They Wanted the Forest, and They Wanted Everybody There
When Amanda and Brian started planning, they had two non negotiables that most couples think they have to choose between.
They wanted to get married in the forest. Not a ballroom with a tree motif, not a hotel with a nice courtyard. Actual trees, actual quiet, actual dirt under everyone's shoes.
And they wanted their whole family there. All of them. The cousins, the aunts, the grandparents, the family friends who have been around since before either of them could walk.
That combination is exactly why Sydalyn Hill exists, and it's why their day turned out the way it did: completely relaxed, completely them, and one of the prettiest weddings I photographed all year.
Where Sydalyn Hill Is and Why It's So Special
Sydalyn Hill sits on a hilltop in Felton, California, up Highway 9 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, near Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. It's less than an hour from San Jose and about a half hour from Santa Cruz, which is a big part of its appeal. Your guests get a wedding that feels like a weekend in the mountains without anyone having to fly anywhere.
The property is twenty acres, and it uses all of them. There are two orchards, gardens, walking trails, an open meadow, and a historic 1908 cabin that guests can wander through. The hilltop looks out over the San Lorenzo Valley, so you get redwoods in one direction and a long open view in the other. That mix is rarer than it sounds. Most redwood venues give you beautiful trees and no sky, which means gorgeous shade and no sunset. Here you get both.
A few things make it stand out from every other forest venue I shoot.
The chandeliers. So many of them! hanging in a pair of hundred year old walnut trees over the dance floor. When the sun drops, that whole area turns golden and the trees are suddenly a ceiling. This is the photo you are going to want blown up on your wall, and it's the reason a lot of couples book this place after one tour.
Three ceremony sites. You pick the one that fits your group and your time of day, instead of squeezing into the venue's one spot.
You get the property, not just a time slot. The full package includes a two night stay with lodging for up to six people, plus a separate house for getting ready with a deck and the valley view. That means no hotel scramble, no motorcade of cars at 7am, and a morning where you actually wake up at your wedding.
The barn. The original barn on the property works as the bar and doubles as one of the best photo backdrops there.
All the small comfortable things. A fire pit with benches, a two person swing, lawn games like cornhole and ladder golf and giant Jenga, wine barrels, lanterns, arbor options, and a brass Ring for a Kiss bell. There's also a décor library built from a pay it forward system, where past couples leave behind what they bought so the next couple can use it. Tables, chairs, staff, coordination and lighted parking with attendants are included too.
The size options. Up to 150 guests for a full wedding, or up to 30 for a micro wedding or an intimate day, so it works whether you're bringing everyone or just a few people.
Full weddings run on Saturdays in the warmer months, and smaller weddings have more flexibility midweek. Tours are by appointment only, since it's a private property, and dates go early. Their own site has said things like one spot left for the following year, so if this is your place, do not wait around.
Getting Ready
Amanda got ready up in the house, and her people were the best part of that room.
Her best friend was there. Her dad was there. And so was Brian's mom. Hair and makeup happened slowly, with the deck doors open and the valley out the window.
Brian, meanwhile, was hanging out with his friends playing poker. No suit jacket, no pacing, no nerves, just a card game and his best friends.
I love photographing mornings that look like this. Two rooms, two completely different energies, both of them exactly right.
Two First Looks, and the Handkerchief
Amanda did her first look with her dad before she did one with Brian.
Those two are close, and you could see it the second he turned around. She had also made him a handkerchief by hand, which he used immediately. It's one of those quiet five minute moments that ends up being everything, and doing it before the day picked up speed meant they got to just stand there and have it.
Then it was Brian's turn. Same spot, completely different feel.
Two first looks is something I recommend more than people expect. You get the emotion twice, both of them unrushed, and you get them on your own terms instead of in front of a seated crowd.
A Ceremony in the Trees
They got married in the trees, with their family close in around them. It was quiet in the way a redwood grove is always quiet, where everyone lowers their voice without being told to.
Brian's dad officiated.
I have photographed a lot of ceremonies, and a parent officiating hits differently every single time. He knew both of them. He knew the story. He wasn't reading a script he'd used fifty times, he was talking about his son and the person his son was marrying, standing three feet from him under the redwoods.
I cried. I'm not going to pretend I didn't.
Amanda Made All of It
This part deserves its own section, because I don't think people are going to believe it looking at the photos.
Amanda made the details. Not picked out. Made.
She made the stained glass sign. She made her flower arch. She made all the table and bar details. She made the seating chart. This girl is genuinely talented, and the wild part is that none of it reads as homemade. It reads as designed. I was absolutely floored when she told me she had made all the details herself!
If you're someone who likes to make things, take this as permission. Handmade details photograph beautifully, they cost less than rentals, and they are the pieces your people will actually remember. Sydalyn Hill also has a pay it forward décor library, so you can mix what you make with what's already there and skip buying anything twice.
Into the Reception
From the grove we headed over to the reception area, which is the part of this venue people fall in love with on the tour. A dance floor with the chandeliers hanging above it. Tables set under the umbrella of those massive trees. And a big open lawn covered in games.
They had their first dance. People played games. The food was genuinely excellent.
And Amanda's dad gave a speech that I would describe as pure love. Not a roast, not a list of jokes, just a dad saying true things about his daughter in front of everyone who loves her.
Golden Hour Portraits, All Over the Property
Then we slipped away for portraits, and this is where Sydalyn Hill really shines.
Here's something I tell every couple looking at venues, and almost nobody thinks about it until they see their gallery: check how many good photo spots the venue actually has. A lot of places have one nice wall and one nice tree. That's it. Your portraits all end up looking kinda the same, and your gallery can feel flat no matter how good your photographer is.
Sydalyn Hill has spot after spot. The grove, the orchards, the meadow, the trails, the barn, the old cabin, the swing, the hilltop with the valley behind it. We just wandered, talked, and let the golden hour glow do what it does.
That's how you end up with a gallery that feels like a whole day instead of one location on repeat.
Parent Dances, and Then the Dance Floor Opened
They came back for parent dances, and this is the moment was amazing!
Amanda and her dad had choreographed an entire dance together. Fully rehearsed, clearly worked on for months, and the crowd absolutely lost it.
Then the dance floor opened and the evening turned into exactly what they wanted. There was an ice cream bar, which I will now recommend to every couple I work with, because there is no faster way to turn a wedding into a party than handing adults ice cream. People danced. People played lawn games. People sat and talked and ate and went back for more ice cream.
And the whole time, those chandeliers glowed in the trees over everyone's heads.
Chill, warm, unhurried, and full of people who were thrilled to be there. That was the whole day.
What Made It Work
A few things I'd tell any couple considering this venue, from the photographer's side of the day.
Redwood light is soft, and it's dim. Under the trees you get beautiful light, and it drops fast late in the day. A ceremony timed for mid to late afternoon in the grove, then portraits on the hilltop where the sun is still hitting, gives you the best of both. We plan this out together well before the day.
Use the two nights. Getting ready on the property instead of driving in is the single biggest stress reducer available at this venue. It also means I can photograph a slow morning instead of a panicked one.
Let the guests roam. The reason their wedding felt so relaxed is that there was somewhere to go. Twenty acres, trails, a swing, a fire pit, games. Guests never got stuck standing in one room waiting for the next scheduled thing, and candid photos of people actually enjoying themselves come directly from that.
Count the photo spots before you book. This is the tip I give every couple touring venues. Walk the property and ask yourself how many genuinely different backdrops there are. One or two means your whole gallery will look the same. Sydalyn Hill has a grove, orchards, a meadow, trails, a barn, an old cabin and a hilltop view, which is why their portraits never repeat themselves.
Do two first looks. One with a parent, one with each other. You get the emotion twice, both times unhurried and private.
Plan one thing that's yours. The choreographed dance was theirs. The handmade stained glass was hers. The ice cream bar was theirs. You don't need twenty personal touches, just do a few real ones.
Book early and tour in person. Dates here go far out, and it's a private property with appointment only visits, so get on the calendar.
If You Love This, You'll Love These Too
If a forest wedding with all your people is what you're after, these are worth a look:
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sydalyn Hill?
Sydalyn Hill is a private twenty acre property on a hilltop in Felton, California, in the Santa Cruz Mountains off Highway 9, near Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. It's under an hour from San Jose and a short drive from Santa Cruz.
How many guests can Sydalyn Hill hold?
Up to 150 guests for a full wedding, and up to 30 for a micro wedding or an intimate day only event.
What's included at Sydalyn Hill?
Coordination, tables and chairs, a large décor library built from past couples, arbor options, wine barrels and lanterns, staff, lighted parking with attendants, and on site lodging. The full package includes a two night stay with lodging for up to six people plus a separate house for getting ready. Confirm current package details with the venue directly, since inclusions change.
Can you get married in the redwoods and still have a big guest list?
Yes, and that's exactly what makes this venue unusual. Many true forest locations cap you at a small group or require a hike. Sydalyn Hill is a private property with room for 150, parking, accessible ground and real facilities, so your grandparents and your hiking friends can both be there.
What should you look for in a wedding venue for photos?
Ask how many genuinely different photo spots the property has. Many venues have one or two good backdrops, which means every portrait in your gallery ends up looking like the same image. Look for variety: open light and shade, a few distinct landscapes, and somewhere that still catches sun at golden hour. Sydalyn Hill has a grove, orchards, a meadow, trails, a barn, a 1908 cabin and a hilltop view, so portraits can move around the property.
What is the best time of day for photos at a redwood venue?
Late afternoon into sunset. The grove gives you soft even light for the ceremony, and then the open hilltop still catches warm light for portraits after the trees have gone shady. Once the sun is down, the chandeliers and Edison lights over the dance floor take over and the whole reception glows.
Your Love. Your Story. Your Way.
Amanda and Brian wanted the forest and they wanted their family, and they refused to pick one. They got a day in the trees with everyone they love, ice cream, lawn games, a dance floor under hundred year old walnut trees, and a father daughter dance people are still talking about.
If that's the kind of day you want, reach out here and let's talk about it.
