Wedding in Napa?

My fiancee and I are planning to elope in Napa in late May? Any recommendations from others who have done this in Napa? I would prefer to exchange our vows at a winery with a to-die-for view.

Thanks!

Wedding in Napa?

KCgirl2-

You will find that most Napa wineries are not permitted for weddings, unless you are a friend of the family that owns the winery. Those that are permitted for weddings can be quite pricey.

Some folks who elope do it ';guerilla style';-- they go to the winery with a minister and witness, hike to an out of the way beautiful spot, and try to get the ceremony done (and photos taken) before being evicted from the property.

We don%26#39;t recommend this approach-- it%26#39;s illegal, and getting arrested (or at the least, kicked off the property) can put a real damper on a very special day.

You say elope- but we%26#39;re not sure what you intend. Will it be just the two of you? A few friends and family? Less than 200 people? This last comment is not intended as sarcasm-- we actually got a call a few months ago from a couple who were ';eloping'; and were planning a ';small ceremony for about 200 people, more or less';(!)

The reason we ask: If it%26#39;s just the two of you, there are lots of options (not wineries, though). Many beautiful properties can be rented or used for this type of elopement ceremony.

If you plan on having any more than just the 2 of you, technically, the county of Napa considers that a wedding ceremony, and will require that the facility have a special events permit for the occasion. At that point, things get expensive. And you really need to call it a wedding-- even if you plan on only a few friends and family.

Some folks just go to the county clerks office in Napa and get hitched, with friends and family lined up and down the aisles of the office. This is the least romantic/picturesque approach, but it%26#39;s also the most legit-- you will get a marriage license issued in your names directly from the City of Napa. It%26#39;s kinda kooky, but fun. We%26#39;ve seen this happen on mulitple occasions (hey, Napa is a small town).

If you want a to-die-for location, check out some of the more beautiful lodging properties in Napa (disclaimer: We are not permitted for weddings/elopements, and do not do them). Properties that do this frequently (Auberge, Meadowood, Churchill Manor) all have year-round special events permits for these functions, so there won%26#39;t be a special (huge) charge for pulling a permit.

You could also just google ';wedding napa'; and see what you find.

There are lots and lots of places to get wed in the Napa Valley-- you just need to figure out how many people (max) will be there, and how much you have to spend. These two things will allow you to fine tune your choices considerably.

We wish for you a future filled with joy and happiness! :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

Wedding in Napa?

After reading Russ%26#39;s explanation of permits and zoning, etc it leads me to believe that Napa Valley is one of the most regulated areas in the USA, is that right? That blows me away about the ';more than 2'; rule. I guess that%26#39;s to keep it from becoming a circus.

I%26#39;m wondering if all the other counties are that way? Napa is only one wine region in CA. If you saw the movie ';Sideways'; it was filmed in Santa Barbara county. I%26#39;ve not been there, but I%26#39;ve traveled to many other areas out there including Lodi region, all of Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The beautiful Anderson Valley has many small, family owned wineries that are rarely filled with more than a few tourists. Places like Greenwood Ridge, Roederer, well I could go on and on. It%26#39;s beautiful there and if the zoning and laws permit, I imagine it might be easier to arrange a small ceremony. Check out

http://www.avwines.com/

Maybe get married in another place and honeymoon in Napa Valley? Getting married on the coast would be very nice as well. I know places in Mendocino which help couples arrange beach weddings.

Update:

The Napa Chamber has a great page w/resources for weddings in Napa:

http://napachamber.com/dir_venues.html

There is a roll down menu on the left side of the page that also lists the following:

Wedding Services

Accommodations

Venues (the link above)

Places of Worship

Caterers

Photographers

Wedding Package

We%26#39;ve found unique restrictions in all kinds of places. Two of our friends wanted to get married in Paris-- and discovered that they needed to *live*in France for 6 months (minimum) before their marriage application would even be considered!

Different rules/regs everywhere you go. :)

Hoping this info helps any couples interested in tying the knot in Napa!

All of our best wishes,

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn