Amphitheatre of the Redwoods at Pema Osel Ling Est. 2001

Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center, Santa Cruz County, CA, United States

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Amphitheatre of the Redwoods at Pema Osel Ling
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This awe-inspiring arbor-atorium is a tranquil Tibetan temple in the trees.
The Amphitheatre of the Redwoods is a real-life “fairy ring”—a circle of redwoods born from one “grandmother” tree that survived a storm. Underground, all the trees’ roots intertwine for added strength—just as you and your groom will support each other during your marriage.
The Lowdown
Type
Banquet Hall / Event Facility
Field / Forest / Orchard
Other
Views
Bay
Canyon
Coastline
Forest
Lagoon/Pond
Landscaped Grounds
Meadow/Field
Ocean
Style
Casual
Coastal
Country
Rustic
BEST type of CELEBRATIONS
Corporate Event
Elopement / Vow Renewal
Group Getaway
Rehearsal Dinner / Welcome Reception
Retreats: Corporate, Spa, Wellness, Etc.
Wedding Ceremony
Wedding Reception

Venue Setting

Located on 104 acres of redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Pema Osel Ling hosts retreats, parties, wedding ceremonies and receptions. Our eco-friendly retreat center features indoor and outdoor meeting areas, a wide range of overnight accommodations, a full-size lap pool, and a commercial kitchen that provides personal catering with our on-site Chef. Our rates are reasonable, and our friendly, supportive staff is available to assist you and your group with all aspects of your visit. The story of Pema Osel Ling begins in 1984 when Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, an accomplished Tibetan Lama of the Nyingma tradition, came to America. Lama Tharchin began teaching in Spokane, Washington and many students sought his knowledge. By 1988, he settled in Santa Cruz, CA and formed the Vajrayana Foundation in order to preserve and establish the spiritual, cultural, and artistic traditions of Tibetan Buddhism through educational teachings, creating art, offering retreat practices, translating texts and more. By 1990, the Foundation had outgrown its small center in Aptos, CA and began searching for a center. An early winter rain left Camp Corralitos glisteningly beautiful on that morning in November when an excited group of members first sighted Pema Osel Ling. Rinpoche quickly recognized the potential of the land and with generous support from members, the Foundation was purchased. As we continue to grow and aspire to meet the needs of our members we improve our lovely retreat center. When you visit, we invite you to enjoy the peace of the land, and visit the shrine and its' installment. You will see our 20’ statue of Guru Rinpoche, created here on the land with the wisdom and instruction of Lama Tharchin Rinpoche. Be sure to take time to stroll through the redwoods to our Stupa and World Peace Park. Our setting, with stunning views of the Monterey Bay, offers a place of refuge and renewal for guests throughout the year. The facilities of Pema Osel Ling are well equipped to host a wide variety of events, from retreats and weddings to educational activities and workshops. A wide variety of groups choose to hold their events at Pema Osel Ling in support of our mission to cultivate the Buddhist ideals of peace and compassion. Thank you for considering Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center as a host for your group's activities. Because we are a Buddhist center we request that all our guest follow rules of conduct that are in accordance with our spiritual practice. These include no smoking on the land (an area just off the land is provided); no abuse of alcohol and/or drugs, illicit or otherwise; the use or threat of physical violence; the propagation of misguided racial or sexual attitudes, abuse, or harassment.
Fees
(Prices listed here are estimates only & are subject to change)
Price Range

Does this include catering fees?

No

Estimated Price Per Head

from $74 to $125

Additional Charges

At Pema Osel Ling we offer two venues: Our first venue is a Friday - Sunday venue (50-100 minimum guests required depending upon season) where your guests can arrive on a Friday evening at 4 pm for a Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner, have your ceremony and reception on Saturday and depart by 12 noon on Sunday after enjoying a Farewell Brunch. Our second venue is a Sunday Elopement Package for 20 guests or less.  If available, lodging may be added to your package. *Catering is not available for this package.

We offer no corkage fees and 10 pm sound curfew and a 12 pm fire circle curgew, an outstanding catering department, indoor accommodations consisting of 52 beds, 24 camping spots, a swimming pool, fire pit, and a courteous staff.

Our fees consist of the site fee, catering fees, lodging fees and any additional rentals. Included in your site fee: Exclusive use of the property, the ceremony site and rental and set up of the ceremony chairs, 8 hours of coordination with our site coordinator, 4 hours of catering consultation, a 1.5 hour rehearsal from processional to recessional, 2 parking attendants for one hour before your ceremony, 2 - 6 foot tables with linens to be used for your guests book or table markers, your night free in the wedding cottage, 2 tickets to our winter food tasting, access to our preferred vendor listing, a webpage template, and the setup and reasonable clean up of the property including trash removal. We can accomodate 350 guests outdoors and 150 guests indoors for a ceremony, and 350 guests outdoors and 80 indoors for a reception.

Catering: Our catering menus start at $89.50.  Our catering menus include table, chairs, linens, napkin, flat wear, china, a water glass, the full buffet, appetizer table with appetizers, a coffee and tea table, lemonade or ice tea, set up, service and tear down. Each menu price point has additional items. See menus attached for detail.

For weekend venues catering of your Rehearsal Dinner, Reception Meal and Farewell Brunch are required by the Pema Osel Ling Catering Department. There is a 20% service fee and local tax added to the final invoice.

Lodging: Pema Osel Ling has two houses, 7 cabins, a yurt consisting of 52 beds and 24 camping spaces. Lodging fees are $50 - $70 per person per night. We require that you have 40 guests spend the night over the two night period. Lodging for Sunday venues is available on a case by case basis. You are responsible for assigning the lodging and collecting the lodging fee. *Remember as a destination wedding you can recapture your lodging and brunch fees from your guests as part of the destination package.

Insurance

Additional Insurance Is Required To Host An Event At This Venue

Capacity

Seated
250
Buffet
250
Standing
250
Celebrations Hosted Here Since
2001
Curfew
10 PM
Venue Spaces
Indoor & Outdoor Venue Spaces Available
Catering
Client Must Use The Catering Provided By The Venue
Alcohol
BYO Permitted – You Can Bring Your Own Alcohol
Licensed Server Is Required
Music
Indoors & Outdoors
Smoking
Non-smoking Venue
Accommodations

Located in a private meadow, the spacious Orchard House features four bedrooms and a full kitchen. The living room has vaulted ceilings as well as a wood burning stove. The great deck wraps around both the living and dining area and has a beautiful mountain view. Each large bedroom has a balcony and sliding glass doors. The downstairs master bedroom offers a king size bed, private entry, and an en-suite bathroom. This house is perfect for a large family, a group of facilitators, or anyone wanting to lounge in the peace and comfort of a classy mountain home.  This house has 4 queens, 1 double, 1 twin plus two queen futons in the living room.

Our Sangha House is a large, ranch style, four-bedroom lodge with a full kitchen and two group size bathrooms, one with handicap access. The living/meeting room has an adjoined deck overlooking the BayView Meadow with a fire circle, and a full-size terrace overlooking Monterey Bay.  This house has 4 bedrooms consisting of 18 beds.  Three of the bedrooms have a queen bed providing you the opportunity to host a couple privately in each room or host a family and group of friends in each room.

On a quiet hillside there is a Yurt and seven heated cabins with high ceilings and large sunny windows. A heated bathhouse for both men and women is nearby.  Cabins consist of a queen bed and a set of bunk beds, laminate flooring, heat, fans, and reading lights.The yurt and cabins consists of 7 queen beds and 14 bunkbeds. Total of 24 beds.

Pema Osel Ling has 24 campsites that can accommodate 24 -48 guests. Campsites are located in the cabin area and share a bathhouse with radiant head floors, with the cabins.  

We have a total of three bathhouses spread throughout the center;  one is conveniently located near camping areas. Additional campsites are available for larger groups. Please inquire.

Eco/Green Events
Yes
Kid Friendly Events
Yes
Handicap Accessible
Yes
Amenities
  • Bridal Suite/Changing Rooms Onsite
  • Ample Parking Onsite
  • Dining Chairs
  • Dining Tables
  • Onsite Restrooms
Celebration Locations
Celebration Hall and Lawn:
Celebration Hall and Lawn is located across from the Amphitheatre and is shaded by a variety of trees. The lawn has a very nice backyard feel where you can host your dining, with cocktails and appetizers on the front plaza nd acake and dancing inside the hall.
- View: Trees
- Max Capacity: 80 Seated indoors, 200 seated outdoors
Gallery Meadow:
Large lawn with catering setup and bar setup.
- View: Forest with a beautiful night sky
- Max Capacity: 300 seated in rounds or long tables

THIS VENUE DOES NOT HAVE ANY REPORTS AT THIS TIME.

Check back again soon!