Photo by Amber Medley

One of the questions I am frequently asked when I am interviewed for publications is how I decribe this incredible region we call Santa Barbara’s wine country, the Santa Ynez Valley.  I am proud to say my response description has been quoted and is now associated with this area:  “rustic elegance” and “rustic sophistication”.   A Santa Barbara wine country wedding includes winery weddings, ranch weddings, private estate weddings and so much more.  But not every venue is created equal.  Just because a venue says it does weddings or is pretty doesn’t mean that they are truly capable of handling everything an event brings with it.  And further, does not mean the staff is proficient on the incredible details and customer service involved in making sure the wedding goes off seamlessly. Today, however, I would like to highlight one of my most popular wedding venues in Santa Barbara’s wine country:  The Foley Family Wine group of special event venues.   I have been fortunate enough to have been sold-out for a couple of years almost singlehandedly because of the weddings I have produced at Foley’s venues incredible wine country wedding locations.  From the Firestone Winery to the Foley Winery itself and to the upcoming wedding I will be producing at Lincourt for the Great Wedding Stimulus Package $35K Giveaway Contest taking place February 8-12, I am intimately involved with the Foley Family wine wedding locations and cannot recommend them enough.  For a quick view of two of my favorite weddings at these locations, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

Many of my favorite Foley Family Wine group weddings are featured in my Gallery and several here on this page.  But since this is a Guest Column feature spot for a couple of months, I thought I’d invite Ms. Jill Remy, Director of Events for Foley Family Wines, to comment on her favorite things about her work as well as give you a little insight and tour of Foley wedding locations from her inside and expert perspective.  Welcome, Ms. Remy!

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Thanks, Kerry Lee! Settling down from the chaos of a busy day, my complaint is that I have so many extraordinary venues to offer clients that it keeps me on my toes! I just opened a fabulous bottle of wine, couldn’t decide between the Foley Pinot Noir and the Firestone Syrah, two of my favorites. 

I love what I do, as do the people that work alongside me at Foley Family Wines.  We are fortunate enough to offer a variety of venues to fabulous couples that match their personalities and dreams specifically.  All winery based, take your pick of location of ours matches your dream day.

We are lucky to be able to work with the best of the best in the industry, including among many Kerry Lee Dickey of Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events.  In all of our years of experience in producing the most remarkable events in Santa Barbara County’s Wine Country, the cohesiveness of the vendors that we have had the opportunity to work with has been parallel to none.  No matter if you have a small group or large, we will surely have a property to fit your every need and assist in bringing your dreams to reality… all in my favorite part of the central coast, Santa  Barbara’s wine country. 

Firestone Winery truly offers couples the luxury of creating an event flow  that is unique to their individual style. 

The Vineyard Mesa

Ceremonies can be held on the Vineyard Mesa with a beautiful oak tree as a back drop and surrounded by vineyard or on the Terrace with an intimate setting on a bluff overlooking vineyards with hills in the background.   For the wine reception following the ceremony, guests can remain outdoors in the sunny garden, go into the tasting room for a complete private winery experience, or head back into the barrel room.  The barrel room is also a stunning setting for a feasting table for your reception, or back out to the courtyard under the stars for dinner and to dance the night away.  Firestone can accommodate up to 180 guests and is set up perfectly to create the event of your dreams.

Lincourt Winery is a charming property that relays the feeling to your guests Foley Winery is a breathtaking property that you enter through a tree lined drive as you approach an expansive lawn area sitting just above vineyards with majestic hills in every direction.  Ceremonies are held with the vineyards on all sides of your guest’s vantage points, wine reception surrounding our brand new tasting room and the reception of your dreams can be created in a canopy behind the ceremony area.  Foley can accommodate up to 250 guests.

Lincourt Vineyards

At Lincourt, one feels that they are throwing a soiree in the backyard of their childhood home.  Your ceremony would be held on a large lawn area overlooking the vineyard, guests walking over the front porch of a former farmhouse to the wine reception on the verandah and adjacent lawn area and the reception is held in a transformed barrel staging area, specific to your concept ideas. A barn frames the barrel staging area, and houses a small barrel room that can be used for a bar, cake table or even a lounge.  Lincourt can accommodate up to 200 people.

Rachel Korrey is the magnificent event manager for all of our Central Coast properties, including The Knot’s Best of Weddings 2010 for Reception Venues at Firestone Vineyards, as well as Lincourt Winery, coveted location of the upcoming Great Wedding Stimulus Package Giveaway, as well as the stunning Foley Estates, home of the former Seasmoke winemaker, Kris Curran. 

Beyond the breathtaking beauty of our locations is the pride in what we do.  We truly understand what a special day this is, not to just the couple, but to your friends and family celebrating with you.  We want to share the best of the best of the wine country with you all and ensure the best day possible.

If you would like to personally see our wedding locations for your upcoming Santa Barbara wine country winery wedding, please contact Rachel at:  rkorrey@firestonewine.com    805.688.3940 x2230.   If your wedding plans call for something in Northern California’s beautiful Napa /Sonoma wine country, please contact me, Jill Remy at:  jremy@foleyfamilywines.com .

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A huge thank you to Ms. Remy for sharing Foley in her own words.  Since some of my own personal favorite weddings were at Firestone and Foley Winery, I thought I’d share some of my favorite memories of my own weddings at both locations:

Firestone Terrace for Ceremony with Dinner in the Barrel Room is one of my favorite choices.  An incredibly dramatic backdrop, it offers guests an experience unlike any other.  For the bride who wants something truly different and romantic, this is an incredible option.  All floral design below by the sensational Camilla Flowers , Lighting Design by LBPS Events and catering by the award-winning Pure Joy.  Capturing this wedding story on film was Amber Medley.

And at the Foley Winery, catered by wine county-based elegant New West Catering and designed by Camilla Flowers, Lighting Design by LBPS Events the day was photographed by Dia Rao.  Truly a stellar team:

Photo by Sun-Dance Photography

And we’re off!  As I mentioned on my last BLOG entry, we are featuring several Guest Bloggers of Santa Barbara’s leading wedding locations.  I have hand chosen the Creme de La Creme of Santa Barbara’s elite wedding professionals to present to you in the coming months. Rather than just create a list of Santa Barbara wedding locations, which anyone can do without much thought by simply looking at a Visitor’s Bureau Website (and is ulitmately of no true use in the long run since it is not customized), I decided to go deeper and give you the inside scoop from the venue’s perspective itself. I am proud to introduce my first Guest Blogger, Ms. Chrissy Deferville, Events Director for the historical and lovely University Club.  Welcome, Ms. Deferville.

For those who have not been to the University Club, you must go visit it.  It is a quintessential private estate experience without the price tag of many of Santa Barbara’s private wedding sites.  It is truly a hidden gem.  From the incredible bridal suite upstairs equipped with powder room and shower to a wonderful area for the groom and his friends to pass time pre-ceremony.  The photos here and on their Website do not do this elegant and historic venue justice.  I encourage you to go visit the Unversity Club for your Santa Barbara private estate-style wedding , brunch or rehearsal dinner.

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Due to the unique layout of the estate, with multiple large and small adjoining rooms, the Club can easily accommodate groups in size from 30 to 300 people and has hosted many famous guests over its history.Located in the downtown, historic estate district, the University Club is surrounded by beautiful historic homes, and overlooks the “prettiest park in Santa Barbra” – Alice Keck Park.  The venue is also within walking distance of many restaurants, shops and hotels on and around State Street.

The most unique aspect of having a University Club event or wedding, is that you get a private estate feel, that functions like a resort.  The Club is fully staffed, providing all food, beverage, staffing, set up, break down, and includes all needed “rentals.”

Sun Dance Photography

My favorite feature of our Club, is that every guest is able to experience the grandeur of a by-gone era.  Club service, cuisine, and general hospitality is rarely felt on such a level as what the Club offers.

Kerry Lee asked me what I love most about what I do in producing weddings and events at the University Club.  It is really quite simple. I absolutely love to see the creative elements of each wedding client come together to make their individual day such a fun and unique experience for myself and Club Staff.

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To inquire to the University Club for your Santa Barbara wedding or special celebration, please contact Ms. Deferville at:  805-966-0853 ext.13  or email at: chrissy@uclubsb.org.  You may also visit their Website by simply clicking on their name above.

Kristen Grinnel Photography

Vita-Bella Photography

changes in the way we coordinate and manage events and weddings.  The Club is celebrating 90 years of event experience this year, but we still have the same abiding principles: offering the freshest fare, with exceptional service.

Photo by Jose Villa

Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events is proud to partner with KRAZ 105.9FM on the $35K Great Wedding Stimulus Package Giveaway

 Congratulations to our Grand Prize Winners:  Paul Lessard and Dominque Valenzuela! 

And congratulations, too, to our two runner-ups:  Art and Miriam as well as Paul and Jenn!  They will receive consolation prizes from Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events, Foley Family Wine, Passion Flowers and Pure Joy!

Become a Facebook fan of Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events  and continue to watch our Grand Prize Winner’s wedding unfolds and is planned.

A gigantic thank you to the amazing  event supply partners who are among the finest in the industry and helped make this fabulous giveaway such a success:

Wedding Coordination:

Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events:

Ceremony & Reception Venue: 

Full Service Caterer:

Florals: 

Photography:

Videography:

Vintage Car Wedding Day Transportation

Classic Motoring Cars: 

Rehearsal Dinner:

Wedding Cake: 

Wedding Night Stay: 

Ceremony & Reception Music: 

 SBDJ’s

Wedding Minister: 

Riki Berlin – RikiBerlin@yahoo.com

Firestone Crossroads Estate

But then again, anytime is a good time to get married in Santa Barbara.  A Santa Barbara wedding means that there is a wide variety of wedding locations for every taste.   From rustic country elegance for a Santa Barbara wine country wedding at a vineyard , quaint inn, ranch or private estate to the continental elegance and internationally-renowned service at the world-class Bacara Resort and Spa, Four Seasons Biltmore, San Ysidro Guest Ranch, The historic University Club, Doubletree Resort, relaxed elegance at dozens of private estates, private beach weddings,  to the hidden wedding location “jewels” that are sometimes only accessible to professional event planners and not advertised.

As a third-generation Santa Barbaran and owner of a boutique wedding planning business dedicated to this lovely area, I can truthfully say I have never seen the variety of locations in one area as I have in Santa Barbara.   The best part about Santa Barbara wedding locations is that one does not need to create any kind of an artificial backdrop to make the event vision work.  There are so many wedding venues with a variety of built-in natural backdrops, planning the perfect setting for a Santa Barbara wedding is effortless.  

For the next two months, I will be dedicating this Santa Barbara wedding BLOG to Santa Barbara’s premiere wedding locations.  I am thrilled to also have several professional event guest bloggers who will share their intimate and unique insights to their favorite Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara wine country wedding locations as well.

Make sure you check back to our BLOG (click on link on the upper right of this page -under “News”) or subscribe to this feed – you are sure to be in for a treat and even perhaps gain some insight to some behind-the-scenes and never-shared-before information on the secrets of planning a Santa Barbara wedding at the ideal wedding location!

Firestone Crossroads

Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events will continue with its wine country branch based in Solvang while Santa Barbara Weddings & Events will focus on Santa Barbara, Montecito and Carpinteria with its Montecito-based branch.

“We have always done weddings and events in Santa Barbara proper,” says CEO and Founder Kerry Lee Dickey.  “But now we have a name that says that we do and we are very excited to bring the company forward in expansion, despite a sluggish economy, ” she continued.

Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events continues to produce weddings at the leading wineries and private venues in the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara Weddings & Events will continue the momentum established by the former, focusing on events at Santa Barbara’s premiere venues, as well as some hidden “jewels” not known to anyone else.

http://www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara

Christmas time brought continued magical moments with my family and enjoying the season with friends.  We are so grateful for having more than we need and thought of creative ways to “give” this year to family and friends.  The economy’s state is forcing folks to get more “real”, in my opinion and this is a good thing.  I look forward to the continued metamorphosis personally and as a society and culture in this regard.

I am spending this week getting geared up for the New Year and new endeavors, including my hope of another record-breaking year in 2009.  I look forward to the new clients who have yet to come into my life, and when they do, will become friends.

Here’s to 2009 and the journey!

Kerry Lee’s topic, For Better or For Worse- Customer Service Standards in the Ever-Changing World of Weddings & Events offered event professionals a comprehensive and up-to-date look at customer service in the special events industry with a special concentration on weddings.  Attendees will learn how wedding demographics, statistics and wedding culture as well as understanding the needs of today’s “e-world” bride and corporate event client can help take business to the next level.  Dickey performed a much more extensive version of this program at the Mandalay Bay Resort in  Las Vegas, NV at an international events conference and was asked to do a mini-version of it for the NACE Ventura Chapter.

For more information, visit:  www.VenturaNACE.net