As Seen on Style Me Pretty

Wow….just WOW! This wedding at Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, California, was a wedding I will never forget. Not just because the couples was amazing to work with, but because the wedding theme and venue really illustrated the couple as a whole. As a destination wedding photographer, this is something I don’t get to see often. Cultural weddings put an emphasis on their religion and you maybe see an item or photo that represents the couple. This wedding was head to toe a great representation of the wedding venue as well as the couples personality. With a love for anything Old Hollywood and cowboy, this dude ranch was the perfect wedding venue for the bride and groom. Holman Ranch was once a hideaway for Old Hollywood celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin, who wanted to escape from reality for a while and submerge themselves in a simpler and soothing atmosphere. Surrounded by the Saint Lucia Mountains in Carmel Valley, there is nothing better than this scenic setting. Truly, there is no better wedding venue that Holman Ranch for this LA movie industry couple. Wedding Planner, Palette Events Co., ( @paletteeventsco ) brought this couples western chic wedding theme to live from floral designs to afterparty details, and so much more!

The Dress

Before we dive into how spectacular Holman Ranch is to host the most beatiful western chic themed wedding, I have to dive into the bride and her wedding dress designer. The bride wore Reem Acra ( @reemacrawedding) from LoHo Bride in Los Angeles, California (@loho_bride ). This lavish gown was perfect for a Fall wedding with the theatrical sleeves. The puffy shoulders had a vintage tone to the gown, but with a modern cut and design. Giving us the queen to be vibes, this Reem Acra wedding dress looked stunning as the bride stood up on the alter at the iconic and scenic ceremony site.

Ceremony Site

This luxurious dude ranch and winery is the perfect place for the luxe couple. The property sits in the middle of Carmel Valley, California and has the best views of the mountains. One of the best reasons to host your wedding at Holman Ranch is because of the views. It’s perfectly quiet and romantic. No other wedding venue in Carmel Valley has these views of the mountains. Holman Ranch designed the perfect platform to host your ceremony with these views, and you can decorate this locations in so many ways. Busy Bees Florals ( @busybeesfloral) did the best job listening to the clients wants and needs when designing this ceremony site. It was the most perfect set up I have ever seen. When I think of “cowboy themed wedding florals”, I think of wildflowers. Busy Bees did the most amazing job using different textures and rustic colors to create the western chic wedding theme. These floral arrangements gave you that ranch style vibe and framed the scenic ceremony site perfectly with a ground arch. I loved seeing the ground arch wedding floral arrangement because I think it is a trend we will see more of in the future. What brought this ceremony design to the next level were the couples choice in using black chairs. It really created this dramatic and luxurious look to the wedding ceremony site.

Bride & Groom Getting Ready Suites

Aside from the perfect ceremony site, Holman Ranch offers so much more for couples than they realize. The fact that it has hotel bungalows right by the ceremony site allows couples to host their closest friends and family for the entire weekend to keep the party going! Plus, there are these amazing Groom and Bridal Suites for the bride and groom to get ready in separate from one another. The building itself has a rustic Italian style structure, which looks so glamorous for these getting ready images.

Wedding Dinner Reception & Cocktail Hour

There are a few different areas at Holman Ranch where you can host the dinner reception, depending the size of your guest list. Between the bride and groom getting ready suites, there is a stunning dinning space. This couple had a larger guest list, so dinner was hosted in the middle of the lot. This was perfect because they were close to the bar, the barn, and had stunning views of the building and ceremony site. Truly, the best spot in the house!

Since this couple had their dinner on the main lot, their hosted their cocktail hour in the courtyard between the bridal quarters. It was the perfect space for a few cocktail tables, their seating chart, and their thank you gifts. This couple was so create and hired a water color illustrator to pain their guests as their parting gifts. Also, since they are in the movie industry in LA as well as bring homage to the history of Holman Ranch, they created a playful seating chair. The sign had a bunch of vintage sunglasses and a sign tha red “Here’s to looking at your kid!” from the famous film, Casablanca. After the couple said “I do” and walked back down the aisle, they hired Golden Bell Band (@goldenbellmusic) to entertain their guests and guide them through the property to cocktail hour. Truly, a fun and interactive touch!

Also, this courtyard is where I had the bride and groom do their first look. Since the area is blocked off by a big barn door, I used that to create a dramatic first glance for the couple.

The Tree

Holman Ranch has so many amazing textures throughout the entire property. My personal favorite spot is this iconic tree towards the main entrance of the wedding venue. It is the perfect place to escape from your guests for a minute to have alone time after you say “I do” as husband and wife, This setting is so romantic as the sun sets behind this giant tree. Holman Ranch offers a golf cart service that picks you up at the top of your ceremony site and brings you to this beautiful tree.

The Barn

The fact that there is a barn for reception right across from where dinner is hosted was the perfect touch for this western chic wedding. This is where the afterparty was hosted and the couple passed out lightup cowboy hats for their guests. The couple switched into their second looks, which were of course cowboy hats and boots. The bride wore stunning sequence cowboy boots giving her look that ultimate western chic vibe!

There are endless reasons why this western chic wedding will live rent free in my mind forever. The property was perfect for this theme, and was perfect for the couple. It really brought out their true characteristics and charm. If you are big fan of western chic weddings and have a sweet spot in your heart for perfect views, then Holman Ranch in Carmel California is the ideal destination wedding venue for you!

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Thanks to all the amazing vendors who helped make this day a spectacular success!

Planning: @paletteeventsco
Venue: @holmanranch
Videographer: @sharkpigweddings
Floral Design: @busybeesfloral
Catering: @paradisecatering
Entertainment: @goldenbellmusic
Bar: @a_twist_of_lime
Paper & Painting: @pigmentandparchment
Beauty: @thehairandmakeupco
Wedding Dress: @reemacrawedding
Bridal Salon: @loho_bride
Tux: @theblacktux
Rentals: @chiceventrentals
Linens: @bbjlatavola 

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