Waterfall Lodge & Retreat

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Our Wedding

Elena and Scott first met in the summer of 2018 at the Ice Blocks development in Sacramento where Scott was living at the time. A mutual friend introduced them during a social get-together, but they didn't talk much the first time they met. Later that summer, Scott was housesitting and invited this mutual friend over with the guise of swimming, drinks, barbecue, and playing with dogs &amp; horses. In reality, Scott was hoping this mutual friend would bring Elena with her, and to Scott's delight Elena tagged along! Despite Scott's obvious interest, Elena wasn't available at the time. Fast forward 6 months to January 2019 and the 2 met again with mutual friends at Device Brewery in Sacramento. This time Elena gave-in to Scott's flirting, agreeing to go on a date later that week. Later that week was too long to wait, as Elena and Scott ended up going on 3 dates that week, to Tank House, a Sacramento Kings Game, and playing pool. About 2 weeks later was Valentine's Day. Scott was smitten and knew he had to impress Elena if he wanted her to stick around. Scott invited Elena over to his apartment for a home-cooked, candle-lit steak dinner, advising Elena to arrive at exactly 7:30pm so he could have everything ready when she got there. When Elena walked in the door, she later confessed to Scott, she thought "oh....this is going to be serious". Neither of them knew how serious it would turn out to be, so Scott waited another couple months before asking Elena officially to be his girlfriend. Before long, Elena and Scott were spending every weekend together and Scott introduced Elena to his family. They quickly learned they're a great duo in the kitchen, are awesome travel partners (regardless of Elena's need to get through security at the airport with 2 hours to spare), and enjoy trying new experiences together. Their 6 month anniversary soon approached and coincided closely with Elena's 25th birthday, so Scott planned a trip to Mendocino to celebrate both occasions. Knowing there was more to this trip than that, and being the hopeless romantic he is, Scott brought a special bottle of wine he purchased in South Africa to dinner at Cafe Beaujolais and had the restaurant arrange rose petals on the table. This this would be where the 2 would first say "I love you" and is why Mendocino became a special place to them. In January 2020 Elena and Scott decided to move-in together to a cute little duplex in East Sacramento where they still live today. The fun part was telling Elena's parents of this decision only a couple days after meeting Scott for the first time! The not so fun part was having COVID bring the world to a screeching halt a few months later. But this would be the ultimate test of their relationship. After making it through "2 weeks to slow the curve" shutdowns for +/-12 months, they started talking more seriously about marriage, thinking they could make it through anything if they got through that shortly after moving in together.&nbsp; There was a catch, however, as Scott had only spent 5 days with Elena's family to this point. He wasn't going to ask for their daughter's hand without them knowing him better and vice versa, and wasn't going to ask during only the second time meeting them. Elena knew this and quickly had 3 trips on the calendar to visit with her family between Sacramento, New York, and North Carolina in 2021. After the trip to New York and with Elena's dad's blessing secured, Scott made an appointment with his grandmother's and mother's jeweler to design Elena's ring. He then booked another trip to Mendocino where he proposed to Elena along the coast in October 2021. The rest, as they say, has been devoted to wedding planning.....or something like that.

Our Story

Photos

Even with a three-year age gap Elena and her sister Erika spent a lot of time together growing up, playing soccer on the same team, carpooling to high school and attending college at the same time at App State. Erika has always been a built-in best friend to Elena and always there to help! Elena knew she was going to need Erika’s creative mind, honest opinion and calm demeanor when wedding planning, making her a great Maid of Honor.

Erika Nansen

Chris is Scott's older brother, and for better or worse they've been attached at the hip since '92. Being only 18 months apart they've always been very competitive, and even grew up  playing sports (baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, & swimming) on many of the same teams together. Although they're polar opposites and continually do their best to live out their nickname of "The Bickerson's", Scott couldn't imagine getting married without his first best friend by his side.

Chris Kiernan

On a trip to San Francisco while visiting her oldest sister Eva, Elena decided to accept a job in Sacramento and move back to California. This would be the first time in years that the two sisters would be less than two hours away from each other. Elena spent many weekends the first few years hanging out with Eva in the city. Hopefully Elena will get to the city more often as she is working on a project just a few blocks away from Eva. Hard part is choosing a week that Eva isn't jetting off to a new country.

Eva Nansen

Josh and Scott went to high school together but didn't become friends until after graduating - probably partially due to the fact that Josh is a Giants fan and Scott is an A's fan. Nonetheless, Josh has been like a brother to Scott for more than a decade. Over the years they've attended numerous country concerts and sporting events, did their best not to get kicked out of demolition derby's, lived together, and gone camping, river rafting, and on road trips together. Josh also taught Scott how to duck hunt and introduced him to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife his very first time hunting (thanks bud).

Josh Ryan

Eleven years ago, Elena got a Facebook message from Natalie, a girl in Maryland looking for a roommate for her freshman year of College at Appalachian State University. After a few weeks of “online roommate dating” we decided to become roommates and eventually roomed all four years together! After college, we went from being a few feet away to across the country as Natalie accepted a job in Virginia. Our morning coffee and Friends marathons turned into phone calls and occasional cross-country visits including our most recent trip to Seattle.

Natalie Hardesty

Andrew and Scott first met each other on a college orientation backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness (South Lake Tahoe) in 2011. They mastered evading RA's in the dorms, took classes together (whitewater rafting counts as a class), snowboarded, and eventually became roommates. Scott mainly agreed to be roommates because Andrew brought along his dog Beckham who was taught to fetch us beers from the fridge. Hardy is one of Scott's closest friends and they frequently backpack, camp, snowboard, and travel together.

Andrew Hardy

Elena and Claire met at a work meeting, where Elena was supposed to walk Claire through Sustainability at the Firm. The scheduled 30-minute meeting turned into an hour of them talking about good kayaking spots in the area. Claire became Elena’s walking/running buddy where most runs ended at an ice cream shop or a brewery. Recently a third walking partner was added Mr. Otis, Claire’s 2-year-old Doberman mix. Elena always looks forward to adventures with Claire and Otis.

Claire Seger

Jeremy and Scott met in 2015 when Scott moved to Sacramento from Tahoe and rented a room from Jeremy. They instantly became great friends, golfing and watching football almost every weekend and ended up living together for nearly 3 years. They've golfed together on dozens of courses across 4 states and keep adding new experiences to the list. Jeremy and Scott hangout most weekends whether it's golfing, biking, watching football, or going on double dates to get sushi. 

Jeremy Bautista

Elena and Bianca started working at Lionakis a few weeks apart. Along with other young professionals just starting out at the firm, including Bianca’s significant other EJ, we formed a quick bond and were known around the firm as the Design Nine. Outside of work we would have "family dinners", watch Bianca’s roller derby games, and end the year with a Christmas Party full of laughs. Bianca, EJ and Luna (their cat) moved to Seattle in 2021 and have been missed greatly by Elena.

Bianca  Dyke

Mark and Scott first met at a commercial real estate industry event (Urban Land Institute) in Sacramento in 2016 when we found out we not only had work in common, but golf as well. Mark encouraged Scott to get more involved with ULI, pushing him to join the board and serving as Mark's co-chair before ultimately chairing the board himself.  Mark and Scott have grown to become close friends, golf buds, and neighbors, and Mark helps Scott navigate through his career with solid advice. From dinner & game nights with Mark and his wife, to the golf course, to early morning "P-90-Ellinghouse" sessions, Mark is a great friend and mentor to Scott.

Mark Ellinghouse

Abby is Scott's cousin but truly is more like his sister. Abby and Scott grew up together when Scott previously lived in the Bay Area. They spent nearly every holiday, birthday, and summer together growing up. Abby has always been a beacon of positivity, motivation, and support, and we are thrilled to have her marry us. It was actually Elena's idea to ask Abby to be our officiant and to our joy, Abby immediately said yes.

Abby Esch

Wedding Party

Q: Are kids welcome?A: While we love your little ones, our wedding is going to be an adults-only event so that everyone can relax and enjoy the evening. Also if everyone we know brought their kids our guest list would increase by 30! We appreciate you making arrangements ahead of time and leaving the kids at home so you can celebrate with us. Q: What should I wear? Is there a dress code?A: The dress code for our wedding is cocktail attire. Q: What will the weather be like this time of year?A: The weather in Ben Lomond in April is generally fairly mild. High's range from the upper 60's to mid 70's and lows in the upper 40's to low 50's. April isn't typically too rainy but we recommend checking the weather before you travel! Q: Will the ceremony and reception be held at different locations?A: Waterfall Lodge is where everything takes place. Additionally, the bride &amp; groom, their families, and wedding party will all be staying on-site from Friday through Sunday. The ceremony and reception areas are both outdoors in hilly terrain. Guests will walk downhill from the ceremony to the reception on a well-maintained hiking trail or paved road so ladies should consider what shoes they wear. If it rains we will move the reception indoors or under a tent. Q: How do I get to the venue? Parking? Shuttle? Arrival time?A: Great question that comes with 2 different answers.1. On-site guests: More than half our guests will be staying on-site (families, wedding party, etc.) for the whole weekend. On-site guests will park on-site and can check-in starting friday at 2pm. Please carpool if possible!2. Off-site guests: PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE TO THE VENUE. There are shuttles to transport you from 1 of 2 locations. If you're staying at the Hilton (or nearby), a shuttle will pick you up from the Hilton at 2:30pm. If you're at another location or AirBnb, another shuttle will pick you up from San Lorenzo Valley High School at 1:45pm. We'll email instructions in early April. Our venue requires the shuttles as there is no additional parking available for off-site guests and the venue is at the top of a narrow winding road that's difficult to navigate at night. Q: How should I RSVP?A: Invitations will be sent out in February. At that time an online RSVP option will appear on the website. Q: What should I do if I can't make it? Or need to change my RSVP?A: We will miss you! But please let us know as soon as possible and RSVP "no" so we can plan accordingly. You should be able to change your RSVP through the website or you can let either Elena or Scott know. Q: Can I bring a date?A: We have a strict guest list to stay on budget and did our best to include everyone's significant other. However, it's entirely possible we missed someone. Please reach out to us if you'd like to bring a guest and we'll do our best to accommodate you. Our wedding is strictly RSVP only so please do not bring a guest without confirming with us. Q: Do you have a hotel block for guests? Where should I stay?A: The only "block" we have is for guests staying on-site. There are plentiful hotels within 30 minutes of the venue, so make your selection by whether you want to stay in the mountains or down by the beach. We recommended 3 hotels near the venue on the Travel tab and there are plentiful other hotel options, AirBnb's, VRBO's, etc., in nearby Santa Cruz. Q: I'm flying in, which airport is the closest to Ben Lomond?A: There are a few options but San Jose is the closest.- San Jose International Airport ~35 miles- San Francisco International Airport ~60 miles- Oakland International Airport ~65 milesOr if you're visiting California for the first time, fly into SoCal the week before, check out Hollywood &amp; Disneyland, drive Highway 1 up the coast in a convertible, play Pebble Beach Golf Course in Carmel, go whale watching in Monterey, stop by the wedding that Saturday, continue up to San Francisco the next day, go wine tasting in Napa, end your trip in Lake Tahoe, and fly home out of Reno, NV!

Q + A

We're fortunate that our venue has cabins on-site to accommodate more than half our guests. These are reserved for our families and wedding party first, with the potential for additional availability at a later date. We've provided the below hotel recommendations for off-site guests. These are close to the venue (+/-10 miles) and at a similar price point. There are numerous other hotel options and AirBnb's in nearby Santa Cruz for those wishing to stay closer to the beach, as well as more budget-friendly options closer to the venue. Two shuttles will be provided for off-site guests as the venue is at the top of a narrow winding road that's difficult to navigate at night and there is limited parking. One shuttle will pickup from the Hilton Scott's Valley, the second from San Lorenzo Valley High School. Scott will email the shuttling schedule in early April. Q: I'm flying in, which airport is the closest to Ben Lomond?A: There are a few options but San Jose is the closest.- San Jose International Airport ~35 miles- San Francisco International Airport ~60 miles- Oakland International Airport ~65 miles

Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley

Four Points by Sheraton Santa Cruz Scotts Valley

Best Western Plus Inn Scotts Valley

Travel

The quaint town of Ben Lomond is located along Highway 9 in Santa Cruz County. Home to the magnificent coastal redwoods, it is just 35 minutes from the San Jose airport and 20 minutes from the famed Santa Cruz Beach &amp; Boardwalk.&nbsp;Monterey &amp; Carmel are about an hour south. There are endless outdoor activities to partake in not far from our venue including hiking, going to the beach, golfing, whale watching, tidepooling, ziplining, ropes courses, train rides, etc. We've put a few links below to nearby activities and restaurants recommended by our venue.

Elena & Scott

Elena & Scott

Photos