The Perfect Wedding Venue: Holman Ranch

Disclosure: I was invited out for an evening at Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, California.  This story and opinions are all my own. 

The beauty of California becomes more and more affluent the longer I reside here, and I’ve soon learned why being a local is so much fun.

Nestled a little under 3 hours away from Sonoma, CA in Central California is a beautiful little place known as Carmel Valley.  Near the Monterey Bay close to seaside views, beautiful scenery, and Big Sur, the valley lies. Truly known for its agriculture and nature, a different view of life compared to the artist colony along Carmel by the Sea.

And one such place that truly captures the essence of Carmel Valley is none other than Holman Ranch. The ranch has been around for over 85 years, but when new owners took over in 2006, complete renovations have been done on the property, and it has easily become one of the top venue destinations within the region.

With a motto of “Bringing the Past to the Present,” and their take on Celebrations and Gatherings, this one of the kind venue is the perfect place for your special occasion event, conference, or wedding.

What sets this venue apart is it’s secluded location within the Valley, it’s beautiful scenic views and the surrounding vineyards of the ranch, along with unique, one of the kind entertainment features. And when you rent the space out, the complete property is yours to use.

A tour of the ranch:

The Carriage House:

You step back into time on the outside, but once on the inside, the Carriage House can easily be transformed into something beautiful.  Planning a wedding, an intimate dinner, or a weekend retreat?  This space is truly workable.

The Game Room/Groom’s Room:

The Game Room is where those that stay at the Ranch will have breakfast the morning after, but this is also called “The Man Cave.”  With a TV, bar area, pool table, and card table it is just that.  When planning a wedding, this is also the area in which the Groom will be getting ready.

The Chapel, Bride’s Room:

Across the Rose Garden lies the Meeting room and also the Chapel area.  A more intimate setting.  This is a great area especially when putting together corporate events.  Also, if planning a wedding, the meeting and chapel area is given to the Bride during her preparations at the ranch.

The Great Room:

The Great Room lies in the original Hacienda of Holman Ranch.  Upon first entrance you are walked through the Holman Ranch “Wall of History” where articles about the ranch from years past adorn the wall along with photos of some well known folks from Charlie Chaplin to Joan Crawford.

They really renovated the beautiful Great Room, but they made sure to keep a lot of the original decor of the Hacienda from the wood beams to the flooring and more.  But it is all in how a room is decorated.  Take some time to really walk around this room to take it all in.

Outdoor Arbor:

Another great area to host an intimate dinner or special event is within their outdoor arbor area.  With the high beams, this has some serious potential for creating a wonderful memory.

And one other space that is recommended for an evening of dinner is their rose garden area:

The area between the game room and also the chapel, bride’s room at the ranch.

The Private Rooms:

During your events, there are also 10 private rooms that can be rented out so you can truly make it an entire weekend experience at Holman Ranch.  This was the room I stayed at while there.  A queen sized bed with an adorning living area.  Some rooms have two beds available.  You’re guranteed a good nights sleep with how quiet it is at the Ranch.

And the Scenic Views:

But the best part about Holman Ranch are the surrounding scenic views:

I was fortunate to stay a night on the Ranch and take in a bit of serenity while there. Waking up early in the morning to take a small walk over sunrise, and as I looked out my window in the morning, a bird was there greeting me.

Walking along the paths around the Ranch watching the sunrise arrive in the valley. It was an extremely peaceful and enjoyable way to wake up.

Holman Ranch is available for Weddings, Special Events, Corporate Events, and Weekend Retreats.  Packages begin at 1000 dollars and range all the way up to 32,000 dollars.  When renting out the Ranch, you are open to all areas of the Ranch that were shown above.   It is truly a remarkable space and would make for a great wedding venue.

For more information about Holman Ranch and the packages they have available please visit their site here.   Check back next week as we explore the vineyards and discuss the different wines available at Holman Ranch.