Bay area/wine country wedding venue help?

June 2, 2014 5:13 PM

My fiancée and I are getting married next year, and are looking for venues in/near wine country, or elsewhere in the Bay area. We would like an all-in-one facility, so have been looking at large houses to rent so far, which have the added bonus of letting the wedding party sleep on site, but are open to other possibilities. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice for this search?

(Additional details, if helpful: we would of course like to keep cost down as much as possible; no meal at the reception, substantial grazing food instead; want to have a genuine all-ages party atmosphere; nearby lodging and activities for out-of-state and international guests desirable.)

posted by LooseFilter to Grab Bag (11 answers total)

What seems to be a good resource is the 7x7 Magazine wedding site. It will give you a good idea of the look of various venues as seen by the wedding party, i.e., not promo photos for the site itself. Then there are links to the venues' websites (and caterers, etc.). And some of the locations are fantastic.
posted by janey47 at 5:39 PM on June 2, 2014

I have not been there myself, but a colleague of mine is getting married at the Mountain Home Inn in Mill Valley. There is a place for the wedding, the reception, and a number of rooms where the wedding party could stay the night.

Good luck with your search!
posted by toofuture at 5:40 PM on June 2, 2014

We attended a wedding at the The Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley. It's not a house, but it is a rental facility with a nice outdoor area for the ceremony, a large space for the reception, and a stone patio for drinks and appetizers. The wedding we attended had dinner from an outside caterer, so you're not stuck with the in-house food options.
posted by barnone at 7:01 PM on June 2, 2014

My friends got by a beautiful pond and then we all ate in a beautiful cave
http://www.hansfahden.com/weddingsevents.html
posted by jander03 at 7:14 PM on June 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

My nephew got married at Murieta's Well, which is a Wente Brothers property in Livermore (where there is a spring that is supposed to have been discovered by Joaquin Murieta). It was an amazing wedding, the food was great, and the setting was lovely. IIRC, this was a bit less expensive than Napa or Sonoma. There are tons of other wineries in the Livermore Valley that are possible venues.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 8:28 PM on June 2, 2014

A while back I stayed with a friend's wedding party at Blakeman's Casa in Sonoma. Enjoyed the hot tub, pool, pool table, and garden, as well as the spacious house. It's a short drive from main town, or wineries for tastings...
posted by unsub at 8:36 PM on June 2, 2014

My wife and I had an amazing wedding at Hans fahden Winery in Calistoga. Gorgeous grounds. You may miss out a bit since they have a wine cave for serving dinner which adds to the special feel.

We set up a shuttle for folks between the site and down town Calistoga and everyone stayed in Calistoga for the most part which has a wide range of lodging choices. Plus there's a few bars in town to keep the post nuptials party going. Memail me if you want more details.
posted by bitdamaged at 9:06 PM on June 2, 2014

A workmate of mine had his wedding at this gorgeous vineyard in Pleasanton (east bay). Everything about it was excellent.
posted by colin_l at 9:40 PM on June 2, 2014

My friend got married at this really cool place called the Cornerstone in Sonoma. I don't really know how to explain it - it's sort of a garden/art place, there's a barn, sculpture gardens...very pretty and unusual
posted by radioamy at 9:40 PM on June 2, 2014

I got married at Vintner's Golf Course. It was cheap, does everything you want (other than sleeping at the venue) and is really beautiful despite the low-quality of their website. Pretty sure we got out of there for about $5k (for 125 people), which included a three-course meal, ceremony and reception. That was in 2008, so YMMV.
posted by guster4lovers at 9:58 PM on June 2, 2014

I don't know what your budget is, but check out Hayes Mansion. It's in romantic San Jose, but it looks glorious and the menu sounds amazing
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:51 AM on June 3, 2014