Chateau St Jean winery wedding - Ultimate Guide (with real wedding photos)
Chateau St Jean winery wedding venue is a favorite venues in Sonoma, Ca (and Napa too). This stunning property makes you feel like you have been whisked away to France, with it’s impeccably maintained gardens, historic Chateau and sweeping vineyard views. As Sonoma wedding planners, we are able to create a truly unique wedding for each of our clients with multiple areas to host a ceremony and the huge lawn to use as a blank canvas for the reception.
Suzanne Karp Photography
In this Chateau St Jean Wedding Guide You Will Find:
About Chateau St Jean Winery Wedding venue
Ceremony and reception space options
Real Wedding: French Inspired Chateau St Jean Wedding
Our Chateau St Jean Wedding Planning Services (included planning investment)
If we haven’t met yet, hi! I’m Lindsey Nickel and I’m a local Sonoma and Napa wedding planner and the owner of Lovely Day Events. My team and I have planned more than 140 destination weddings, so I can tell you firsthand that Chateau St Jean winery is something special. My clients want the ceremony to be outside, the food to be outstanding, and the dance parties to be epic. If this sounds like you, you’re in the right place.
About Chateau St Jean Winery Wedding venue
Chateau St Jean winery is nestled in the heart of Sonoma Valley in Kenwood, CA with picturesque acres of vineyards, gardens, and elegant event spaces. Established in 1973, the winery is renowned for its award-winning wines, stunning French-inspired architecture and the iconic French Chateau.
Quick Wedding Info:
Located in Kenwoord, CA in Sonoma County
Capacity: 400
Beer and wine only (no liquor)
Timing: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
Dancing until 10:00pm per county noise ordinance
String lights on the Grand Lawn and Olive Grove included
Ceremony and Reception Space Options
Grand lawn - The Grand Lawn at Chateau St. Jean offers a breathtaking outdoor setting with panoramic vineyard views and the elegant backdrop of the Chateau. This expansive space is perfect for large wedding ceremonies with the vineyard as the backdrop. It is also wonderful space for large wedding allowing guests to dine and dance under the open Sonoma sky. The lawn is huge so you can use part of it for your ceremony and part of it for your dinner and dancing.
Option for ceremony, dinner and/ or dancing
Grand Lawn set up for wedding ceremony
Grand Lawn set up for dinner and dancing
Dinner table on the Grand Lawn with the Chateau in the background
Chateau - The historic chateau provides a stunning, French-inspired backdrop for weddings, adding an air of timeless elegance to the celebration. Inside, the beautifully appointed spaces serve as a holding area for the wedding party to relax and before the ceremony.
Option for holding area before the ceremony
Historic Chateau St Jean
Grand entrance from the Chateau to the Grand Lawn for dinner and dancing
Olive Grove - The Olive Grove is a romantic and intimate setting beneath a charming pergola, surrounded by a graceful circle of olive trees. This space is perfect for dining for a smaller group, cocktail hour, a wedding ceremony or being transformed into an epic dance party area.
Option for ceremony, cocktail hour, ceremony or dancing
Olive Grove set up for a ceremony
Ceremony in the Olive Grove
Formal Gardens - The Formal Gardens are elegant and tranquil setting for a cocktail hour, where guests can mingle among manicured hedges, vibrant flowers, and a central fountain. With its refined ambiance, it offers a sophisticated start to the evening’s celebration.
Option for cocktail hour
Cocktail hour bar in the Formal Gardens
Inner courtyard and patio - The Inner Courtyard and Patio offer a charming and secluded space for intimate ceremonies, surrounded by the Chateau’s timeless architecture.
Option for ceremony
Real Wedding: French Inspired Chateau St Jean Wedding
Meghan and Brian had a classic, timeless, and French-inspired Chateau St. Jean wedding. One of the really unique things about Meghan and Brian is their shared love for all things French. From learning the French language to French food and traveling around France they say “oui s’il vous plaît (yes please).” Since they wanted to have their wedding in wine country and include their love for all things French, Chateau St Jean winery was the perfect Sonoma wedding venue for them. The Chateau and formal gardens provided a stunning backdrop that felt like guests were at a private estate in France, only without the jet lag.
The Couple
Meghan and Brian met while they were both living in the Bay Area. They bonded over trivia nights and their mutual love for learning the French language. During the wedding planning, they even took a trip to France! They love to travel, especially to Paris, Park City, Hawaii, and wine country. When they are not practicing their French or traveling they enjoy cooking together, skiing, hiking, going to museums, and reading. They are proud dog parents to their rescue dog Lucky (who joined in on a few planning meetings).
Why They Chose Chateau St.Jean
Chateau St. Jean winery was the perfect backdrop for a timeless, classic, and chic wedding with a touch of French inspiration. The chateau and perfectly manicured gardens created a scenery that felt like the guests were transported to France. The vineyard backdrop for the ceremony was elevated with white florals making it feel ethereal. For the table names, Meghan and Brian chose their favorite towns in France which was another fun & meaningful way to tie in their love of the country. Chateau St. Jean has all the beauty and charm of a chateau in France without that pesky jetlag.
Wedding Planning
Fun fact - We planned Meghan’s brother’s wedding in Jackson Hole. It’s always extra special to plan a wedding for a sibling and really get to know the family. At Meghan and Brian’s wedding, it was so fun to see her brother and his wife again, plus meet their kids.
Meghan & Brian’s main concern when planning their wedding was that their friends and family would have a blast and that it would be a night neither of them would ever forget. I believe we accomplished both!
Wedding Day
Meghan and Brian’s wedding was Memorial Day weekend which historically has very hit-or-miss weather, varying from heat waves to downpouring rain. This year it felt like spring with partly cloudy skies, which was perfect because guests were not too hot and the light was perfect for photos.
One of the highlights of the wedding was their first dance. The couple surprised their guests with a fun and energetic choreographed dance that brought the house down. Seeing them cut loose helped keep the dance floor busy for the entire reception.
One of Brian’s favorite foods is ice cream from Humphrey Slocombe so for dessert there was an ice cream cart and sundae bar. It was a huge hit with all the guests.
From Their Wedding Planner
This wedding was really a joy to work on because Meghan and Brian’s taste is very classic and timeless. From the white flowers to the clear acrylic podium for the officiant, every design choice made me think “will this feel classic and timeless in ten years?” and the answer is absolutely!
The chateau provided the perfect backdrop for the French vibe. Of course, we needed one touch that was a nod to their love for France without being a cliche, which is where the French table numbers idea came from.
“We used Lindsey to plan our Sonoma Valley wedding in 2022 and it was magical! Lindsey is a pro at her job and has thought of every thing that you need to make your day go off without a hitch! She struck the perfect balance of being on top of everything, but also easy-going, which helped us relax while making decisions. Overall, I would recommend Lindsey to help with any of your event planning!”
Wedding Team:
Wedding planner: Lovely Day Events
Wedding Venue: Chateau St. Jean
Florist: Wine Country Flowers
Caterer: Park Ave Catering
DJ: AMS Entertainment
Photographer: Suzanne Karap Photography
Rental Company: Bright Event Rentals
Cake & Desserts: Flour and Bloom & Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream
Chateau St Jean Winery Wedding
wedding planning package
Your dream wedding brought to life
Your love is unique, and your wedding should be too. From selecting the right vendors to picking design details that reflect your personalities, we’ll assist you so that you can fully enjoy your celebration.
“We are so thankful we found Lovely Day Events! Lindsey made planning our daughter's destination wedding a breeze. She provided referrals to the BEST vendors in Sonoma Valley! She handled the timeline and gently guided us through every tiny detail to make my daughter's vision come to life. She is so down to earth and easy to work with. My husband, daughter and future son-in-law had monthly meetings that kept us on target for the most magical and beautiful wedding! Thank you Lindsey. We couldn't have done it without you! We highly recommend Lovely Day Events.” - Brenda, mother of the bride
The Wedding Planning Process
The very first step is to do a complimentary consultation so we can learn more about your Chateau St Jean wedding. After that, we will send you a custom quote that meets the venue’s requirements for a wedding planner. Ready for your wedding planning quote? Contact us here.
Detailed planning including vendor referrals, a site visit, and planning calls to ensure you are on track and no detail is overlooked
Along the way, we manage vendor communication so that your inbox is not flooded with emails about logistics and vendor meals
Every wedding rental order is custom-designed to your style and personalities and we handle all the logistics with a local rental company
In the last three months, we finalize details with your vendors, finish the timeline, finalize layouts, and lead your ceremony rehearsal so you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything
On your wedding day, we are on-site to execute all the planning and be a point person for your vendors so that you can enjoy every moment
Investment - Since each wedding couple has different guest counts, unique needs, and their own visions for their wedding, we create custom packages after a quick call. The investment for Chateau St Jean wedding planning ranges from $10,500 - $14,500+
What Makes Us Different
Vendor Relationships
On your wedding day, you want the best vendors, the ones that are calm and experienced so that you are not stressed out.
Attention to Details
We are passionate about the details from the napkin fold to your cousin that is allergic to seaweed to the font on your signs.
Specialized in Sonoma and Napa Winery Weddings
Winery weddings call for local knowledge of the weather (it can rain in June), traffic (tractors can cause traffic jams), and how harvest season affects events. We are based in Napa and always have the local scoop.
