Want your wedding to be unforgettable, a never-to-be forgotten memory? The beautiful Santa Ynez Valley offers a multitude of options for wedding sites, all unique. Escaping the hustle and bustle of the big city for an ideal wedding location in the countryside makes perfect sense.
With the Valley’s small town hospitality, a year-round mild climate and stunning natural beauty, the only real problem, with the bounty of available options here, is deciding upon an ideal location to exchange vows.
Vineyard/Winery Weddings
Only 10 years ago holding a wedding in a vineyard was a novelty and a nuisance for the farmer. After the fame of Sideways and the Valley’s vineyards and wineries achieved a new popularity, and vineyard and winery weddings turned into a booming sideline for the vintners. Now, nearly all of the Valley’s vineyards and wineries host weddings, and many have employees dedicated to helping you manage the details.
A few popular wineries with vineyards include Firestone Winery (Los Olivos, 688-3940), Fess Parker’s Winery (Los Olivos, 688-1545), Gainey Vineyard (Santa Ynez, 688-0558), Sunstone Winery (Santa Ynez, 688-9463). Rideau Vineyard (Solvang, 688-0717). For a complete list contact the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association at www.sbcountywines.com.
Other Outdoor Locations
Ranch weddings are popular. Rolling green hills, beautifully renovated barns and ivy-covered verandas lend a rustic elegance to nuptials held on one of the Valley’s many ranches and homesteads. You’ll need the help of a local wedding planner or friend who lives in the Valley to learn exactly which ranches host weddings. Some couples have been known to get married on horseback.
One of the many other options for an outdoor wedding is Clairmont Lavender Farm—a picturesque option surrounded by lavender and 100-year-old olive trees. Small weddings. (Los Olivos, 688-7505)
Still other possibilities are Hans Christian Andersen Park (Solvang, 688-7265); San Lorenzo Seminary Retreat Center (Santa Ynez, 688-5630); and the outdoor Solvang Festival Theater (Solvang, 688-4813). Additionally, there are numerous charming small ranches and farm locations around the Valley that host weddings. A number of private estates and elegant homes are occasionally available for weddings, as are the local parks. There are also several choice historical structures that accomodate weddings.
Church Locations
The Valley has churches of many denominations and all perform weddings. The following are most popular for visitors to the Valley and are most accustomed to conducting destination weddings.
With over 200 years of practice, it’s no surprise that Old Mission Santa Inés is consistently voted Best Place to Get Married by Valley residents. These days, more than fifty couples a year walk down the same aisle that has witnessed generations of wedding vows. After extensive restoration inside and out, chances are that the Mission church and gardens have never looked more beautiful.
The quaint Ballard Country Church on Baseline Road is an option for ceremonies of up to 100 guests. Built in 1898, the chapel is open to officiators of any denomination. Its white clapboard frame and peaceful location make it the perfect choice for small, intimate weddings.
In Los Olivos, St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church normally holds weddings on the first and third Saturdays of each month. With a sandstone baptismal font, custom-built organ and stained-glass windows, St. Mark’s is large enough to accommodate a wedding of almost any size. Its trendy Los Olivos location is a plus for out of town visitors.
In downtown Solvang, the austere Bethania Lutheran Church is a splendid building, built in 1928 by the early Danish settlers in the area.
Though the church’s interior has ample space, Bethania still retains the quiet serenity of an intimate chapel with light walls, a hanging ship and dark wooden pews reminiscent of the founding fathers’ seafaring heritage. An especially good choice for those of Scandinavian ancestry who will appreciate the Danish touches.
Weddings at Inns
The Santa Ynez Valley offers many quality hotels and inns, and many of the finer establishments offer wedding sites.
Santa Ynez Inn, Santa Ynez, is a romantic location for weddings and wedding receptions. This Victorian-style inn accomodates up to 125 seated guests in the garden, and up to 60 guests indoors. Their newly restored 1900s Coach House, 1,000 square feet, and the library, parlor and extensive gardens grace this 4-diamond-rated inn. (688-5588)
Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn, Los Olivos, accomodates weddings and wedding receptions indoors or on their patio. (Los Olivos, 688-7799)
Other Wedding Sites
Among the other suitable locations for weddings in the Valley are the local musuems, including the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and Carriage House in Santa Ynez, the Wildling Museum in Los Olivos, and the Elverhoy Museum in Solvang. Figueroa Mountain Farmhouse in a scenic mountainous area north of Los Olivos has capacity for 200+ outdoors and 75 guest indoors for events. (877-431-5200)
Santa Ynez Valley Marriott offers a wedding site, 12,000 square feet of meeting space and 149 guests rooms & suites. (Buellton, 688-1000)
You can learn more about the Valley’s special wedding locations from any of our fine local wedding planners, or from those experts listed in this special section. Finding the perfect location in our “wine country wedding destination” area may not be easy with so many choices. But it’ll be worth it. Those who live here wouldn’t think of getting married anywhere else!
Want your wedding to be unforgettable, a never-to-be forgotten memory? The beautiful Santa Ynez Valley offers a multitude of options for wedding sites, all unique. Escaping the hustle and bustle of the big city for an ideal wedding location in the countryside makes perfect sense.
With the Valley’s small town hospitality, a year-round mild climate and stunning natural beauty, the only real problem, with the bounty of available options here, is deciding upon an ideal location to exchange vows.
Vineyard/Winery Weddings
Only 10 years ago holding a wedding in a vineyard was a novelty and a nuisance for the farmer. After the fame of Sideways and the Valley’s vineyards and wineries achieved a new popularity, and vineyard and winery weddings turned into a booming sideline for the vintners. Now, nearly all of the Valley’s vineyards and wineries host weddings, and many have employees dedicated to helping you manage the details.
A few popular wineries with vineyards include Firestone Winery (Los Olivos, 688-3940), Fess Parker’s Winery (Los Olivos, 688-1545), Gainey Vineyard (Santa Ynez, 688-0558), Sunstone Winery (Santa Ynez, 688-9463). Rideau Vineyard (Solvang, 688-0717). For a complete list contact the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association at www.sbcountywines.com.
Other Outdoor Locations
Ranch weddings are popular. Rolling green hills, beautifully renovated barns and ivy-covered verandas lend a rustic elegance to nuptials held on one of the Valley’s many ranches and homesteads. You’ll need the help of a local wedding planner or friend who lives in the Valley to learn exactly which ranches host weddings. Some couples have been known to get married on horseback.
One of the many other options for an outdoor wedding is Clairmont Lavender Farm—a picturesque option surrounded by lavender and 100-year-old olive trees. Small weddings. (Los Olivos, 688-7505)
Still other possibilities are Hans Christian Andersen Park (Solvang, 688-7265); San Lorenzo Seminary Retreat Center (Santa Ynez, 688-5630); and the outdoor Solvang Festival Theater (Solvang, 688-4813). Additionally, there are numerous charming small ranches and farm locations around the Valley that host weddings. A number of private estates and elegant homes are occasionally available for weddings, as are the local parks. There are also several choice historical structures that accomodate weddings.
Church Locations
The Valley has churches of many denominations and all perform weddings. The following are most popular for visitors to the Valley and are most accustomed to conducting destination weddings.
With over 200 years of practice, it’s no surprise that Old Mission Santa Inés is consistently voted Best Place to Get Married by Valley residents. These days, more than fifty couples a year walk down the same aisle that has witnessed generations of wedding vows. After extensive restoration inside and out, chances are that the Mission church and gardens have never looked more beautiful.
The quaint Ballard Country Church on Baseline Road is an option for ceremonies of up to 100 guests. Built in 1898, the chapel is open to officiators of any denomination. Its white clapboard frame and peaceful location make it the perfect choice for small, intimate weddings.
In Los Olivos, St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church normally holds weddings on the first and third Saturdays of each month. With a sandstone baptismal font, custom-built organ and stained-glass windows, St. Mark’s is large enough to accommodate a wedding of almost any size. Its trendy Los Olivos location is a plus for out of town visitors.
In downtown Solvang, the austere Bethania Lutheran Church is a splendid building, built in 1928 by the early Danish settlers in the area.
Though the church’s interior has ample space, Bethania still retains the quiet serenity of an intimate chapel with light walls, a hanging ship and dark wooden pews reminiscent of the founding fathers’ seafaring heritage. An especially good choice for those of Scandinavian ancestry who will appreciate the Danish touches.
Weddings at Inns
The Santa Ynez Valley offers many quality hotels and inns, and many of the finer establishments offer wedding sites.
—Santa Ynez Inn, Santa Ynez, is a romantic location for weddings and wedding receptions. This Victorian-style inn accomodates up to 125 seated guests in the garden, and up to 60 guests indoors. Their newly restored 1900s Coach House, 1,000 square feet, and the library, parlor and extensive gardens grace this 4-diamond-rated inn. (688-5588)
—Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn, Los Olivos, accomodates weddings and wedding receptions indoors or on their patio. (Los Olivos, 688-7799)
Other Wedding Sites
Among the other suitable locations for weddings in the Valley are the local musuems, including the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and Carriage House in Santa Ynez, the Wildling Museum in Los Olivos, and the Elverhoy Museum in Solvang.
—Santa Ynez Valley Marriott offers a wedding site, 12,000 square feet of meeting space and 149 guests rooms & suites. (Buellton, 688-1000)
—You can learn more about the Valley’s special wedding locations from any of our fine local wedding planners, or from those experts listed in this special section. Finding the perfect location in our “wine country wedding destination” area may not be easy with so many choices. But it’ll be worth it. Those who live here wouldn’t think of getting married anywhere else!
