Elegant Ranch Wedding

This wedding venue has got what it takes to be spectacular and you’ll see that it is indeed that! We love the use of so much creamy white, from the couples’ outfits to the glorious wedding cake and more. Browse the images for lovely inspiration.

Details for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

Sarah and Erin's had a beautifully memorable big day, as seen by the detailed gallery of images taken by  Anna Delores Photography. Their vision was to say "I do" against the backdrop of an elegant ranch setting, a terrific place for an indoor or outdoor party! Keeping true to the rustic theme that's characteristic of most ranch weddings, they decided to give their nuptials an elegant twist.

The result was an elegant ranch wedding that’s brimming full of ideas. For starters, the cream, blue, gold, and ivory wedding colors also exude a refined touch that ties into the spirit of the occasion. Like all nuptials, love is still at the heart of the glammed-up ranch wedding and it shows in every single detail.

What to Look for in a Venue for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

Much like the small-town setting in Santa Paula that served as the backdrop for Sarah and Erin's big day, a charming garden location,  breathtaking vineyard, quaint countryside farm, or a ranch wedding venue would be perfect for this theme. A space that provides plenty of acreages is ideal to highlight both love and nature.

Picking the cue from the stunning lemon orchard that hosted the twosome's big day; an outdoor setting would perfectly spring the dreamy, elegant, and rustic theme to life. Think along the lines of selecting a location lined up with fruity trees, flowers in full bloom, and picturesque views of the surrounding mountains.

Reception Decor for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

The rustic refinement that characterizes a ranch wedding is what draws most couples to the theme. Think along the lines of incorporating natural and nearby items into your ranch-style wedding decor. Repurpose vintage mirrors into elegant signages for the rustic flair or keep it modern by going for custom acrylic options much like what's seen in the editorial.

Uplighting can instantly spruce up any space, whether indoors or outdoors. Sarah and Erin had string lights set up at the reception area in readiness for the celebrations to run into the evening. Traditional farm elements like wooden boxes filled with assorted greenery help add an authentic farm aesthetic.

Bouquets & Floral Arrangements for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

Farm-to-table florals should definitely be part of your elegant ranch wedding. Bowls of plums, figs, and selections of seasonal blooms create the perfect centerpieces. Overall, the floral arrangements should create a welcoming feel. Erin and Sarah kept their floral arrangements simple and elegant.

The bridal bouquet and centerpieces were put together using selections of white blooms juxtaposed with plenty of lush greenery. Blueberry punnets add a pop of color to the collections of posies. Again, a ranch wedding is the best occasion to embrace seasonal elements, and a mix of plum, marsala, and figs would blend right into the floral arrangements.

Table Setting Style for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

Going with a family-style setup for the table setting style was sheer genius. It works for the outdoor setting and also accommodates a large guest list. The setting also encourages guests to interact with each other. Antique-style tables and chairs are perfect for this theme or simply wooden furniture like what Sarah and Erin chose.

Leave the tables bare to let the wood tables display their rustic charm for the vintage flair. A refreshing touch would be adding bowls of vegetables like artichokes or seasonal fruits to the table. Chalkboard signages, like the ones Erin and Sarah used, are also perfect for an elegant ranch wedding tablescape.

Outdoor Wedding Ideas for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

Unless you live in Texas, Wyoming, or Arizona, the chances are that your elegant ranch wedding will be a destination affair. A wooden ceremony arch adds both an elegant and rustic touch to the theme. Leave it bare like Erin and Sarah did or deck it out with selections of gorgeous blooms.

Wagon decor pieces are perfect for dressing up the outdoor space for an elegant ranch wedding. Jazz them up with greenery and selections of wedding flowers that align with your color scheme. Lanterns with candles are versatile decor pieces that you can include at the ceremony altar, venue walkway, staircases, and reception tables.

Food for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

An elegant ranch wedding is a relaxed affair and the food should follow suit. Keep everything on the lighter side, and once again, it's a sensible idea to choose a seasonal wedding menu. However,  likes, preferences, and allergy considerations should ultimately guide what ends up on the final menu. Besides the grand dessert, you should consider having a dessert menu including waffles, homemade pies, pie pops, and doughnuts.

If your entire day is outdoor, you'll also want to keep your guests well hydrated having a drinks station on-site stocked up with selections of ice-cold beverages. Serve mocktails as a refreshing way of presenting non-alcoholic beverages during the occasion.

Wedding Cake Ideas for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

The wildly popular naked cake is still a befitting choice for this theme but a simple and elegant white wedding cake topped off with buttercream frosting is an equally ideal choice. Yet another sentimental and heartfelt option is to choose a multi-tiered cake and have your guests’ names written all over it in icing.

Dress up the cake tiers with selections of fresh blooms, sugar flowers, and greenery if you prefer a semi-naked cake. Fondant is the preferred icing because it creates a smoother finish and allows you to personalize the baked treat with burlap ribbons or other artistic patterns.

Favors & Gifts for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

Provide your guests with a truly remarkable experience starting with offering them a welcome wagon that includes location-specific trinkets. Curate welcome gift bags that include the local favorite snacks, refreshments, and maps of the region. Presentation counts, so get some customized burlap totes for the gifts.

Seed packets containing the region's native blooms or succulents would also make great wedding favors. If yours is a weekend-long affair, treat guests to activities like archery, cornhole games, or skeet shooting. Traditional wedding favors like bottles of limoncello or the local brew, engraved champagne glasses, or scented candles are still befitting for the occasion.

Wedding Stationery Suite Ideas for an Elegant Ranch Wedding

Erin and Sarah chose a striking black wedding stationery suite reminiscent of Gatsby-themed invitations. It's simply elegant and lets guests know off the bat that they are cordially invited to a glam affair. They went the same route with their escort cards with the elegant writings presented against a plain white background.

A unique rustic twist is to convert seed packets into a striking display as escort cards. For a DIY touch and to up the elegant factor, consider creating marbled coasters as Erin and Sarah did. Breaking up slate tiles and using them as table numbers as the twosome did is also a uniquely stylish touch.

Elegant Ranch Wedding in California

Sarah and Erin first met at work, but didn’t start dating until years later when their two best guy friends started to encourage them to talk more and see if something was there – little did they know that it would turn into love! Luckily we have these images from Anna Delores Photography to relive the magic of their big day.

THE PROPOSAL

From Sarah – “Just before Christmas, Erin planned a day full of my favorite holiday activities: brunch, shopping, baking sugar cookies, more shopping, and then suggested that we go to one of our favorite restaurants, The Beachcomber Café at Crystal Cove. I was so excited to have dinner on the beach that I didn’t mind the potential 2-hour wait.

Erin packed up a picnic basket of wine and martini fixings for us to enjoy on the beach while we waited. When we arrived, we were surprised to find out that a beach side table was open for us and there was no wait. Erin was hesitant to take the table because she wanted to have some cocktails on the beach, which was weird since tables are never open so I insisted on grabbing the table while it was available.

During dinner, Erin was acting so awkwardly and barely talked, she looked nervous and was barely eating. I kept asking her what was wrong, with no response, I couldn’t figure out why our beautiful dinner was making her so uncomfortable. After dinner, Erin still wanted to go have drinks on the beach (in pitch black darkness at this point) which I still thought was so weird. Once I finally gave in, Erin set up a spot for us and as we talked and listened to the waves, she proposed. I was so surprised and realized why she had been so nervous during dinner – I had messed up her plan for a sunset beach proposal!”

THE WEDDING VISION

“We wanted our wedding to be beautiful and elegant, while still feeling casual and inviting. It was important to both of us that the wedding was a reflection of who we are and not just a mix of current wedding trends and An Enlightened Event was the perfectly planned for us. I wanted the tables to be a family style set up so that we could have as many guests interacting as possible.

The telescopes were my main focus and I tried to implement as much unique detail as possible at each place setting. Our color selections were muted blues, creams, ivory, gold, with the name cards adding a pop of color on each plate. Our venue is in the middle of a beautiful little town called Santa Paula. Limoneira Co. is a lemon packing house with lemon fields throughout the property. We were married on their ‘North Lawn’ surrounded by lemon trees, with beautiful mountains in the background. Although the venue had a rustic feel, I wanted the wedding itself to still feel modern and clean.”

THE DRESS & SUIT

“Erin and I both wanted to feel comfortable and like ourselves. I am not an over the top glamour girl and I wanted a dress that was simple, with beautiful details, that would add to the overall feeling of the wedding and not dominate it. I found the perfect dress at BHLDN on my first shopping day with my mom and sister.

Erin’s perfect wedding outfit was a little harder to pin down. She doesn’t like to wear dresses, but she still wanted to feel beautiful and feminine on her wedding day. We found an amazing team at Sharpe Suiting that creates custom suits primarily for the LGBT community. Hai and Leon were able to design and execute a custom wedding suit that was exactly what Erin pictured. We lucked out and found a sexy body suit at Victoria’s Secret that completed the look.”

THE DETAILS

“Erin and I LOVE cake. Deciding on a flavor was basically impossible, so I asked the amazing Lesley Bodwell of Frost It Cakery if it was possible to do a cake bar with all the different flavors and she nailed it. We had six or seven different flavors and frosting combinations and it was amazing.

Since our venue was in a lemon orchard, my mom Vickie had the brilliant idea of making an Italian liquor called Limoncello. Both of our families are Italian and love to drink so it was the perfect take home gift. My amazing mother made gallons and gallons of Limoncello from scratch, aged it, bottled it and had my sister design labels.

DIY TOUCHES

“I wanted to have a memorable name card that guests could take home with them. I saw a blog about making marbled coasters ready to bake clay. My mom, sister, and I bought our body weight in different colored clays and got to work. I decided that I wanted each coaster to be a hexagon so that the color and shape would stand out on our round white plates. My amazing friend Britney did all of the calligraphy for our wedding and painted each guests’ name in gold  on the finished coasters.

I also bought slate tiles and broke them into different shapes and made our table numbers and signs using the stone. My dad, Bob, built consoles and I painted them, for guests to play during our cocktail hour. He also built wooden frames and attached gold wire to each so we could display pictures from all the years Erin and I have been together. My neighbor Trisha designed a welcome sign and a sign that read ‘Grow old with me, the best is yet to be’ that we had guests sign the back off instead of a guest book. I spent a lot of time figuring out elements that we could make at home decorations or functional use so that we could cut down on costs!”

FAVORITE MEMORIES

Erin: “Seeing Sarah for the first time during the first look. Seeing all of the hard work Sarah and her mom had put into making the day so beautiful, the final setup was amazing since I hadn’t seen all of the different projects completed. Beergaritas: our specialty drink of the night per my request! Looking at my incredibly beautiful wife for the entire night. Taking pictures at sunset with just Sarah & I, the ‘alone’ time was a much-needed break from the large crowds. It was a very special time that I will always remember. Dancing nonstop until I realized at 1 am that I didn’t have socks on and had blistered both feet beyond recognition!”

Sarah: “Drinking champagne with my mom and sister Katie while we were getting ready before the ceremony. Seeing Erin for the first time during our first look, she was so beautiful that I couldn’t control my ugly cry face! The unbelievable vows that Erin wrote for me. Having my sister, Katie, as our officiant… she had amazing jokes and such loving words. Our ceremony was perfect because of her! My best friend and best man Michael’s speech! Seeing all of our friends and family visiting, drinking, laughing, dancing and celebrating our love was a surreal feeling. Each and every person enjoyed the night and I could not have asked for more.”

Credits: Photography: Anna Delores Photography // Planning: An Enlightened Event //  Cakes: Frost It Cakery // Videography: Amari Productions // Rentals: Party Pleasers & Ventura Rentals // Floral: Rogue and Fox // Attire: BHLDN and Sharpe Suiting // Stationery: Invitation Design Studio // Hair & Makeup: Cheek to Cheek Artistry // Venue: Limoneria Ranch in California.