Getting Married in Wine Country
When we first arrived in Sonoma we didn’t realize what a popular wedding destination it is. The first hint was when I did a Feng Shui consultation for a chiropractor, who was also a minister and married to a wine maker. She stayed quite busy officiating at weddings and then her husband sold them the wine for the reception, where one of her friends played the harp for the guests. That’s quite a nice cottage industry.
This year I’ve really had that reality reinforced. As we’ve become well known we’re increasingly approached to transport and guide larger groups. So, like most companies here we depend on the vehicles of other companies for flexibility. My favorite is Beau Wine Tours which has a great fleet of executive shuttles, and since I (Ralph) am a commercially licensed driver I’m qualified to drive the larger vehicles. So early this season we worked out an arrangement, I’m carried on the Beau rolls so that I can use their buses when I have larger groups, and in return they call me when they run short of commercially qualified drivers. It gives me a chance to catch up with the other drivers who range far and wide in wine country; helpful info when you write tour books.
Since I only drive buses for them and not limos I’ve found myself shuttling party guests to weddings. This is the scenario. Someone plans a wedding at a winery or event space, but then they realize that this really is country, and the road to get there is narrow, winding and at night pitch black. The site has limited parking and suddenly they have an image of their inebriated guests heading back down that dark winding road at the end of a great reception. Let’s hire a shuttle. Good idea!
All of this has made me consider weddings, and this interesting evolution, the wedding as vacation. Initially it seemed odd to me; asking everyone you know to travel thousands of miles to attend your wedding. But when you consider that 40% of people live in a different state than where they were born, you can figure that people are going to travel to almost half the weddings they attend. Well, why not the other half. When you have the wedding in a great destination it makes that all the more attractive.
When you see it that way wine country becomes even more attractive for a wedding. After all, you’re going to serve wine, aren’t you? How convenient, we have lots of that! So much wedding symbolism is about fertility, and this is one of the most beautifully fertile places you’ll even visit. The golden coating of pollen on our cars every morning is testimony to that. And we have wonderful hotels, restaurants, B&B’s and attractions, like 500 wineries, spas, golf, horseback riding, shopping and scenic drives.
So yes, I’ve come around. I’ve seen the light! Of course if you are planning a wedding here keep in mind that the wineries of Sonoma are much more open to hosting weddings than Napa, it’s a regulation thing. But Napa has more hotels, and the two counties are twenty minutes apart. Wine country is very conveniently located farm country with really great restaurants. It’s no wonder it’s so perfect for weddings.
Ralph & Lahni de Amicis are authors of the Amicis Winery Guides, and owners of Amicis Tours. They are authors of over twenty books on health, design, business and travel. Their iPhone Apps, The Napa Valley Wine Tour, and The Sonoma Winery Tour are a tour guides approach to these beautiful area, complete with 1000’s of photos and insights. Their articles and products can be found on the sites http://www.amicistours.com and http://www.spaceandtime.com
Wine,Tours,Napa,Sonoma,iPhone
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