Hummingbird Nest Ranch
A 126-acre Spanish Colonial ranch estate in the hills near Simi Valley, with a grand residence, olive groves, fountains and mountain vistas.
About Hummingbird Nest Ranch
Hummingbird Nest Ranch is a 126-acre Spanish Colonial ranch estate in the hills of Santa Susana near Simi Valley, featuring a grand 17,000-square-foot residence, olive groves, fountains and mountain vistas. Choose it for a large, flexible, late-night estate wedding with dramatic Spanish architecture, if you are prepared to build out the blank-canvas grounds with a full vendor team.
What couples love
The 126-acre estate offers multiple distinct environments, so a single wedding can feel dynamic and layered. A late 2 AM curfew with amplified music makes it ideal for a true late-night celebration. The 17,000 sq ft Colonial Spanish residence and fountain court make a stunning ceremony and entrance backdrop. The 24-hour rental and flexibility for very large counts suit big or multi-day celebrations.
Good to know
It is largely a blank canvas, so couples bring in tables, chairs, dance floors and kitchens, driving up cost. Mandatory security and valet add significant expense. Multiple weddings may occur on the property the same day, and beverage rules are restrictive.
What a wedding at Hummingbird Nest Ranch costs
Hummingbird Nest Ranch is one of the few estates that prints its site fees. Every space is a 24-hour rental (8:00 AM to 8:00 AM) and the fee buys the land, a dressing suite, restrooms with an attendant and vendor parking — everything else is brought in. Figures below are from the venue's own pages, as of September 2026.
All fees are from hummingbirdnestranch.com's space pages; the ranch has run seasonal site-fee discounts in the past (a 50% winter promotion in 2024–25), so ask what is current. Sources (accessed September 2026): Hummingbird Nest Ranch — weddings and events · Villa pricing · Garden Pavilion pricing · Accommodations · WeddingWire · The Knot.
Hummingbird Nest Ranch: capacity and spaces
126 acres in the Santa Susana hills with seven separately rentable settings, from a 17,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial villa to a lakeside lawn and a working vineyard.
A typical wedding day
3:00 PM — Getting ready in the Villa dressing suite
4:30 PM — First look at the wrought-iron gates and the fountain courtyard
5:30 PM — Ceremony in front of the Villa (west-facing — later is better in summer)
6:00 PM — Cocktail hour in the courtyard while we photograph couple portraits in the golden hour
7:15 PM — Dinner and speeches
8:30 PM — First dances and open dance floor
9:30 PM — Night portraits under the courtyard lanterns
Up to 2:00 AM — Late-night dancing
Photographing Hummingbird Nest Ranch
We have photographed here, and the two frames on this page — the veil in the Villa courtyard and the bride at the wrought-iron gates — show why the Villa is the space most couples book.
The Villa's arches, bougainvillea and fountain courtyard give a Spanish estate look that needs no styling, and the gates at the entrance throw long shadows in the late afternoon. The ceremony site in front of the Villa faces west, which means an afternoon ceremony puts the sun straight onto the couple; we either time the ceremony for the last 90 minutes before sunset or position ourselves so the backlight works for us.
Simi Valley is hot from June to September, so a 5:00 PM summer ceremony is kinder to everyone than 3:00 PM, and it lands the couple portraits in the golden hour, which is strong on every part of this property because the canyon is open to the west. With a 2:00 AM end there is time for a proper night-portrait session in the courtyard after the dancing starts.
Because the ranch is a blank canvas, the photography timeline lives or dies on the planner. There is no in-house coordinator, tables and lighting are rented in, and the required valet and security are separate contracts — build the vendor list early, and ask about drones and fireworks (fireworks are not allowed according to a local photographer's guide; the ranch does not publish a policy).
Hummingbird Nest Ranch: pros and cons
Pros
- Seven distinct settings on one 126-acre estate, from villa to vineyard to lake
- 24-hour rental and a 2:00 AM end for genuinely late celebrations
- Published, transparent site fees by space and day
- On-site lodging for the wedding party
Cons
- Blank canvas — rentals, kitchen, lighting and a planner all come in, and the venue itself suggests a $120,000 minimum budget
- Mandatory security, valet and bar vendors plus exclusive catering, rental and floral lists
- Recent reviews are mixed (4.0 on The Knot, 3.6 on WeddingWire), including complaints about music being cut early and the grounds' upkeep
- Summer heat in the valley
Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding FAQ
How much is the site fee at Hummingbird Nest Ranch?
The ranch publishes it: the Villa is $28,000–$34,000 depending on the day, the Carriage House, Grand Prix and Stables $20,000–$26,000, Lake Lawn $18,000–$24,000, the Vineyard $14,000–$18,000 and the Garden Pavilion $12,000–$16,000, with $50 per guest above 200. The venue suggests a total budget of at least $120,000 for about 150 guests once rentals, catering, security and valet are added.
What does the site fee include?
A 24-hour rental from 8:00 AM to 8:00 AM, one dressing suite, luxury restrooms with an attendant and vendor parking. Tables, chairs, kitchen, lighting and coordination are not included.
Can we choose our own caterer?
Catering, rentals and florals must come from the ranch's exclusive vendor lists unless you pay a buy-out; security, valet and bar service must use the ranch's required vendors.
When should we hold the ceremony for photos?
In summer, 5:00 PM or later: the Villa ceremony site faces west and the valley is hot in the afternoon. Later ceremonies also put couple portraits into the golden hour, which is strong across the whole property.
Similar venues we love
Explore more venues we photograph: Vibiana · Greystone Mansion · Millennium Biltmore · Calamigos Ranch.
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Photo + video from one team. Our videographers work alongside the photographers all day — one timeline, one point of contact, films delivered in 8–12 weeks. See our Los Angeles wedding videographer page.