Bar SZ Ranch — Attraction in Soledad

We held our wedding at Bar SZ ranch in June 2019. It was beautiful and exactly what we were looking for in a venue. Bar SZ allowed us to 1) host our families on-site for the weekend, 2) spread out our wedding activities, and 3) do what we wanted. And Tim and his family and staff were extremely helpful throughout!

The ranch has three airbnb style houses that are well appointed and spacious. We had our families stay in the houses for our wedding weekend, and it was very special to hang out with them in the houses and the common areas before the hectic wedding reception. We had friends stay in the glamping tents, and they found the beds very comfortable (though the chickens encouraged them to wake up in the morning). A few friends brought their own tents and camped, and took advantage of the camping showers to clean up for the party. With these folks were on-site, the nights by the campfire were really fun.

Our wedding activities were spread across the ranch. We held a Sangeet on Friday night on the slab, the ceremony on Saturday at the Eucalyptus grove, cocktail hour at the bar (along with general hanging out there throughout the weekend), and the reception on the grassy lawn. This helped each moment feel distinct. Thankfully, the friends and family on-site helped us move tables and setup decor. While all of this setup was our responsibility, Tim couldn't help but help us - he made the whole process easier.

The ranch also let us do what we wanted for our wedding weekend. We brought in the food we wanted. We could chose where to hold each event. We were also offered horseback riding and skeet shooting activities for us and our guests. Neither activity were things that we, as the couple, were familiar with before, but it was such a cool way to make some special memories with our friends and family. The horseback riding was cooler than any other riding experiences we had had before - you could actually guide the horse, as opposed to just sitting there and letting the horse follow the horse in front of it. Skeet shooting was the first time many of us touched a gun, and it was safe and fun. And the scenery was beautiful.

Tim, his entire family, and the ranch staff, were extremely welcoming and helpful throughout the weekend. They helped set things up and kept everything smooth through the weekend. They were even kind enough to accept deliveries from Amazon in the weeks before the wedding, which wound up being a lifesaver. We couldn't have chosen a better venue, especially with Tim and his team to make the weekend a success.

We are excited to return to the ranch,...

We first stumbled upon this wedding venue on google maps! From the first interaction with the Bar SZ team to the last, this experience has been wonderful. The team is lead by Rebekah and Tim. Rebekah is the woman behind the curtain, running everything up to the time when you get on the ranch. She is prompt with emails, courteous, extremely helpful, and always answered all my questions (of which there were many). The ranch has gotten weddings down to a fine art, diligently meeting our needs and knowing all the things we needed that we hadn’t thought to consider. They are professional on every level. When the day finally came we arrive at the ranch with a warm welcome from Tim. Now I knew this wedding was going to be good with the time and planning I put in but it would not be possible without Tim’s help. He is so welcoming and truly a kind person. The property is beautiful and the houses are wonderful - they even put fresh eggs in all the refrigerators! You are able to pick every location that you want for your party and they have so many goodies like a bar, beer truck, picturesque carriages, and a beautiful vista to take photos on. The wedding was so smooth in part due to Tim’s team. I wasn’t on the ground during Saturday set up but everything was smooth and perfect. We pushed the start time of the wedding back because of the heat and it went perfectly. We held the ceremony at the oak knoll, which is gorgeous, and found out thankfully our guests could drive out there. The party went on till about 1am with people in the bar and barn! On Sunday we had breakfast and then cleaned up and Tim was gracious when we were a touch past our leave time. They seriously helped at every turn. When I needed help bustling my dress Michelle jumped right in!

Added bonus: there are animals everywhere! Friendly cats and chickens all over. You can even take a kitty home with you!

Some helpful hints from me of what I learned. Get a late check out - it will take a good bit of time to get everything cleaned. There are shady spots to camp under (which our guests did) but the chickens can be a little noisy in the morning. There are tons of signs around the property for the ceremony location etc. so don’t worry about that. Tim also has two large ice chests for you to use.

The weekend price for the ranch plus houses and cowboy village was less than some venues were for one night!

We truly had an amazing experience here and it was my dream wedding come true. I cannot gush enough about this ranch and staff. Thank you Tim, Michelle, Rebekah, and the whole Bar SZ...

I think it's safe to say this is the single best wedding venue in California.

Consider the reasons:

It's gorgeous. It's just you and nature, with 660 acres of golden hills, which make for an epic backdrop during your wedding. The structures on the ranch add to the rustic feel. And the Art House makes for beautiful photos, too, with solid wood design and amazing views over the valley. And then there is that old oak tree on the hill that has overseen so many couples get married, including us. It is magical.

It's remote. That means you can party all night and no one will care. But it's not that hard to get to: It's just 2.5 hours south of San Francisco. The closest town is 40 minutes north, along a winding road. Your cellphone won't get service, which is perfect. (There's still WiFi in the houses if you really need it.)

The Borland family and ranch staff. Tim, Michelle, James, Rebekah, the ranch staff, and TIm and Michelle's children work so hard to make your wedding dream come to reality -- while just being the nicest, warmest people in the process. We can't thank you all enough for allowing us to celebrate our special day on your magnificent property. And thank you all so much for being so welcoming and warm. They are truly wonderful people!

It's good value. Renting the ranch for your wedding typically means you get the entire property for the whole weekend, including beds for up to 35 people. Then there's ample space for other guests to camp. While you do have to rent bathrooms, etc., for campers, you can recoup some costs by charging guests small housing fees. And otherwise there is plenty of infrastructure there.

Most importantly, you have freedom. We ultimately chose the ranch because they allowed us to create the wedding we wanted: a party in the middle of a field that lasted until 5 a.m. So many other venues we considered had countless rules about where we could go, what vendors we had to use, when we could be there, etc. Bar SZ Ranch has very little of that. The ranch is your canvas from when you arrive on Friday to when you leave on Sunday, enabling you to create your very own wedding weekend.

We are so thankful we chose Bar SZ Ranch and highly recommend it for any other couple looking to create a memorable, laid back...