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Venue

We find that most couples want to add personal flare to their event so we don’t have inclusive packages. However, we do help you find the right vendors so you aren’t spinning your wheels calling vendors all over town, only to find that they might not be exactly what you are looking for.

Your vendor selection is rather up to your personal preference. We will require you to choose a catering and DJ company on our list and manage your rentals on your behalf at no additional charge. If you would like to go with a caterer or DJ off of the list, there will be approval processes and buyout fees ($1,500 and $500 respectively).
Our planning process makes things simple and easy for you. Rather than overwhelming you with a full list of all the great vendors we work with, we personally select a sample of vendors that best suit your needs and vision AND will work best within your specific budget.

The site fee allows for the exclusive use of the site during the hours of your event. All our sites offer different options that are included in the site fee but most of the sites will include tables, chairs, a prep kitchen, a bridal ready room and restrooms. Please visit the Venue page for details on each specific site.

Saturdays are listed as the standard price. We give you a bit of a site fee break for a Friday or Sunday as a cost savings measure that’s extended as a courtesy by the venue.

Included in the site fee will be tables and chairs up to a certain guest count depending on each site. This will save you hundreds of dollars off your overall rental fee. Some examples of the chairs that we have depending on the site are the white wood, fruitwood and natural wood folding chairs.

Our daily rental venues* include 5 or 6 hours of event time included in the site fee. Additional hours may be purchased if more time is wanted and we would be happy to accommodate this for you. See below for site details and hours.
*Triple S Ranch can be rented for a full wedding weekend from Friday to Sunday.

Setup and breakdown is not part of the 5-hour event time but does not count against the event time meaning if it is a reasonable amount of time, there is not additional change for it. The setup will typically begin 3 hours prior to the event start time and the breakdown will occur about 1 hour after the event has ended. This gives most vendors plenty of time for what they need to accomplish. However, if more time is needed this can be arranged prior to the event by your site coordinator.

Site fees are non-negotiable. Please inquire with our venue selection manager for current promotions.

Yes, we are happy to provide any active members with a $500 discount off the site fee.

Not all venues have up lighting included and not all need it. At any Milestone venue, up lighting can be rented and installed. For each site there are many different options to choose from and our site coordinators can help suggest where additional lighting might be needed or wanted.
**Ask about our exclusive offer that includes dance floor lighting from our preferred DJ company

We do not post a calendar of open event dates on our website because the dates are constantly changing, and each venue has their own events that they host throughout the year that we do not manage. This also ensures that venues do not get double booked. The venues have also asked us to keep much of its numerical information for internal use only. This is something they have asked of us that we respect. Please inquire with our site selection specialists to find out which dates are currently available.

Milestone venues are part of a network that allows you Peace of Mind knowing that if there is a threat to your venue for ANY reason, our Milestone team can relocate your event quickly to another venue we manage. This allows you a sense of security knowing that we have your back every step of the way and will contact vendors to move them too. 

Additionally, should a government mandate force your event to be postponed, you can choose to have your deposit refunded OR, we can move you event to a future date without penalty.

Event

Events at most of our properties can go until 10:00pm due to the sound ordinance in Napa and Sonoma Counties. The following venues can allow alternate options for late nights:

Pellegrini Wine Company: Events can go until 11:00pm (“Wine”-down only. Amplified music must cease by 10pm)

St. Francis Winery & Paradise Ridge Winery: Standard event time is 6-11pm. Amplified music is required to remain indoor. An additional hour may be added to the end of the event only for an overtime fee of $1000.

Triple S Ranch: Guests not staying on site must vacate by 10:30pm. Overnight guests can continue celebrations inside cabins. A late night option in the Wine Cellar can be added for a fee of $2000 per hour for overtime.

Stemple Creek Ranch: Events can extend through midnight with prior approval and an overtime fee of $1000 per hour.

Our winery events have a standard start of 5:00pm.
 (Charles Krug starts at 4:00 pm)
Hawkwood Hill, Triple S Ranch & Stemple Creek have a more flexible schedule and you can request a start time anytime between 9am-5pm. Your event will still be 5 hours and must cease by 10:00pm. (unless noted above)
**If event time exceeds more than 5 hours an additional $1,000/hr. fee will apply.
***Triple S Ranch offers weekend weddings with a 4pm start time Friday and an 11am check-out Sunday.

All the wineries will allow for the tasting room to be bought out upon approval. This is not an inexpensive option with prices starting at $3,500/hr. Please inquire with our site selection specialists for specific pricing for each venue.

All tasting rooms will be closed by the start of your event if the standard start time is observed. Milestone staff will be on site to insure any lingering tasting room guests who may be in the process of leaving the property are kept safely at a distance from your event.

Guests can start arriving no earlier than 30 mins prior to event start time. It is very important that our vendors have enough time to set everything up without any interruptions. Our site coordinators are happy to recommend places near your venue if guests want to gather before heading to the event.

The bridal ready rooms are available 1.5-2 hours prior to the start of the event at most venues. We find most of the time that our brides will get ready off site and then use the bridal ready room to change into their wedding dress and relax with the bridal party prior to the event. This is also a secure place for you and your bridal party to store your belongings in or provide a quiet and private place for children to relax during the event.
*Triple S Ranch brides typically get ready on-site in a room they are staying in for the weekend.
*Russian River Vineyards  & Stemple Creek Ranch allow getting ready rooms as early as 9AM on wedding day.

Most of the bridal ready rooms can be accessed 1.5 to 2 hours prior to the event start time. Due to this timing we recommend hair and makeup be done off site.

Setup and breakdown is not part of the 5 or 6-hour event time but does not count against the event time meaning if it is a reasonable amount of time, there is not additional change for it. The setup will typically begin 2-3 hours prior to the event start time and the breakdown will occur about 1 hour after the event has ended. This gives most vendors plenty of time for what they need to accomplish. However, if more time is needed this can be arranged prior to the event by your site coordinator.
*Triple S Ranch allows rental deliveries on Fridays prior to guest check-in and pick-up Sunday after 12pm

Yes, most of our venues have options for dinner to be held outside. We find that it makes for such a unique experience when you get to enjoy the breathtaking views of wine country while dinner is being served. Dancing can also be held inside or outside at all our properties with the exception of St. Francis, Russian River Vineyards and Paradise Ridge Winery where we dance indoors. After 10:00pm all amplified music must be indoors. But even with the music inside this does not stop the party from continuing!

Bands are allowed at all the following venues: Sbragia (indoor only) Triple S Ranch, Charles Krug Winery, St. Francis Winery (indoor only), Stemple Creek Ranch, Vintners Resort & Paradise Ridge Winery. The band will need to provide a current business license, insurance, sign our vendor agreement form and attend a walkthrough at the venue. A walkthrough is important to insure the space gets set up properly for them and there is adequate power. Additionally, we will review the volume levels that are allowed per the sites permit. Some venues may require bands to play indoor. Please inquire for specifics.

-Sparklers are not allowed at any property due to the county fire ordinance.
– Propane fire pits are allowed at all properties except for Hawkwood.
-Candles are allowed on all properties but need to be placed inside votives.
-Cigar bars are allowed on most properties except for Hawkwood.

Our sites have so many beautiful and unique locations for your event photos. When choosing a photographer from our preferred list, you will be pleased to know that they are extremely knowledgeable about each site and know the best areas with the proper lighting at any given time of day. If you are not choosing someone from our list, then we can conduct a walk through with them and show them popular areas for your photos. Being familiar with the venue is a huge benefit because it saves on time and ensures that the photographer will be able to capture your wedding details in each photo.

Many of our venues can accommodate different weather issues. Your site coordinator will be able to work with you and recommend different options and layouts if a weather issue were to occur. In cases like rain, most of our venues offer an indoor option or you will have the option to rent a tent. For heat issues we can also offer a lot of indoor options with air conditioning or recommend different areas of the venues that can provide more shade. With wind being so unpredictable we are always prepared! Our site coordinators have a lot of tips and tricks they will recommend avoiding windy disasters!

If you are reserving a venue within the Milestone collection of properties for your wedding, you may want to consider one of our sister properties within the collection for your rehearsal dinner. Some special promotions are available to you for booking two venues. If none of these sites are suitable, we will be happy to recommend other sites in the area, typically restaurants we have good working relationships with that may be able to accommodate you.

Vendors

The caterer is one of the most important vendors at your event! Not only will they be preparing and serving the food, the catering staff has the most interaction with your guests. Timing is critical to your event, not only with the overall flow, but also the timing of when the food is cooked and served to your guests. It is very important to us at Milestone that the caterer will be professional and be able to provide excellent service as well as prepare delicious food. All the caterers on our preferred vendor list not only exceed our minimum requirements but their food, service and presentation are truly exceptional as well. Our caterers reflect who we are as well as who they are, and we make sure that each caterer will provide an unforgettable experience from start to finish.

It’s easy to streamline your catering selections by working with our in-house catering team from Milestone Estate Kitchen. There are many caterers to choose from and we manage the details so you don’t have to spend time calling all over town.


However, we do understand that sometimes you may have other plans in mind and if you wish to use an outside caterer they will need meet our standard requirements and provide the necessary information. To use an outside caterer there is a buy-out fee of $1,500.00 and, most importantly, your caterer must be pre-approved prior to booking. Your caterer will need to provide a current business license, insurance with the venue additionally added, comply with our vendor rules and regulations and attend a walkthrough conducted by Milestone staff.

We highly encourage you to look within our preferred list of vendors first and promise that you will not be disappointed. If you still feel like someone else will be a better fit for you than you may use the vendor of your choice. After many years of working in the industry we have been fortunate enough to work with so many talented professionals who truly make a lasting affect when it comes to your wedding. We have hand selected every person on our preferred vendor list and strongly feel that they are some of the best out there. These vendors are extremely vetted and know the properties inside and out which makes a big difference when it comes to highlighting specific wedding details. For example, your photographer will know exactly where to take the perfect photo and even know which locations are best depending on the time of day. Please see below for more details on how to use an outside vendor.

To protect the client and the site from any issues that may occur when using an outside vendor, we require that all vendors must review and sign our vendor agreement form that goes over the rules and regulations pertaining to working at one of our sites. Any caterer or DJ who is not on our preferred vendor list in addition to signing the vendor agreement form will also need to go through the approval process. This process includes submitting a current business license, having insurance listing the venue as additionally insured and attending a walkthrough conducted by Milestone staff prior to booking. Keep in mind that when you use someone from Milestone’s preferred vendor list it is a huge benefit to know that they are already familiar with each site and pre-approved! This will save you time, money and less stress when choosing your vendor.
Caterer – $1500 buyout fee provide a business license, insurance, sign the vendor agreement form and attend a walkthrough prior to booking.
DJ – $500 buyout fee provide a business license, insurance, sign the vendor agreement form and attend a walkthrough prior to booking.
Band – provide a business license, insurance, sign the vendor agreement form and attend a walkthrough
Florist – vendor agreement only
Photographer – vendor agreement only
Rentals – Encore or Bright for basic rentals, specialty suppliers ok
Bakery – vendor agreement only
Transportation company – vendor agreement only
Photobooth – vendor agreement only
Lighting company – vendor agreement only
Officiant – no documents needed
Wedding Coordinator – vendor agreement only

Milestone handles the rental order on your behalf, but it remains in your name. The benefit of this is that you remain in control, since there is no handling fee or sales tax charged on orders that are kept in your name, you will save an average of 20% of the total rental charges. We have found that it is best if you work directly with the rental company to select the style of the products you want. Meanwhile, we work behind the scenes to provide you and the rental company with suggested quantities of items associated with your event that are not already included by the property. We and your caterer will do the technical parts freeing you to select shapes, colors and design elements.

It varies in each region ranging anywhere from 8.125%-9.25%. Please check online for specific details. Please see below for the following vendors that charge a sales tax:
Caterer – food and labor
Rentals – *only if rented through the caterer or a 3rd party. When Milestone manages your rentals, sales tax is not applied
Wine – There will be sales tax on wedding wine if your event is held at a winery

Coordination/Event Planning

Our site coordinators are very knowledgeable regarding each site and have a lot of experience when it comes to planning events. A few of the big things your coordinator will do is: manage all your wedding day rentals, create a timeline to reflect all specific details and design and suggest layouts that will work with each venue and your guest count. They will also keep you on track and communicate with all your vendors as needed. Most importantly they will make your wedding day vision come to life by placing all your decorations and personal touches to the designated areas. Coordinators will also make sure that the event follows the timeline and will adjust it as needed. The services we offer are known as “partial planning”. This process starts as soon as you book your wedding venue with us. We help by asking questions to determine which vendors are the right fit for your style & venue, so you aren’t wasting time calling a pre-determined list of vendors that are not all right for you. Just like with our vendors, we have a wide range of styles within each vendor category. Milestone coordination services is that you will also have access to Aisle planner, which is an online portal system that allows you to collaborate with your planner. Each client has a customized portal that allows you to stay organized with all your wedding day details and make sure you are staying on track with a checklist that is created specifically for you. You will also get to utilize a guest list, seating chart, a wedding website and create a design studio with your inspiration all in one convenient place! This ensures that you and your planner will always be on the same page and you won’t miss any important details. Please visit our website for specifics on what our day of coordination service entails and to see if it is right for you.

Having a day of coordinator will ensure that your wedding day will run smooth and effortless. After all the hard work you put into planning your wedding it pays off to have someone there to guarantee your day goes exactly how you envisioned it. We do require you to have a day of contact person who will be executing your timeline, communicating with all vendors and setting up and removing all décor. This person must also not be a guest at your wedding. Please see above for Milestone’s day of coordination services. If you wish to use an outside coordinator they must sign a vendor access agreement.
All venues in our network require a professional coordinator.

No there are not. A site manager from Milestone will be present during your event to represent and manage the venue regardless if you choose to employ us in an event planning / coordination function. In addition, we will oversee your rentals and will help you design your event layout regardless if you use us for coordination. 

As much as we love our families we do not encourage or recommend this. We find that guests, family and friends really like to enjoy the day with you. Please ask our site coordinators about experiences they have witnessed when family members have been vendors at past events. However, if you would still like to use a family or friend despite our expert advice, they will still be treated as an outside vendor and need to meet our standard requirements. Please see above for using an outside vendor.

MEG will place décor if the client purchases our coordination services. Clients will fill out our décor information page which lets us know what decorations you are providing and where you’d like them placed. Your coordinator will review the items and if anything has potential to damage the property they will let you know and suggest other alternatives.

Sorry, but we do not set up transportation for you. We have recommendations of companies we can provide, or if you have a full-service planner they can arrange this for you. We can suggest pick up times and locations based on each venue once this service is booked. Both Uber and Lyft operate locally, so these are options for your guests as well.

Wine, Alcohol and Beverages

Due to the ABC laws all venues may have beer, wine and a fermentation bar. In wine country, a winery with a working tasting room on premise is prohibited from serving distilled spirits. That is why wineries allow only beer, cider and wine as well as other fermented alternatives. A fermentation bar is a great and fun alternative to have available in addition to wine and beer! Your caterer can suggest different cocktail options within these parameters.
Ranch properties such as Triple S Ranch and Stemple Creek Ranch allow BYO bar options.
Pellegrini Winery is one of the only wineries in Sonoma/Napa that allows hard liquor.

Villa Chanticleer offers a full bar option, a beer/wine bar and a great BYO beer/wine option  too. Let’s chat about your plans!

For each winery there are specific wine minimums that the client will need to meet when they are purchasing event wine.
Please see below for specifics
Charles Krug Winery: 1/2 bottle per person
Sbragia: ½ bottle per person
Pellegrini Wine Company: ½ bottle per person
St. Francis Winery: $25 per person

Triple S Ranch: BYO beverages & full bar services available
Stemple Creek Ranch: BYO beverages & full bar services available
Hawkwood Hill: BYO beverages & full bar services available

Our site coordinators will be happy to help you choose the appropriate wine based on your guest count, budget and your personal wine preferences.

All winery events will need to use wine from the venue where the event is taking place. One of the reasons wineries host events is to expose their wine to an increased audience. Additionally, by using this wine, we can guarantee that you will never run out during your event because we have the privilege of pulling more wine if needed. By having this option, it will help you stay on budget and you won’t over buy more than you need! All the wineries have multiple varietals to choose from to best suit your liking.

The wine minimum is non-negotiable, however becoming a wine club member is a great way to save on your overall wine purchase. By joining you will also be invited to private wine club events and most memberships provide complimentary tastings for you and your friends to continue to enjoy the winery throughout your wine club involvement.

Yes, however if discounted wine is purchased it will need to remain on site until your wedding day. Please notify your site coordinator if purchases are made and we will be happy help make the proper arrangements to store the wine.

Beer/soft drink corkage is a $3 fee per adult and allows you to bring in as much bottled or canned beer as you’d like as well as assorted soft drinks, sparkling water and juices. If you have leftover items, we box them up and you can take them with you at the end of your event.

Anyone under 21 years old will not be included in the estimated wine minimum.

You can purchase beer or hard cider from any store of your choice. You may bring this during your rehearsal prior to your event. Your caterer will make sure that it is properly stored in a cool place and have it chilled in time for the start of your event!

Weather Options

Many of our venues can accommodate different weather issues. Your site coordinator will be able to work with you and recommend different options and layouts if a weather issue were to occur. In cases like rain, most of our venues offer and indoor option or you will have the option to rent a tent. For hot weather we can also offer a lot of indoor options with air conditioning or recommend different areas of the venues that can provide more shade. With wind being so unpredictable we are always prepared! Our site coordinators have a lot of tips and tricks they will recommend avoiding windy disasters!

Being prepared for rain is something our site coordinators will be ready to handle. We always have a backup plan and will create a rain contingency rental order so that just in case you need to rent a tent they will have it ready to go. Many of our venues can accommodate weather issues and offer indoor options as well. For some of our venues that cannot accommodate this, we can recommend different options for each specific site based on your guest count.

Please visit this website to find the estimated weather forecast for each month in Sonoma county.

Policies and Rules

-Sparklers are not allowed at any property due to the county fire ordinance.
-Fire pits are allowed at all properties except for Hawkwood.
-Candles are allowed on all properties but need to be placed inside votive holders.
-Cigar bars are allowed on all properties except for Hawkwood.

Prior to a site getting its overall permits for construction or title transfer as part of a sale it is required to obtain or adhere to the existing in place use permit. That permit details the approved use for the site and includes many items such as hours of operation, types of business activities that are allowed and the maximum size, type and the total quantity of allowed events. If a site does not have those permits it is not operating legally and any event it hosts is at risk. There have been sites that have been closed down because they are not operating legally. These closures do not happen with warning and the fact that a client has paid a deposit and is preparing for an event is of no consequence.