Amphitheater of the Redwoods at Pema Osel Ling

The venue is without question the most important decision in planning a wedding, and Amphitheater of the Redwoods simply couldn't have been better. We are beyond grateful to Mia, the chef, and the whole staff. The venue: It is STUNNING. Every guest commented on how beautiful, magical, and sacred the space felt — like retreating from everyday life into a place outside of space and time. Getting married in an amphitheater of redwoods — what could be more magical? The grounds are huge and diverse, with endless spots for photos: the pond, the fountain, the redwoods, little paths lined with flowers. There are literally hikes on the property! You get the entire space to yourselves for the whole weekend. We actually got to spend time with our guests because they were there for 3 days! On a single-day wedding we wouldn't have talked with hardly anyone. And no other weddings happen simultaneously — other venues we considered ran multiple weddings at once and felt like wedding mills. POL felt entirely devoted to us the whole weekend. Guests stay on site, which made everything SO much easier and more relaxed. The cabins and houses are comfy and perfect; camping gave friends an affordable option. We could all drink freely without driving anywhere. Even after the sound cutoff we kept the party going around the campfire, and guests got to fully explore the venue in the mornings. The staff: They went above and beyond. Mia, the on-site coordinator, was lovely to work with and called every 2–3 months before the wedding to make sure we were on track and had thought through every detail. What really made them stand out was the day of. There was no rain in the forecast, but the morning of our wedding it started raining, and rain appeared on the forecast right at dinner time. The staff had already set up tables, chairs, linens, and the dance floor at Gallery Meadow for the reception. At 1pm they realized we needed to move everything to Celebration Hall, which had an indoor backup. They redid all the work, hauling tables, chairs, even the dance floor to the new location and resetting it all last-minute — and no one could tell, because it was absolutely perfect. They honored my request to keep the reception outdoors, handing out umbrellas, tipping chairs to keep them dry, wiping tables down. That kind of last-minute pivot is where you see the true capabilities of a venue, and they couldn't have handled it better — beautiful, smooth, stress-free. The food: Where to begin? Some of the best food I've ever eaten. I think the chef could run a Michelin-starred restaurant but chose to cook for weddings to make couples happy. Guests asked if they could come back just to eat the food, or hire the chef to cater. I hope a friend gets married there so we can go back and actually enjoy it. Highlights: fresh sourdough baked every morning, beef brisket cooked for 28 hours, the best shakshuka I've ever had at the farewell brunch, beef bourguignon and incredible mushrooms at the welcome dinner, homemade scones. The chef worked with us on allergies and made custom alterations to recipes. Working with Amphitheater of the Redwoods was the best decision of our wedding planning. You can't go wrong with them.

From start to finish Mia and the entire staff at Amphitheater of the Redwoods were an absolute dream to work with. They always answered our questions promptly and the advice/recommendations of the staff helped everything run smoothly when the big day finally came. The team accommodated our personal touches and brought so much attention to detail to every aspect of the wedding. Planning a wedding is all about the small things, being able to pivot when the unexpected occurs, and providing a calm and capable presence for the couple and their families. Mia exemplified all of these traits and her dedication to the process made our wedding weekend the best weekend of the year for us and our guests. We booked this spot based on photos, knowing we wanted to get married within a year of our engagement, and we couldn’t have been happier with our choice. It was reasonably priced for a destination wedding and the convenience of housing people on-site CANNOT be understated. They say people will only remember two things about your wedding day, the food and the music. We have cover bands in the family so we provided the band and sound equipment ourselves. The staff helped the whole thing go smoothly, allowing soundcheck at a convenient hour for the band and ensuring we had the proper power requirements and access to outlets. Again, these kinds of small details are what make or break the smoothness of the day when it comes. Their ability to think ahead, pivot on a dime and be friendly and efficient all along the way made a huge impression on us. The staff are professionals through and through. The food was exquisite. The chef knows what he’s doing and everyone commented on how delicious the meals and appetizers were. Another plus to mention is the beauty of the venue. Every guest was stunned and commented on the setting. So many people asked us how we found it, or mentioned that it was their favourite wedding they’d ever been to. We didn’t expect everything to be perfect because nothing in life ever is. So many things can change, even on the day of the ceremony. The greatest gift of this weekend was that from start to finish the whole experience truly was perfect. To see our families so at ease, our guests having so much fun, and the day/night running smoothly meant everything to us. That’s a reflection of the dedication of Mia and this staff, and we owe the success of the wedding to them.