Santa Cruz Parks and Farm Weddings

Why choose a park or farm wedding in Santa Cruz County?

Santa Cruz County boasts a wide range of outdoor venues allowing infinite creativity for your wedding. The parks system includes minimalist desert-like landscapes, lush redwood forests, sprawling beaches, cliffs, canyons, dunes, expansive rolling hills, and more. Some are well-suited for large groups, and others are better for intimate elopements. Private venues offering outdoor ceremonies expand the options even more. If you've decided to tie the knot in Santa Cruz, take a look at our FAQs, our extensive venue list, and as always, feel free to reach out with any additional questions/requests. ​​​

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Santa Cruz Outdoor Wedding FAQs

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What time should we plan to do couple's photos for a beach wedding?

The best time of day for your photo as newlyweds is within on hour of sunset. In Santa Cruz, both coastal and inland locations can occasionally have a slightly earlier sunset if blocked by cliffs or tree lines. Additionally, some locations have a very specific golden hour (Seymour Centre is one of those locations, for example). Once you've picked your venue, we will discuss timing based on time of year and location.

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What time should we plan to do family photos for an outdoor wedding?

Family photos have more time flexibility than couple's photos, because the perfect lighting is less essential. In recent years, we have seen a shift away from the traditional after ceremony family photos. Many couples are opting to take family photos pre-ceremony so that they can spend more time enjoying cocktail hour and their guests. Are you wondering how that timeline affects the first look? Couples who decide to do family photos before the ceremony sometimes choose to exchange private vows or do a first look before the photos. However, if you prefer to catch that first glimpse of each other surrounded by your loved ones, you may want to stick to tradition and take family photos just after the ceremony.

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What colors look best for bridesmaids dresses, floral color pops, etc for an outdoor wedding?

Santa Cruz outdoor weddings are conveniently compatible with almost any color scheme, and there's no need to stick to trends. Some of our favorites include the California Poppy theme with soft greens and pops of orange, bright bursts of multi color arrangements in reds, purples, and blues, and of course, the cool monochrome of an all blue coastline themed wedding that really highlights warm skin tones. 

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Will it be windy? Cold?​

Santa Cruz weather is known for being a bit... finicky. Daytime almost always hovers comfortably in the 70s and 80s, but once the sun goes down there's no knowing how chilly or windy it will be. We always recommend that you encourage guests to bring a sweater just in case. As for wind and wedding hair - there's no way around it: you may have to brave the wind to get those shots. Luckily for you, wind almost always adds energy and vibrancy to your wedding photos. We may have to be patient with hair and dresses, but allowing free movement and keeping a playful attitude will result in incredible documentation of your big day. 

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What if it's overcast and we don't get a sunset?​

Everyone hopes for an epic sunset on their wedding day, but it's a little-known fact that an overcast day will result in better tones in your photos! An overcast sky acts like a big studio filter, creating flattering lighting for faces and making colors pop in the images. While a beautiful sunset is always welcome, sometimes the tradeoff is also welcome! The only caveat is that your couples photos may need to be moved up in the timeline if the cloud cover is too thick.  ​​​​