A Rancho Las Lomas Wedding in Silverado, California
This was my first time photographing a wedding at Rancho Las Lomas. I want to say that upfront rather than pretend otherwise. The photos turned out amazing, and it’s a venue I’d genuinely like to go back to. It’s tucked into the Orange County foothills in Silverado. This Spanish colonial estate has hand-painted Portuguese tiles, murals, and color worked into nearly every corner of the property.
A Property With Real History
Rancho Las Lomas has more history behind it than most venues its size. The land traces back to a Mexican land grant. Before that, it belonged to coastal Indian tribes who lived in the area. Rick and Jeannie Lawrence bought the property around 1970. They built it out themselves into what they envisioned as a small village. They used salvaged vintage doors, windows, and bricks, and added hand-painted Portuguese tiles, stained glass, and century-old streetlamps throughout.
Rick and Jeannie were actually the first couple married on the property, on August 10, 1980. Rick planted a crepe myrtle for his bride that day. It’s still known as the Anniversary Tree, and it still blooms every August. What started as their private home has become one of the more layered, character-filled wedding venues in Orange County.
A Property Built in Layers
Rancho Las Lomas has a banquet hall, a pool, a pond, an amphitheater, and a building styled after an old-world café. It’s all spread across a property with real levels to it. That layout does a lot of work. It gives guests places to explore and spread out during the day. It also gives a couple’s portraits real variety without needing to leave the property at all. The exterior has that built in, but the interior spaces have just as much character. This place genuinely doesn’t need much added decor to look good in photos.
This particular couple went for it anyway, and it paid off. Beautiful florals throughout, a live band, and a checkered dance floor gave the day its own personality on top of everything the venue already brings.
How the Day Moves Across the Property
The ceremony took place at El Teatro, the venue’s amphitheater, set beneath oak and sycamore trees. From there, cocktail hour moved up to the pool, where there’s a dedicated bar. It’s a great space to bring in rented furniture and build out a real seating area. Guests can also wander over to La Terraza and Rick’s Cafe, the building styled after an old café. There’s plenty of room to explore and mingle before reception. Reception then comes back down to the ceremony space.
That means a fair amount of walking, and a fair number of stairs, across the day. Rancho Las Lomas is wheelchair accessible. Handicap restrooms and parking are available at both the Grand Salon and El Teatro levels. The venue also offers golf cart transportation on request for any guest who needs help getting between levels. This is worth planning around if you have older guests in your group. It’s genuinely a lot of back and forth, even with that option available.
Not Kitschy, Just Full of Color
Rancho Las Lomas sits back in the country, secluded and private. That gives a wedding here real privacy without feeling closed off. It’s not kitschy. It’s just full of color, flair, and life. That range is actually one of the best things about the venue. It works just as well for a couple with a lot of energy and spirit as it does for a couple who wants something elegant, romantic, and quiet. It’s a space that can genuinely go either way, and that’s part of why I’d love to shoot here again.
Planning a Wedding at Rancho Las Lomas
Rental fees run $3,000 to $9,000 per event. Package pricing starts around $175 per person. The rental fee includes exclusive use of the property, bistro lighting, and 200 fruitwood Chiavari chairs. Capacity tops out around 300 guests for outdoor ceremonies and receptions, and around 200 for indoor spaces like the Grand Salon. Confirm current pricing and availability directly with the venue.
Thinking About a Rancho Las Lomas Wedding?
I’d love to come back here. If you book my full-day package for a wedding at Rancho Las Lomas, I’ll add film coverage on top of it at no extra charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a wedding at Rancho Las Lomas cost? Rental fees run $3,000 to $9,000 per event. Package pricing starts around $175 per person. Confirm current pricing directly with the venue.
How many guests can Rancho Las Lomas hold? Outdoor ceremonies and receptions can hold up to around 300 guests. Indoor spaces like the Grand Salon hold up to around 200. Confirm current capacity with the venue.
Is Rancho Las Lomas wheelchair accessible? Yes. The Grand Salon and El Teatro levels both have handicap restrooms and parking. The venue also offers golf cart transportation on request for guests who need help moving between levels.
Can I have my ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all in different spots at Rancho Las Lomas? Yes, and this couple did exactly that. The ceremony was at El Teatro, the amphitheater. Cocktail hour moved up by the pool. Reception came back down at the ceremony space, with guests free to explore the terrace and other areas of the property in between.
More Real Weddings You’ll Love
My photography is a blend of art, experience, and instinct, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. It started 22 years ago, the first time I stepped into a darkroom, a moment that sparked a lifelong pull toward capturing the world through a lens. That pull eventually led me into the fine art space, collaborating with artists, managing studios, and working alongside galleries and museums, studying art and photography through both undergraduate and graduate school, where my aesthetic developed under the influence of critical theory and contemporary art. I found myself drawn to the intersection of documentary photography and the spontaneous, unfiltered moments of real life. My goal has always been the same: images that are raw, honest, and deeply human.
I founded Teresa LoJacono Photography in 2013, and started experimenting with wedding photography in 2019, on purpose, and differently than what I’d been trained to expect from the industry. Travel plays a huge role in my creative process too, I find inspiration in the unfamiliar, letting light, movement, and emotion guide my eye. With a camera in hand, everything becomes a canvas and a chance to catch what’s actually happening, not what’s staged for it. If there’s one belief that’s driven all of it, it’s this: have fun, and let it be what it’s going to be. I’ll be there to catch whatever happens.
