Kate Donaldson is a Redwoods wedding photographer
Based in Humboldt County, Photographing Weddings throughout Northern California
Of memory & Place
What Makes a Redwoods Destination Wedding Particularly Unique
A redwoods destination wedding is not for everyone. Most couples who choose to get married in this remote location have a deep love of the natural world and more often than not, a personal history with the forest and the California coast. Maybe you spent your childhood camping with your family with the sounds of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Maybe your partner proposed on a road trip along the Avenue of the Giants. Couples getting married in the redwoods value immersive experiences in otherworldly landscapes and they want to share the meaning and the monument of this place with their guests.
A Curated Guest Experience
The venue for your redwoods wedding day sets the stage for your guest experience. Redwood venues in Humboldt and Mendocino are quite varied. You’ll find everything from private redwood garden estate spaces like Julia Morgan Redwood Grove to intimate oceanside bed and breakfast locations like the Lost Whale Inn as well as complete nature first campground spaces like Pamplin or Williams Grove. For an elevated weekend summer camp vibe you’ll want to check out Redwoods River Resort.
Vendors
At first glance, it can be daunting to source local vendors for a redwood forest wedding. The surrounding cities like Arcata, Eureka and Trinidad are small which means that the volume of local service providers is low by default. The rural vibes are real: I grew up on the prairie and I now see more cows in my daily travels than I ever did as a kid.
To further cloud your efforts, the redwoods are a world class destination which means you’ll turn up countless vendor websites for folks who have never been but would love to visit. The redwoods can be quite a distance for many Bay Area vendors but there are still some amazing vendors who service locations like the Redwoods River Resort or the Benbow Inn. A final stressor is ensuring that the vendors you do find will make you feel safe and seen. I’ve got you.
Best Redwood Wedding Venues in Northern California
Couples drawn to the redwoods often ask where to begin when it comes to venues. Northern California has an incredible range of spaces, from curated estates close to the Bay Area to true forest settings deep in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties. Each offers a different way to experience the scale and intimacy of the redwoods.
Nestldown (Los Gatos)
Nestldown is a private estate tucked into the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its curated redwood grove and carefully designed gardens feel cinematic while offering a seamless guest experience. The property has polished amenities, vintage touches, and attentive staff, making it ideal for couples who want the beauty of the forest in a truly elevated space.
Saratoga Springs (Saratoga)
Saratoga Springs is a South Bay favorite with multiple ceremony sites framed by redwoods and running streams. It’s one of the most convenient options for couples who want a redwood setting that’s accessible for city locals and traveling guests. The natural backdrop paired with flexible event spaces makes it easy to shape a day that feels both immersive and effortless.
Deer Park Villa (Fairfax, Marin County)
Just north of San Francisco, Deer Park Villa is known for its intimate grove where ceremonies and receptions take place beneath a canopy of redwoods. The twinkle of lights strung through the trees transforms the space blends romance and enchantment perfectly. With Marin’s accessibility, this venue balances atmosphere with ease of travel.
Redwoods River Resort (Leggett)
Redwoods River Resort is a favorite for couples looking to create a weekend-long celebration. With cabins, campsites, and outdoor gathering spaces, it captures the spirit of a redwoods “summer camp” with room for both adventure and relaxation. The atmosphere is laid back yet memorable, ideal for couples who want their wedding to feel like a true gathering of community.
The Benbow Inn (Garberville)
Near the Avenue of the Giants, The Benbow Inn offers a refined take on a redwoods wedding. This historic property blends Tudor-style architecture with sweeping views of the Eel River and easy access to iconic groves. Guests can stay on-site in comfortable rooms, turning the wedding into a full weekend experience that combines classic hospitality with proximity to the forest.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Humboldt Redwoods State Park is home to the Avenue of the Giants, one of the most iconic stretches of redwood forest in the world. Towering groves, quiet clearings, and endless portrait locations make it a dream for couples who want the redwoods in their most dramatic form. It’s a space that invites awe while still offering accessible options for guests. Popular campsite groves available for reservation include Williams Grove and Pamplin Grove.
The Inn of the Lost Coast (Shelter Cove)
For couples who want the redwoods and the ocean in one wedding weekend, The Inn of the Lost Coast offers a dramatic coastal setting with nearby access to secluded groves. Perched above the Pacific in Shelter Cove, the inn is known for sweeping views, boutique accommodations, and a sense of privacy that feels worlds away. Pairing a ceremony or portraits in the redwoods with a reception at the inn gives you the best of Northern California’s most striking landscapes.
The Lost Whale Inn (Trinidad)
Perched on the bluffs of the Pacific, The Lost Whale Inn combines ocean views with fairytale gardens and a private bed-and-breakfast. It’s especially appealing for smaller weddings and elopements, with cozy accommodations that allow family and friends to stay on-site. The inn is just minutes from Wedding Rock at Sue-meg State Park, a towering Tolkien-esque ocean overlook where couples might exchange vows before returning to the inn for an intimate reception. This pairing of dramatic coastline and first rate hospitality makes it one of Northern California’s most sought-after redwoods-and-coast wedding combinations.
Capturing a Redwoods Wedding
Photographing a wedding in the redwoods requires more than a nice camera. Making the most of this otherworldly space demands an understanding of how light, scale, and atmosphere constantly shift and converge. With over twenty years of professional photography experience and a degree in commercial photography, my approach to every celebration is an even blend of precision and aesthetic.
Living and working in the redwoods for more than a decade has given me a unique perspective on this environment. I know how the weather will impact the mood of the day, how the forest floor can blink from dim to dazzling in an instant, and how to use these elements to create portraits that feel relaxed and artful. My background allows me to adapt to the unpredictability of the forest while keeping the focus on connection and presence.
The redwoods are vast, but your photographs shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by that scale. Blending documentary observation with editorial perspective, ensures that the images hold both the monument of the forest and the intimacy of your day. The resulting galleries carry the immersive feel of the redwoods while remaining deeply personal to you.
Redwood National & Humboldt Redwoods Weddings
Northern California offers some of the most extraordinary places to celebrate beneath ancient trees. Redwood National Park near the coast and Humboldt Redwoods State Park along the Avenue of the Giants both hold a sense of scale and atmosphere that can’t be replicated, and together they form the heart of redwood weddings.
Redwood National Park is best suited for elopements and intimate ceremonies. Permits are required, guest counts are capped, and locations are carefully protected. Couples often choose the national park for the ceremony itself, then pair the experience with a celebration elsewhere. The result is a balance between the intimacy of vows exchanged in a cathedral of trees and the joy of gathering with family and friends afterward.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park brings a different kind of flexibility. While it shares the same cathedral-like atmosphere, it also has designated groves that can accommodate larger gatherings, making it one of the few true redwood settings that works for a full guest list. Ceremonies along the Avenue of the Giants carry an unmistakable grandeur, and the park’s proximity to hotels like the Benbow and the Scotia Lodge make it practical for friends and family traveling long distances.
Together, these parks allow couples to design a wedding experience that is both expansive and intimate, rooted in the stillness and magnitude of the redwoods but accommodating the loved ones who wouldn’t miss your wedding day for the world.
Logistics and Planning
Planning a wedding in the redwoods comes with unique considerations. The very things that make these forests so captivating—scale, remoteness, shifting light—also shape how a wedding unfolds. A thoughtful approach ensures that your celebration feels seamless and that your guests are able to enjoy the experience fully.
Travel and Access
Many redwood venues are located hours from major airports. For guests flying in, the nearest hubs are San Francisco (SFO) and Sacramento (SMF) for Bay Area venues, or small regional airports like Arcata-Eureka (ACV) for more northern forests. Driving along Highway 101 is part of the experience, but planning for shuttles or carpools will simplify guest travel on the wedding day itself.
Guest Accommodations
Accommodations range from boutique inns and bed-and-breakfasts to campgrounds and vacation rentals. Both Bay Area and northern venues have hotels nearby but the more remote the location, the less plentiful lodging becomes. Consider the kind of guest experience you want to create -whether that’s rustic, luxurious, or something in between. Forethought ensures a seamless experience.
Season and Weather
The redwoods shift dramatically by season. Summer brings long daylight and typically dry conditions. Fall offers warmth and golden light, though wildfire season sometimes impact air quality depending on the location of your preferred grove. Winter and spring bring rain, lush greens, and fewer crowds, creating a somewhat gothic, atmospheric setting best suited for intimate celebrations and guests who are not deterred by a sudden downpour.
Accessibility
Not all groves are easy to navigate. Some have rough trails and steeply uneven sections while others are ADA accessible and well maintained. Confirming accessibility early ensures that everyone feels comfortable and included.
The key is to see logistics as part of the experience itself. The redwoods invite you to slow down, and if you lean into it, the result is a wedding that feels intentional and thoughtful.