We have a Venue!

The venue I've been dreaming of is almost ours! We toured Taber Ranch today and instantly fell in love. It's incredibly charming, meticulously kept and absolutely gorgeous. From the view of the hills to the rustic goodness of the barn, I was blown away with it's perfection. I knew I loved it from various photos I had seen. But I quickly learned that the photos had not done it justice. This is the view from the hilltop where the ceremony will occur. The red roof is the reception barn. There is a grass area and a small pond along with a small vineyard to the right.
This wagon is used for the guestbook and gifts! So rustic!

The Ranch does zero advertising so I had to dig for info on this place. I found this image from a wedding website. You can see the magnificent view from the hilltop ceremony location.

This image was stolen from the same wedding website. I could stare at the view all day too!

We met with Kim, the event coordinator who graciously agreed to meet with us as she prepared the property for a wedding this afternoon. She looked very busy, but took time out to give us a tour and really explain all of the details that make this place so great. She asked that we go over the contract on our own time before we officially fork over the dough-but she said that the date is ours! Of course it has to be confirmed in writing etc, but no one else is looking at our date, so by the end of the week it should be official. I am just so happy. I was preparing myself for a let-down but praying that it would be as pretty as the pictures. So imagine how elated I was to have my expectations exceeded. It was so nice to have both my parents and DF there to see it with me. I was pleasently surprised to see that they each agreed that this place is absolutely perfect!

The barn has so much character. Several sliding barn doors can be open to let light in, or have better air flow. I love the cabinet and shelving. I would love to put our own knicknacks there.

The tables are strewn with goodies for the wedding occuring that day. The couple had their pictures framed beautifully in two old, weathered windows.

This is the cake table. The tree stump was brought in for todays wedding (love it). I fell in love with the mantlepiece on the wall. Candles would be so beautiful there.

There is plenty of guest parking at the entrance to the ranch. It's about a 2 minute walk to the barn. The pathway is adorable. I can't even describe it. My camera battery was dying on the walk up (ugh) so I didn't get any great shots, but it's fully of adorable kitchy items that are just fun. Several little signs and funny items line the pathway along with some amazing plants and vegetables.

Here is one of the classic red cadillacs that are offered as a way to arrive in style to the hilltop spot. I was so happy to hear that it was an added bonus without an added cost. The pictures are going to be awesome. One thing that stinks about a hilltop ceremony is that there is a hill to climb. While a cute school bus shuttle is offered for the elderly, or anyone else unwilling to hike, they encourage walkers so that it doesn't take an hour to shuttle everyone up. Let me tell you, it was a very steep hike! Luckily the wedding party will be crusin in the caddy...The ranch looks amazing at night. They have some great lighting that really gives it a romantic feel. This is a view of the patio that is off of the barn. It's covered in beautiful vines. We also spotted an awesome wrought iron chandelier as well as an antique bell. Kim explained that many couples choose to have the dance floor under the vine-covered arbor. Looks like fun!

Last three images via Taber Ranch

There were two things that came up that I wasn't so happy about, but they are not deal breakers. One is the price. Apparently I was given last years price sheet. They had no problem honoring it, but they were unwilling to budge from there. It ended up being $500 more than I had originally budgeted, my parents laughed at me for thinking that was a big deal. My dad was in love with this place and probably would have paid anything they asked for. It felt so strange to be the bride reminding her parents that there is a budget! The other thing was that they do not allow hard alcohol. I had no idea this was their policy, when I gave my "what?!" face, she agreed to allow one signature cocktail. I was bummed because I had already come up with three. We'll see if I can talk her into it! But that's it--everything else was fabulous.

If you can't tell, I'm super excited. I have so much more to say about how perfect this place was, but this is getting long and I think you get the picture. I tend to be pretty hard to satisfy, so this was a great day.