Favorite Northern California Wedding Venues 2023
Usually one of the very first things you do after becoming engaged (besides choosing your wedding date) is booking your wedding venue! There are many factors to consider when looking for that perfect venue. Such as, how many guests can be accommodated, do they have a bridal suite to get ready at, can you set up the day before, is there a place for the guys to get ready, are there epic portrait areas…These are just a few examples. In this post I’m going to share some of my absolute favorite Wedding Venues in the Northern California area and why I recommend checking them out for your wedding day!
Little Bear Creek Ranch in Anderson, California
I fell in love with this beautiful ranch styled wedding venue. They have a beautiful well-lit bridal suite on the second floor of the white ranch house. The guys could get ready on the bottom floor if need be or the girls could take over the entire house. The giant reception barn is super clean and well insulated against the elements! It has a fun balcony overlooking the reception setup which is awesome for me to get really neat reception shots.
The ceremony location can be held behind the reception barn or down at the gazebo by the creek. The gazebo area is stunning! There are mature trees surrounding the area and it’s just super peaceful and serene. The only downside that I can see is there’s no power down by the creek. So if you need a sound system, it would need to be run on a generator or some form of batteries. Get more information on their website HERE!
Check out Nicole + Ian’s gorgeous wedding day at Little Bear Creek Ranch for more inspiration, CLICK HERE!
Centerville Estates in Chico, California
What a gorgeous “villa” styled wedding venue! Centerville Estates is nestled in amongst the trees alongside Butte Creek in the Chico Area. The staff there is top-notch and so accommodating! The bridal suite area is super spacious and overlooks the reception area down by the creek. The buildings are clad with stone and the grounds are covered in perfectly manicured landscaping.
The guys also have their own separate getting ready room decked out with wall mounts and a pool table. There’s also a private museum on the property full of exotic animals. It’s impressive! The ceremony location has a natural ivy archway that overlooks Butte Creek. The bluffs on the other side of the creek adds to the epicness of this venue. What I loved most about this venue is the numerous areas we could use for portraits! Everything about it is beautiful! Here’s a link to their website for more information, CLICK HERE.
If you’d like to see a full wedding day at this venue check out the blog posts below:
The White House at Churn Creek Golf Course in Redding, California
Want wedding photos on a golf course? Then this is the wedding venue for you!! You have access to the golf course for epic sunset portraits. I really enjoyed photographing a wedding at this venue! It’s so pretty! The bridal suite is cozy and has the coolest bathtub, which was so fun getting photos of the bride in the tub with her wedding dress fluffed around her. The garden areas around the White House buildings are super pretty. And I love how this venue has garden lantern lights strung above the ceremony/reception area!
The ceremony site is also the same as the reception area, so during cocktail hour, the staff converts to the reception tables. The dance floor is also really nice and spacious. There’s also a side building that’s covered where the DJ can set up, just in case it rains. Which happened on Brandon and Maryann’s wedding day! You can get more information about the White House at Churn Creek Golf Course HERE.
You can also check out Maryann + Brandon’s blog post for more inspiration, CLICK HERE!
Oak Hollow Farms in Orland, California
Oak Hollow Farms is such a gorgeous wedding venue! If you’re looking for a rustic ranch styled wedding, this is the place. The owners did such a great job with the property. There are two barns; a big white one which is perfect for portraits, and the big brown one which is the indoor reception area. They also have an outdoor bar area and both a bridal suite and groom suite! The suites are attached by a breezeway which makes it super convenient for us wedding photographers. It was such a great experience at this venue! I can’t wait to go back.
The owners bought the property in 2019 and worked hard to turn this 1937 dairy farm into the amazing wedding venue it is today. Their oldest daughter got married there in 2022, which I had the honor of being the second photographer for!!! You can check out that blog post HERE and also see more information on their website HERE.
Gover Ranch in Anderson, California
I remember attending a few weddings here before I started my photography career! This is probably the most iconic wedding venue in Anderson, California. And for good reason, it’s absolutely beautiful! The venue has had a few owners but all of them have done an incredible job. There are several areas where the ceremony can take place. The historic white barn is spacious and perfect for indoor reception setups.
What I love the most about this venue is the variety of locations for portraits! The gardens, the barn, the orchard, the fields…It’s all amazing. They have a great bridal suite as well! The owners are really sweet. It’s been great working with them! You can get more information on their website HERE.
Check out Makenzie + Jon’s wedding day at Gover Ranch, HERE!
Gold Hill Gardens in Newcastle, California
Beautiful gardens, huge oak trees, large white reception tent…Gold Hill Gardens has it all! Everything about this venue is beautiful. The getting ready spaces for both the bride and the groom were in the same building which was super convenient for us! But also separated enough so the groom couldn’t get a sneak peek of his bride.
Down by the large majestic oak tree, they have a footbridge that is super pretty! The back lawn of the main building is one option for the ceremony site and has an awesome stone staircase that you walk down into the center aisle. There’s also a balcony in the main building where we were able to run up to and get a photo of the bride and groom with all their guests! That was so much fun! You can get more information about them on their website HERE.
Also, check out Elizabeth + Kurt’s wedding day at Gold Hill Gardens, HERE!
And there you have it! Just a few of my favorite Northern California Wedding Venues. I hope these highlights and sample photos give you inspiration on which venue is the right one for you! If you’re planning a wedding in 2024, let’s chat! I’d love to hear about your wedding plans.
Here are some other Northern California venues I’d love to photograph a wedding at in the near future:
Irongate Garden Inn | Chico, California
Patrick Ranch | Durham, California
Viansa Winery | Sonoma, California
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