Could there be any place more enchanting for a wedding than a romantic vineyard? Wine country evokes romance, good food shared with friends, and of course, great wine. The best part is that there are vineyards scattered throughout the country; you don't have to live in California or Italy to have the perfect rustic elegant vineyard wedding.



One of the especially nice thing about a vineyard setting is that most will have a variety of places on site from which to choose. You can set up tables overlooking the rows of grapes under the blue summer sky, or go for the intimate setting of an underground wine cellar. Either way, you will have a wedding venue that is distinctive and refined.

A vineyard wedding is a fantastic theme around which to design your entire event. A natural place to begin is with the wedding invitations. For a very elegant look, choose white invitations with a gold embossed bunch of grapes on the top. Or opt for a more rustic look with cream colored stationery that has a grapevine motif winding across the bottom of the invitation. The perfect invitation is a great way to introduce your guests to the theme and style of your wedding.

There are several color palettes that would be ideal for a vineyard wedding. You could go with a Tuscan style palette of rich golden yellow with russet red and chocolate brown accents. Or let the grapes themselves provide the inspiration: shades of purple and plum mix beautifully with natural elements such as wheat and grapevine for wedding decorations. The color palette that you select can be carried throughout your day. Use it for your bridesmaid dresses, the table linens, the flowers, even as the basis for custom bridal jewelry sets for the bride and bridesmaids.

Speaking of the bride and bridesmaids, the best styles for a vineyard wedding will be simple with unique details. A textured fabric such as silk dupioni makes wonderful bridesmaid dresses in your wedding colors. For the bride, dupioni or silk mikado would be lovely, as would an all-lace gown in a rich ivory color. Elegant sets of bridal jewelry paired with calf-length veils are the types of accessories that will provide the perfect finishing touch.

After the bride and groom, it is the wine that will be the star of the day at a vineyard wedding. In addition to the vineyard's signature vinos, you may wish to feature a wine-based cocktail like sangrias, which are always a crowd-pleaser. Of course, everyone knows that wine and cheese work wonderfully together, as do sparkling wines with rich chocolates. For the dinner, have your vineyard and caterer work together to plan a meal with a flight of wines that will accompany each course. This would be a good wedding for which to hire shuttles to transport guests back to their hotel at the end of the evening!

Finish the wedding with vineyard themed favors for your guests. A silver wine cork, a bottle of olive oil, or best of all, a small bottle of wine with a personalized label make the perfect reminders of your wedding. A vineyard wedding is one that your guests will be sure to remember!