Photographer’s Review of Marchand Ranch in Canon City

Marchand Ranch is new to the scene but don’t let their newness fool you. They know what they are doing. The beautiful architecture mixed with the location creates a stunning venue. They offer a something borrowed selection from previous weddings that you can use for yours as well! Dennis and Alex donated their beautiful ceremony arch to the something borrowed selection, so you can use it too.

The Suites

The bridal suite was a little tight, but we all got in there. I’d recommend really pairing down to what is essential of you have more than a couple people. The lighting was surprisingly good and Alex’s photos in the suite turned out great!

The groom’s suite was similarly sized, but of course the grooms don’t tend to come with nearly as much baggage as the bridal party does. It felt much less cramped, but that’s to be expected. We could open the door and get even more light in for Dennis’s photos. They turned out beautiful as well.

I always ask my clients if they want to do any fun photos with their wedding party and usually I get a yes! While the vast majority of the bridal party photos are taken later, we take some beforehand as well. The size of the getting ready suite and the size of their wedding party made it simpler to go to another spot for them. We were able to sneak to the front. The Marchand Ranch has so many spots that are photogenic and there is a lot of shade so we didn’t have to go far to get a well lit, beautiful spot.

Locations

When I do detail shots, I always look for something unique. I love harsh light with shadows and simple but stunning places to hang the dress. Marchand Ranch offered plenty of locations to achieve both. The light inside the venue from the large windows created a beautiful shadow for the rings. The barn also created a beautiful spot for the dress to hang. They also had a very easily accessible ladder for me to use so my little shorty self could get it set up there.

Venue Attentiveness

Alex and Dennis’s wedding ran behind schedule, which is very normal, and the venue handled it amazingly! They kept checking in to see where they were at, if they were ready, if the couple needed anything and more. It was amazing. You could tell the coordinator cared about their day and did everything they could to make it go smoothly. When it was time for the ceremony, it’s a short walk from the bridal suite to the ceremony site. The coordinator lined everyone up and did a great job of making sure Alex, the bride, was hidden. Ps Here is the arch that you can now use!

The Ceremony

I’ll be honest, I’m a HUGE sucker for ceremonies. I got into weddings because I am a huge love aficionado. This was probably the most beautiful reaction to seeing a bride I have ever seen. Dennis was stunned when he saw Alex. I may have been holding back tears, but I’ll never tell.

Overall, the ceremony site was well placed. The day was overcast, but even if it hadn’t been, I think the sun would have been placed well and they would have been lit well. I could see during the summer if you had an earlier ceremony, that there is a potential for hard shadows, but short of building a structure, there isn’t anything the venue could do to prevent that. It does seem that because there isn’t a lot of trees or obstacles around, the lighting is very even for the entire bridal party. So if there is harsh light, everyone will have harsh light which is much better than half and half.

Generally, after the ceremony, that’s when family photos occur. Not always, but usually. Following the ceremony, all the guests, minus family and wedding party, went to enjoy cocktail hour. While I was taking photos, I didn’t have an opportunity to check out the cocktail hour, it looked like they had a well enjoyed spread when I went back in. I even snagged a cracker and salami while I was preparing later and it was definitely good.

Where I was while everyone enjoyed cocktail hour. lol.

I realized I hadn’t mentioned the content creator who was there with me either! She was so helpful during portraits. She was with the venue and knew it really well. I asked her where we were allowed to go because I wasn’t exactly sure. There are a lot of fenced off areas and it is also a working ranch. I didn’t want to accidentally take them somewhere that would be bad for my clients or bad for the ranch. She helped carry things. She was also very courteous about my space while still getting her content.

I loved taking portraits here. There were so many options. There were so many different spots within a short distance to choose from that can achieve what you would like. I love a grungy, rusty vibe. This is the only venue I’ve been to that embraces that while also having clean modern options for you to explore. Here’s a couple of my favorites that we took!

The Reception

Onto the reception! One of my biggest pet peeves is when the bride and groom are so far away from their guests. Yes, you want to be the center of attention on your day, but I find that if you’re not close, then you get pulled away from your spot regularly and you don’t get to talk with your guests. As a person who loves connection, it feels like there is a big disconnect when you’re not close. Now, that being said, I also recognize there’s only so many places to put the head table where it makes sense. This is definitely just my opinion and depending on how much you like the people you’ve invited, you may prefer to be further away. Hopefully you’re having enough fun on your wedding that you are hardly even at your sweetheart table.

The venue is also dark which creates a great ambiance, but be sure to find a photographer who knows how to work in difficult lighting situations like this. They will need to know how to use more than just a flash on camera to get good photos here that aren’t direct flash. I used a 3 point lighting setup and it was perfect.

Final Rating

Marchand Ranch even went above and beyond to make sure this couple got everything they wanted. Tiffany the owner was onsite and made accommodations that were far more than you would expect to ensure the couple had a perfect day. The coordinator and content creator that was provided from the venue were professional, doting, and considerate. I was impressed. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced venue, in a unique location, I’d definitely recommend them. From a photographer’s perspective, I’d want to come back.

The only thing I can note that could really be improved on is the accessibility. If you were in a wheelchair or had guests in one, this would be a difficult venue. There may have been ramps and I just missed them, but I didn’t see them. If it’s a big issue for you or your family, I’d reach out to Tiffany and see what accommodations could be made.

Thank you for taking the time to read this review and if you could use a photographer at your wedding or are a venue looking to get featured feel free to contact me as well!

Here’s my final rating:
Aesthetic: 10/10
Ease of use: 9/10
Accommodating: 10/10
Accessibility: 3/10
Parking: 10/10

Marchand Ranch’s website: https://www.marchandranch.com/