Summer camp wedding and redwoods should always be used in the same sentence. Nestled in the Russian River Valley near Sonoma, the Dawn Ranch Lodge encompasses 15 acres of land. Stephanie and Richard rented out the 50+ charming cabins for their guests to enjoy an extended weekend getaway.
Summer Camp Movie Night
After 10 years together, you can imagine marriage comes up a lot in conversation. Richard and Stephanie wanted their day to be memorable for their loved ones. This redwood venue successfully charmed our pants off.
On Friday, festivities kicked off with river canoeing and an outdoor movie night under the stars. Stephanie and I discovered we are kindred spirits after their feature film, Wayne’s World, started rolling on the projector.
Time to go to summer camp and let some images do the talking.
Wedding Day at Dawn Ranch Lodge
The morning of the wedding, guests had more opportunities to explore the river or hang out by the pool before preparing for the day. The guys dressed in the boathouse near the lawn of the movie screening, while Stephanie and her girls got ready in the bridal cabin on the other side of the venue.
With anticipation hanging in the air, we borrowed one of our favorite cabins to hide Stephanie in before the first look. Richard couldn’t keep the smile off of his face as the wedding party giggled profusely in the corner leading up the reveal.
Portraits at Armstrong Redwoods
We managed to whisk Stephanie and Richard away to the Armstrong Woods for some quiet moments together before their ceremony began. Even a slim 20 minutes under these giants can do wonders for your piece of mind. The light poking through the trees in the early afternoon was pure magic.
Redwood Ceremony in the Meadow
We returned to the venue with just enough time to slip in line for the processional. Guests were seated in chairs lining the edge of the meadow, with ancient redwoods as the backdrop.
Richard was emotional, even though he had seen Stephanie minutes before she walked down the aisle. It was so sweet to watch his reaction.
As guests made their way to the apple orchard, we explored the woodsy landscapes around Dawn Ranch Lodge for more portraits.
But the party didn’t start until Stephanie and Richard made their grand entrance to the reception.
Apple Orchard Reception
These two are loved dearly by their friends and family. The reception tables were ordered by cities and countries to signify how far everyone traveled that weekend to be there. The reception hour in the orchard embraced us in a warm glow as the sun kissed the tree tops.
After toasts, guests were invited to the pool deck for dessert and dancing. Everyone found their way to the dance floor at some point that evening. Two of them even made it into the pool, fully clothed. Stephanie was convinced it was the swan.
Congratulations, Richard and Stephanie! May the next 10 years be even better than the first.
Their Vendor Team
Cake: Village Bakery // Coordinator: Meghan Magnasco, So Eventful // Dress: Pronovias Sample // Entertainment: Dart DJ // Florist: Green Petal Designs // Groom’s Attire: Black Tux // Invitations: Good on Paper Design // Make Up Artist: Selyca Medford // Officiant: Irene Kane, Ceremonies & Celebrations // Photography: Paige Nelson Photography// Shoes: Stuart Weitzman // Wedding Favors: Coffee Mugs, Discountmugs // Venue: Dawn Ranch Lodge
If you loved this wedding, I recommend checking out Jem & Peter’s summer camp wedding at Leonard Lake Reserve!
