Many couples dream of a Wine Country wedding, and with good reason. This is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and offers so many perfect wedding venues. Let’s explore some of the resources available for the couple planning their nuptials and for guests attending the wedding.
Wedding Venues
Just as weddings come in all sizes, so do the various venues. From expansive grounds or floral-lined gardens to great halls or cozy rooms, there is the right venue for every type of wedding. As smaller weddings and elopements gain in popularity, more wineries and lodgings are able to offer accommodations.
The Wine Road website has lists and links to both winery and lodging wedding facilities. For a list of wineries, go to the Wineries page, and then under “Search by Amenity,” select Wedding Facilities. You’ll get a list of 21 wineries to pick from. Many of the wineries also have wedding coordinators to help you locate caterers, florists, photographers, and other recommended vendors help to make your wedding picture perfect.
For a list of lodgings that offer wedding venues, go to the Lodging page, and do the same steps. This time you’ll get a list of 46 lodgings that offer wedding facilities. That is a total of 67 options between the wineries and lodgings! Not bad.
Another excellent resource is the Sonoma County Tourism website. The Tourism wedding section also provides links to venues and lodgings (many of them repeats from those found on the Wine Road website), along with a wedding guide, tips on transportation, and some recommendation for where to host your rehearsal dinner.
Lodgings
Planning a Wine Country wedding includes getting all the details perfect for the day, and also ensuring the guests are comfortable as well. The Wine Road’s lodging members offer a range of accommodations, from quaint bed & breakfasts to luxurious inns to comfortable multi-room hotels. The lodgings are happy to work with visitors to arrange blocks of rooms or let you rent the entire lodging for your wedding party, and possibly even for the wedding itself. To check out all the options, visit the Lodging page on the Wine Road website. You can search by the lodgings name, by the region so your guests will be staying close to the wedding location, by the type of lodging, or by the amenities offered including hot tubs, breakfast, fireplaces, and a fitness center.
Activities for the Guests
Getting married in Wine Country defines a destination wedding, so take advantage of all our area has to offer. Wine tasting is an obvious choice, and again, the Wine Road website is a good place to start. Going back to the Wineries tab, you can search by the winery name, the region where the winery is located, the wines produced, or by a long list of amenities like bocce ball, caves, gift shops, and picnic facilities. You can put together a suggested itinerary for your guests, or let them explore on their own.
If you click on the More to Do tab, you’ll see a list of other options that might appeal to your guests like Food & Wine Pairings, Tours, Restaurants, and Recreation. If you are looking for even more activities, check out the Things To Do page on the Sonoma County Tourism site to discover golf courses, canoeing and kayaking, biking, music venues, and more.
Some of the top spots on my list include a drive to our scenic coastline where you might see passing whales from the vista point at Bodega Head, or as you walk along the coastal trails. There are also many excellent beaches to visit for a relaxing afternoon or stroll on the sand. Prefer indoor activities? Consider the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, or visit one or more of the 100+ art galleries throughout the county. Then there is everyone’s favorite, Safari West, a 400-acre private wildlife preserve that’s home to animals native to Africa, including giraffes, rhinoceros, cheetahs, and numerous species of birds.
Sonoma County has so much to offer you and your guests won’t want to leave!
The Honeymoon
Last, but never least, is the honeymoon. As you’ve just read there is so much to do here, so now you just need to find a romantic lodging, close to some great dining, throw in a few activities and you have the perfect honeymoon vacation. The Sonoma County Tourism website has a page just dedicated to honeymoons, and now you have plenty of resources that are just a click away. Pour yourself a glass of wine as you start your research, and plan your memorable journey along the Wine Road.
Happy Sipping!
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