San Jose International is the closest airport (30-45 minute drive from Santa Cruz). It is easy and convenient, but flights to and from San Jose are more expensive and limited, as it is a smaller airport. San Francisco International Airport is not much farther than San Jose (1-1.5 hour drive from Santa Cruz). There are more flights and rental car options at SFO.
AirBNB and VRBO are your best bet - there are many options in Santa Cruz. These tend to fill up fast in the summer months, so plan to book early! If looking for hotels, make sure to do some research and read reviews. A cheaper hotel/motel may be appealing, but it might be a bit run down or not in the greatest area. These kinds of places tend to be near the Boardwalk. We recommend Capitola when booking a place to stay - it's a cute area and closer to the wedding venue.
A car will be very convenient, especially if you plan to explore and do some recreational activities. Santa Cruz is a bit oddly shaped and things are spread apart, so driving is your easiest way around town. For the wedding events, we recommend taking Ubers or Lyfts.
Santa Cruz in August tends to be very warm and sunny during the day. In the morning and evening the fog likes to roll in though! It may be a bit chilly during these times of day, so layers are recommended.
The wedding will begin with a short ceremony (outdoors) followed by a cocktail hour in the indoor wine barrel room. Guests will be invited back to the outdoor patio where tables will be set for dinner. Dinner will be a buffet, with vegetarian options available. Dinner will be followed by toasts, dancing, and all-around celebration. Wine, beer, and champagne will be available.
Unfortunately, kids are not invited to the wedding. However, Santa Cruz is a wonderful place for kids to explore. If you are able to arrange some child care for the wedding, you should definitely bring them along!
Dinner will be a Cali-Mex BBQ, served buffet-style. You can choose between tacos, meat and sides, or protein bowls. There will be vegetarian options available! During cocktail hour, we plan to have a charcuterie graze table with cheeses, meats, and veggies.
Yes! We will host a wine and beer bar. The venue does not serve liquor, unfortunately, but there will be a variety of beer and wine options.
We would love everyone to look and feel fancy! The dress code is Cocktail Attire. In terms of weather, it will likely be sunny and warm in the afternoon, and slightly chilly when the sun goes down.
Yes! Bargetto Winery is a short drive from Santa Cruz, and parking will be available. We are recommending Uber/Lyft so you can partake in libations!
Due to Santa Cruz city noise ordinances, the wedding must end early at 9pm. And unfortunately, we are not able to host an after party. However, the bars of downtown Santa Cruz are a short Uber-ride away, so that’s where we’ll head to continue celebrating! We encourage others to join.