THE NEW RANCHO
An interview with Jeannie Lawrence, Rancho Las Lomas Photos by Barnet Photography
church beams. The couple culled inspiration from their adventures. They decided to use old doors, windows, lumber and commissioned an artist to replicate a tile mural they saw in Portugal. Drawn to the sprawling nature of European villages, they scattered the Ranch with charming bungalows. And they brought animals. Jeannie had stayed at a sanctuary for Bengal tigers and was drawn to the creatures. When the Lawrences discovered one of their employees had a license to exhibit foreign animals, they ushered their Ranch into a new phase: zoological garden. Countless brides have fallen under the charms of Rancho Las Lomas, raving about the interconnected terracotta walkways and roses lining the stone pathways. Current brides have even more to be excited about. “We are opening the Ranch in ways we haven’t before,” Jeannie says. “We are opening smaller bungalows and outdoor spaces for brides who want a more intimate wedding.” Brides can now capitalize on a backyard family estate feeling. They can choose from a ceremony held under flowering apple trees or nuptials by a Spanish style bungalow. Whatever they select, one thing is certain, their guests will be transported. Not to a specific place since Rancho Las Lomas is a patchwork of times and places, but to a magical land built on a deep love of family and adventure.
“We are opening smaller bungalows and outdoor spaces for brides who want a more intimate wedding.”
The key threads of Jeannie Lawrence’s life – love for family, love for travel, and love for animals – are all carefully woven together at Rancho Las Lomas, Jeannie’s sprawling 23-acre facility in South Orange County. Nestled in the hills of Silverado, the Ranch offers brides a unique side of the OC, away from the expected seaside wedding venues. Perhaps most intriguing is the host of animals on the Ranch. Wedding guests can observe zebras, tigers, and even alpacas, all on exhibit throughout the estate. While the Ranch is expansive and exciting, it still has a sense of a family home – because that is exactly what it is. “My late husband, Rick, and I wanted to create a place for family and friends,” Lawrence says. 25 years ago, Rick and Jeannie discovered the nameless plot of land. Peppered with orange trees and undeveloped, it was a blank canvas for the Lawrences. While it now has a distinctly Spanish flair, it is a composite of the couple’s personal memories. “We created the Ranch based off of our favorite places,” Jeannie says. And not just favorite places, though the architecture is reflective of Spain, Portugal, and Italy but favorite images – sprinkled hillsides, colorful tile
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