Couple laughing while holding drinks on gravel road with trees in background at camping wedding in Los Gatos / Santa Cruz Mountains.

Rachel and Will’s Camping Wedding in the Los Gatos Mountains

Rachel and Will had a camping wedding in the Los Gatos Mountains on the property they purchased with a group of friends. To be honest, it was more glamping than camping. It was beautiful, fun, and personal, but it was not the wedding they had originally planned.

Guerneville to Los Gatos. Flooded venue leads to creative problem-solving.

Sometimes we plan carefully, do all the research, and make what feels like the perfect decision—only to have everything upended by forces beyond our control. Such is life. Rachel and Will had their hearts set on celebrating their wedding at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville, a charming venue nestled near the Russian River. I’ve photographed weddings there a few times over the years, and it’s always had a relaxed, cozy vibe. The property has enough cottages to host an entire wedding party, which made it the perfect spot for Rachel and Will to gather their community in one place.

Then, in March, I got an email from Rachel. Dawn Ranch had been hit hard by flooding and was now under ten feet of water. The venue had no choice but to cancel all weddings for the year. Just like that, Rachel and Will were back at square one—looking for a new location and reimagining the celebration they’d been dreaming of.

Strength in community.

Rachel and Will are community-minded people. They needed to find a wedding venue where many of their guests could spend the weekend with them. I sent them my venue list to try and help. At the end of April, Rachel emailed me to let me know that she and Will, along with a group of friends, had bought 30 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Over the next couple of months, they hauled away the garbage and prepped the property for their wedding.

With a clear vision, strong will, and community support, they turned their misfortune into a great opportunity.

Portable showers, Shelter Co Tents, lots of signs, and everyone pitching in.

When I arrived at their property in the Los Gatos Mountains for Rachel and Will’s wedding, a lot was going on, but the vibe was very chill. Everything was well marked. Signs on trees pointed the way to areas on the property. The catering staff was prepping food, setting tables, and getting the dining area ready. There was a sign-in sheet for guests wanting to use the portable showers, people were practicing music, and all the little things to make a wedding happen were falling into place.

Wedding prep in the forest.

Folks were hanging out and chatting in Shelter Co. tents and casually getting ready. Rachel had a snuggle zone sticker on her shoulder and got dressed in one of the little buildings on the property. Will got dressed in the woods.

First look and portraits. Moments before the ceremony.

The Ceremony.

Rachel and Will had the first two trees of the fruit orchard they are going to plant at the ceremony site on either side of them at the wedding.

Cocktail hour and couple portraits.

There was lots of crab, oysters, pickled vegetables, and other delicious goodies for cocktail hour. Rachel, Will, and I popped out for a few pics before heading back to the action. Friends and family told stories about the couple, and then we all headed to dinner.

Dinner and Dancing.

The rest of the night was filled with more stories, a delicious dinner, and lots of dancing. I am stoked to have been a part of Rachel and Will’s fabulous camping wedding in the Los Gatos Mountains. So much fun.