A Tour of Napa Valley - Shady Oaks

We all know that Napa Valley is a hot spot for weddings, but with so many different vineyards, inns, and ranches to choose from, it can be hard to narrow things down and find a venue that is perfect for you.  The girls here at Arcularius Events want to help all you venue-hunting brides out there by saving you the legwork and sharing some of the most interesting venues we've seen.  Over the next few posts, we're going to show you the unique, beautiful, and somewhat lesser-known places that we got to visit on a fantastic Napa Valley site tour hosted by La Tavola Fine Linen.
 

The morning of our tour started at La Tavola's gorgeous Napa showroom, where we were picked up by Pure Luxury Wine Tours, a Napa-based green transportation agency.  Pure luxury drove us in an uber-comfortable shuttle bus to our first site, Shady Oaks Ranch and Vineyards.

Shady Oaks is a lovely  site in the heart of Napa Valley with expansive green lawns and lush gardens.  The main estate home sleeps 16 and is accompanied by 3 more cozy cabins that come with rental of the site.  The 12.5 acre grounds are home to a reflecting pond and gazebo, several intimate gardens, and 400 year old Oak trees (the oldest in the valley).  Shady Oaks is secluded and romantic and, with little lights scattered among the gardens and a string quartet playing, would make the perfect setting for a fanciful, elegant, Secret Garden-type wedding.

For more information on this site, contact Wayne at wayne@gwines.net.  Next time, we'll leave the fairy tale charm of Shady Oaks for a site that can only be described as "California Country Chic"...

A special thank you to Lindsey with

Solage in Calistoga

http://www.solagecalistoga.com/

for an informative tour, spa treats, and incredible accommodations

This is one of my new favorite venues in the Napa area. The look has been described as "Napa barn meets San Francisco loft." Is there a better look than this? As most people know, wedding venues and wineries range from $6,000 to well over $12,000 for rental, but Solage is reasonably priced well under these amounts. The chef comes from The French Laundry and is fantastic. This is a site to see.

Cute bikes await each guest in front of their steps in case they would like to get around the property quicker or ride the Silverado Trail. The wine country is literally outside the doors of this resort and just a pedal away.
Incredible pool with the option of private cabanas for bridal parties to rent. The guys might enjoy this while the girls are in the spa on the wedding day.

The reception venue. New barn rustic feel. A very open space with complete range for unique looks and design ideas.

The outdoor ceremony site is gorgeous in bloom. Mountain backdrops and another great open space to work with.

I can't wait to go back and visit soon!