Are you a history buff? Do you see a “Southern Elegance” party? Do you envision a “Gone with the Wind” vibe to your wedding day? Look no further than to select Gibson House in downtown Woodland, CA. The Yolo County Historical Museum operates this beautiful home which was built in the 1850’s. It is on the National Register of Historic Places – so it’s the real deal. The Vixens made a visit during the Holidays on a very rainy weekend, but the interior of the house was warm, inviting and charming. Because Gibson House is a museum, there are wonderful exhibits on display; learning about the early days of the property, the founder and owner, and the ranch setting.  If you hold a social event or a wedding on the grounds of Gibson House, your guests may wander about the inside of the house. An additional fee is charged to have the interior of the house open with a docent guide available for this opportunity, but it’s worth the viewing.

The grounds of this property are lovely. There is a Victorian herb garden, fruit trees, and interesting outbuildings such as a root cellar.  Logically it would be awesome to set a wedding ceremony in front of the prominent mansion so it serves as a backdrop. A dinner reception can be held under the canopy of an olive grove or under Heritage Valley oaks; there is plenty of shade and lots of space to utilize. Imagine lawn games, croquet, badminton, or corn hole all while sipping a Mint Julep or Sweet Tea – get into the mood and feel of this estate; stepping back in time is easy at Gibson House. We adored the barn area behind the house with its large handsome built-in bar and awesome antique displays. Guests can enter into the barn to pick up a drink, check out the artifacts and then head to the dance floor that is covered by a vine-covered pergola. There is even a blacksmith shop next to the barn where you can hire the services of a local artisan for performance purposes… the men would find this very interesting!

Gibson House is an excellent price point for all that is offered – there are no restrictions on catering and an assembling catering kitchen is on site. There are also picnic tables that come with the grounds rental. Brides can utilize a dressing area with all the necessary amenities. In addition to all of this, they have full day rental time periods or hourly – the staff is flexible and accommodating with a variety of wedding package options.

We appreciate our Vixen photographer Allison Stahl Photography for fighting the rainy elements on our site visit. We added a few more photos from Gibson House’s website to show fair-weather images!

~ Vixen Lora