guest guaranteed. We were relieved that Kennolyn is only charging what is guaranteed for F&B. We thought they were being flexible. In May, we express to Kennolyn that my fiancé's parents cannot travel to the US since they live in the EU. We ask if we could postpone. Kennolyn states that if we want to change our date through July '21, that we would lose 50% of our first deposit. If we wanted to postpone to a later date, we would lose 100%. We instead offered an advance deposit in '20 in order to rebook to '21. Kennolyn declined and said that they would be "losing thousands" in '20 if they allowed that. Their response was extremely distasteful, especially considering these weren't just any guests who were attending; they were the parents of the groom. In June, we were supposed to have our 90-Day Final Detail Meeting at Kennolyn. Instead, we got an email stating that our detail meeting was cancelled since their staff were still furloughed but to "please send our second deposit via check to the venue." They got rid of their credit card system & were only accepting cash. Since there weren't any "details" to go over, we asked if we could revisit our postponement request a month later in July & defer making payments for one month. Kennolyn accepted this. Kennolyn's stance was 1. If in July, Kennolyn is unable to operate in Sept, we can be refunded OR we can rebook without penalty to '21 OR 2. If in July, Kennolyn is able to operate in Sept, we can rebook to '21 but lose between 50-100% of our deposit (same stance) or we can have our wedding on the contracted date in Sept '20 with the following social distancing guidelines: * Masks to be worn until seated at the reception. * Guests to be seated within their own household. I'm not sure how this is achievable. * No cocktail hour -- There goes one of the reasons why we choose Kennolyn. * No singing or dancing -- What's a wedding without dancing? Since outdoor weddings were still able to be hosted in SCC for religious/cultural ceremonies, Kennolyn held firm in their stance in July. We felt as if we were still being put in a situation to either lose thousands of dollars or put our guests health at risk. Days later, SCC is placed on the states monitoring list and Kennolyn "generously offers" to postpone our wedding to '21 OR '22 without any financial penalty. Almost 30 days prior to our Sept wedding, why did it take this long? If this is how they treated us up until this point, how are they going to be when we have our actual wedding? Rather than accepting, we asked for our first deposit refunded & provided documentation around guidances to date & provided backing on how we made multiple attempts to find a middle ground with the venue. We really got the sense that they weren't taking the pandemic serious; not only for their guests, but for their own staff. The venue countered & offered to give us all but $1,500 back as they "spent a great amount of time on calls and emails with us." I knew after all of this, this was as good as it was going to get. We accepted this offer & were refunded. This experience has left my fiancé and I both distasteful of weddings now. Thanks Kennolyn, you ruined the magic of our special day. I really wish I was giving Kennolyn a 5-star review for future couples to read, but I have nothing nice to say. If after you read this and you still want to host your wedding at Kennolyn, I would read their Cancellation clauses very closely within their contract. read more

We had really high hopes for Kennolyn when we began to plan our October 2020 wedding with them. Unfortunately, in the midst of the COVID crisis, they made it clear to us that we are just another business deal to them and they care more about our money than about fairness, integrity to our contract, and a positive and warm experience. Once COVID hit, they spent several months telling us we could not move our deposit to another date and would be heavily charged extra for trying to do so, in spite of the fact that it became obvious that October would not be a safe time for gatherings of 100+ people. Spending thousands of additional dollars was not an option for us, neither was risking the lives of our friends and family (not to mention the Kennolyn staff). Later, the general manager informed us that if by August, weddings were still not allowed, we would receive our full deposit back. In August, all of a sudden, Kennolyn stopped responding to our emails and requests to reconnect and figure out our next steps. They left us with vague messages that "we are still holding weddings as planned" which we know is not possible given the regulations (and if they are currently upholding contracts involving gatherings of 125+ people in the midst of a global pandemic and wildfires, this should be considered a pretty awful public health hazard and should be dealt with). Not to mention, their social media has made it clear that they are not upholding contracts for such large gatherings. At this point, it has been a month of a wild goose chase trying to get some response out of Kennolyn. They have thousands of dollars of our money in a deposit and contract, and have not upheld a single portion of their end. I have been told at least 3 times now that "someone will hopefully get back to me by the end of the day!" over the course of the entire month of August. I would not recommend this venue unless you are willing to take the risk of having your money held with no services provided in return. I understand it is a difficult time for everyone, but this is absolutely not how you treat your clients, not to mention questionably legal. read more

We got married on 5/20/23 at Kennolyn's Stone Creek Village and if we could live the weekend over and over again we could. Our wedding was beyond our wildest dreams! Everything far exceeded our expectations. We met through working at a summer camp so when we came across Camp Kennolyn we knew we had to check it out. We fell in love immediately when we toured the venue. The grounds are breathtaking. There's nothing like the redwoods and you are surrounded by them at Kennolyn. The ceremony space is magical! The staff, especially Elyse & Dierdra, were helpful every step of the way, always patiently answering our many questions. I wish I could thank every single person who worked the weekend of our wedding because they were all incredible, friendly, and helped make sure the weekend went off without a hitch. The "all-inclusive" nature made planning a breeze, we did not have to worry about DJ, catering, lighting, bartenders, or renting tables/tablecloths/plates/silverware, etc. Absolutely everything was perfect! The guest experience is so special and we got a lot of compliments from our guests. We had 85 people staying on-site over the wedding weekend and every single person has talked about how much fun they had and how it was the best wedding they have ever attended. The cabins were cozy and it was so fun to have all our friends and family with us all weekend. Aside from the wedding, there are so many activities available for guests including tennis courts, a pool, basketball, corn hole, volleyball, and more! Additionally, Kennolyn provides a TON of the equipment for said activities at no extra cost. We also received compliments on the food! The food was great all weekend! My cousin, who happens to be a chef, commented that it was some of the best rehearsal dinner food he had ever had. Guests had many compliments on the wedding reception meal. They have options for late-night bites which I highly recommend. The Mac & Cheese bar is to die for! I also love how they took care of myself and my husband and our bridal party before the wedding. They set the groomsmen up with beverages in the museum and delivered champagne and lunch to the bridesmaids. Kennolyn's Stone Creek Village is a magical place. There truly is something special about it and the people who work there. I hope someday I can go back as a guest! read more

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We had our wedding at Kennolyn (Stone Creek Village) in May 2022 and it was absolutely magical. We wanted a wedding that was unique, active, outdoors, and gave us tons of time to hang out with our guests, and Kennolyn was the perfect venue to make it happen! Great: THE REDWOODS (insanely pretty site for ceremony), location (close to airports), weather, activities, cabins (hotel quality, unbeatable location), service from the Kennolyn staff on-site (need a fridge for breast milk? no problem! carrying bags? they'll ask to help!), late-night stuff (they make you go inside after 10pm but we had huge speakers in there and were blasting music until late with no problems), flexibility around food and late-night food we wanted Good/okay: price (the pool and ropes course are add-ons), food, recommended DJ vendor (Sound in Motion), but granted he basically just only used song from our suggestions Meh: communication pre-wedding, really felt like we had to pull information out of the Kennolyn team (very little proactive outreach from our coordinator), but granted we are super Type-A haha read more

I want to start of saying... most of our guests said it was the best wedding they have ever been to! We ended up choosing Kennolyn after a friend recommended it to us. We were looking for a Redwood wedding that could be over the weekend and have lodging on site. Some other venues we had looked at had some restrictions that didn't work for us. We booked the Stone Creek Village location :) most of our guests stayed on site in cabins. We had a welcome dinner with everyone on Friday, had breakfast and lunch on Saturday, did yoga and opened the pool on Saturday before the wedding and reception, then had a final breakfast on Sunday. This was the perfect location for our friends and family. Most guests were flying in, so we were able to have them stay onsite and got to enjoy as much time as possible with everyone. I will say the planning process was a bit hectic. We went through 3 wedding coordinators with the venue because 2 of them got fired. Luckily we had our own wedding planner to help us. But, once we got assigned Caroline with the venue, everything started to fall into place. Her and the venue staff during the wedding were amazing. There was only one hiccup with the guest welcome bags when people were checking in to their cabins some of the bags weren't given to our guests. But, I'd say if that was the only mess up... things went perfectly! The food was very good! The location is magical, amongst the redwoods in a luxury camp-like setting. I definitely recommend this venue for the wedding of your dreams! read more

This August, my husband and I had the most amazing wedding weekend with all of our friends and family at Kennolyn Camps - Stone Creek Village. I cannot rave about it more. We can't stop saying how it was the absolute perfect weekend. I think one of the main reasons for that was the service at Kennolyn Camp. Every single staff member that we interacted with at the camp was kind, was helpful, was considerate, and caring. My partner's 94 year old grandma was on site all weekend for the wedding and she hasn't stopped talking about how kind the staff was. Everyone went up to her for conversations - that is serious professional service. More over, as the bride I never felt stress - the staff was communicative and so helpful. We had some last minute detail additions for decor and they made sure that everything looked perfect. A special shout out to Elyse who was our right hand for the weekend - answered all of our questions and made great suggestions. A few things we were hesitant about - my partner used to work in food service and used to work in band management - to say he is critical of food and music is an understatement. We were at first hesitant about the food and leaving the music up to a DJ - boy were we wrong. We can't stop talking about the salmon - literally mouth watering. Every single meal was delicious, well seasoned, had an interesting variety and most importantly was hot! We met the chef and he was so incredibly sweet and also so helpful when we had quite a few guests with complicated food allergies. We had two people with Celiacs disease and the GF options were plentiful. OK back to the music - we were able to connect with our DJ ahead of time with Sound in Motion and our dance floor was everything! He got the entire wedding up on the dance floor and it never let up - I know it was my wedding but seeing the grandparents boogie-ing on the dance floor for literally hours was (1) rare and (2) a huge highlight. the TLDR; (too long didn't read) - Kennolyn events staff are incredibly kind, professional, and considerate - they executed our day to be perfect - Sound in Motion DJ services were incredible - I would hire them for any future dance floor - I'm still drooling over the food they served at every meal all weekend - having a weekend-long wedding was the best decision ever and Kennolyn Camps is a unique spot that's unforgettable - The grounds made our photos unique and completely magical read more

Beautiful wedding venue! I've photographed a lovely day here and I have to say the location is great for wedding photos. I love the large ceremony spot, the getting ready buildings are beautiful and full of light, and there are tons of great places for photographs all over the grounds. I love that it's filled with trees and light. Their on site staff coordinator was fantastic and I love that each part of the day has its own space: no need to reset any of the areas for different parts of the day! read more

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We had a wedding at the Hilltop Hacienda and the venue is beautiful. However, we had several issues over communication, expectations, not honoring the original contract, and 3 turnovers of coordinators before the wedding. With each coordinator came different rules and changes- what they stated was allowed and what wasn't. We were told our contracted dinner choice would be an additional fee of 10$ per person, the DJ that is provided in the event fee was poor, day of coordinator was not visible after the cocktail hour, they broke down the reception dinner area prior to the end time, etc... read more

Kennolyn is a gorgeous venue to have your wedding. You get a beautiful combination of redwood groves and expansive views of the Monterey Bay from the estate. Unfortunately, we did not decide to go with this venue because there were some "surprises" during the preliminary contract phase. When we had originally gone over pricing with Janine, we were told that we would get a $1,000 discount if we held our wedding on a Sunday between the months of April and May in 2017. This attracted us and we were set on signing the contract for my special day, due to this attractive discount. After saying, "Yes! Let's sign!", we received our preliminary contract. Sadly, the discount we were promised for an April/May wedding was not included (I guess it doesn't apply for a Sunday wedding) and on top of that there was a 20% service charge, 8.5% tax fee and an extra $500 fee for adding an extra 1/2 hour for our reception. Overall, I am pretty sad that this didn't work out because I love Kennolyn and attended the camp as a child for 3+ years in a row. I at least wanted to let any future brides out there know about my experience and hopefully you can learn from this! read more

W O W. Janine, Jen, and Courtney are such sweet hearts! I absolutely love them. Janine answered all of my questions. Courtney made me feel so calm during rehearsal and on the day of the wedding. We truly had an amazing experience. Hats off to these fantastic women!!! They do require you to use a specific DJ/MC, but Sound In Motion was fantastic to work with! And SIM has many services like photography, photo booth, and videography! Since Kennolyn is located in a tucked away area, it was so comforting to know they had many connections to local vendors. Also, all of our guests could not stop telling us how BEAUTIFUL the venue is!!! This place does not need much as far as decor is concerned. read more

There aren't enough nice things I can say about the Kennolyn team; especially Jenn and Janine. They made our wedding seriously magical! We were married on 10.8.16 and also rented out the camp for an adult camp weekend, which I highly recommend. From start to finish in booking with them, they will be there during the entire process to help guide you. They are quick to respond to emails, thoughtful in their suggestions, hands-on during the wedding day, friendly and just lovely. They are the kindest, most thoughtful women I've ever worked it. They loved my dog as if it was their own and made sure all of our family and friends were taken care of. The venue itself is beyond beautiful with views to the sea, the food was delicious and we couldn't have asked for a better venue for our special day. I would highly recommend Kennolyn for weddings but really any event needs. You won't be disappointed with the service you receive! read more

What an absolutely gorgeous venue! While looking for a place to marry, this place kept coming up as THE place to check out. Anyone who had attended a wedding here raved about it. When Future Hub and I went for our appointment, we weren't at all disappointed with the grounds, the beauty, the ambience... but I'd have to say the best part was the staff. They were SO nice and helpful when answering all our questions. They had a little video for us to watch (also the one on the website), offered us coffee and tea, and were generally very accomodating. I really appreciated the follow up e-mail to see if there were any more questions we had. Things we loved: the views the flexibility with the menu the OPTIONS with the menu all-inclusive booze packages (*hic*) easy parking their offer to decorate however we wanted (within reason of course) the staff. Holy moly, what nice people... Why we decided to go with another venue: the lawn area, however pretty and HUGE, had no shade. I was worried about the comfort of our guests and us squinting during the ceremony (just a goofy "ism" of mine, I know, but Future Hube is ridiculously light sensitive). I suppose we could have asked about tenting it, but that gets pricey and I think would take away from the beauty of the location. the fear of guests crashing on the windy road downhill after a night of hard partying. I know I could just as easily rent a charter bus, but we'd already come to a conclusion about it being so far off the beaten path that we really didnt consider it. One of the things I was very impressed by was how even AFTER telling Jennifer (I hope her name was Jennifer? My memory can be off sometimes) that we had decided to keep looking, she was still so sweet and accomodating, even offering to suggest wedding vendors that she had a good working knowldge of. Now THAT is service. read more

We were looking for a wedding venue, some place that could accommodate the number of people we had invited (over 150), some place lovely and inviting, and with that charming quality that's hard to put your finger on. When my fiancee and I arrived on Kennolyn's doorstep, we were pretty sure we had found our place. Kennolyn was our choice for our wedding for a bunch of reasons. One was its proximity to Santa Cruz, which both my fiancee and I adore as a town. Another was the fact that Kennolyn's service comes with catering and wait staff included in the price, freeing us from having to find those items separately. They provide as many options and add-ons as one could imagine, going from a very frugal but lovely time to an extravagant over-the-top crystal-and-good-china blowout. The Hacienda overlooks the Monterey Bay, and is nestled among redwoods, so everywhere you look beauty abounds. Our guide through the process, Carrie, was well-organized and on top of a million details, so we felt totally comfortable through the whole process of putting our wedding together. She and the Kennolyn staff were greatly flexible with us too, allowing us to store our stuff there overnight so we would have less to haul in come the big day. On the big day, everything went off as smoothly as I could have imagined. The food was excellent, the service friendly without being in your face, and Carrie did a great job of keeping us on schedule without being obnoxious about it (not an easy task). The little details were incredibly thoughtful, like having a platter of food waiting for the family after the ceremony so that the picture taking wasn't a hungry-ordeal. Kids at the wedding had a great time playing on the lawn or on the nearby swing sets. I could not have imagined a day more beautifully run. I'd recommend Kennolyn to anyone looking for that perfect place for your special day. read more

Last year Sandy and I spent the weekend looking at potential wedding venues along the coast. We toured beachfront hotels and resorts looking for just the right place. Some of the resorts had spectacular views and were right on the coast. While we love the outside ceremony venues, we really were not looking for a banquet hall reception. It was getting late on Sunday and we had a long drive to Dublin ahead of us. We did however have one more venue to tour. I looked at Sandy and asked "Do you want to see one more or are you done?" To which she said "I haven't found the one. Let's check it out." With that we were off to see Kennolyn. I knew it was up a "hill" but I didn't realize it was really up a "mountain". After a good 15 to 20 minutes on the long winding road, we arrived at our final destination. We were met by Jenn and she gave us a tour of the facility. Within minutes we were sold. This was what we were looking for. The venue is truly beautiful. A small hacienda at the top of a mountain overlooking the vast pacific ocean. The courtyard so inviting as it beckons you though the Spanish style iron doors and into the tranquil courtyard. A year later our date was upon us. A year of wedding planning, anxiety and stress was behind us as we were at the venue where we would married. The weather was perfect as if the gods parted the overcast sky so the warm sunshine could cast its soothing rays upon our party. Our day was amazing as every expectation was not only realized but exceeded. We used the Kennolyn partners for our cake (the Buttery) and our DJ (Sound in Motion). We continue to receive compliments on the cake now weeks after the wedding. The DJ was extremely professional and did a great job as MC and with the music. The ceremony sight was spectacular, the tables were placed outside on the patio and comfortably seated our rather large party. Jenn and Henry (Sound in Motion) moved our event along keeping our guests engaged without downtime. As the sun went down the party moved from the outside facing patio to the warm and inviting candlelit courtyard. We simply had a magical time and celebrated our most precious day at the most perfect of venues. Our life together much like our drive to Kennolyn has been an adventurous journey full of twists and turns that we wouldn't ever think of changing as it brought us to where we are now. Kennolyn is the by far our easiest five star review. For those who may like to see, there is a highlight video at the link below . Thank you Jenn and team... https://vimeo.com/51856218 read more

Kennolyn is fantastic! Love these amazing vendors all in one location! Cakes & Catering Tart and Tin Flowers Glam Garden Designs Groom & His Men - Epiphany Boutique Hair, Makeup & Beauty Cassandra McClure Jewelry Fire and Brilliance Paper Goods & Calligraphy- Altogether Lovely Photographer - De Joy Photography Rentals View Point Rentals Venues - Kennolyn Wedding Dress - Epiphany Boutique read more

Where do I even start. This place is a small fortune for nothing spectacular. The view from the ceremony sight is pretty, when the fog isn't present, and in the Santa Cruz mountains that is just impossible to predict. The whole reason for taking the very long windy drive to this location was the "wedding weekend" package they offer. It just sounded like a fun idea to have a wedding weekend where your guests spend the whole weekend with you celebrating, camping, swimming, playing golf, tennis, or basketball, and have the place staffed to serve you breakfast lunch and dinner. Campfire s'mores anyone? They require you to rent all of their (30) very small cabins for the weekend, and at $215 a night I would rather stay at the plaza. The ceremony and reception sight is Driving distance from the campgrounds and looked better in the pictures than it did in person. If we just wanted to rent if for the ceremony and reception it was still a small fortune and the windy drive in the dark for our guests leaving the reception just seemed like an accident waiting to happen. To sum it up, if the wedding weekend is your thing, its definitely worth checking out, but for just a ceremony and reception, don't waste your time. read more

Kennolyn Events - Hilltop Hacienda ceremony and reception sight - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Soquel, California

I'm in the mist of planning my wedding for 2010 and was interested in checking out various places in the Santa Cruz area. I first heard of this place b/c my friend's sister had a wedding here about 5-6 years ago and apparently it was a hit w/lots of natural beauty. Coming from San Francisco, I was taking time off work to specifically make a trip down to Santa Cruz for the purpose of touring wedding sites... I wouldn't be contacting any venues I wasn't serious about considering them. Apparently Kennolyn doesn't care about professionalism or getting business; even in this $hitty economy. I called Kennolyn almost 2 weeks ago to speak about the venue and set up a tour with them. No response. Well... I decided to shoot them an email just to see if that'd be a better method of communication. No response. It's been 2 weeks and no one's bothered to get into contact with me. Even if they do eventually get back to me I definitely wouldn't even bother considering them. The lack of response is enough of a sign to me of how it'd be like to work with them. I'll be taking my $$$$ elsewhere. read more

I love Kennolyn! I had my perfect wedding there this past July! Kennolyn is a wonderful venue if you are looking for a peaceful and private setting. The views and surroundings are spectacular! The Santa Cruz area is hit or miss in the weather department to begin with (so if you are unfamiliar with the area and looking at venues anywhere here please keep this in mind!), luckily we had perfect weather and a great sunset. Carrie was our "coordinator" and she was so helpful (and patient). She always got back to me within a reasonable amount of time and was always professional. They also do their own catering, which was one less thing to worry about (and delicious)...just this week someone told me how much they loved my wedding, the location, and that we had the best food they've ever had at a wedding! I highly recommend Kennolyn as a venue for your wedding or any other event! read more

Words cannot describe how incredible this venue is! My husband and I just got married here a month ago and we still can't stop talking about what a fantastic experience we had. The venue itself is absolutely stunning, but Janine and her team are hands down the best part! During the entire planning process, Janine made us feel completely at ease and truly listened to us. She took all of our ideas and turned the venue into our dream wedding! On our wedding day, she and her team took care of all of the set up and take down, which allowed us to really relax and enjoy our special day. They even packed everything up for us the next day! Our guests keep telling us it was the best wedding they have ever been to, and we couldn't agree more! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING JANINE! read more

We had a wedding recently at Kennolyn. This place is fantastic. Guests and venders complimented a lot about the spectacular view. Jenn is our wedding coordinator. She is very organized on the day about the timing. She also did a wonderful job for the site decoration. This wedding venue exceeds our expectation. The only thing holding our back when we were choosing the venue is the transportation. The final two miles are uphill and tough. We booked a shuttle bus for some family members between hotel and the venue. Overall, our entire experience with Kennolyn was amazing. read more

If I could give Kennolyn more stars, I would! We had our wedding here this past weekend and it truly was a dream. First of all, the venue is just about the most beautiful settings for a wedding that I have ever seen in my life and secondly, the staff is professional, compassionate, detail oriented and experienced. Jenn was our wedding coordinator and she was fantastic. To save on cost, I made all the decorations myself (and I mean alllll of them, even the flowers! i made them out of paper!). Seeing as though I did not have a florist to help with set up of the center pieces, etc., I thought that my bridesmaids and I would have to come early to set everything up. Well, Jenn (fantastic Jenn!) would not hear of it: She set everything up the day of and did it in a thoughtful, beautiful way. She even re-purposed decorations used during the ceremony for the reception. Jenn kept in touch through the entire wedding planning process and made sure we were getting what we needed, she responded quickly to questions, and she ran things smoothly the day of. On our wedding day, Janine was also there and was equally helpful and professional. We had a bee that was hanging out at our table (too bad they can't control mother nature, hehe) and Janine put herself on the line to keep us safe from the bee! She said "I don't care if I get stung, but I don't want you to". That is really something. The supporting staff at Kennolyn were equally professional and wonderful. One person who sticks out as very helpful was Didi, who helped my husband and I keep our glasses of wine full throughout dinner and brought us food from the buffet. Oh! And the food!! The food was incredible! I wish I had more time to eat it! I'd have gone back for seconds if I didn't have to mingle with our guests. The food was my biggest worry, to be honest, because they do everything in house... but you need not worry because their Chef is amazing. I am a pescetarian and had several vegetarians and vegans at the event and the chef made something delicious for everyone. I had so many guests come up to me and tell me that this was one of the best weddings they had ever been to... and I agree! Everyone at Kennolyn made it an incredible day. Financially speaking, Kennolyn is costly, but when you look at everything you get for the cost (included is alcohol, food, a wedding coordinator, the amazing grounds and views), it really is a deal. The *one* tiny thing I would say that is more negative about Kennolyn is this: I was a little frustrated with the DJ options on the preferred vendors list. If you want a DJ, you have to pick from 2 preferred DJs that they work with... the first DJ on the list never got back to me when I called (a couple times) and the second DJ (who we ended up with) was an egotistical jerk and messed a few things up for us. The DJ's mess ups were not Kennolyns fault... but I never liked the DJ much from the first time I met him and felt stuck with him since we only had 2 to choose from. Anyway, overall, I'd get married at Kennolyn all over again. It was an amazing and memorable day. They treat each couple as individuals and get excited about the individuality of each couple. Thank you Kennolyn! You all rock. read more

Jenn is incredible. We had our wedding in September and our family and friends had a blast. Everyone said that it was one of the best wedding's they've been to. Our friends who planned weddings spent months of preparation and were overwhelmed by all of the details, but at Kennolyn we were able to relax while Jenn and her staff took care of so many of the planning details. After sampling the standard food options, we decided that wanted our own menu based on recipes that we had eaten growing up, and the chef pulled off our custom menu perfectly. Everyone enjoyed the long relaxed Saturday on the camp grounds filled with sports and swimming and hanging out, and the bonfires Friday and Saturday night were unforgettable. Accommodations were excellent. The cabins were nicely furnished and the beds were very comfortable. Finally, the ceremony and reception at the Hacienda were beautiful. Sunshine, views of the Pacific, lots of space to spread out, and a great dance floor. Highly recommend. read more

I would pick Kennolyn for our wedding over and over again!! It was such a spectacular venue, and I know that Kennolyn's awesome staff were a huge part of the reason our wedding day was such a success! My mom and I loved Jenn from the moment we met her. She was so helpful and low pressure when we were first looking at the venue, and always very easy to get in touch with during the planning stages. Having her there as a day-of coordinator helped everything go amazingly smoothly! (Multiple guests commented on how flawless our wedding seemed!) It was so great to just be able to drop off our decorations during the rehearsal, and then to return the next day to see them expertly displayed! Jenn also coordinated all of the outside vendors we hired -- I didn't have to worry about a thing on the day of! I just showed up and enjoyed the day! The food was delicious, and the servers polite and professional. Our champagne glasses were never empty! As bride and groom, appetizers and buffet items were brought directly to the sweetheart table. Jenn and Janeen even arranged it so that I could have a special vegetarian meal, and made sure I got a slice of the cake. They really thought of everything, and anticipated my needs before I even could. Also, the location is really beautiful! We had an amazing view of the ocean, including a spectacular sunset during dinner. I love the Spanish hacienda style of the place, and our pictures among the redwood trees came out stunning. It was so nice that it is private (no strangers looking on!) and my guests were easily shuttled to and from the hotel in our charter buses. Many guests came up to tell us how beautiful, comfortable and fun our venue was. Don't hesitate to book Kennolyn as your wedding venue -- I promise you won't regret it! (Thank you again, Jenn and Janeen!) read more

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Kennolyn was actually the first venue that John and I went to while investigating where we wanted to get married. It was also one of the pricier options as it is all-inclusive (they provide the food, the drinks, ceremony and reception venues and a planner who is amazing). There are several packages to choose from with different prices. We ended up going with the higher buffet and middle drink options and got rave reviews on the food and drinks from all of our guests (and we loved them too!!). Jenn at Kennolyn is an amazing planner....her personality is so sweet and easy to work with. She was so patient with all my emails with questions and got back to me immediately. The venue itself is tucked up in the hills above Soquel/Capitola. From the Hacienda back patio, you have an amazing view of the entire Monterey Bay. The plantings and everything about the venue are just beautiful. We had our ceremony on May 18, 2013, and the weather was amazing. We did it all outside...ceremony on the back lawn with the wedding party on the patio in front of the lion's head fountain; buffet, cake, coffee/tea, photobooth, slideshow, mingling tables and kid's craft table inside the hacienda itself, and the dining tables set up on the back patio. The reception was all in the front patio. It was so nice to have everything in one place and not to have to worry about a separate caterer. This place is stunning, the food is great and the coordinator is amazing. It was definitely worth the price. We had a storybook wedding and so much of it was due to Kennolyn. read more

Beautiful location in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The setting was originally Kennolyn's "Hi-Camp" for teenagers, and has a breath taking view of the ocean from the mountains. The Hacienda has lovely offerings for indoor and outdoor seating. There is a lawn below the Hacienda for wedding ceremonies and other events. Service has always been a priority for Kennolyn, and the Conference Center is not an exception. Run by the same family, you will be well taken care of here. read more

We had our wedding at Kennolyn on 8-1-14. We went on a venue hunt with our moms and toured about 20 venues along the coast. We fell in love with Kennolyn as soon as we stepped onto the property. We could not have a picked a more perfect location. The natural beauty/flowers/landscaping is a gorgeous backdrop for a wedding and saves money on wedding decor. The food is excellent! Our guests raved about the beauty of the venue, the delicious food and helpful staff. They were able to accommodate for several vegan friends, which was great. We began our consultation with Jenn and then Janeen took over. Both are amazing. Janeen went above and beyond to ensure that our wedding day was successful and everything we dreamed it could be. She was quick to respond to emails and phone calls and answered the millions of questions I had. The day of, Janeen coordinated all the vendors and guests, and did a wonderful job. So many of our guests told us it was the best wedding they had ever been to! We are SO thankful we chose Kennolyn for our wedding. You cannot beat the price for the location, staff and amenities. Thank you Kennolyn! Here's our wedding highlight video so you can see more of the location: http://vimeo.com/110116102 read more

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We had a terrific wedding and reception event under the very effective planning and execution oversight of the Kennolyn team (Anna, Lauren and Sydney). Our event (160 guests) was easily accommodated and coordinated by this terrific team. No drama, on time, smiles all around. The facility was perfect for our event. Redwood grove, courtyard cocktails, dining on the veranda overlooking the Monterey Bay. Grooms Casita and Brides Hacienda for pre wedding preparations. The food, beverage and service was excellent and without flaw. The affiliated vendor teams were seamlessly incorporated. The pricing was competitive and represented good value. Given the hundreds of details that go into a wedding, it was amazing that our days was as perfect as it was... Father of the Bride...... read more

Most amazing venue and top notch staff! We had our wedding up at the Hacienda 8/4/18 and we can't sing our praises enough. The staff, including Lauren and Hannah, were on top of everything and the day went very smooth. Food was tasty, views were unreal, and all our guests raved about the event. HIGHLY recommend! Best wedding day ever. read more

I don't know where to begin with Janine! She is the absolute BEST and I just adore her! She is such a joy to work with and makes the planning beforehand and day-of execute seamless and stress-free. Janine is helpful, quick to respond, flexible, reliable and a sincere kind heart. She made me feel calm on event day which is hard to do, but she has managed to do it 2 years in a row. I love her!! I absolutely love the venue as well. We've hosted a corporate leadership training at Stone Creek Village twice and it's been wonderful. So charming, plenty of space, and I love the camp style vibe that it gives off. I highly recommend Kennolyn, Janine and the rest of the Events team. I've had nothing but an amazing experience two years in a row. read more

I can't say enough about how wonderful Kennolyn and its staff are. The venue itself is so gorgeous - it overlooks the ocean and is situated in the Santa Cruz mountains surrounded by Redwoods. The staff is incredibly helpful and responsive - we worked with Janine for over a year. During that year, she would respond to our emails within 24 hours and continuously make us feel at ease. She coordinated with our vendors the day of and made sure we did not have to deal with anything the actual day of our wedding. The actual wedding went off without a hitch and was the day we both dreamed it would be. We feel incredibly lucky to have chosen such a wonderful place for our wedding! read more

Kennolyn is incredible! The natural beauty among the redwoods and with a view of the Pacific Ocean is unmatched. The property is classy but not over-the-top. But probably most important, Janine and her staff are A+. Janine has a fantastic attitude and looks for opportunities at every moment to wow you. Our wedding day could not have been better and we owe a lot of that to Kennolyn. read more

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Our wedding was at Kennolyn on June 15, 2012 and everything was AMAZING!! The staff was really helpful and everything flowed so smoothly! Jenn was phenomenal and so awesome to have a s a wedding coordinator! I would highly recommend this place to anyone!!! Well worth the money and every guest told us what a fabulous wedding it was! Food was also fantastic. read more

i recently went to a wedding @ kennolyn and it - kennolyn and the wedding - was lovely. everything seemed to go smoothly, the spaces[*] were well laid-out and decorated, good food and drink, etc. the views from the lawn & terrace were really nice if you go for that sort of thing[**], but of course the fog rolls in as the evening progresses, so the view disappears [and the temperature significantly drops] while the sun is setting. the staff was extremely professional and accomodating, and always there when needed but otherwise quietly blended into the background/stayed out of the way. major points for that. the only drawback i see for this location is, well, THE location. i mean, i grew up in the bay area, going to santa cruz beach and all that, so i knew what it meant when i saw soquel on the wedding invite...and i still was not prepared for or happy with the insanely windy drive through the santa cruz mountains to get to kennolyn. and the betrothed provided charter vans for the guests from the hotel! i'm SO GLAD that we decided to hop in those at the last minute instead of driving ourselves b/c it was NOT easy to find or ride to. if you are someone who gets carsick or queasy driving through hilly terrain/seeing sharp drops down the side of the road - forget it. i can only imagine how freaked out some of the out-of-towners who drove themselves must've been, and i certainly hope anyone who had to drive back in the dark afterwards was 100% sober! super scary. i understand they have some sort of all-weekend package, and maybe that works well for some wedding parties while avoiding the driving at night issue. but i honestly would not want to stay up in the woods/mountains for a weekend by choice, even if it's a really nice sort of grown-up-summer-camp-resort type deal. (i didn't see the cabins or that section of kennolyn, but that's the way it was described.) so...good food, great staff, lovely venue & event. 4-5 stars. getting to & from? 1 star. i'd go again for something as special & significant as a wedding...but if i ever jump the broom, it won't be there. ---------------------------------------------------------- [*] pre- and post-ceremony cocktails, ceremony, dinner, dancing areas, etc. [**] i'm not a nature/outdoorsy kind of gal, so i don't [go for that sort of thing], but i get it. it's nice. and i really liked that everything was so clean and crisp [considering there's tons of trees and such hanging out all over the place]. read more