251-300 guest capacity
This venue can host up to 300 guests
About this vendor
The Ranch at Lake Sonoma is a farm-style event venue in Healdsburg, CA, for West Coast wedding celebrations like no other. Positioned on 17,000 acres of Golden State pasture, this California farmland presents itself as a sensational setting for country-side "I dos." With nothing but rocky mountain ridges and blue waters on your side, you and your sweetheart are destined for a day to remember.
The Ranch at Lake Sonoma comes fully prepared for king-size extravaganzas of up to 300 guests. And with a mighty selection of celebration areas on offer, you and your partner have endless opportunities on your party-planning table. Begin the bliss of your brand-new chapter at the venue's al fresco ceremony facility, where a wooden arch and Healdsburg's rolling hills await your declaration of love. As the buzz of your cocktail party fills the air, invite your guests to the outdoor bar for some sunlit mixing and mingling. Once the big blue Sonoma sky descends into a dusky purple, The Ranch's all-classic barn welcomes you and your loved ones to a feast filled with unending delight. With plenty of room for dining, dancing, and top-notch entertainment, you and your guests are bound to have a ball. The venue also offers on-site dressing rooms, where you and your entourage can get all dolled up for the big day ahead.
The staff at The Ranch do their very best to craft meaningful, memorable, and wonderfully unique wedding experiences. The venue comes fully stocked with all the equipment you need for your special celebration, from furniture to lighting and decor to match its rustic feel. A specialized caterering area is also at your disposal, giving you and all your guests the freshest food and drink. The team also welcomes all outside vendors of your choosing, making sure to fulfill each and every one of your wedding wishes.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- Up to 300
Settings
- Barn
- Farm & Ranch
- Beach
- Waterfront
- Estate
- Mountain
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
- Destination Wedding Planning
- Planning
- Destination Wedding Planning
Reviews
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4.8
out of 5.04 reviews
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I really want to preface this review with how much fun and how beautiful our wedding day was and all the annoyance was worth it at the end for us.
To start off: The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous and perfect for those looking for stunning views, with a ranch vibe as well. It looks different during the seasons because you’re getting a true natural background and environment. The barn is STUNNING inside and out. The venue can fit quite a few people (we had almost 200 guests and could have fit more). It was well lit at night for being in the middle of nowhere as well and it’s right up the way from the marina which you can get gorgeous photos at. We were allowed to visit the venue multiple times throughout the year to get measurements for layouts and help us with decor ideas. That was a perk that most venues don’t allow.
The downside: We were very aware of the extra charges that were STATED in the contract, including after 100 people, they charge you an extra $5 per person just to walk through the gate. Then no matter how many people you have and what their age may be, they charge a $5 corkage fee per person for hard liquor (beer and wine did not have a corkage fee). This kept us from allowing kids to come (besides our flower girls and ring bearer) because it was just adding up at that point.
You were charged to rent the chairs, and tables as well after 100 guests, which were another $5 per chair, $15 per table. At this point any extra person after 100 was at least $16.50 per person, just to be there.
Throughout the process, more and more extra fees came up that weren’t on the contract, like charging extra for umbrellas, propane for the fire pits, as well as logs and more.
They continued to run their trail horse riding in the morning up until an hour before the wedding as well as kept their bar open which lead our bartenders to only have 2 hours to prep and set up. In the contract it says nothing about a fee if we wanted to get “exclusivity” for the entire day, but that we just needed approval by owner. When we emailed them to double check we could get exclusivity that’s when they threw on an extra high price fee for it. We refused to pay more.
At its peak our wedding was 103° and they ended up turning off the air conditioner/fan in the bridal suite. Our day of coordinator ended up having words with the owner to get her to turn it back on. Another issue was they made us rent our own fans for the barn and then wouldn’t let us use them because they were “too big”. No Ice or coolers are provided by venue.
Family and friends were not allowed to help set up, so we had to hire a separate crew to do that, and that was also not relayed to us before we signed the contract. You have to haul out your own trash, don’t expect to be helped.
It is required for you to have a HIRED day of coordinator. It cannot be a guest or family member.
There’s a few other items, but I don’t want to keep reaming them. As a bride, it was stressful dealing with the venue owner, but it was the perfect place for my wedding. I just want to warn people, when you book with Nikki, to make sure you ask as many questions as you can. You’ll have a beautiful wedding if you book here, so I’m not saying don’t do it, just be aware.
We got married here in May of 2023. The Ranch was the first and only venue that my husband and I looked at - as soon as we saw it, we knew it would be perfect. Truly the most breathtaking spot with so much character. Nikki and David were wonderful to work with and so relaxed and down to earth compared to other venues (or so I've heard - we've been to about 12 other weddings in the past 2 years!). I love how their place feels like a family affair - you'll be working with either Nikki or David directly the whole time, and you'll often see their son helping out too (not to mention their adorable bull dog!). They'll let you bring pretty much whatever you want to make the place match your vision, and they'll offer advice and suggestions from other weddings that they've held there.
Some things we did that we highly recommend:
-rented out the entire campground next door so that all of the young people could stay off the roads and stumble back to the campsite post wedding to continue the party at the bonfire (husband and I rented a cute airstream from Outdoorsy)
-rented a picnic table at the marina right down the road the day before (only $100!) for a casual welcome party
-rented the cottage at the Geyserville Inn for MOB and FOB to stay at and for the girls to get ready in (boys came in to shower after the girls had left!)... there is a cute air-conditioned RV on site to hang out in and hide from guests but no shower
-booked out the adorable back patio at Diavola in Geyserville for a rehearsal dinner
-brought hundreds of mason jars filled with twinkle lights to fill the alcoves at the barn
-Kept decorations simple (the setting speaks for itself) but added our own DIY design elements with rosemary and eucalyptus to save money (totally fits the vibe at the Ranch)
-Paid to start the ceremony an hour early so it didn't feel rushed (and we knew we had the bonfire to party at afterwards)
- Paid for the beer donkey - best money spent, such a hit!
It's all very "bring your own everything," and there's no kitchen or refrigerator, so some of the things we did to keep it easy:
-provided welcome champagne and potato chips before the ceremony started
-had a popcorn bar for cocktail hour (from Thatcher's organic popcorn - so good and a hit)
-hired The Wurst for food - casual but delicious and guests loved it. Also so easy to work with, an incredible value for wedding food, and they know the venue already
-brought all of our own alcohol and created 3 "house cocktails" to make it easy on the bartenders and prevent us from getting overwhelmed with all the alcohol options to buy and bring
-paid our wedding coordinator (Detailed Dreams) to bring their server and bartender staff. Seriously so worth it - you don't want to be worrying about cleaning up trash during your wedding!
We also really wanted to bring a telescope because Lake Sonoma is in a "dark zone" on the dark sky map but we couldn't get it organized in time. Either way, it has the most incredible stargazing!
Honestly, my only complaint was just how crazy beautiful the sunset was! No one wanted to get on the dance floor and miss the beautiful golden hour over the lake, hah! If you're balling on a budget (we did our whole 100 person wedding for ~35K - not easy in this economy!) and willing to put in a little work and DIY but looking for a beautiful venue with great bones, then this is absolutely the place for you. We can't recommend it enough.
If you're looking for a serene escape complete with breathtaking views, barn, and four-legged friends (or really just the perfect spot for your wedding) then look no further! My partner and I visited The Ranch first on our list of possible venues and we knew from that moment it was the one. Despite going through the motions of looking and considering - The Ranch was truly one of a kind and an absolute dream. Nikki and David are extremely easy to work with and very accommodating. Anytime we had any questions or specific needs to create our special day, they were available and on board to work with us. The sunset views on top of the hill are breathtaking, but any time of day will take your breath away up there. Our reception was in the barn which was beautiful and cozy, with enough room for all our seated guests and a dance floor. Saving the best for last, the icing on the cake was Lollipop the beer donkey- Guests LOVED her.
Very amazing venue to work at! I am a wedding planner and we planned a wedding there last October. Nikki was a pleasure to work with and the views are stunning! Definitely recommend this venue!
-MK Events
Contact
100 Marina Rd. Lot A, Healdsburg, CA
The Ranch at Lake Sonoma
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