DAWN RANCH

Morgan and Jack were married in late July 2025 at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville, on the Russian River, with everyone they love staying on the ranch for the weekend. It's the wedding I point to when a couple asks what a summer-camp weekend can look like when it's done beautifully.

Venue: Dawn Ranch, Guerneville, California
Season: Late July
Guests: 220
Ceremony: The Orchard
Reception: The Meadow
Design: Emily Coyne Events
Florals: This Humble Abode
Video: The Birmans
Photography: Jenny Quicksall

Dawn Ranch set the scene perfectly: cabins and guests tucked among the redwoods, the river just
beyond. Everyone stayed on the property, and it showed. By the wedding day the celebration felt like a summer camp for people in beautiful clothes. The couple hosted a welcome party for all of their friends and families on the property between all the cabins.  Toasts were made while guests sipped on wine and nibbled on small bites. Later on that night a s'mores station opened and everyone gathered around the fire pit to make their perfectly toasted marshmallow.  The morning of the wedding everyone enjoyed their breakfast and the morning sun as it peeked through the redwoods.  And because everyone is on property, guests were all invited to a brunch the day after the wedding day at the pool. Just beyond is the Russian River. 

Everyone on the ranch

The ceremony was held at The Orchard where everyone gathered beneath the redwoods.  Surrounded with the kind of light that only comes through a canopy... that tall, soft and green and even light. This Humble Abode's organic florals let the forest lead, and Emily Coyne's
design did the same, nothing fighting the setting.

The ceremony beneath the trees

Dinner spread across the open green as the day cooled. When night fell, the band played under a glowing
structure and the whole ranch danced. That's the thing about a full-property weekend: nobody leaves, so
the dance floor is everyone.

Dinner on the green and the band

Do guests really stay on the property?
Yes, and it's the reason to book it. Cabins, cottages and glamping tents across 22 acres, so the weekend is one long gathering instead of a day everyone drives to.

Is the light hard to photograph under redwoods?
It's the opposite. Redwood canopy turns midday sun into soft, even light, and it's some of my favorite ceremony light anywhere. Plan portraits by the river or on the open green for the last hour before sunset.

Is Dawn Ranch formal enough for a designed wedding?
Completely. Morgan and Jack's day was fully designed and it read as elegant because the design let the forest do the talking. Rustic setting, refined details.

Questions couples ask about Dawn Ranch