Castle House And Garden

I called them regarding renting the space for a wedding. I was flabbergasted when the woman on the phone suggested that I move my wedding to next year, since they didn’t have any dates available this year. That’s rude and presumptuous. Next time just tell the customer sorry and you don’t have their chosen date open, end of story.

It’s difficult to write a review for a place that is so perfect but here’s my attempt. The grounds are breath-​taking; showcasing how beautiful true nature can be. My daughter’s wedding was here and I can’t even count the number of times people asked me how did we ever find this place. It’s so pretty but without trying. The redwood circle where the wedding ceremonies typically take place feel special. The gardens are a perfect backdrop for drop dead gorgeous pictures. The historic house with all it’s multitude of charms is perfect for a rustic and romantic wedding. The people who own and manage this oasis are as nice as anyone could be and they make everything as lovely as it could or should ever be. The floral designs that come from this truly natural and organic place are eloquently and uniquely done by one of the most talented florist you could ever hope to find.
It sounds so cliché to say but it’s true that this place is like being married in a fairy tale. The only issues you’ll probably face are that there’s a very limited number of opportunities to host your wedding here so jump on this early — you won’t regret it at all. Five stars just aren’t enough to describe this naturally beautiful venue. We felt lucky and blessed to have had the pleasure of hosting our very special wedding here.

My husband and I had our wedding here in August. Our experience was magical — the venue is like a cross between the Secret Garden and a Midsummer NIght’s Dream, with farm animals and old style California Charm. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful, down to earth, and enchanting venue.
In terms of logistics, Teresa, the Owner, is a total pro. My husband and I live in London, and flew out two days before our event, so had limited time to do last minute set up (rookie mistake to fly out so soon before). Teresa, her husband, and her daughter came to the rescue! Not only were they ready for us with the house and grounds in beautiful shape, but they picked up the slack where we just didn’t have time to pull things together. They even put out our family photos for us!
As part of the venue package, Teresa does the floral design, including the bridal bouquet. She went above and beyond, creating bespoke designs to suit the season and my husband’s and my taste. Not only was the bridal bouquet out of this world, but Teresa pulled together perfect floral details, from the guest’s seting, to the table arrangements.
I cannot rave enough about our experience with Teresa and her lovely family at their home. This is a rare and special place.

We were fortunate enough to have our wedding here on June 22^nd, 2013 and let me tell you, the venue and it’s owner, Teresa, ensured the most magical, welcoming, and organized experience ever. From the initial meeting, through hiccups with our caterer, and until the day-​of coordination, Teresa was amazing: Helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and assertive when she needed to be. She also did our flowers which were out of this world.
The venue itself is enchanting with it’s floral gardens, towering redwoods, and cozy courtyard. Our guests could not stop talking about how ours was the best wedding they have ever attended. We had a wedding of 100 people, and it was the perfect size.
Count yourself very fortunate if you have the opportunity to have your event at Castle House and Gardens.

Wow-​this is a FANTASTIC magical place. Thank goodness for the previous viewer or I wouldn’t have had the luck to wonder into this private wonderland of wild flowers and soaring redwoods. We had our wedding under a circle of redwoods (perfectly set up for a alter/​wedding ceremony site) with a crowd of about a 100 followed by a cocktail party among the field of flowers, and a reception on a large elegant, classy, retro courtyard (with a spanish feel) in the back complete with soaring palms. We looked EVERYWHERE in the area and nothing compared to the wild beauty of this place. The courtyard was a real gem that many guests were stunned to see during the ceremony. Several people came up to me throughout the evening to inquire how I found this place. Kids absolutely loved this place probably for the fairy tale feel.
I will say that upon visiting it before the wedding though I knew it was beautiful, a family is living there and so it’s not «Set up» for a wedding if it’s not scheduled (which of course is expected) so you have to trust that the owners will clean up the front yard and do some manicuring of the site. I can say with 100% confidence that they will ABSOLUTELY come through and do this-​we were so impressed with all of the little touches that they added for our wedding. Also trust that if you see the place in winter it will do no justice to the beauty of the garden when it’s in bloom. Soon I will post my pictures so you can get a sense of what I’m talking about. I recommend having a wedding that goes into the evening since the stars our out and the fires they have going (there are these large open fireplaces) add an ambience to the courtyard that no hotel ballroom will ever compete with. The other great thing about this venue is the owners are not stingy with time and you can bring your own alcohol and find your own caterer. We were really happy with our caterer (see review for Feast for a King).

My husband and I spent a long time looking at wedding venues in the Santa Cruz/​Los Gatos area. We probably looked at more than 10 places! A lot of places weren’t quite the right fit, had too many weird restrictions, or were overpriced (if your’ve looked at venues you know what I mean!)
The Castle House and Gardens was the last place we looked at and we knew it would be the most perfect, picturesque and enchanted woodland setting for our outdoor wedding. It has lush, wild gardens that remind me of the Secret Garden. There’s a beautiful redwood grove where we had our ceremony and a poolside courtyard with two outdoor fireplaces, perfect for dining and dancing, where we had the reception. It was great to have the ceremony and reception at the same place.
The Castle House is a historic estate located in the Santa Cruz Mountain Community of Bonny Doon. It’s bordered by beautiful redwood forests and just 10 minutes from the ocean.
The family that lives there were the most gracious hosts for our event and went to extra care to make sure the grounds looked stunning on our wedding day.
They own the Bonny Doon Garden Company and grow all of the flowers for their floral design business organically in their home gardens. It was really cool because my bouquets and centerpieces all came from the garden where I got married!
We got so many compliments about the venue from our guests and everyone kept asking me, «How did you find this place?»
I definitely recommend this place to other brides if you are looking for a unique, non-​cookie cutter type venue full of natural beauty and rustic charm.