River Highlands Ranch - Smartsville, California

AnneMarie W.

We toured countless wedding venues and selected the picturesque River Highlands Ranch. We are so happy that we did. Not only is the ambiance unparalleled, the flexibility offered by managers Melanie and Andrew Mishler really enabled us to make our day unique and special, to both us and our guests. The wooden tables and chairs at the venue were stunning, and our guests loved the outdoor games and fire pit (which was tended to the whole evening, by the way). The bridal suite upstairs in the barn was spacious with a full kitchen, multiple restrooms, and had great lighting. Our bartenders from The Drunken Burro were such a hit, and being able to supply our own alcohol was a lifesaver budget-wise. We chose the venue-preferred wedding coordinator Gianna Seghezzi Zydonis (Wild & Lovely Events) and she was absolutely amazing. Our big day was flawless, thanks to her. We would definitely recommend that newlyweds reserve the Duck Pond Cabin on site for the wedding night, it was so charming, comfortable, and convenient. We have NOTHING bad to say about River Highlands Ranch. A dream of a venue.

Lyn A.

I got married in May 2023 and I am SO GLAD I chose River Highlands as our wedding venue. It was the second venue we saw and I instantly fell in love. No other venue we saw could compare. I loved that it was out of the way and so quiet around it. No loud roads or neighborhoods. The barn is STUNNING and I love that it is more modern and not rustic. The vineyard is beautiful, as are the fields of wildflowers, and the backyard ceremony site. There are so many picturesque locations it is perfect! THe upstairs bridal suite was perfect for my large bridal party and mom/MIL and some other SOs of groomsmen with no where else to go. The upstairs has so much getting ready space and allowed us all to get ready comfortably. I also am so happy they provided the beautiful farm tables and chairs as well, because they were perfect for the tablescape aesthetic I wanted.
Most importantly, however, was the incredible help from Andy and Melanie. They answered so many questions, allowed up to come view the site with my mom an additional time, helped with vendor suggestions (and food suggestions while we were in town for wedding planning things). THeir experience in the wedding industry as photographers became invaluable as we planned the wedding. They had a great team, process, and set up. They truly know their stuff and know what couples want/need for their wedding. We adored working with them! We are excited to visit more of the summer-time Third Thursday events to see the venue again 🙂

Kierstin A.

The new management under Melanie and Andrew is fantastic. I fell in love with the property as soon as I saw it...it's pretty magical. The amenities are great and made planning much easier since the venue was already well-equipped.

The location is a perfect 1-hour getaway from Sacramento and felt secluded even though the next town is only 20 minutes away.

No complaints, we had a great wedding here. I am an event planner for a living and so from both the guest and the host perspective, it was a truly excellent experience.

Lauren I.

River Highlands Ranch was the perfect venue for us! We loved that it was not too far away, but still secluded and remote enough to feel like a true destination wedding. The barn is immaculate and the enormous green doors at both ends are truly unique and special (and make for some awesome photos!). Unfortunately, we had some unusual weather for our May wedding and it ended up pouring rain throughout our entire ceremony; so instead of having our ceremony outdoors and enjoying the beautiful grounds, we were forced inside. Quite fortunately, though, the barn is big enough to hold the entire ceremony and reception indoors, which means we thankfully didn’t have to also rent a tent. The RHR team did an amazing job transitioning our wedding to all indoors and making it look absolutely beautiful. The bridal suite upstairs is huge! and a great space to sneak away to for a breather from the chaos. RHR offers great value—we especially appreciated that there were no hidden fees. We hope to go back to RHR in the future to stay at the on-property cabin, too! Thank you, RHR, for making our wedding truly perfect!

Erin T.

We got an opportunity to have a lovely evening wine tasting event at River Highlands Ranch, great to meet other folks from our community, chat with the owners and have a delightful meal. Such gracious hosts and such a special spot.

Max G.

From the moment we first visited the venue to the final farewell at the end of our celebration, every moment was truly magical, thanks to the amazing duo of Melanie and Andrew. They went above and beyond to ensure that our wedding day was everything we had hoped for and more. Their attention to detail, professionalism, and genuine care for us made all the difference in creating a day that we will cherish for a lifetime.

The beauty of River Highlands Ranch speaks for itself, but it was the impeccable service and hospitality that truly set it apart. From the stunning architecture to the picturesque surroundings, every aspect of the venue provided the perfect backdrop for our special day.

Our wedding day ran so smoothly; from setting up the ceremony space to coordinating the reception, our day was perfection. To anyone in search of the perfect wedding venue, we cannot recommend River Highlands Ranch highly enough. Not only is it a stunning location, but the team behind it is truly exceptional and absolutely dedicated to making your wedding dreams come true in every way possible.

James S.

I was just a guest but I had a great time! The ranch is pretty nice. The staff were helpful and friendly. There is plenty of parking and two bathrooms.

The drive from Yuba City is picturesque and it will be advantageous to have AWD/4WD to get into the ranch cause it’s a bumpy gravel road.

shauna D.

My husband and I got married here and it was beautiful. The staff and property managers were all super helpful and overall we had a great experience. The one thing that really bothered us was the fact that we weren’t told the beautiful Ivy outlining the barn door was completely cut back. When you drive up to the venue the money maker is their gorgeous green barn door with the Ivy grown all around it. It was beautiful! It was definitely one of the things that drew us to the venue. Not to mention all of the pictures advertised by them is of that door with the Ivy. I was excited about wedding photos at this spot. When we arrived at the venue to set up, it was completely cut back and just brown dead branches. It was super ugly and definitely changed the look of the barn. We weren’t told about this beforehand which was really disappointing. We could have possibly planned something with our florist if we would have been given a heads up. We asked about it and were given two different answers from the property managers so clearly the stories one of them was telling was false. We know stuff happens out of your control but we definitely should have been informed beforehand. Other than this we really have no complaints.