A Decade of Officiating Wedding Ceremonies at Waterfall Lodge & Retreat in Ben Lomond, CA

Waterfall Lodge wedding ceremony in Ben Lomond California

Over the past decade, I’ve officiated dozens of weddings at Waterfall Lodge in Ben Lomond, California, and no matter how many times I’ve been there, I’m captivated by the grandeur and majesty of the redwoods in particular, and the venue as a whole. The only way to describe the feeling I get when I arrive at Waterfall Lodge is one of “holy awe.”

Waterfall Lodge & Retreat, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is an immersive forest setting with towering redwoods, fresh mountain air, and a palpable sense of timelessness. The venue is perennially beautiful—each season has its own unique magic, from dramatic fog and soft rain, to the way the summer sun filters through the canopy of trees, to brisk mountain air that brings clarity and refreshment.

Ceremonies at Waterfall Lodge feel different than ballroom ceremonies, vineyard ceremonies, or coastal ceremonies. The redwood grove alters the emotional tone. While the setting doesn’t dictate the ceremony, it does deepen it. It naturally brings a sense of the sacred to even the most secular ceremonies. I suspect that’s because of the way these massive trees hold the immensity and scale of the rite of passage of marriage, and the threshold that it represents.

These ancient redwoods have witnessed centuries of cycles, including fire, drought, renewal. Their longevity transmits resilience and steadiness. It's the perfect metaphor for a marriage—the ability to weather the seasons together, and to stay upright in the face of challenge and change.

So many love stories have unfolded beneath the trees at Waterfall Lodge & Retreat. The redwood cathedral has been consecrated by heartfelt promises of forever, passionate kisses, and the hopes and dreams of countless couples. It’s a privilege to stand with couples under those trees, which ask nothing of us. Though offering them some acknowledgement is always nice. As John O’Donohue wrote, “There is poignancy in beholding the beauty of landscape: often it feels as though it has been waiting for centuries for the recognition and witness of the human eye.”

Below are photos from two of the more recent wedding ceremonies I officiated at Waterfall Lodge & Retreat, including a Hindu-American hybrid ceremony with an impressive number of costume changes and an adorable little dog, and a relentlessly-rainy-but-the-couple-took-it-all-in-stride-and-the-photos-came-out-amazing wedding!