13 Best Sonoma And Napa Wedding Venues According To A Local Napa Wedding Planner
Congratulations on your engagement!
By now you’ve probably popped the champagne to celebrate and told your family, your friends, your dog, and the stranger in the Whole Foods check-out line behind you about the big news. Now, it's time to dive in and actually start planning your wine country wedding and start researching Sonoma and Napa wedding venues.
If we haven’t met yet, hi! I’m Lindsey Nickel and I’m a local Sonoma and Napa wedding planner and the owner of Lovely Day Events. Since 2010, I have helped stylish, fun-loving couples (and their dogs) plan destination weddings. Our clients want the ceremony to be outside, the food to be outstanding, and the dance parties to be epic. If this sounds like you, you’re in the right place.
First, you need to choose your wedding date or at least a month. Thankfully, wine country is gorgeous and has wonderful weather from May through the first week of November. Second, it’s essential to find one of the countless wine country wedding venues that meet all of your requirements.
The Sonoma and Napa wine country area offers a full array of wedding venues. Whether you are looking for vineyard views, a luxury resort, or a winery, there is a place for you. From intimate elopements to multi-day wedding weekends for 350 people, wine country venues have something for everyone.
Before getting started there are two things you need to know about Napa and Sonoma wine country weddings, which most people don’t realize until they start talking to wedding venues. First, a winery is not permitted to serve liquor, only beer and wine. Second, the county noise ordinances do not allow amplified music after 10:00 pm, which means dancing can not go past 10:00 pm outdoors. Don’t worry though, venues have found very clever ways to adhere to these rules and still make sure your wedding is epic.
Drum roll, please! In no particular order, below are the best Napa wedding venues, the best Sonoma wedding venues, and the best Calistoga wedding venues.
Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection (Napa Valley)
Silverado Resort and Spa (Napa Valley)
Four Seasons Napa Valley (Calistoga in Napa Valley)
Harvest Inn (Napa Valley)
Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection (Calistoga in Napa Valley)
Carneros Resort (Napa Valley)
Auberge du Soleil, Auberge Resorts Collection (Napa Valley)
Beringer Winery (Napa Valley)
Beltane Ranch (Sonoma Valley)
Gundlach Bundschu winery (Sonoma Valley)
Montage Healdsburg (Sonoma Valley)
Chateau St Jean Winery (Sonoma Valley)
Cavallo Point Lodge (Sausalito)
Best Napa Wedding Venues
Stanly Ranch
Town: Napa
Style: Relaxed, elegant resort
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? yes
Capacity: 300
Situated at the gateway to Napa Valley, Stanly Ranch is one of the first venues as you enter Napa Valley. It’s ideal for couples seeking a chic, relaxed, and luxurious place to say “I do.” Stanly Ranch offers versatile spaces to host weddings from 10 to 300 guests. The wedding day begins in the Bell Suite, where you and your wedding party can get ready for the day. The lush Lavender Lawn ceremony site offers a spacious green field for you to host your outdoor ceremony, and surrounds your guests with beautiful lavender fields. Glasshouse Barn provides elegant chandeliers, an open floor plan, and floor-to-ceiling windows that open for an indoor and outdoor feel.
Why it’s a favorite:
Luxury lodging on-site
Delicious catering provided by the resort
Close to downtown Napa
If you want to know more, check out Top 5 Things You Might Not Know About Weddings At Stanly Ranch
Bell Suite - photo: Lovely Day Events
lobby - photo: Lovely Day Events
pool - photo: Lovely Day Events
Suzanne Karp Photography
Silverado Resort And Spa
Town: Napa
Style: Classic resort meets grand mansion
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? yes
Capacity: 2 - 280
Just a few short miles from downtown Napa, nestled among the foothills and towering oak trees, the historic Silverado Resort and Spa welcomes couples looking for an unforgettable venue for their wedding ceremony and reception.
With a range of stunning outdoor and indoor settings to choose from, Silverado Resort and Spa offers endless possibilities from elopements to 280 guests. The Grove is a picturesque outdoor space tucked amongst the oak trees. For smaller gatherings, the Arbor is a popular choice next to the historic Mansion. This brick garden courtyard offers both privacy and an intimate feel.
Why it’s a favorite:
Condos available to rent on-site
Golf carts to drive guests around the property
Close to downtown Napa
Multiple venue spaces to pick from for the ceremony and reception
The Mansion makes a stunning backdrop for photos
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Four Seasons Napa Valley
Town: Calistgoa
Style: Luxury resort
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? yes
Capacity: 174
This Calistoga wedding venue has everything you expect from a Four Seasons property with the wine-country touches you want for your destination wedding. Situated in the quaint town of Calistoga, Four Seasons Napa Valley is where wine, wellness, culinary, design, and weddings converge. There is a selection of indoor and outdoor spaces to tailor to your guest list and tastes.
Why it’s a favorite:
It’s a Four Seasons Resort, need we say more?
Very close to Calistoga
Relaxing and luxurious at the same time
Pen Carlson
Pen Carlson
Pen Carlson
Harvest Inn
Town: St. Helena
Style: Charming resort
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? no
Capacity: 120
Entering Harvest Inn is like arriving at the secret garden, with its grand redwood trees and storybook brick buildings. Harvest Inn is a classic wine country wedding venue. Couples can exchange vows on the Vin Rose lawn with a vineyard right behind them and the Mayacama mountains in the distance. Cocktail hour is on the stunning Manor House Lawn. Guests will dine under the stars next to the vineyard on the Vineyard View Terrace. After dinner dancing is in the Vineyard View room, which is adjacent to the Vineyard View Terrace for an indoor-outdoor feeling.
Why it’s a favorite:
Beautiful brick buildings
Stunning redwood trees
View, views, and more views of the vineyard
Lodging on site
Because you’d never expect it. One moment, you’re driving down Highway 29, the next, you’re in the middle of a tucked-away cove of redwood trees.
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection
Town: Calistoga
Style: Chic resort
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? yes
Capacity: 260
This beautiful Calistoga wedding venue is the picture of chic resort luxury. The primary wedding space is Solage's main event space, Solstice, an expertly designed indoor space that lends itself to any kind of design vision you can imagine. Huge floor-to-ceiling glass doors open to a terrace and lawn that face the soaring Palisades Mountains and a glimpse of Mt. St. Helena and provide an indoor-outdoor feel. The resort’s architecture feels like a chic Napa poolside cabana meets a San Francisco loft. This is a chic, sophisticated wedding venue with a range of services and amenities.
Why it’s a favorite:
After party at Sol Bar
Lodging on site
Chic and casual white design
Cheers Babe
Cheers Babe
Cheers Babe
Cheers Babe
Carneros Resort
Town: Napa
Style: Charming resort
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? yes
Capacity: 300
From traditional indoor weddings to unique outdoor ceremonies overlooking the vineyards and rolling hills, each space features a clean and modern design aesthetic. Surrounded by rolling hills and scenic vineyards, Carneros Resort and Spa offers several idyllic luxury wedding spaces that highlight Napa's picturesque countryside. The elevated farm-inspired design provides a unique and charming setting for a wedding. Indoor spaces feature high ceilings and an abundance of natural light, while the outdoor spaces are carefully manicured and lined with flowers and lush gardens.
Why it’s a favorite:
Charming cottages
Farm-to-table food prepared by their in-house caterer
One-of-a-kind ceremony site “The Arbor” includes a beautiful trellis and lush landscaping overlooking scenic vineyards and rolling hills.
Kim Lind
Kim Lind
Kim Lind
Kim Lind
Auberge du Soleil
Town: Napa
Style: Mountainside resort
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? yes
Capacity: 120
Exchange vows and celebrate your marriage with spectacular panoramic vista views as your backdrop at this stunning Napa wedding venue. Overlooking renowned vineyards on the valley floor and the Mayacamas Mountains in the distance, the outdoor Terrace and Ceremony Deck provide an unappalled natural setting for your dream wedding. With breathtaking views, five-star accommodations and service, and a Michelin Star-rated culinary program, weddings at Auberge du Soleil are nothing short of spectacular.
Why it’s a favorite:
The view from the ceremony deck is an 11 out of 10
Lodging on site
Michelin Star kitchen
UPDATE: Auberge now requires a full buyout of the entire resort for a wedding
Adriana Klass
Adrianna Klass
Adrianna Klass
Adrianna Klass
Beringer Winery
Town: St. Helena
Style: Historic winery
Can they serve liquor? no
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? no
Capacity: 90 for indoors and 200 for outdoors
Beringer winery is where the rich history of Napa wine-making meets modern, elegant weddings. Graced with stately 19th-century architecture, stunning redwood trees, and lush gardens, Beringer is not only one of the most beautiful properties in California's wine country but is the longest continuously operating winery in Napa. The historic Hudson House and stately Victorian provide endless photo opportunities. The redwood grove is perfect for a small or large ceremony and provides natural shade for sunny days.
Why it’s a favorite:
Exclusive use of Hudson House grounds and main floor
Lodging close in Calistoga and right next door at Alila Napa Valley (you can literally walk from it, even in heels)
2 getting ready rooms
Checkout out this stately & romantic Beringer winery wedding
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Best Sonoma Wedding Venues
Beltane Ranch
Town: Glen Ellen
Style: Bed and breakfast, private ranch
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? no
Capacity: 6 - 200
Beltane Ranch is a family-owned and operated wedding venue, bed and breakfast, winery, and ranch. It is surrounded by gardens, shaded by ancient oaks, and overlooking estate vineyards. There are endless opportunities to customize your unique wedding whether you have two guests or 200 guests. Their 105-acre property offers many different photo opportunities, a landmarked Victorian inn for your parents and wedding party, and friendly farm animals. Beltane Ranch is welcoming and a truly authentic wine country wedding experience.
One of the great perks about having your wedding at a family-owned wedding venue is that there are hardly any “let me run that up to management” when you have a question or want to do something creative.
A HUGE draw for the Beltane Ranch is that when you rent it for your wedding you have the whole property to yourself, so no random people walking to their guest room during your ceremony or party crashers.
Why it’s a favorite:
Charming yellow inn for guests
Cottage is perfect for the newlyweds to stay in
Farm animals greet you as you drive in the long driveway
Stunning oak tree for a ceremony backdrop
Very private
The Top 5 Things To Know About Planning A Wedding At Beltane Ranch
Arrowood Photography
Christophe Gentry Photography
Natura Collective
Natura Collective
Natura Collective
Natura Collective
Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Town: Sonoma
Style: classic winery
Can they serve liquor? no
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? no
Capacity: 200
Gundlach Bundschu Winery is a family-owned and operated winery and wedding venue. The dramatic beauty of their 320-acre estate allows for endless possibilities for planning your wedding. There is a huge opportunity to plan a wedding that is unique and personal to your tastes.
GunBun has two sites for weddings: The Overlook and Block 19. Both are right next to the vines and very different from each other. Like two siblings, they have many things in common, and also unique features. The Overlook is the primary wedding site and fits events of up to 200 people. Block 19 is best for smaller, more casual, and more intimate weddings.
Why it’s a favorite:
Barn is available for a rain plan, so you don’t have to worry about renting a tent at the last minute
Wine cave entrance to The Overlook wows guests
Very private wedding sites
Close to Napa and Sonoma Plaza
Top 4 Things To Know About Planning A Wedding At Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Milou and Olin Photography
Bustle and Twine
Milou and Olin Photography
Milou and Olin Photography
Montage Healdsburg
Town: Healdsburg
Style: Luxury resort
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? yes
Capacity: 450
Tucked in the Sonoma hills, Montage Healdsburg offers a unique selection of indoor and outdoor venues for any style of wedding, from glamorous a ballroom to an intimate ceremony on the lawn overlooking the vineyards. A wedding at Montage Healdsburg always feels private and romantic.
Why it’s a favorite:
Luxurious lodging on-site
Multiple ceremony, cocktail, and reception spaces to pick from
Close proximity to Healdsburg yet feels away from any hustle and bustle
Carrie Patterson Photography
Carrie Patterson Photography
Katy Gray Photography
Chateau St Jean Winery
Town: Kenwood
Style: winery that feels like a private estate in France
Can they serve liquor? no
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? no
Capacity: 400
If you want an elegant, French chateau with a vineyard backdrop, without planning a wedding in France, look no further. From formal French-inspired gardens to a grand lawn, to an arbor Chateau St. Jean has multiple event spaces that you can mix and match for your wedding day. The comfortable and romantic outdoor areas create a sophisticated, yet relaxed ambiance surrounded by lush vineyards, picturesque mountains, shaded gardens, mature redwoods, and expansive lawns, with the Chateau as an elegant backdrop.
Why it’s a favorite:
All the gorgeous scenery of a French chateau without the jet lag
Meticulously maintained gardens and landscape
Mix and match the different spaces to create a unique wedding experience
Check out this French-inspired real wedding at Chateau St Jean
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Cavallo Point Lodge
Town: Sausalito
Style: charming, historic, and Golden Gate Bridge views
Can they serve liquor? yes
Can dancing go past 10:00 pm? yes
Capacity: 250
History and luxury meet at Cavallo Point. This wedding venue offers truly unique and distinctive indoor and outdoor wedding spaces. This Bay Area wedding venue provides unparalleled views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay. For the ceremony, two options are the historic Mission Blue Chapel or the lawn with the Golden Gate Bridge peeking out as you say “I do”, both of which are very memorable.
Why it’s a favorite:
Lodging on-site
Indoor and outdoor ceremony and reception options
Unparalleled views of the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge
Melissa Habegger Photography
Melissa Habegger Photography
Melissa Habegger Photography
Melissa Habegger Photography
Melissa Habegger Photography
Melissa Habegger Photography
Calistoga Wedding Venues
Calistoga is a small town in the north end of Napa Valley. It's known for hot springs, mud baths, wineries, its charming small-town feel, and, of course, weddings. If you’re looking specifically for Calistoga wedding venues, our favorites from the Napa above section are Solage and Four Seasons Napa Valley.
If you are planning a Sonoma or Napa wedding and want to talk about finding a wedding venue that you’ll love, use the form below to contact us.
