Sand Rock Farm — Hotel in Capitola

Our daughter was married at Sand Rock Farm(SRF) in October 2019. One year prior, after visiting a number of wedding venues in Santa Cruz County, we knew immediately, upon visiting SRF, that it would be THE PERFECT VENUE for us. Plus we live in Aptos, so it was local! Overall, we are extremely happy with the wedding weekend and feel that SRF is a magical and special place.

First and very important, owners Jen and Derek are wonderful. They come from a wedding planning and catering background, so they know ALL of the special touches that make for a magical wedding day (and weekend)!

The property is amazing. Tucked off the road, nestled in redwoods and trees, complete with dogs, cats, chickens, and only 10 minutes from the beach. The beautiful B&B sleeps 18 so we were able to have the wedding party stay for Friday and Saturday nights of the wedding weekend, and breakfast was provided for everyone both mornings, and lunch before the 3pm wedding (a great cost saving for the bridal party and fun to have everyone hanging out together). A shout out to Riley who cooked and served the delicious meals and even made the spectacular and delicious wedding cake! We also had the rehearsal dinner on their beautiful deck on Friday night (catered tacos - reasonably priced - fun and casual).

My husband and I stayed in the “Eva’s Garden” room upstairs. Very comfortable and the morning of the wedding I relished a luxurious and relaxing bath in the jacuzzi tub! The bridal couple stayed in the lovely "Morning Glory" room. We used the "Hidden Garden Suite" for everyone to get ready. We set up the two HMU artists next to each other and it was so much fun to all hang out there while getting ready.

We had 80 wedding guests which was a perfect size for the ceremony in the spectacular Redwood Grove and dinner (family style) in the gorgeous old Barrel Room. On the day of the wedding, the SRF team (owners, florist, caterer) worked very hard to set everything up and make it look amazing and just as we dreamed of. When I look at our wedding photos I feel like they look like something out of a bridal magazine!

When we booked SRF for the wedding venue we were advised that we were required to use their vendors: E Events (wedding planner), Five Star Catering, Amanda Connors Designs in Bloom, Ivy Hill Entertainment (DJ). I was relieved to not have to search for these vendors and felt confident that if Jen and Derek had confidence in these vendors then they would do an excellent job. Five Star Catering was absolutely amazing! We had so many wedding guests comment on how excellent the food was. They did a beautiful job in the presentation as well. We highly recommend them. And Amanda Connors (Designs in Bloom) was outstanding. She worked within our budget and we were in awe of all the beauty she created and we cannot recommend her enough. We were disappointed with the wedding planner E Events. We feel she has gotten too busy and taken on too many weddings. It created a lot of extra stress for us in the wedding planning that we thought would be taken care of. We also felt that the DJ (Ivy Hill Entertainment) fell short of what we had hoped from them.

Shuttles are required for SRF. We used Santa Cruz Experience roundtrip from the BW Seacliff Inn in Aptos. It all worked very smoothly and we had the after-party at Severino's in the BW Seacliff so it was perfect and very fun!

Our other highly recommended vendors we found on our own (you can see my reviews for them on Yelp and Google): Photography: De Joy Videography: Iz Cinema Hair: Kendra Guisado, Evolve Beauty Lounge HMU: Jamie Skocko, Vanity Beauty Parlour

if you are lucky enough to get a wedding booking at SRF I think you will be very happy. If you are looking for a venue for a family reunion or any group of 18 or less, I think you would love the property too! It is a very...

Incredible Wedding Venue with Exceptional Staff – Highly Recommend Sand Rock Farm!

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding experience at Sand Rock Farm. Renting the property for two nights made the entire celebration feel like a relaxing getaway. Check-in and check-out were smooth and hassle-free. The lodging was spotless, comfortable, and cozy, with the fireplace always lit to keep the space warm and inviting. The background music throughout the property created a calming and peaceful atmosphere, and the constant availability of water and coffee was a thoughtful touch.

The food was absolutely incredible! The breakfast and lunch on our wedding day were delicious – I’m still thinking about the perfectly cooked eggs, the flavorful chicken salad, and the toasted croissants. The dessert was equally amazing. We chose cupcakes, and they were absolutely delicious – perfectly moist and flavorful, even days later.

The ceremony setup was stunning, and we chose to host our dinner and reception in the Barrel Room – it was breathtaking. Jen and her staff were phenomenal. Jen was incredibly helpful throughout the planning process, making everything smooth and stress-free. Her team handled the setup and cleanup flawlessly, allowing us to fully enjoy every moment.

A huge shoutout to Cheryl, our wedding day coordinator, who was absolutely fantastic. She guided us through the rehearsal with ease and took care of every detail on the wedding day, ensuring everything ran smoothly. Aryela, the assistant coordinator, was also wonderful—both were incredibly professional and attentive, making sure there were no major issues or hiccups.

We can’t recommend Sand Rock Farm, Jen, Cheryl, Aryela, and the entire team enough. The beautiful setting, exceptional service, and warm hospitality made our wedding truly magical. If you’re looking for a venue that offers both charm and outstanding service, this...

I am still pinching myself that we were able to have our wedding at Sand Rock Farm. Sand Rock Farm is truly such a magical place! Jen and Derek are amazing and you can tell they truly love the property and being incredible hosts. Whether you are staying at a room in Sand Rock Farm or attending a wedding there, you will be treated to impeccable service and hospitality, all in an enchanting setting. I first found Sand Rock Farm when looking for redwood wedding venues in the Bay Area, but I immediately fell in love with the ceiling-less barrel room instead. The beautiful old stone walls are covered with ivy and string lights strung across complete the effect. The barrel room is hands down my favorite part of the venue, but literally everywhere you walk is picturesque. There’s charming furniture in the bed and breakfast, an arch covered with wisteria vines, a garden filled with beautiful old-fashioned garden roses, and so much more. ||||We had our intimate (less than 30 people!) ceremony and reception in the barrel room and Derek catered the food… which was incredible! I’m a wedding photographer, so I have actually had quite a bit of wedding dinners, but I would have to say our wedding dinner was the best I have ever had!! The flavors were amazing, everything was cooked perfectly. All of our guests raved about the food, especially my grandmother who literally said she had never had a better meal in her life. ||||Not only was everything perfect for the wedding, it was amazing staying at Sand Rock Farm for the weekend! The rooms are so charming, the food is amazing, the beds are super comfortable and, of course, the grounds are beautiful. I cannot recommend Sand Rock Farm enough and highly highly recommend having your intimate wedding there!! It was perfect and a huge part of the best weekend of our lives. Thank you Jen and Derek!! You guys...