Dawn Ranch

Select services venue

The venue will provide the space, plus a few extras.

Guest capacity

Up to 500 seated guests

About this venue

Welcome. Nestled riverside at the edge of Guerneville in Sonoma’s wine rich Russian River Valley, Dawn Ranch is a virtual natural preserve. As a Sonoma wine country escape, Dawn Ranch is authentic, historic and unique. The property meanders over 15 lush acres of ancient giant Redwoods, vintage apple trees, flowing creeks, and native meadows. Fully renovated sophisticated cabins and cottages from 1905 cluster the landscape but leave ample room to exist peacefully amid nature.

Seated guest capacity

  • 250-500

Venue type

  • Farms, Barns, Ranches
  • Hotels, Inns, Resorts
  • Lodges, Retreats

Venue setting

  • Covered Outdoor
  • Outdoor
16467 Hwy 116, Guerneville, CA 95446

Our event spaces

Kerr Bungalow

A timeless resort on the Russian River. The beautifully renovated Kerr Bungalow at Dawn Ranch features a full custom kitchen, living room, two double bedrooms, two full baths, one en suite.

Guest capacity

Up to 4 Standing

Kerr Bungalow

A timeless resort on the Russian River. The beautifully renovated Kerr Bungalow at Dawn Ranch features a full custom kitchen, living room, two double bedrooms, two full baths, one en suite.

Guest capacity

Up to 4 Standing

Available services that can be provided by Dawn Ranch

Services & amenities

  • Bar services
  • Catering services
  • Clean up
  • Dressing room / Bridal Suite
  • Event staff
  • On-site accommodations
  • Pet friendly
  • Service staff
  • Set up
  • Wifi

Transportation & access

  • Self parking - free

Rentals

  • Barware
  • China
  • Flatware
  • Glassware

Accommodations

  • Bedroom suites
  • Honeymoon suite
  • Room blocks offered
  • Single king rooms
  • Single queen rooms

Reviews

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1.0 out of 5

2 reviews

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  • Save Yourself The Stress!!

    •Verified review
    •Erica F.•Dec 11

    This review isn’t easy to write, but if it saves even one couple the stress and heartache I went through, it’s worth it. First, I want to acknowledge Alexandra at Dawn Ranch, who was the only person who truly cared about us and went above and beyond to save our wedding day. She was so helpful and deserves a raise for doing what no one else there seemed willing to do. But beyond Alexandra, I can’t say much positive about our experience with Dawn Ranch. What should have been the happiest time of my life became 12 months of pure misery and constant regret over picking this venue. From the start, there were glaring red flags that I ignored because I fell in love with the location. It took weeks of emails and follow-ups just to get a response, and I had to call the property directly multiple times to get basic information and lock in our date. Communication was abysmal throughout the entire planning process. Staff turnover is a huge issue here—we were passed around to four different coordinators, each with zero background on our event and little willingness to help. Each time we met with a new person, it felt like starting over from scratch. No one seemed to care about our vision or even bothered to read up on our plans before meeting. Every question was met with indifference, and it felt like they were always guessing about policies or shrugging off our requests. Jesse, in particular, was unbelievably dismissive. When I introduced her to my father, it felt like we’d interrupted her day by simply being there - for a scheduled appointment. She was unprofessional, cold, and didn’t even try to hide her disinterest. On top of that, the venue mishandled billing for our accommodations numerous times. They initially "forgot" to charge us, then months later, they realized they still needed to process it. When we checked in, they attempted to charge us a second time despite my showing proof of the first charge. Instead of correcting the error, they told us the wrong team charged us and that it would be kept as a “deposit” and that they couldn’t remove it until checkout. Even though we’d paid for our stay in full 8 months prior. This was unprofessionally handled and honestly felt like they were just grasping at any excuse to get additional charges out of us. There was also constant confusion over what we could and couldn’t do, which seemed to stem from a change in ownership or policies. It became clear that they didn’t intend to honor the initial promises made to couples who’d booked under the previous terms. I had to involve the general manager just to ensure our day wouldn’t be ruined by their internal disorganization. On the wedding day, my friends and family who were helping with setup reported receiving attitude from the staff. While they managed to “fake it” during the event itself, it was disheartening to know that even on the day of, they couldn’t bring themselves to be courteous to my loved ones. What’s even more telling is that I have a friend who got married here around the same time, and she’s expressed she experienced the same mess—maybe even worse. Dawn Ranch is stunning, but they are absolutely not equipped to handle weddings professionally. I can’t, in good faith, recommend this venue to anyone looking to celebrate a big moment. It’s truly sad because the property has so much potential, but if you want to enjoy your engagement and have a stress-free wedding, avoid Dawn Ranch at all costs.

  • Dawn Ranch

    •Verified review
    •Katelyn N.•Oct 30, 2024

    This was supposed to be the most exciting time of my life, Dawn Ranch made it the most miserable time of my life. My husband & I were excited for it to be over, which is terrible to say.

Real couples who got married at Dawn Ranch

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