Felton Guild Review

Overall 4.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

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kaycie
Sacramento, CA

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Best kept wedding secret in Northern California

adventurous, nature lover, expecting good, fair service, lover of beauty

Pros

beautiful location, package deal, no pressure or hassle, incredibly helpful

JAN

2008

One of the first steps of planning a wedding is finding a location and for us that meant selecting which country, which state, which city - and then finally which venue. With family and friends spread throughout the US and Germany, we wanted to find a very special place where everyone could enjoy our wedding and the area as well - and we could stay within our budget.

We searched for two years finding beautiful places but each time something just wouldn't be exactly right. Then I came across a mention of the Felton Guild in a news article on the internet and visited their website. I emailed my fiance asking "could this be the place for us?" We called, talked with the owner (Kathy Topusidis), scheduled an appointment and visited the Guild within a few days.

Even though it was March (cold, windy and closed since October), it was beautiful. The wedding grove is a glorious natural cathedral of huge redwood trees and there is a large lawn area for the reception. Having talked to several locations with strict guidelines and requirements, we appreciated Kathy's relaxed attitude. She didn't care if we were planning an eloquent catered affair or a down-home bar-b-que, she just wanted us to have the wedding of our dreams.

The rules are simple: A couple rents the Guild for the day, has the wedding of their dreams and returns it in good condition - no other requirements. With the exception of a kitchen (I believe that may be coming), the Guild provides everything you need for a fantastic wedding. There is a changing room for the bridal party and for the groom. The forested area has the cathedral and further in there are built-in tables for gifts, buffet, cake and benches. The lawn area is perfect for an outdoor reception. There are electrical outlets available. They provide ample chairs and benches for the wedding plus tables and chairs for the reception. And yes, there are restrooms available for everyone to use.

A bonus: The Guild is just down the street from the entrance to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. We used the Park for other wedding weekend events and to sneak away for some breath-taking "just married" shots.

Another bonus is that the beach is just 15 minutes away, so my guests had the opportunity to explore and enjoy both the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the California coast. All in all, our family and friends were blown away by the beauty of the area and this venue - you can see it in our wedding video and photos as people keep looking up at the towering redwoods.