so mad...

I didn't come up with this first:

30- 40 birthday party...and a surprise wedding from Lorien Gabel on Vimeo.

Of course, ours would have been better. I love the idea of an intimate wedding, but not having everyone there would be an issue...

or would it?

Venue tour: Cornerstone Gardens

cornerstonegardens.com/pages/weddings.htm

click image to see larger view

Beautiful place. $1,000. It has that unconventional/artsy feel while still following the format of an event venue. I loved it. There are 20+ different gardens which consist of both flowers and trees, but also artist installations of various materials as well. Lots of parking with a house that sleeps 7 in the back corner of the property. The price to rent the full facility is out of our range so the more affordable option (and most private) would be to just rent the house for our ceremony.

Amenities include:
3 bedroom, each with a private bath
Living room and kitchen
Clean modern decor
Manicured lawn
Private patio facing the vineyards and Napa hills
Full willow-like trees shade the area
35 minute -ish drive from home

I think this is THE place. We could have a small rehearsal dinner/bbq the night before. Mingle on the lawn and take our wedding photos in the main property gardens. Yay!

Another option would be to have the ceremony on the main gardens before 12pm, but I think that would be a waste if you don't have the time to utilize all of the space.

Poke around the website for photos of the gardens. It's super neat. I'm over the Di Rosa not being able to weddings and the Allied Arts Guild's high rate...Cornerstone fits the bill! :D

Venue tour: Rush Ranch, Suisun

the overlook on Marsh hill

this is rush ranch around 6pm about a 10 minute walk from the parking lot and up a hill. There's a carriage ride available for people who can't take the walk, but everyone else...put on your walking shoes. It's wasn't too bad. just windy.

we didn't make it to all the way up the suisun hill trail. Matt didn't bring the right shoes. tisk tisk


anyway, it could be nice.

Pulling research from a far away place

So, I've started to regurgitate all of the research I did a month ago when I decided Napa was out of the question. It still is, but I've found a new place that just might be the redwood forest I had being looking for:


Archer Taylor Preserve
With tall redwood groves, orchards, and a river, this place would be mostly green throughout the year. I don't know exactly were it is...it's a private property where you have to make appointments to hike. The conditions are said to be "primitive". We shall see...


I'm also going back to Rush Ranch (off Grizzly Island Road) as they have listed some areas that sound like they could work. I might just suit up and go today. It's an easy/flat hike, so I've heard. Although, it will be smoldering hot and the grass will be golden by summer, it still could be nice. Sites include: the picnic area, the garden area, the meeting room, the south pasture hill, the marsh view hill and Suisun Hill Trail. The last two hills are said to have panoramic views.



Connolly Ranch
Matt brought up a good point: where there are animals, there is poop. I'll have to schedule a tour on the way to Archer Taylor Preserve.

Di Rosa Art Preserve
Oh, I almost forgot about this place. It's always in the magazine and I have always wanted to go check it out. There are a few open spaces that would allow for a ceremony to take place. Now, if only they would call me back! Grr... Permit restricts them from having weddings! Lame!

Pippo Ranch, Vacaville
We'll be stopping by May 2nd to see a wedding being set up. Should be fun.

Side note to remember: there is a county wide ordinance in Napa that prohibits most wineries from holding weddings...sooo lame. If they are allowed there are way to many rules. Of course, all of the places that are allowed have a 10k site fee.