Your Guide to Planning a Sonoma Wedding Weekend
Your wedding will be a once-in-a-lifetime event, so why celebrate for just one day? The trend of throwing an entire wedding weekend isn’t going anywhere, and for good reason. From catching up with far-away friends and family at the welcome party to indulging in a delicious farewell brunch, setting aside a weekend to celebrate your wedding allows for an unhurried pace and unbridled enjoyment—things that just aren’t possible when cramming everything into a single day.
As a Sonoma wedding planner, I’m admittedly partial to having your wedding weekend in California’s beautiful Wine Country! Whether you’ve started planning a Sonoma wedding weekend or you’re curious about celebrating in this premier destination, you’ve come to the right place. Join us as we explore the advantages of a wedding weekend in Sonoma, the best locations for a rehearsal dinner, and more.
Why You Should Have a Sonoma Wedding Weekend
All the attractions that make Sonoma a fantastic vacation spot also make it a great place for a wedding weekend! From sampling the region’s world-class wines to hiking in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park or the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, you and your guests won’t run out of things to do. The cities of Sonoma and Healdsburg, with charming downtowns full of shopping and dining destinations, are also worth visiting.
And then there’s Sonoma’s covetable natural beauty. With rolling hills, lush vineyards, and majestic mountains, it provides a backdrop worthy of your big day. We’ve provided a list of our favorite Sonoma wedding venues with breathtaking views here!
Best Rehearsal Dinner Locations in Sonoma
Your rehearsal dinner will kick off your Sonoma wedding weekend! So, you want to choose a venue that will set the tone for your celebration and serve delicious food. Some of our favorite options include:
Ca’Bianca: An Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa set in a historic house, with gardens in the back.
Vinarosa Resort & Spa: A luxury resort in Santa Rosa, offering spacious accommodations, farm-to-table food, and spa services.
Barndiva: A Michelin-recommended, farm-to-table restaurant in Healdsburg with rustic-chic decor.
El Dorado Kitchen: A boutique hotel and restaurant in Sonoma, serving California-Mediterranean fusion cuisine.
Dry Creek Kitchen: An elegant restaurant at Hotel Healdsburg with a vine-covered terrace.
La Rosa: A fixture in Santa Rosa, this Mexican restaurant and tequileria has an old-world feel.
Jackson’s Bar & Oven: A laidback spot in downtown Santa Rosa, serving wood-fired pizza and artisanal cocktails.
Catelli’s: An Italian restaurant in Geyserville with a striking checkerboard patio.
Diavola Restaurant: A pizzeria and salumeria in Geyserville, set in a historic building from the early 1900s.
Rustic Restaurant: An Italian restaurant located at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, featuring gorgeous valley views.
Salt & Stone: A seafood restaurant in Kenwood with a heated patio, featuring bistro lights and a pond.
Stark’s Steak & Seafood: An upscale steakhouse located in a late nineteenth-century landmark in downtown Santa Rosa.
Any of these eateries would also make a great spot for a post-wedding brunch, if you’re planning to host one! We’re partial to places in downtown Sonoma or Healdsburg, allowing your guests to shop and explore before heading home.
Our Top Tip for Throwing a Welcome Party in Sonoma
Save the planning headache and have your rehearsal dinner and welcome party in the same place! A hotel bar or a restaurant with a designated bar area is ideal. That way, you can host your rehearsal dinner, then invite your guests to join you nearby for drinks afterward. A winery that serves food, such as charcuterie or wood-fired pizza, is also a great candidate for this! Our favorite option is VJB Cellars in Kenwood. They serve pizzas and salads and have a large courtyard with bistro tables.
Planning Guest Transportation for a Sonoma Wedding Weekend
Depending on the venue you choose for your rehearsal dinner and welcome party, your guests may need transportation to their lodging afterward. Likewise, they’ll most likely need transportation to and from your wedding venue the following day. As part of our Full and Partial Planning services, we assist couples with booking transportation and creating an itinerary. All we ask is that the couple add a transportation tab to their wedding website, where guests can indicate whether they intend to use the shuttle. That way, when the wedding date is a month away, we’ll have a fairly accurate head count and can adjust the shuttle size if needed.
If a client doesn’t have a budget for transportation, we recommend that they encourage their guests to use Uber or Lyft via their website. Most locations in Sonoma and Napa Counties have adequate rideshare drivers available at any given time.
Now that you have an idea of what your Sonoma wedding weekend could look like, it’s time to turn your vision into reality. That’s where we come in! As a team with many decades of combined experience in the hospitality industry, we know weddings—and we know Sonoma. Let us handle the logistics, so you can sit back and enjoy your engagement in full confidence that every detail is coming together. Are you ready to get started? Contact us to learn more about the planning packages we offer or to book yours today.