Laura and Jarrett's first date was at the dog park, of course. Laura, eager to have a new dog friend, was a little confused by Kira - a dog, who is really more of a cat, trapped in a small horse's body.

It wasn't until their second date, when Jarrett encouraged Laura to get a second bucket of tortilla chips, that they thought this could be something special.

Then, along came the pandemic. Thinking it would only last a few weeks (lol), Laura and Jarrett started the shelter-in-place apart. It didn't last long. Jarrett dropped a kettlebell on his head (long story) and Laura rushed over to make sure he didn't have a concussion.

After getting sick of driving back and forth, Jarrett finally moved down to Redwood City, where he enjoyed the best weather of his life. While in Redwood City, they decided to foster a dog (aka Driedel) and a week into fostering him, Jarrett started feeling sick (spoiler alert: it was covid). So, they got stuck with the lil guy for a month of quarantining and a month of holiday shutdowns. After 2 months together, they adopted him, changed his name to Bidou, and his (much needed) training began.

After a year of sun, Jarrett missed Karl (the SF fog). So, they bought a house in San Francisco, half a block from Golden Gate Park, where the puppies are honing their gopher-hunting skills.

Laura and Jarrett spend most of their time hanging out with their dogs, bowling in a Monday night bowling league, and eating (and arguing about) the best ice cream in San Francisco.

Our wedding will take place at Waterfall Lodge & Retreat in Ben Lomond, CA.

Airports

San Jose International Airport (SJC)
50min drive to venue

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
1hr 15min drive to venue

Oakland International Airport (OAK)
1hr 25min drive to venue

Note: If you will be flying, we suggest renting a car for your stay as access to public transit and rideshares may be limited. Please consider carpooling with other guests.

Accommodations

Onsite cabins

There are a limited number of cabins on-site at the Waterfall Lodge. We'll be prioritizing having guests who are coming from out of town stay in the cabins.

Check-in time is 12pm on Friday and check-out is 10am on Sunday. All guests who rent a cabin will need to rent it for Friday and Saturday nights.

Reservations open up in December. At that time we will help coordinate reservations & cabin assignments.

Other accommodation options

Four Points by Sheraton Scotts Valley Santa Cruz
5030 Scotts Valley Dr, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
Note: Use this link to get our special group rate.

Brookdale Lodge
11570 Hwy 9, Brookdale, CA 95007

Hilton Scotts Valley/Santa Cruz
6001 La Madrona Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Transportation

Due to limited parking and small roads, if you are staying offsite, you will be required to take a shuttle to/from Friday and Saturday evening events.

We will have a shuttle from St Peter & Paul Orthodox Church parking lot (9980 Hwy 9, Ben Lomond, CA 95005). If you are staying at a hotel or Airbnb/VRBO, please make arrangements to either drive or take a ride share to the church parking lot to catch the shuttle.

Where should I park, if I'm not staying at Waterfall?

We've rented a lot in Ben Lomond at a local church. All guests not staying at Waterfall will need to park there, and we'll arrange a shuttle up the hill!

Will everyone be able to stay in a cabin at Waterfall?

Unfortunately, there aren't enough cabins to accommodate all of our guests. We'll be asking guests coming in from out of town to reserve cabins, and will open up reservations to others, once we've allocated the cabins. Cabin reservations will open up in December. We'll reach out then to help our out-of-town guests set up their reservations.

What will the weather be like?

During the day, it should be temperate. However, the Santa Cruz mountains are known for cooler evenings. Plan to wear layers! Layering is a way of life in California. We're also seeing that rain might be in the forecast - plan accordingly!

I'm staying in a cabin. Anything I should know?

We're so glad you're staying on site with us! We'll have all meals for you at the Lodge from Friday dinner until Sunday breakfast. The road is only one-car wide, so we're hoping that once you're on-site on Friday, you stay on-site until Sunday morning. We'll have everything you need!