Summer camp for adults: Classic camp vibes at this Dawn Ranch wedding

When it came time for Casey and Gavin to select a venue for their wedding, their hearts settled on a charming venue in Guerneville in Sonoma Valley, California. Gavin’s family has owned a home in the area for more than 80 years. He spent summers growing up along the Russian River. Casey and Gavin fell in love with each other among the redwoods. They loved the idea of inviting their guests to enjoy an area that is a bit under the radar but one that holds so much meaning to them. A DAWN RANCH wedding was the perfect solution – with 50 cabins on site, guests were able to enjoy a whole weekend away and experience an “adult summer camp” of sorts while celebrating Casey and Gavin.

Casey’s talented cousin, Marley, created the paper goods for the wedding weekend. The redwood forest envelope liner, gold detailing, and vintage bay area stamps, set the tone for the wedding weekend in the woods perfectly and these absolutely stunning images by Northern California wedding photographers THE GANEYS take us on a beautiful journey of their celebration.

Casey is a timeless, elegant beauty. She wore a simple, yet elevated CHOSEN BY KHYA gown that fit her perfectly. Her sister helped her into the dress, as Casey tucked a handkerchief from her mother into the bodice of her dress. She wore her hair down in loose, beachy waves. Gavin got ready with the help of his groomsmen. A highlight of the morning was receiving a new watch from his wife-to-be. Gavin has such a fun-loving, welcoming personality. It is no surprise that the gentleman had a great time together anticipating the wedding.

While Casey and Gavin were initially hesitant to share a first look before the wedding, they changed their minds leading up to the wedding. They saw each other for the first time in the cutting garden at Dawn Ranch. Being able to hold each other and laugh together melted away all of their nerves before the ceremony.

Working with L'RELYEA EVENTS and DESTINATION WINE COUNTRY their wedding ceremony was held in the orchard at DAWN RANCH. Tucked among the apple trees, Casey and her dad walked down an aisle that was lined with white blooms and greenery. To honour Casey’s late mother, the groomsmen each handed out a corsage to the women in Casey’s life that had helped fill that role. It was a heartwarming tribute, and her presence was felt during the day.

Beautiful bride Casey tells us, "We worked with Ora Beth at FLOUR & BLOOM for our perfect wedding cake! After doing our tasting we landed on three different flavours: chocolate with raspberry filling, vanilla with raspberry filling, and almond cake with apricot filling. The cake had a clean white frosting finish with beautiful flowers decorating it. We had a live guitar trio from BELLAROSA STRING QUARTET for ceremony music. They perfectly set the tone and played a combination of old classics and more modern hits."

Thoughts from the Planner: "We wanted to balance a modern style with the natural aesthetics of the surroundings at Dawn Ranch, chic accents that balanced the ethereal vibe of a meadow. For the ceremony, we enhanced the orchard by adding a trailing pathway of creamy white flowers for guests to stroll through to reach the ceremony at the opposite end. For dinner, guests made their way across the creek to the meadows where they were greeted with sparkling rose accented with a edible garden bloom. Guests then sipped their way through the floral pathway of the meadow to dinner. Dinner was a modern al fresco dinner in the meadow, with a sophisticated yet soft white palette where guests dined and danced under the evening stars.

The bridesmaids wore mismatched dresses in hues of "moss" – from silky to patterned velvet – the gowns were so beautiful. They were designed by JENNY YOO and purchased through Bella Bridesmaids in San Francisco. Each girl picked their favorite satin style – including a few girls who opted for the patterned look.

Leaning into the al fresco meadow vibe, Dawn Ranch served a beautiful garden to table family style meal accenting local farmers and ranchers where guests could try various meats and vegetables with a wide reach of flavour profiles. The salad was colourful with ribbons of heirloom carrots, radishes, and crisp little gem lettuces. The next course was highlighted with Italian inspired braised chicken with fennel, capers, and lemon and locally raised lamb shoulder with tzasiki sauce all paired beautifully with summer succotash and potato tabouli. The couple hosted a bar of local wines representative of the area, craft beers, and a signature margarita. We ended the night with espresso martinis and a delightful display of mini desserts before guests headed to the after party at the lodge for late night savoury bites.

Modern meadow florals were created using mostly locally foraged product such as scabiosas, queens anne lace, and cosmos among others. We artfully chose blooms that felt both whimsical and bold to artistically showcase a playful balance of modern and meadow. We last minute decided to add asparagus ferns which felt like the perfect accent for a wooden river ambiance such as Dawn Ranch Lodge."

A big thank you to Northern California wedding photographers THE GANEYS for sharing this beautiful wedding with us today. As a husband and wife team, Emily & Thomas are driven by capturing real moments and documenting love stories in an organic way. "Some of the favourite aspects of our job are hearing unique stories, meeting amazing people and capturing love that can move mountains. We seek out couples whose weddings embody these ideas. We’re inspired by authenticity and adventure, and as your photographers we’ll rejoice in celebrated moments and tear up during emotional ones." You can see more of their work in the MAGNOLIA ROUGE VENDOR GUIDE and you might also want to check out this beautiful Tented Wedding inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge.