I am interested in planning a destination wedding in the California wine country. We are hoping to marry early next year, but are willing to put it off a few months for a more favorable setting. When is a good time for beautiful scenery?

We will be going out there to scout out some settings. Does anyone have locations they would recommend. We are expecting approx 60-75 guests. I am a Martha-Stewart-type, if that helps.

Ferrari-Carrano

Are you looking for a large or smaller more intimate venue?
Viansa is beautiful-very Italian. I got married at Trentadue-VERY small-lovely.

If you're the Martha Stewart type, may I suggest the Napa County Jail?

How about MacArthur Inn - I think it's in Sonoma... I believe they have a website, my boss stays there all the time and said it's lovely.

The time of year is critical primarily if you are planning any part of your wedding to be outdoors. It is always beautiful in Napa and Sonoma, but between mid-October and mid-April you definitely risk rain. On the other hand, it almost NEVER rains from May through September. That is our weather pattern out here.

Friends of mine from Canada were married in Napa a few years ago and since so many people were coming from elsewhere, they set up a "wedding website" where they included other activities in the Napa Valley, restaurant recommendations, driving instructions from the SF airport, etc. I thought that was a great idea.

There are so many possibilities, you will have a wonderful time looking for the right place!

Yes-forgot to give you weather info. Our wedding was March 28th-and we planned for 16 months an outdoor ceremony-turns out, we had rain the night before-so it was moved for sure into the brand new cellar room-which was magnificent-totally italian etc...sunny the monring of the wedding, and, the ceremony beginning at dusk- actually snowed-sideways...so technically it was blizzarding..it was very dramatic!-but if you want outdoor-do it later than March 28th!

Me again-i'm apparently not doing well on reading your post. Venue size-ours was also 60-70 guests. And frankly, Alexander or sonoma is a thousand times more romantic than Napa.
www.trentadue.com

You will be hard-pressed to find a quiet place in Napa. We couldn't believe how loud the traffic was there- and we went in April! Sonoma was lovely, though. Ferrari is an excellent choice. At the very north of Napa Valley, Chateau Montelana is exquisite- a Japanese-inspired lake with swans, pagodas, willows. It's breathtaking. I know they don't allow picnics, but I would check into it for a wedding. The original building is ivy-covered and looks like a castle.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Based on the comments, I will focus my research on Sonoma vs Napa. The Ferrari-Carano winery looks beautiful. I have contacted them to see if they allow weddings on their property.

Wente Winery in Livermore (45 miles east of San Francisco) is in a quiet setting in the foothills. We've been to a wedding here in April. It was a cool evening and they had the heaters out. The setting was beautiful. The food was excellent.

You do have to worry about rain at this time of the year, but April & May are when the hills are still green and beautiful. By June the hills turn brown.

http://www.wentevineyards.com/wed_cater.shtml

Utahtea

ps...by first week in April EVERYTHING is blooming, and it's gorgeous!

I don't know if you have planned your wedding yet, but I am getting married June 9, 2003 at V. Sattui. While Napa is more crowded than Sonoma, most weddings are at night after the wineries are closed. The Valley is pretty quiet after 6 pm. I would recommend looking at Hans Fahden and V. Sattui in Napa. In Sonoma, look at Cline Cellers, Paradise Ridge, and Viansa. There is much more to do in a compact area in Napa. Sonoma is very spread out and seems to lose some of the appeal. Best of luck to you!