Yolanda Ranch Wedding | Cathy + Jake 

If you’re looking for a country-chic wedding venue in Yolo County, California, look no further than The Yolanda Ranch. This outdoorsy couple had a blast at their Yolanda Ranch wedding last fall. We incorporated tons of rustic details that played into their love of hunting and fishing. When the groom is a firefighter and the bride works for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, you know they had to get married outside!

Yolanda Ranch is located on County Road 99, not far from the exit off Highway 113, so it’s easy to get to, despite being out in the country. It’s only about 10 minutes from downtown Woodland, which is super convenient for guests who need to stay in a hotel for the night.

The property has a large mansion on-site where the couple and their attendants can get ready. The bridal suite upstairs is full of windows for lots of natural light, and it even has mirrors and salon chairs to make things as easy as possible for your hair and makeup team. The guys have access to the billiards parlor on the first floor for getting ready and hanging out pre-ceremony.

There are separate lawn areas for the ceremony and reception. The property has wooden benches that can be set up for the ceremony, and the arch can be moved depending on which way you want your guests to face.

There’s a long covered pergola paved in brick cobblestones where the wedding party and bride can make a grand ceremony entrance. However, it can be tricky to navigate in stilettos, so keep your footwear in mind! There’s an alternate route around the other side of the ceremony site that can be used if you’re worried about your footing.

Cocktail hour and dinner on the lawn under the bistro lights is magical, especially as the sun starts to set. The lights are a permanent part of the venue. The farm tables and cross-back chairs pictured here were rented from Firehouse Entertainment (which gives a discount to active-duty military and firefighters, FYI).

Yolanda Ranch has a dance floor that can be placed wherever you would like it, but the most common spot is stretched across the gravel driveway, with the DJ’s back to the road. Although the speed limit is 55 on those county roads, there aren’t that many cars going by, and you really don’t hear much traffic noise.

There’s also a large red barn on the property that makes an excellent backdrop for photos. Plus, one entrance to the mansion has an epic staircase for those awesome full wedding party photos you know you want! And there are wide-open spaces where your photographer can capture the most beautiful sunset photos of you and your new spouse!

Another thing I love about Yolanda Ranch weddings is that there are so many cool places around the property for photo ops. The brick, the rustic painted doors, the pergola—such great backdrops! Oh, and they’re dog-friendly. The couple’s dog, Trooper, was a guest at the ceremony and cocktail hour so he could be in their photos!

Yolanda Ranch is definitely a place where fun-loving couples get married, and Cathy & Jake were no exception. Their dance party was . . . let’s call it robust. There were a LOT of antics on the dance floor that I’m not going to show you here to protect the innocent, lol.

One of the most touching parts of the night was after the bouquet toss and before the garter removal. The groom serenaded his new wife and brought everyone to tears. These two have a great love story—they met over a decade ago, dated briefly, broke up, but found their way back to each other after a period of years. Their families were all so happy that they finally tied the knot!

Check out the rest of the photos below, and see the very end for the vendor team on this one. If you’re considering Yolanda Ranch for your wedding (or you’ve already decided!) let me know. I’d love to help you have the kind of fun and memorable wedding that Cathy & Jake had!

Vendor Team

Venue: The Yolanda Ranch
Photography: Sarah Jessica Photography
Styling & coordination: Risa James Events
Hair & makeup: Bay Area Beautiful
DJ: Music & More Entertainment
Catering: Cowabunga BBQ
Bar services: JN Bartending
Florals & decor: I Do Florals, Kathy Simeone
Cake & cupcakes: One Divine Dessert
Signage: Khalligraphy
Rentals: Firehouse Entertainment
Officiant: As You Wish, Erin Summ
Videography: RoseStem Productions