 |
To some people the hard part is asking the question. For others it’s the part that ends and begins with “I do.” But for almost everyone it is the part in the middle, from the romance to the reality, that causes the sleepless nights. That is the part where you plan your wedding. |
| Weddings in Wine Country | |
|
|
Every year untold hundreds if not thousands of couples pick the
Napa Valley as the spot to exchange vows and generally celebrate
this momentous occasion in their lives. Many of them, perhaps the
majority, assume that with hundreds of wineries and thousands of
acres of pristine and photogenic vineyards they can pretty much
aim a dart at a map of the Valley and wherever it lands they and
their wedding party will be welcomed. The reality is a bit different
from that. Many visitors, not just those planning their wedding, see beautiful wineries and perfectly tended grounds and forget that this area is, first and foremost, agricultural in nature. Las Vegas may be made for weddings but the Napa Valley is made for growing grapes so some different rules apply. Permits, for one thing. Almost all wineries are allowed to have a certain, set number of special events (which includes weddings) each year. The law of supply and demand (and first come first served) being what it is, planning ahead is essential. Despite this, every week brings a new batch of telephone calls to wineries from prospective brides and grooms wanting to have their special day at that winery “next month”. The answer is predictable. None of this is meant to paint a gloomy picture, because such is
not the case. Every year there are many beautiful, memorable weddings
in breathtaking settings in the Napa Valley and they go off, seemingly,
without a hitch. So how does that happen? Here are some guidelines
and suggestions from area professionals who have been there and
done that with great success. |
 |
You may not even know that you need a wedding coordinator when
you start off, but you might find out differently before you get
too far. Some wineries require them, for one thing, and even if
they do not you will be asked, “Who’s your coordinator?”
by everyone from the florist to the person who books your music.
A wedding coordinator is the person who guides your through the
labyrinth of site selection, negotiations, menus and a million things
you didn’t even know you wanted or needed. Most of the time
a wedding coordinator will be there from the beginning of the planning
process to the time the last glass is raised and the last table
cleared. For some weddings a “Day Of” wedding coordinator is the best choice. That is someone who will be there on the day of your wedding to make sure that everything is in place, that what is supposed to happen happens on time, that what has been contracted for with vendors is provided and that if there are problems they are dealt with professionally and with a minimum of stress and disruption. There is also plenty of moral support involved. |
 |
“The first thing I do is sit down with the bride or with the
bride and groom and put together a budget,” said Elizabeth
Naylor, owner of An Event to Remember, a Napa-based concern that
has coordinated weddings and special events throughout the Wine
Country over the last decade. “Since no two weddings are ever
alike I ask them, ‘What is the single most important thing
for you?’ and we go from there.” For some couples the most important thing may be the setting, for
others it might be the food or the wine, perhaps the music. It is
all a matter of priorities. Like a treasure hunt, it is having the
right clues and knowing where to look that is the key. Having enough
money is almost as important. So how much does it cost to get married in the Napa Valley? It
depends. On a lot of things. Naylor suggests you begin the serious
business of planning no less than six to nine months in advance
(but no more than 16 months). Assuming that you have the date (or
even better yet two or three workable dates, to give you some initial
flexibility) you begin by deciding on what venue will work for the
wedding you have in mind. Assuming that it is a winery that will
make your dream come true, you have to narrow your scope to those
that can accommodate you. Some wineries are limiting as to the number of guests you can have,
others may allow you to have a larger number of guests but may restrict
parking so transportation for your guests from an off-site parking
area may have to be arranged. And if so, do you contract for van
and bus service or do you hire restored Packards from Antique Tours
to take your friends and family from point A to point B? The choices
have begun. By their very design certain wineries are conducive to elaborate
sit-down dinners in the winery or in the caves; others are only
appropriate for al fresco dining, in which case you begin looking
at tent designs from Napa Valley Party Services, which brings you
to another long list of rentals of everything from wine glasses
and silverware to wireless microphones and portable heaters. You
or your wedding coordinator will work with the winery events manager
and the caterer at this point, following a check-list (one of many)
to make sure that everyone has a place to sit, something to sit
on, glasses to drink from and so on. The winery will take care of
the permits but you might need to deal with some insurance issues
which they will spell out for you. No matter what it is, get everything
in writing! The person at the winery you dealt with in January might
be somewhere else in June, but a contract is a contract. A good
coordinator will know who to deal with and who to avoid, and that
alone is worth the fee. And what does a wedding coordinator charge? Anything from a few
thousand dollars on up, depending upon the size and complexity of
the affair. Naylor said that she figures her client will recoup
her fee in money saved, simply because a good coordinator knows
every vendor, what a fair price is for every good and service, and
is a skilled if tactful negotiator. For the wedding itself Naylor says that $45,000 for a wedding with
150 people with wine and a sit-down dinner is about right. With
the caveat that it can escalate wildly above that should you decide
that money is, in fact, no object. Want Opus 1 served with dinner
and the Moody Blues to play afterwards? Fine, but be prepared for
the bill ($125 plus per bottle of wine, somewhere between $60,000-100,000
for the Moody Blues depending on their schedule). On the other hand
you can also do it all for less if you plan carefully, stick to
your budget and make wise choices. Along the way to the altar you will be sampling wedding cake (another
place where the sky is once again the limit, but which begins at
around $600) and meal choices at the caterers. Then there are photographer’s
portfolios to critique. Richard Woods of Richard Woods Photographic
encourages couples to plan sufficient time to examine a photographer’s
work from past weddings and make note of the style that most suits
them, whether it be very traditional or a more avant-garde photojournalistic
style. Florist Dallas McConahay of Flowers by Dallas feels the same way, emphasizing the need for the couple to feel at ease with both style and price when dealing with such personal issues. Color is another matter that will have to be decided, to add to the list of those other little incidentals like invitations, rings, rehearsal dinners and wedding dresses. And your guests, if they are from out of town, will need a place to stay. Many hotels will agree to set aside a block of rooms, releasing those not taken at an agreed-upon date. |
 |
If you want the ultimate in luxury you can even take over all the
rooms at a property like the Harvest Inn, so the days before the
wedding are all part of the celebration, like coordinator Sheila
Neave once did for a member of royalty and her fiancé, an
investment banker, who both lived in London at the time. Guests
flew in from all over the world for the four day event, which included
five different entertainers, two brunches, a late night party with
a Mexican theme and a six-course rehearsal dinner (with seven different
wines) in a wine cellar. “Over the three months prior to the wedding the bride and
I talked almost daily,” Neave said. “Because of the time
difference she would call me in the morning, our time, and we would
go over plans and changes. When she finally arrived it all went
off without a problem.” If it all sounds like days of wine and roses, remember that you
will also need someone to say “I now pronounce you” or
words to that effect. If you do not have someone in mind local organizations
such as Wedding Ministries, operated by the Rev. Blane Ellsworth,
can provide licensed clergy of almost any faith, from a Presbyterian
minister or a Baptist preacher to a rabbi or a Buddhist monk. They
will tailor the ceremony to your wishes, being as formal or informal
as you like. Which is what it is all about, really. When it is all over, when the last bottle of bubbly is spent, the
floor is swept and the limousines are sent home for the night (along
with your guests), it really is about having |
