Oh to be a bride with decisions to make!
The “where” aspect of wedding planning has blossomed with opportunity. Decisions about whether to marry in one’s hometown or to plan an elaborate destination wedding are now as much a part of the marrying process as choosing the gown.
According to the Wedding Ministers Association, 80 percent of couples marry in a church or synagogue. That leaves a whole lot of brides deciding to hold weddings at home, at country clubs or hotels, or on the beach at Maui. (It’s probably worthwhile to toss in the occasional flight to a Las Vegas wedding chapel as well!)
Couples living in Sonoma have the extreme good fortune to have the above choices — and more. Much more.
The Sonoma Valley offers spectacular locales with breathtaking backdrops for weddings of all types. Picture the hilltop vistas at Nicholson Ranch or Viansa Wineries; consider the beauty of a vineyard wedding such as at Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards, or the outdoor amphitheater at B.R. Cohn Winery.
Imagine marrying in the chapel at the Mission San Francisco de Solano or the winery ruins at Jack London State Historic Park. Estate homes, elegant hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, garden settings -- you can see how a bride and groom could become overwhelmed with possibilities.
A primary factor in choosing a wedding location is cost. Site fees for weddings combined with receptions in Sonoma Valley run from $300 for four hours use of the Vintage House Senior Center Building, to over $12,000 for a weekend-long use of the entire Beltane Ranch Bed and Breakfast. The site fees for the Sonoma State Historic Parks — including Vallejo’s home, the Mission, the Barracks and Jack London State Park — run approximately $2500 for a four-hour event. The Kenwood Depot comes in at under $1000 for day-long peak-season use. Keep in mind that these figures often include exclusive use of the facility and may include a wedding coordinator for the big day. They do not include catering, bar service, or entertainment. Costs may vary according to day of the week, peak or off-peak season, and locations used on the property. Hotels such as the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa and The Lodge at Sonoma offer wedding packages priced per guest.
Other factors in determining location are the number of guests expected. On average 175 people are invited to weddings. Most wineries and hotels are able to accommodate these large celebrations as well as those of a more intimate scale.
The wine caves at Nicholson Ranch Winery and Kunde Estate Winery have been the setting for smaller wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners. The addition of tea lights and flowers dress the caves up for the festivities but doesn’t spoil the illusion of mystery stemming from being deep within the Earth’s surface.
As you would guess, the majority of wine-country weddings are held June through October, when weather doesn’t present many difficulties. For those who choose, several locations in Sonoma are available for winter and early-spring weddings. Among these are The Lodge at Sonoma, which features the Stone Building and a tented pavilion, and the ballroom at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa.
A unique location to hold a wedding in Sonoma Valley is the Kenwood Depot — a train station preserved as a historic landmark. The Depot has often been used in conjunction with the Kenwood Community Church, a historic sanctuary which welcomes wedding ceremonies of all faiths. The antique stained-glass windows, combined with the same oak chairs sat upon by worshipers a century ago, resonate a great tranquility for those marrying in the heart of the wine country.
Beautiful Places, a Sonoma company specializing in the vacation rental of distinctive homes, has five properties in the Sonoma Valley used as wedding sites. Two particular properties are the Dom Toscana in Kenwood — a Tuscan-style villa — and Lavender Hill in Bennett Valley. Patrick Totty of Beautiful Places reports that Lavender Hill is stunning and
built in the architectural style designed for Russian aristocracy.
The international flavor of many of Sonoma Valley’s wedding locations is matched by brides and grooms traveling to the Wine Country (entourage and family included) for their nuptials. Most special-event planners estimate that half of the weddings held at their sites are for Bay Area locals and the rest are “destination weddings.” Couples from as far away as Germany, Japan, New York, Chicago, and Florida have chosen to be wed in Sonoma Valley.
Whether you want to be married with a backdrop of 130-year-old French Picholine olive trees at the wine country home of The Doobie Brothers, or in the garden of the New Orleans’ inspired home of Mammy Pleasant; whether you want a wedding that invites hawks soaring over the vineyards to share your day, or one that celebrates the solemnity of your union with the ghost of Jack London not far in the background; you will never be disappointed by having chosen to be married in the Valley of the Moon.
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Jack London Sate Park is open
for outdoor ceremonies.
Photo by Rebecca Gosseline
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