What to know about selecting a Napa Valley Wine Country wedding venue

Let’s dive into Napa Valley Wine Country wedding venues and their unique differentiations in booking considerations from other California wedding venues.

There are fewer places more beautiful than Northern California’s Wine Country, which primarily includes the counties of Sonoma and Napa.  

During the wedding high seasons in May through June or September and October, the rolling hills covered in vineyards are absolutely stunning.  Springtime has crisp blue skies contrasted against vibrant green hills and autumn sees the vines changing colors to warm golden hues.  

Picturing the vineyards as your wedding backdrop and it’s easy to see why couples travel from all over to have a destination Wine Country wedding.

The Wine Country is further inland from the coast, but it still enjoys milder weather than the Central Valley.  Spring and fall have lovely warm days and cool evenings that would require a sweater or jacket.  

Winter is wet and summer can be hot, but with so many gorgeous indoor wedding venues available, it’s not hard to find a wedding site that will offer a beautiful, yet comfortable, space for your festivities.  

As a world-class destination for weddings and tourists alike, planning a year or more ahead to ensure you can book your first-choice wedding ceremony and reception site will be key — especially for dates during the high season.  

Booking ahead will also ensure you can reserve a hotel block for your guests and arrange any necessary transportation.  Transportation is an important consideration because many wineries can be tucked away in the hills and major airports are at least an hour away.  
Along with the many varietals of wine in Wine Country to taste, there are just as many wineries with different styles, vibes and personalities to visit.  From large grand estates and gardens for the traditional or classic wedding styles, visit V. Sattui or Vintner’s Resort, for a smaller more intimate venue, Ru’s Farm might be the perfect fit. 
Although it’s hard to escape wine or wineries in the Wine Country, more unique and eclectic venues can be found too — like the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena or getting married on the Napa Valley Wine Train as it moves through Wine Country.

With so many options available to you, finding the perfect venue in the Wine Country may be easier if you know the area or know people who know the area.  If not, consider hiring a local wedding planner to help you navigate the various wedding sites and rules or limitations they might have.

Once you’ve narrowed down where you want to be married, be sure to read our Step By Step Guide to Picking the Perfect Wedding Venue  to help you focus and narrow down your wedding venue search.  It also includes an extremely helpful Venue Question Guide to bring along when you start touring wedding sites.  

Once you have your perfect wedding venue secured, you can start booking the rest of the wedding professionals you’ll need for a dream wedding.  How much time you have before your date will determine the timeframe for when you need to book whom.

For a good guide on what other wedding vendors to book and when to book them, just add your wedding date and location on Event Hollow and it will automatically recommend by date when each service should be booked.   

Common Wine Country Venue Limitations

Many wineries will only serve their own wine events hosted on their grounds, or they may have a prearranged agreement with another winery if it’s a wine they don’t offer, like champagne.  

Additionally, many wineries may only allow beer and wine to be served at your wedding reception, per their liquor license, so having a craft cocktail bar won’t be an option for a reception cocktail hour.  

There may also be noise and sound ordinances as well, meaning that parties with a band, DJ, or a loud emcee will have to stay under a certain volume as well as need to be OFF by a certain time, and depending on the ordinance, the entire event might have to be done by a non-negotiable end time too.  

So if serving a specific wine, champagne or cocktail is vital, or dancing all night is a must for your perfect wedding, then be sure to ask all these questions and more when calling and finding out information about Wine Country wedding reception sites. 

Key Considerations

High season: May-June, Sept.-Oct.,  (most busy and requested dates)

Low season: Jan

Trends for the area: Across Napa and Sonoma counties there are many different types of venues. From large estates like V. Sattui or Vintner’s Resort to smaller venues like Ru’s Farm.

There are more than just vineyard venues in wine country. Check the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena or Barndiva in Healdsburg or Ray, or You can even get 

Things to keep in mind: Wine country can get very busy during harvest season and during the various festivals throughout the summer. The height of summer can be very hot and makes outdoor weddings potentially uncomfortable. Indoor weddings can be a good alternative during the hot months. Wine country can have major limitations liquor licenses, sound, and end-time of your event. married on the wine train in Napa!

Congrats and have fun planning!

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected] We’re always happy to help!







Expert Advice, VenuesJennifer Edmon