Lavender California Ranch Wedding

A one thousand year old tree, an adorable pup and an even more darling flower girl. Doesn’t this sound like the perfect wedding? Grace and Chris were blessed with a gorgeous day and the ceremony was not only beautiful but also tons of fun!

What to Look for in a Venue for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

A ranch wedding should be on a ranch! California ranches are stunning with sprawling fields, sunshine, and breeze. Some farms have olive groves and lavender fields with plenty of room for a fantastic ceremony and reception. Ranch weddings also have several benefits in comparison to many others.

They usually have substantial indoor spaces for the reception and buffet setups. Since you would have plenty of guests traveling for the wedding, ranch venues have ample parking space. Many times, the couple also books buses or minivans for their guests. The peace and tranquility of a ranch wedding will also help bring the wedding together without stress. Most ranches have accommodation facilities for guests so that you could enquire about these beforehand.

Colour Palettes for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

Colour palettes for lavender ranch weddings should start with the primary hue as lavender. Several gorgeous shades work in tandem with lavender like white, sage green, dusky copper, navy blue, blush pink, and gray. Since many Californian ranches also have olive trees, you could also mix the beauty of the lavender with rustic shades like deep sage, rust, browns, beige, and off-white.

Other inspirational wedding colour palettes are deep purple with gold, a few black accents, silver linings or tubing, and seafoam green. Depending on your choice of hues, you could also opt for lavender, burgundy, and blush palette, but the burgundy colour would need restraint.

Details for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

When considering a ranch wedding, you must think of the gradient of the ranch. Many outdoor venues and locations have sloping terrains that elderly guests may find challenging to navigate. If the ceremony location is farther than the reception venue, there is a chance you may have to arrange mini buses or other modes of transport to and from the ceremony venue for all guests.

Most ranches in California are spread out over several acres, and some spots would need highlighting if the entire area is booked. Many ranch weddings have a specific place for the wedding ceremony and reception, and other parts are closed off to the public. However, if you are booking the entire ranch, you need to decorate the venue adequately.

Food for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

The wedding food should reflect the theme. When considering a Californian lavender ranch wedding, there are a few things you should make a note of. Depending on the season, the food could be locally sourced and seasonal. For example, January ranch weddings should include carrots, beets, parsnips, and more on the menu.

Fresh fruits, cheese platters, and vegetables can be in abundance for guests to nibble at the grazing table. It would help if you also considered ranch-inspired dishes like meatballs, ribs, potatoes, and locally sourced bread. Many couples are now opting for a food bar-style setup with different tables serving a single type of cuisine. Drinks can be olive-infused cocktails and lavender margaritas.

Table Setting Style for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

The table setting style should reflect your lavender-inspired wedding theme. Round tables with white table cloths, dark brown chairs with lavender pashminas for the ladies, and a gorgeous lavender, white roses, and peach bloom centrepiece in bouquet style will bring the entire reception area together.

You could also add Grecian dining plates or white plates with gold piping, brown or navy placemats, and sand-coloured serviettes. Each of the wine and water glasses can be on a lavender coaster to bring cohesion to the lavender-style wedding. As an added touch, each plate can have the name holder tied together with sprigs of lavender.

Reception Décor for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

California ranches are gorgeous throughout the year. Decorating the reception area with market lights in a crisscross overhead pattern with the table and dancing area will give the evening an incredibly romantic vibe. You could also add small chandeliers (not very heavy) to add a touch of extravagance. The décor should mix class with a rustic feel since the wedding is hosted on a ranch.

Adding glass lanterns with white candles along the reception area and on each table, covering the sides of the area with floral designs on stands, floral vines on surrounding trees, and lavender bunches at each table would also look gorgeous.

Wedding Invitations for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

The wedding invitations should be simple yet highly elegant. Plain white backgrounds with a frame of navy blue dots, the superimposed image of a lavender bunch, and the script is a beautiful purple and gold should do the trick. The wedding invitations are usually the first markers for people to understand the theme of your nuptials.

When designing the invites, you must make a special note of the wedding theme. People often mistake the lavender motifs and images as part of the design and do not realise it is a wedding theme. If you plan to go paperless, you can easily have the invitation digitised.

Ceremony Decor for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

Some ceremonies are held in specific ranches for their unique characteristics. One such ceremony could be under the 1000-year old tree in California. It is a significant place, but it could also have a deep spiritual connection for the bride and groom. At such times, it is best to bring about harmony between the familial cultures. These cultural aspects could be Scottish bagpipes, African drum beats, or traditional ceremonial dances.

The décor should be classic with sturdy wooden chairs in front of the sacred space, a carpeted aisle lined with lavender and blooms, and a small area to exchange vows. Keeping the ceremony décor minimal in front of holy or spiritual places will allow the couple to connect with each other better.

Favour and Gifts for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

Having a wedding favour hamper or a gift bag makes distribution easy. Filling the hamper or bag with lavender-scented candles, a berry jam with a private label, coffee beans in a small burlap pouch, some chocolates or candies, and a succulent or two might fit well with your wedding theme.

If you want to give individual favours, then lavender, earl gray, vanilla, chamomile, and berry teas in test tubes or small pouches, bars of scented soap in burlap and lace, olive-coloured bottle openers, honey pots with a dipper, and a personalised note would also go over well with all your wedding guests.

Portrait Props for a Lavender Ranch Wedding

Lavender ranch weddings have a lot of scope with props for photoshoots. Couples should consider having a few tables with greens, lavender sprigs, purple and pink flowers, and ample seating for family photoshoots. Many elderly guests prefer to remain seated, and having a customised area will make everything easier for them.

The best way to ensure the wedding theme is visible in the wedding photo shoot is to have the couple in a few romantic poses in the fields of lavender or groves of olive. A gorgeous smile, wedding bouquet, and heated looks of love will make the wedding photoshoots perfect without adding any materialistic props.

They Said I DO Under a 1000-Year-Old Tree

From Jenny Quicksall Photography – “It was a romantic end of summer wedding at the Highland Springs Ranch Resort in Cherry Valley, CA. The venue is like an oasis, a beautiful mirage in the middle of a desert town. Except this is no mirage, it is a gorgeous venue filled with lavender fields and olive trees!

Grace and Chris met at Coffee Meets Bagel and it was the beginning of a great love story…”

Pets in weddings | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Lavender wedding invitation | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Lavender boutonnière | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Bridal shoes | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Group wedding portrait | Jenny Quicksall Photography

From Jenny Quicksall Photography “Their wedding planner Charley King of Bluebell Events designed their wedding with a romantic rustic outdoor vibe in mind. She highlighted the venue’s beautiful spots for each part of the wedding day.

Guests were transported to the ceremony site, where they were greeted with refreshments as they took in the view of a 1000-year-old tree where Grace and Chris would later exchange their vows.

After the ceremony, guests were treated to celebratory beats of African drums and dancer. They followed these beats to the cocktail hour location amongst olive trees.”

Lavender and blush wedding bouquet | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Lavender place cards | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Flower girl dress and baby's breath spray painted gold flower crown | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Wedding ceremony under a tree | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Multicultural wedding | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Tree wedding ceremony | Jenny Quicksall Photography
African music at wedding | Jenny Quicksall Photography

“Market lights twinkled in the early evening sky between olive trees set just the right mood of romantic and rustic for their guests. While guests were enjoying cocktail hour, we took Grace and Chris into the lavender fields to take their romantic portraits.

Golden hour light poured across the fields as they embraced as husband and wife!”

Outdoor bistro light wedding reception | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Welcome wedding chalk sign | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Claire Pettibone wedding dress | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Unique sweetheart table | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Lavender field wedding portraits | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Bistro light wedding reception | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Custom cocktail sign | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Lavender wedding portraits | Jenny Quicksall Photography

“The reception took place under pine trees as guests danced, dined, and mingled among new and old friends. Marker lights and small chandeliers gave it a romantic feel. The reception decor was kept true to the rustic and romantic vibe. Every other chair was adorned with lavender Pashminas for the women guests as the nights get cold out in the desert. Grace and Chris made their way through their grand exit as guests lined each side of them with lights!”

Remembering loved ones at weddings | Jenny Quicksall Photography
California ranch wedding | Jenny Quicksall Photography
Rustic wedding details
Romantic wedding cake | Jenny Quicksall Photography
California ranch wedding | Jenny Quicksall Photography

Credits: Photography: Jenny Quicksall Photography // Event Planner: Bluebell Events // Dress Designer: Claire Pettibone // Videography: Custom Made Productions // Venue: Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley, California.