Thinking of having a Calamigos Ranch Birchwood Room Wedding? I am a wedding photographer in Los Angeles who has photographed at Calamigos Ranch multiple times, including weddings in the Birchwood Room. I'm going to give all of my tips for planning a wedding a there below, with an emphasis on how to make the most out of your day, have a lot of fun, and get some amazing photos while you're at it!
Why I DON’T Recommend Getting Ready in the Calamigos Ranch Birchwood Room Cottage
The Birchwood Room venue has two rooms for the couple to get ready in. If you'd like to get ready in those, I recommend using the space to put on your dress or shirt/pants, but don't fasten your dress or put on your jacket in there. The reason being is that most photographers, including myself, like to document those finishing touches, such as mom buttoning up the bride's dress or the best man helping the groom put on his jacket.
I do not recommend capturing these shots inside those rooms because they don't have natural light streaming through. Instead, they have a yellow cast caused by artificial light. For this reason, I recommend having these moments captured outside.
I also have some more getting ready options provided below.
Recommended Getting Ready Location Options
There are 3 solid options when it comes to the getting ready portion of the day, which are:
Calamigos Resort
If you're looking for convenience, you can opt to stay with your closest loved ones on site at the Calamigos Resort.
Pros: It makes everything really simple for guests who are traveling for your wedding day. This is a great option if you want some guests to stay at the same place, while maintaining the privacy of having their own separate spaces/rooms. Guests can party hard, without having to drive home or to their hotel afterwards.
Keep in mind, you and your partner can just book a room or two at the Calamigos Resort and choose to stay there over night. This way you'll have the ease of already being there the morning of your wedding day.
Cons: If you're looking for more of a "wedding weekend experience" with your closest friends and family, renting a large airbnb home may be a better option.
TIP
Keep in mind that the Calamigos Ranch property itself is massive. With that in mind, Calamigos Resort is a bit of walk from the Birchwood Room. While golf carts are around the property to get from point A to point B, to be on the safe side, make sure to wear comfortable shoes, instead of possible heels, should you end up walking the path to the venue space.
Local Airbnb
The Airbnb that Tiffany and Pip got ready at can be viewed HERE.
It's located about a 18 minute drive away from Calamigos Ranch, provided there is no traffic. It's a 5,000 sq ft villa that is located only 7 miles away from Malibu and local beaches. It also has a Spanish/Moroccan vibe with SO MANY fun backdrops.
Pros: It offers that "wedding weekend" experience. You'll get to have more special moments with your nearest and dearest with the ease of everyone staying in the same home for the weekend.
Cons: It lacks the convenience of staying at the venue.
Local Hotel
Some local hotels close to Calamigos Ranch can be viewed HERE.
Pros: This is a good option since Calamigos Resort doesn't have enough rooms to accommodate that many guests. I believe they only have a few rooms on the property.
Cons: It lacks the convenience of staying at the venue.
Below are some photos from Tiffany & Pip's Calamigos Ranch Birchwood Room wedding. They got ready at an airbnb that was about 15 minutes away from the venue.
Recommended First Look Location at the Birchwood Room
See the image below? This was taken right outside of the Birchwood Room, along the a pathway that is surrounded by gorgeous greenery. I love this space because the surrounding greenery provides some intimacy from people walking around the surrounding areas.
It's important to note that Calamigos Ranch has 4 other venues on the property, as well as a restaurant called Malibu Cafe. This means that it tends to get pretty crowded on weekends. While each venue space does manage to maintain some privacy, sometimes there will be a couple of people exploring the grounds. With this in mind, I think it's important to select a space for one's first look that is somewhat closed off and private. This will allow you to have more of an intimate moment!
We actually had Tiffany and Pip's first look at the airbnb they stayed at (photos of this are provided above), however, we took a lot of other photos in the space showcased below for it's beautiful greenery, pretty light, and intimate setting!
Additional Beautiful Photo Locations
Photos of all these locations are showcased throughout this post
- Under the chandelier and twinkling lights (about a 2 minute walk from the venue space)
- In front of the waterfall and greenery at the ceremony site
- In the open space meadow-like area just outside of the venue
- Near the carousel a few fun, colorful shots
How to Make Your Birchwood Room Wedding Extra Special
Customize it according to your interests and be really intentional about your decisions. Weddings should be made to fit you both, not the other way around.
Pip and Tiffany had a beautiful way of being really intentional with their day. I'll include some examples of how they did that below:
- Pip is an engineer and with that, they both chose to make their table centerpieces together, using a 3D printer. They came out so beautifully and were gifted to guests at the end of the night.
- They also both love ramen and boba, so they integrated this into their wedding day with a boba cart and a section including everything necessary to make hot ramen at the end of the night.
- Lastly, Pip's father is a really talented painter who gifted the couple a painting he created of them based on one of their photos from their engagement session. The couple showcased this beautiful gift near the sign in table.
It's these little type of details that really can make a day feel more like the couple. Instead of doing something just because everyone else is doing it or because you saw it on Pinterest, think about what you both love and what would make your day feel more like the two of you.
What Makes the Birchwood Room at Calamigos Ranch Stand Out?
Calamigos Ranch has multiple wedding spaces on their property and the Birchwood Room is the most intimate option; it's maximum guest count is 125 people. These days, I've noticed more and more couples are opting to have intimate weddings.
Since the pandemic, the standard for weddings has changed. Couples are no longer weighed down by certain expectations that were considered the norm before. They are being more intentional with their weddings.
I really love the Birchwood Room because the intimacy it offers allows the couple to interact with more of the guests. Smaller weddings do tend to be less stressful for couples and I can tell that they seem to enjoy themselves more.
A stand out feature of the Birchwood Room is it's hundred year old Oak Tree that stands in the middle of the reception space. Twinkling lights and chandeliers are hung from it, offering a really romantic atmosphere.
Calamigos Ranch Birchwood Room Wedding Timeline
I'm going to include an optional wedding day timeline below, specifically for a Calamigos Ranch Birchwood Room Wedding.
Here's an estimate of how long it takes to capture certain photos.
Calamigos Ranch Birchwood Room Timeline - Getting Ready Near the Venue (Requires Travel to the Venue)
Let's say your ceremony start time is at 5:00 pm. Here's a timeline for that.
9:00 - 12:30 - Hair/Makeup (This start time will vary depending on how many people will be getting their hair/makeup done; typically, the bride is last)
12:00 - Photographer(s) Arrive
12:00 - 12:40 - Details (Dress, shoes, rings, etc.)
12:45 - 1:45 - Getting Ready Photos (One photographer is with Partner A & second photographer is with Partner B)
*Note: If you don't have a second photographer, more time is needed here as the solo photographer will have to take extra time to document Partner A & Partner B.
1:45 - 2:30 - Travel to Calamigos Ranch (It's important to always add an additional 20 - 25 minutes to the time here than what the GPS estimates it will take. This will account for parking time, potential delays, and/or traffic.)
2:30 - 3:15 - Couple Portraits
3:15 - 3:45 - Wedding Party Portraits (More time is needed here is there is no second photographer)
3:45 - 4:15 - Family Portraits
4:15 - 4:40 - Buffer Time (Super important to always leave buffer time within the schedule should things run a bit behind schedule. It also allows the couple to just relax more...the day won't feel rushed.)
4:40 - Couple Preps for Ceremony / Photographer Documents Ceremony Details
5:00 - 5:30 - Ceremony
5:30 - 6:30 - Cocktail Hour + Couple Portraits
*The cocktail hour typically takes place during the golden hour (best time for photos because of the light), so usually about 30 minutes of couple portraits are taken during this time.)
6:45 - Grand Entrance
6:45 - 10:00 - Reception (First Dance, Parent Dances, Speeches, Open Dancing, Etc.)
Calamigos Ranch Birchwood Room Timeline - Getting Ready At the Venue
Let's say your ceremony start time is at 5:00 pm. Here's a timeline for that.
9:00 - 12:30 - Hair/Makeup (This start time will vary depending on how many people will be getting their hair/makeup done; typically, the bride is last)
12:00 - Photographer(s) Arrive
12:00 - 12:40 - Details (Dress, shoes, rings, etc.)
12:45 - 1:45 - Getting Ready Photos (One photographer is with Partner A & second photographer is with Partner B)
*Note: If you don't have a second photographer, more time is needed here as the solo photographer will have to take extra time to document Partner A & Partner B.
1:45 - 2:00 - Walk to First Look Location
2:00 - 2:45 - Couple Portraits
2:45 - 3:15 - Wedding Party Portraits (More time is needed here is there is no second photographer)
3:15 - 3:45 - Family Portraits
3:45 - 4:20 - Buffer Time (Super important to always leave buffer time within the schedule should things run a bit behind schedule. It also allows the couple to just relax more...the day won't feel rushed.)
4:20 - Couple Preps for Ceremony / Photographer Documents Ceremony Details
5:00 - 5:30 - Ceremony
5:30 - 6:30 - Cocktail Hour + Couple Portraits
*The cocktail hour typically takes place during the golden hour (best time for photos because of the light), so usually about 30 minutes of couple portraits are taken during this time.)
6:45 - Grand Entrance
6:45 - 10:00 - Reception (First Dance, Parent Dances, Speeches, Open Dancing, Etc.)
Want a more comprehensive read on how to create an amazing wedding day timeline that will leave you feeling relaxed and having fun throughout the day? Here's my complete wedding timeline guide!
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