Fern River Resort — Hotel in Scotts Valley

Hello,

Let me start off by saying that this venue is gorgeous and the owners are great, but stay away from the “wedding coordinating Avenue”. Unless you like to be disappointed. Over all my wedding was beautiful and I hate that I have to leave a negative review due to one bad poisonous apple.

I am writing this unfortunate review on behalf of my experience with the “wedding coordinator” Lisa. My wedding was absolutely magical, and the owners are very kind sweet people, unfortunately they have hired a heathen. Lisa was our day of coordinator (we paid $500 for her services, personally had I know what I know now, I wouldn’t of paid her $5) She was supposed to help set up tables, the redwood tables were in our contract and she didn’t have them ready and proceeded to put up white tables that were against my wishes and not fitting with my theme. She also ran around huffing and puffing complaining the entire time about having to help set up, even though we LITERALLY PAID HER AND IT WAS HER JOB. My bridal party ended up doing a majority of everything because they were uncomfortable even asking Lisa for a small minuscule task. One thing that also made this negative, none of the plates were put out which she promised to do as well as the silverware. When it came to take down, she threatened to charge us over minuscule things over and over even though my entire bridal party in dresses and suits proceeded to take down the entire wedding. She let us know that we could take the after party to Monty’s Log Cabin, we proceed there, bringing them more business then they have ever gotten and she decided to slander my entire wedding party even after we were still kind to her and having to deal with her lack of coordination. She also made very racist comments about our Photo Booth and called them “the brown people”. We reached out and wrote a review based off our concerns and were met with more gas lighting from Lisa her self. Overall this is a gorgeous venue and it’s very convenient but don’t be fooled. Hopefully the owners can step in and make the necessary changes. I was genuinely upset with the way Lisa handles everything, she’s completely unprofessional and I don’t see...

My husband and I recently had our wedding at Fern River Resort, and it was an amazing experience from start to finish. From the moment we arrived, we were captivated by the beauty of the Redwood forests and the tranquil atmosphere that enveloped the resort.

First and foremost, we must mention Lisa, the site manager. She was an absolute gem and went above and beyond to ensure that our special day was nothing short of perfect. Her attention to detail and willingness to assist with every aspect of the wedding planning process made a world of difference. We highly recommend hiring her as a day-of coordinator; her expertise and dedication are unmatched.

The resort itself is a hidden gem nestled among the towering Redwoods. The cabins, all remodeled and refurbished, provided a comfortable and cozy home away from home for our families. It was wonderful to have everyone staying on the same grounds, which created a sense of togetherness and convenience throughout the weekend.

The ceremony and reception sites were nothing short of breathtaking. The custom-built Redwood gazebo added a rustic and elegant touch that made our ceremony truly memorable. The amenities at Fern River Resort exceeded our expectations. We spent evenings gathered around the central fire pit, sharing stories, and enjoying the company of our loved ones. The private river beach provided a peaceful escape, and the community campfire ring, ping pong table, and badminton court offered endless entertainment options for our guests.

Being located within proximity to the Bay area and Santa Cruz was a huge advantage for our destination wedding. Our guests were able to easily travel to the resort, escaping the city's hustle and bustle while still having access to the unique beaches, restaurants, and shops that Santa Cruz has to offer.

Overall, our wedding at Fern River Resort was a dream come true. The combination of natural beauty, impeccable service, and attention to detail made it an unforgettable experience for us and our guests. We highly recommend Fern River Resort to couples looking for a magical wedding venue surrounded by the majestic Redwoods. Trust us, you won't be...

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

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

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

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

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

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