Riley, Laura, Rick and Taylor at the Big Red Barn (left to right)

We are Rick, Laura, Taylor and Riley Lowell. We moved to Calaveras County in 2013. The idea was to be closer to family and to slow down a little. Our children were in middle school and we wanted to be able to be more present as they entered high school. We were worried about the transition – both theirs and ours – but it was better than we could have hoped for.

This is what we look like in real life – Riley, Laura, Taylor, Rick (left to right)

Life in rural California is so different from life in the suburbs. The pace, the vibe, the stress, the priorities are all different – not better, but different. I thought I drove the kids around a lot in the Bay Area. Up here, I used to drive 300 miles in a week and not leave the county. We love it here and are happy to call Vida Buena Farm our home.

Creating a wedding venue was a happy accident prompted by family & friends who asked if they could get married here. At the time there was nothing but the house and lots of weeds.  But with their help we turned it into the magical place it is. Our inspiration was the amazing place we were married in the Santa Cruz mountains – private and secluded, comfortable and welcoming, and sooo very beautiful.

Our kids are now grown and (mostly) out of the house, and we’ve thrown ourselves into building the wedding venue. Having hosted almost 50 weddings, we’re proud at how much we’ve grown and learned in this process.

We’ve done a lot in the past 10 years years to make Vida Buena Farm a place where everyone feels welcome. Here’s a look back at the early beginnings.  The barn was initially Rick’s workshop which has been lovingly repurposed as reception central. The deck and tables were built during 2020 when we had little else to keep Rick busy. There’s always something going on…a new idea, a crazy vision, or something that someone wants for their special day. It all gets done eventually.

The Barn

Rick has always wanted enough property to need a tractor and to build a “shop”. With the help of a good friend he managed to finish it in just over two years. It’s better than we had hoped for.

The Herb Garden

For me, I wanted to be able to grow fresh herbs and create a beautiful, relaxing place. Building it with the help of Pamela and Britnee wasn’t pretty, nor was it relaxing. But the results exceeded my expectations. The garden attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. I could watch them for hours.

The Trellis

We needed to anchor the landscape with something substantial. Having lived in the South of Spain for a year, we wanted to try and recreate the feeling of the mediterranean gardens we so loved. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it.