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Small, intimate wedding in Napa/Sonoma - Suggestions Please!

Badger02Badger02
in California-Napa
Hi everyone,

I am looking for venue ideas to hold a wedding for about 12 people in Napa Valley or Sonoma in August or September. I'd love to host it at a small winery where we can do the ceremony, a tasting, and have a dinner in a small room. I am looking for a scenic and intimate setting. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!!

Thanks! :)
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Re: Small, intimate wedding in Napa/Sonoma - Suggestions Please!

  • Jbryant8130Jbryant8130
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I really hope somebody responds to you, I got on here hoping for the exact same thing.  I'm thinking of a destination wedding/elopement in the napa/sonoma area from about 12 to 16 friends and family in October but I haven't really found what I was looking for via google.  If you do find anything out, please feel free to pass it along! GL.
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  • vineyard*bride2010vineyard*bride2010
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I went through this last year while searching for a venue. It was a long search and it sounds like my needs were a little different. I wanted intimate, but grew to 85 people at the wedding. I found wineries in Napa were not into hosting weddings and landed in the Sonoma Valley with countless locations who were small, charming, cheaper, and more than willing to host our event. I landed at Landmark Vineyards and am completely in love with it. I'd be happy to share my notes with either one of you. I made three trips from Texas to look at venues and kept all my venu notes in a word document. Message me.


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  • BlzjillBlzjill
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Look into at Viansa Vineyard between Sonoma and Napa Valley. The vineyard is absolutely beauitful. www.viansa.com
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  • PushyPinkPushyPink
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Have you tried the website www.herecomestheguide.com?  I fount it helpful when I was searching for venues in Sonoma and Napa.  Some places I think are really nice (and that could also accommodate a smaller wedding party):Chateau St. Jean Winery, Auberge du Soleil and Calistoga Ranch (they have an elopement package for smaller wedding parties) 
    Good luck!  : )
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  • lproutenlprouten member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

     BR COHN winery has a package for 2-50 guests. Not sure of all the details. I saw it on a savvy events blog back in Jan. not sure if it was a limited time thing.

    GL

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  • elleaccountantcomelleaccountantcom
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I used Creighton at CJC Photography in January of this year and got my wedding display album and am so so happy.  I just love Creighton and his wedding photography is great.  His packages can be found at http://CJCPhoto.com/pricesand his main wedding web site is at http://CJCPhoto.com.  Price wise he is very affordable compared to others we looked at that had about the same quality of photography.



    Creighton was very professional yet fun to work with.  We got our proofs back in about a week and the display album in about 3 weeks.  I am writing this because Creighton went above and beyond with our wedding day photography so hope he see this some day!
    Elle
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  • christen_z1christen_z1
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We will be having our small wedding ceremony at Churchill Manor in Napa. We are going to have 6 guests.
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  • caseylynne21caseylynne21
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    i am actually doing this in 10 days! scary exciting the whole deal...blah blah blah...to your question...check out wine country elopements...the woman (Jackie) who runs it is amazing and the packages are customizable...you can pick from several different wineries and they include a bunch of things like cake and photography and flowers and it seems very reasonable to me...we are also going to a local restaurant afterwards for dinner that has been so helpful!!!
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  • elishabelleelishabelle member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    St. Francis vineyard is gorgeous and very suited to a small group!
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  • TaribearTaribear member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'm also having an intimate destination wedding with about 18 guests for a total of 20 people. I've already booked my date for 3/25/11 at Hans Fahden Vineyard in Calistoga (northern Napa) and couldn't be happier with the price, venue, and diversity of the property. They have Monet style gardens with koie ponds, a covered bridge, a japanese tea house with wisteria growing all over it, a volcanic ash cave where my reception will be and then vineyards in the back of the property as well. There is a grand room with a mini grand piano and 3 caves that I can use for the reception and if there's rain, the ceremony in one as well. The owners Janice and Anton are down to earth, friendly, wonderful people and will work with you. I got an unbelievable package deal that includes everything but flowers, and chose a friday for an even better price. I looked into V. Sattui Winery originally but it was so commercial and way overpriced since they charge individualy for EVERYTHING. HF doesn't charge for use of candlebras, corkage fees, linens, flatware, etc and they don't demand you use a florist if you choose to do the flowers yourself. Hans Fahden is absolutely my dream come true and ALL of my guests as well as my fiance and I are thrilled and excited to experience everything this property has to offer. Additionally, since we're all from out of town, I chose Mount View Hotel in Calistoga (right in the middle of the town) about 10 min from the vineyard to block rooms and my whole group will be staying there. After the wedding we plan to go back and change then WALK to local bar/restaurant or lounge by the pool/jacuzzi as a post reception after hours. You can either contact Enchanting Elopements (whom my package is through) or www.hansfahden.com for informaiton. Good luck!
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  • sacgirl1975sacgirl1975
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hans Fahden Vineyard in Calistoga is fantastic! Attended a wedding there and it was beautiful....Also, if you are looking for a reasonably priced wedding videographer. Look at Reel to Real Video (www.reeltorealvideo.com). They are good for people on a budget. They shot my wedding and it was fantastic! Only $1595 for ceremony til last dance coverage with 2 videographers and 4 cameras
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  • cew1113cew1113
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Mine will be in September at St Francis Winery.  Gorgeous setting with a dining room to accomodate smaller parties.  We have a planner through A-Dream-Wedding.com.  There are so elopment suggestions on that site.  Good Luck :)
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  • BreeZ1299BreeZ1299
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Just an FYI you will be very limited on wineries that can host Ceremonies in Napa (as V. Sattui helped pass a law that wineries built after his could not hold a ceremony).  Your best bet for an all inclusive winery will be in Sonoma County or even Fairfield-Suisun area (the wineries there are up and coming...my SIL has worked at 2 of them) or even Lodi.
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  • elamela84elamela84
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I live in wine country and have always dreamed of a wine country wedding... sounds like you would both love a place like Calistoga Ranch... it's an Auberge property but is amazing veiws! Amazing location... calistoga is in the same valley as napa and just as prestigious... it's considered a slightly still hidden gem by locals... because St. Helen, Napa, and Sonoma tower over it in tourism... but you'll pay more for those hot spots... plus Napa has a Moratorium on wedding ceremonies at wineries so the only places that allow weddings are booked booked and very expensive... you can see Calistoga Ranch on their website and they have elopement packages.... I don't work for the company but I was considering the location myself... but I don't need the elopement part and am entertainly more like 80... so we may have grown out of it... :(... but you can live that dream for me I hope!!!
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  • skrog662skrog662
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We just booked our wedding at the White House Inn & Spa - it's a bed and breakfast but they had great wedding packages. I'm in Wisconsin and won't be able to make it out there until later next year. The onsite wedding coordinator has been AMAZING - very helpful! Everything was included except for the reception/dinner which was fine, we want to do that somewhere else anyways. It's not a winery, but bed and breakfasts are charming and accomodating.
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  • Christina7308Christina7308
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Can you please let me know the information on your location please. I'm looking for locations near napa or sonoma also, I also started out small but looks like we will have 60-80 guest. Thank you
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  • tombridetombride
    First Comment
    Dear Taribear!

    i hope hoep hope that yo uwill reply my msg.
    HOw can i send you a personal msg? owuld like to know more about your wedding experience at  Hans Fahden, do you recommend it, how the food was and how is the location(cos the pictures are old)

    i'm planning destination - from asia!

    thank you so much and hope hope hope yo uwill reply!
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  • eenjettieenjetti
    First Comment
    In Response to Re: Small, intimate wedding in Napa/Sonoma - Suggestions Please!:

    Hi, not sure if you still log into this account but if so, would you be able to send me that list of places you looked at in Napa/Sonoma??  I'm on the east coast and don't foresee myself traveling to CA anytime soon.  My fiance and I are really considering having a very small but elegant wedding there and could use some help.

    Thanks!
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  • cjohn002cjohn002 member
    First Comment
    PushyPink said:
    Have you tried the website www.herecomestheguide.com?  I fount it helpful when I was searching for venues in Sonoma and Napa.  Some places I think are really nice (and that could also accommodate a smaller wedding party):Chateau St. Jean Winery, Auberge du Soleil and Calistoga Ranch (they have an elopement package for smaller wedding parties) 
    Good luck!  : )

    Calistoga Ranch Elopement Package

    $3,700.00 — Ceremony Location

    image Officiant

    image Photographer for One Hour

    image Hair & Makeup for One

    image Floral Includes Bouquet, Boutonniere and Rose Petals

    image Sparkling Wine Toast and Hand Passed Canapés

    image Two-Tiered Wedding Cake

    image Available for 2-10 Guests***

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  • cjohn002cjohn002 member
    First Comment
    I wanted to suggest we should just create a forum Sticky that we can each add onto with places that we have already found site/package pricing...I have come across at least 20 or 30 of them that would be easy to copy and paste....
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  • laudie3laudie3 member
    First Comment
    Try Nicholson Ranch - they have a beautiful cave that has room for a small group to eat or they have a room upstairs that is slightly larger. If you want to take a look at a non-winery you could look at Saddles/MacArthur Place. My brother got married there with about 50 people and it would be just as beautiful with a small group
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  • SpringBride216SpringBride216 member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    I'm smack in the middle of venue hunting right now (ugh - kind of ready for this part to be over!) and would suggest the following places for a more "intimate" Napa/Sonoma wedding:

    Hans Fahden
    Cline Cellars
    Simi Winery

    A lot of the smaller B&B/boutique hotels in the Napa/Sonoma area are available to host more intimate weddings too. 
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