Overlooking Tomales Bay, atop eucalyptus wreathed hills, Straus Home Ranch is a hidden treasure. While I have a lot to say about the pleasures of working with Michael and Vivien, who are among the most generous, thoughtful, and accommodating hosts a couple could hope for, let’s start with the venue.


The main house and surrounding garden is a beautifully maintained and decorated hundred year old home with three bedrooms, two living rooms, a dining room, a generous kitchen, and two bathrooms. This was the perfect place for our wedding party to stay on site and made a warm, welcoming staging area for makeup, hair, and dressing. The surrounding lawn and garden are beautifully maintained, and sheltered by the trees that surround it, it makes a comfortable area to receive guests, play games, and celebrate no matter the weather.


Its ceremony area is among the most extraordinary little gems in the area. Sheltered by trees, you cannot see the road, but the Bay and the hills beyond feel close. You are hidden away high atop the hill, behind the house, where Vivien and Michael will stage benches and an arch for your use. A small road allows you to drive some of your less mobile guests easily to the top of the hill. The cows grazing in the neighboring fields add to an already picturesque scene.


It was perfect for us.


Logistically, there’s a lot to appreciate about Straus Home Ranch. Parking is generous, allowing thirty cars to comfortably find a space. Rental toilets are already present and Michael keeps a number of heat lamps, blankets, and lawn games on hand. If, like us, you wanted a little privacy for your wedding night, there is even a beautifully decorated studio off of the main house.


Finally, the converted barn is an amazing place to host a party! It was a cold and blustery evening after our wedding, but because of its heated floors, the inside couldn’t have been more comfortable. There was room for dancing, dinner, a bar, a DJ, our caterers working behind curtains, and still there was room to spare.


There are a lot of people in the wedding business that can make what should be one of the happiest moments in your life into a bit of a nightmare, but Vivien and Michael are the real treasure of this place.


If you have the pleasure of working with them, you will find them attentive, kind, and full of good ideas and recommendations with connections to some of the better caterers, florists, and planners in the area. Michael was there the day of the wedding, working in the background to bring heat lamps where they were needed, to make sure the fire pit was all set up for s'mores, and checking in to make sure everything was working perfectly.


My partner and I truly cannot recommend Straus Home Ranch enough.


(Photo Credit: Molly Kate Photography)

The venue was absolutely beautiful. The location is great, Michael & Vivien were so helpful and great to work with. They were so welcoming and personable.

The second we set foot on the property, we KNEW. This is the place. It's stunning and upscale, but also so, so relaxed and unfussy. They have thought through the details, but nothing feels formulaic. So many of the other venues feel like a "wedding factory." Straus feels like a luxe weekend at a family lake house. The owners are flexible, communicative, and kind. They have stellar relationships with all of the local vendors.

We felt our wedding was perfect, but to hear over and over again from our guests, "this is the BEST wedding we've ever been to" was just magic!