One of the biggest trends in weddings now (ironically enough) is keeping things small. Couples don’t want to get lost in the crowd; intimate affairs can mean that every guest is a special gift on the special day.
A wedding doesn’t have to take place in a church or a winery, even when you’re in gorgeous Wine Country. A private home may offer a more private setting, whether that property is a sprawling mountaintop retreat, a gracefully restored farmhouse, or a stunning display of modern architecture.
Perhaps you are still holding your wedding at that perfect Wine Country resort or winery, but you crave an extra special statement for the reception. You also need a private, spectacular space in which to house your visiting guests and family.
For a solution, picture a hacienda that can comfortably fit numerous guests, and a compound with gardens just for you.
Securing that perfect home can be a challenge, however, unless you’ve discovered a service like BeautifulPlaces.com. In an innovative concept, the Sonoma-based concierge specializes in intimate wedding venues and guest accommodations in Wine Country, ranging from cozy villas to grand estates. To make the special day even easier to pull together, the company can provide planning services, too, from catering to pre- and post-wedding activities.
BeautifulPlaces has a portfolio of more than 30 properties throughout the Wine Country. Just one extraordinary destination is Casa Sebastiani, built by Sonoma’s famed wine couple August and Sylvia Sebastiani in 1947, on a knoll above the acclaimed winery.
Fashioned of hand-hewn stone, it resembles a Tuscan villa with its arched entries, deep porches and expansive terraces framed by ancient live oaks, boulders and masses of blooming flowers.
With six bedrooms, five baths, a main house and guest house, the estate sleeps 14 and offers built-in entertainment, from the property’s swimming pool and chef’s kitchen, to the boutiques, restaurants and tasting rooms in the town of Sonoma a short walk away.
According to Liza Graves, president and co-founder of BeautifulPlaces, clients request all kinds of adventures along with their wedding arrangements, such as in-home spa treatments, certified nannies, local transportation and shopping trips. Other ideas include balloon or helicopter rides, or custom experiences as adventurous as a day touring with a local artist, or night sky viewing with a noted astronomer.
It all comes together to help ensure every aspect of your wedding is as memorable as the ceremony, for you, and all your guests.
Details: beautiful-places.com.