As my faithful readers know, I graduated from ACPWC (Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants) and also earned my “Professional Wedding Consultant” title there – my solid foundation for my work as a wedding planner and designer, my starting point and everyday resource. I loved that school! But ACPWC is way more than only a school – it’s a nationwide professional organization for wedding industry professionals with a continuing education program for members. Part of that are organized  site and venue visits. And here we are: the Spring Tour this year – a whole day of wedding venue visits – went to the SF Wine Country. To Napa Valley, to be exact; membership chair Angie Mack had again outdone herself in putting all that together! Deborah Moody, our tireless Executive Director, came with us, and Social Media Chair Miranda Meisenbach recorded and posted right away what we ladies were up to during the day.

And here we go: starting point was the Springhill Suites Marriott Napa Valley hotel, where we were not only treated to a tour of the property, but to breakfast and a Welcome Bag as well!

It’s a newer property offering the Wine Country Wedding experience at a moderate price point, but with everything one expects from a Wine Country getaway – pool and fitness center, 100 all-suite guest rooms, ball rooms and a tent for weddings up to 250 guests, as well as a ceremony lawn where a Tuscan-style setting is a beautiful backdrop for a wedding ceremony.

OR – the ceremony could be held at the quaint St. Joan of Arc Cathedral Church in nearby Yountville…

It has retained the simple charm of a little village church “that Time forgot…”

Another unexpected discovery was to follow right away: stylish North Block hotel in Yountville. Never heard of it? Me neither… it’s got a new owner, a new name, and a beautiful new makeover and concept for weddings!

With the nostalgic appeal of a Mediterranean village, a central plaza where the onsite restaurant puts out tables and chairs and where brides can say their vows at the antique fountain on the plaza, the 20-room luxury boutique hotel is a total secret even to wedding industry insiders. A beautiful pool was beckoning … (as you can see, it was the perfect hot summer day in the Wine Country!)

… and the hotel’s Redd Wood restaurant looked just as inviting, with lots of French bistro character and unique design touches:

North Block is, by the way, dog-friendly for ceremony and outside cocktail hour, so bring your furry friend, as ring bearer or as witness to your nuptials! North Block also offers a unique approach to planning an intimate Wine Country Wedding – a hotel buyout. Just imagine to have the whole little “village” to yourselves and your closest friends and family who’d occupy the guest rooms; you could be married right there on the plaza, have your cocktail hour there and dine in that wonderfully nostalgic “pizzeria” (where the chef will customize your gourmet menu – don’t be fooled by the “pizzeria” sign in the window!!) – and then you can dance under the stars. North Block can accommodate weddings of ca. 50 guests – so, small affairs only – but that they do in high style!

After lunch at Pacific Blues Cafe on the Yountville “town square,” we went to visit the Domaine Chandon winery where exquisite “bubblies” are produced in the French method, “methode Champenoise.” Go and try the finished product – it’s delicious!

The Champagne develops in huge barrels – or rather, tanks! – it’s really impressive:

… and then you can sit back in the ultramodern tasting room and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy…

… which we did, later! First we toured the beautiful property which is extremely sought-after for elegant weddings. Small wonder…

… especially since only six (SIX!!) can be held there per year! But just look at the possibilities:

Shaded lawns with views of the valley, intimate patios and grottos, a dining room (Etoile, a true star – of the Michelin variety, no less!) in a streamlined modern design – Chandon can accommodate elegant weddings from 12 to 120. A dream! And then we wrapped up with their rosé Champagne on the patio. We could have just stayed there for the rest of the day…

… but more site visits were awaiting! Next stop: the combined property of Vintage Estate (super dog-friendly!!) and Villagio Inn and Spa –  another Italian/French fantasy with more than 200 beautiful guest rooms, flowing waterways, palm trees and blooming flowers everywhere.

It’s a whole little Mediterranean town in itself with restaurants, pools, and a world-class spa… and what’s even more, the “old” spa building was converted into a get-ready house for the bridal party, with a sitting room, mani/pedi/hair/make-up room, its own steam sauna and pool AND its own kitchen! Can be rented for the whole wedding day… simply fabulous! Ceremonies for small parties as well as for large weddings can be accommodated on site…

… followed by cocktails, dining and dancing – under the stars or in the rustic-nostalgic “Barrel Room” until two in the morning…

Make it a whole destination wedding weekend for yourselves and for your guests – so much to do! There is a golf course, tennis courts, pools, the spa and the restaurants, the quaint little town of Yountville and the beauty of the Wine Country beyond. It’ll be unforgettable for everyone!

Last visit of the day was to Black Stallion Winery on the world-famous Silverado Trail:

Situated on the grounds of an old equestrian estate, Black Stallion Winery offers a spectacular setting for a California Wine Country Wedding experience. Terraces and patios and several indoor spaces – including the historic Barrel Room – lend themselves to flights of wedding design fancy, blooming, romantic, rustic, nostalgic – as you like it!

Not even to mention Black Stallion’s world-class wines to accompany any meal… your guests will be in Bacchus’ Heaven! (as were we ourselves, after all that delicious wine tasting…)

With that, our excursion concluded – we were all so full of new impressions, exciting (wedding) possibilities, so exhausted and so happy! What an incredible tour!

Last weekend, I made an incredible discovery: a hidden gem of a wedding venue in the Bay Area Wine Country! It’s totally unknown, totally private and secluded, it’s a beautiful enchanted garden, it’s even dog-friendly… what else can I say? It’s simply a treasure.

Sylvan Lake is high up in the mountains above picturesque St. Helena, but even after having lived in the Bay Area for more than a decade, and – of course – having visited the Wine Country countless times, I had no idea that Sylvan Lake existed, or where it might be. And just driving by, you would never suspect what’s hidden behind this unassuming driveway. Nor would the owners want it to be any other way.

John and Luise bought the property fifty years ago. Yes, fifty. And they’ve been working on it every single day, making it better and more beautiful, modernizing it inside while keeping the romantic facade overgrown with ivy – a storybook house. And, of course, they’ve lovingly tended to the gardens, and – as you will see – it shows.

The  most amazing thing, however, is, that the two wish to share the beauty and romance of their hidden treasure with others, to make young couples’ special day – even more special. And so, for many years, they’ve opened their doors for weddings, but never more than just 15 a year – so they can focus on every single event. John has amassed a whole inventory of things that you’d expect to have to bring: he has heat lamps and props, he’ll string dozens of Chinese lanterns across the expanse of the lawn and hang them from the trees, he’ll provide bar tables, market umbrellas and small patio lights and, and… It’s his joy and pride to provide a beautiful setting for a young couple’s most beautiful event.

John’s and Luise’s house looks like straight out of a storybook:

… and this is from where the bride would walk down the aisle to where the ceremony would take place: under an enormous old olive tree:

… and when the couple is officially pronounced “husband and wife,” John will let the world know by ringing his historic bell:

whose sound literally carries throughout the valley. Talk about romance…

The wedding party can then begin on the big lawn:

….surrounded by towering trees, blooming flowerbeds and impeccably pruned boxwood hedges. When night falls, the scenery turns magical under the Chinese lanterns, and dancing starts – to whatever music you’d like, live, DJ – your choice! And with a few restrictions, you can party into the wee hours of the morning – a very rare treat! By the way, John, a trained concert pianist, keeps his Baldwin grand piano perfectly tuned at all times, and while he will not play himself – his fingers, he says, are not that nimble any more – he’ll invite whoever will play at the wedding, and with the living room windows wide open, its glorious sound fills the garden.

I begged John to play a little bit for me – and he obliged, right there – in the middle of his incessant gardening chores:

He hardly ever says no! Another thing he can’t say No to is – young couples bringing their beloved dogs to their wedding. As long as he or she is kept on a leash and supervised, John and Luise welcome canines at weddings. After all, their “Lady” and her daughter “Piglet” are the joy of their lives!

But John’s and Luise’s hospitality doesn’t stop here – for the newlyweds, they open their cute little cottage so they can spend their first night on the property:

…complete with living room, bathrooms, kitchen and bedroom under the eaves… and that is part of the package.

And even that is not all. On top of everything else, John and Luise invite the young couple to their historic farmhouse in Italy for a whole week of honeymoon! It’s a building from the 16th century, lovingly restored and modernized inside (by the indefatigable John himself, of course!), and it’s situated in a side valley of the Italian Alps, beneath Monte Rosa, in a region still untouched by tourism.

With such generosity, small wonder then that all the couples who have tied the knot under John’s and Luise’s olive tree over the years have remained friends – many of them returning to Sylvan Lake unannounced to show the two a tiny bundle, their own pride and joy. And that’s the biggest reward for John and Luise.

I am sure that by now you’re hooked! Contact me if you’d like to have your own wedding at Sylvan Lake – email [email protected]

This weekend I had the honor and the pleasure to assist my friend Duncan – none less than the famed Duncan Reyes of Events by Design (www.duncanreyes.com) – in a very hip wedding celebration at the San Francisco Design Center. You didn’t know that was possible at all, I bet! It’s a pretty spectacular and ubercool venue, I can tell you that much. AND, Wedding WOOF readers listen up: it’s dog-friendly! Unbelievable.

First things first. sfdc is located in the heart of the Design District in San Francisco at 101 Henry Adams Street – a historic brick warehouse from the outside…

…and totally hip and cutting-edge modern from the inside:

The ground floor holds up to 1,000 guests (yes, you got that right!) and the four floors rising above hold another 200 each. That should be plenty for any wedding celebration! You can rent either the first floor only or the first floor and additional floors. And the first floor is, lo and behold, dog friendly! As long as Fido is leashed and supervised, he (or she…) is welcome. So, brides and grooms, bring your beloved four-legged companion to your nuptials! Just make sure your darling can leave before the music gets too loud (not good at all for sensitive doggie ears!) or dinner is served (SF Health Code gets in the way…) You could still pack a doggie bag for doggie and send him/her home with a loving caregiver while you are dining, drinking, and dancing the night away!

Organizing a fabulous fete at sfdc isn’t that hard: They offer tables and chairs, in-house bar service, and dramatic in-house lighting. Add catering, florals, and music – there you go! Julia Wagner, Galleria Events Manager, will take care of all your needs ([email protected]), and Chuck Davis is in charge of the lighting ([email protected]).

Our wonderful couple – Mo and Jason – and fabulous Duncan Reyes added quite some more; from additional atmosphere lighting and table pinspotting (www.atmospherelights.showitsite.com)…

custom linens and stunning florals from Tanjeeryn Designs (www.tanjeeryn-designs.com)

to delicacies from Melons Catering (www.melonscatering.com) and a beautiful wedding cake from Chef Bala at The Cakemaker (www.cakemaker.net). The festivities were documented by well-known photographer Guru Khalsa ([email protected]) and first-rate musical entertainment for their guests was provided  by Synchronicity Strings (www.synchrostrings.com, ceremony and reception music)…

…followed by DJ Jason Mitchell performing (www.msdjs.net) – and, WOW, did he get the crowd going! Mo and Jason had the time of their lives, that’s for sure.

They used the sfdc ground floor for their ceremony – second floor for cocktail hour – then back to the ground floor for the rest of the evening with dinner and dancing. Perfect!

And here are a few more impressions of what YOUR wedding at the sfdc could look like:

or…

So – inspired, all your hip, urban-chic, dog-loving brides and grooms? Go for it! Happy planning!