The Napa Valley Wedding Vendor Guide: Personal Recommendations from Alicia Parks Photography
August 14, 2026
A note before we begin: I put this guide together because I get asked the same question constantly. Who should I hire? Who do you trust? I realized I have been giving the same answer over and over in emails and consultations, so it was time to write it down. Everything in this guide is a genuine personal recommendation from someone who has spent years working alongside these people on real wedding days. This is not a sponsored list. This is the team I would build if I were planning my own Napa Valley wedding.
Why Napa
What Makes Napa Valley Different
There is a reason couples travel from every corner of the world to get married in Napa Valley. The light here is extraordinary. The late afternoon sun drops behind the Mayacamas Mountains and spills sideways across the vine rows in a way that turns even the simplest portrait into something cinematic. The venues are world class. The food is some of the best in the country. And the vendor ecosystem that has grown up around all of it operates at a level that is genuinely hard to find anywhere else.
After years of photographing weddings across this valley, I have built relationships with the planners, florists, videographers, musicians, and rental companies who show up consistently and show up excellently. The people on this list are not just vendors I have worked alongside. They are professionals I trust, recommend without hesitation, and genuinely enjoy sharing a wedding day with.
If you are planning a Napa Valley wedding, this is where I would start.
Before You Book
How to Build Your Napa Valley Vendor Team
Before you get into the list, a few things worth knowing from someone who has watched hundreds of Napa Valley wedding days unfold.
“Hire your planner first. Before you book anything else.”
A great Napa planner has relationships with venue coordinators and vendors that will save you time, money, and stress throughout the entire planning process. They also know which vendors work well together, which matters more than most couples expect.
Book early. For harvest season weddings in September and October, eighteen months in advance is not too early for sought-after venues and vendors. Peak dates fill quickly. If you have a specific date in mind, do not wait.
Hire local where you can. A videographer or florist who has worked at your venue before knows the space, the light, and the logistics. That knowledge shows up in the final product.
Trust the team. Once you have built your vendor team, let them do their jobs. The couples who enjoy their wedding days most are the ones who hired excellent people and then stayed present for the moments unfolding around them.
Where to Celebrate
The Venues
Choosing your venue is the single most consequential decision you will make. It sets the tone for every photograph, every guest experience, and every memory. Here are the five Napa Valley venues I love most and why.
Venue 01
Stanly Ranch, Auberge Collection
Set on 700 acres in the southern end of Napa Valley and part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, Stanly Ranch sits just six miles from downtown Napa. What I love about shooting here is the sheer variety of extraordinary spaces. The Glasshouse Barn features panoramic windows overlooking the vineyards and rolling hills. The Lavender Lawn is fragrant and vineyard-surrounded for ceremonies. The Cutting Garden offers a lush outdoor setting. The eucalyptus-lined drive on arrival, the mountain views at golden hour, and the warm hospitality throughout make this one of the most complete wedding experiences in the valley.
Visit Stanly Ranch →Venue 02
Carneros Resort and Spa
Carneros is one of those venues that has a warmth and scale that is genuinely hard to find. The cottage-style property, the vineyard views from the hilltop ceremony location, the way the late afternoon light moves across the grounds. I have photographed weddings here many times and the images always look extraordinary. It is intimate without being small, and it gives the whole weekend a sense of place that carries through every moment. For couples who want their guests to feel like they truly arrived somewhere special, Carneros delivers.
Venue 03
CIA at Copia
This one surprises people every time. The CIA at Copia in downtown Napa’s Oxbow District is an epicurean destination where guests can immerse themselves in food, wine, art, and community. It is also one of the most unique and memorable wedding venues in the valley. If you and your guests care deeply about food, there is nowhere quite like it. The indoor and outdoor spaces are beautifully designed, the culinary experience is world class, and the light throughout the property is excellent. For couples who want their guests to leave talking about the food as much as the ceremony, this is the venue.
Visit CIA at Copia →Venue 04
V. Sattui Winery
Located in St. Helena and recognized among the top five winery wedding venues in the world, V. Sattui’s historic estate features ivy-covered stone walls, vineyard views, sun-drenched courtyards, and candlelit barrel rooms that create a setting that feels timeless and unforgettable. Cuisine is guided by Michelin-starred Italian chef Stefano Masanti, bringing the traditions of Northern Italy to Napa Valley. The candlelit barrel room reception is one of the most dramatic spaces I have ever photographed. Stone walls, heavy ceiling timbers, wine barrels lining every wall. If you want your reception to feel like Tuscany without leaving California, this is it.
Visit V. Sattui Winery →Venue 05
Brindare Estate
Brindare Estate in St. Helena offers five distinct venues, each showcasing the natural beauty of Napa Valley, from enchanting gardens to picturesque vineyards and stunning mountain views. The private estate accommodates celebrations of up to 350 guests. Formerly known as Tre Posti and now reimagined as Brindare, this property has a Tuscan quality that makes it feel like a genuine hideaway. The Courtyard with its mulberry trees and stone fireplace, the Harvest Room with its dramatic skylight, the Garden Grove overlooking the vineyards. I love the intimacy here and the variety of settings within one property.
Visit Brindare Estate →
The Planning Team
The Planners
A great planner is not a luxury. On a Napa Valley wedding day, a great planner is the difference between a day you enjoy and a day you survive. Here are the three I trust most.
Planner 01
Curated by Grace + White
With combined experience curating over 1,500 weddings across Napa, Sonoma, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, and beyond, the team at Curated by Grace + White brings a collaborative spirit and genuine design vision to every event. They communicate clearly, run a tight timeline without making anyone feel rushed, and the weddings they produce have an intentional aesthetic that carries through every detail. Featured in People and Brides, they are one of the most respected planning teams in the valley.
Visit Curated by Grace + White →Planner 02
Lisa McAdams Events
With over thirteen years of experience, Lisa McAdams is one of Wine Country’s most trusted planners. A Napa Valley native, she knows every corner of every venue and every vendor relationship that matters. Her couples consistently describe her as the reason their day felt calm and joyful. A multiple Best of Napa award winner featured in Brides and Southern Bride, Lisa is the kind of planner who makes a bride say she could not believe how relaxed she felt on her wedding day.
Visit Lisa McAdams Events →Planner 03
Alexis Raine Events
Alexis Raine Events provides graceful planning, design, and coordination for bespoke weddings at private estates, wineries, resorts, and residences across Napa Valley and beyond. Alexis Alexander works directly with each client, limits the number of events she takes each year to ensure full presence, and brings a design sensibility that is deeply editorial and completely personal. These are not cookie-cutter celebrations. Every wedding she produces has a distinctly considered point of view.
Visit Alexis Raine Events →
Getting Ready
Hair and Makeup
The getting-ready room sets the tone for the entire day. The energy in that space carries through every photograph from the very first frame. Here are the two hair and makeup teams I recommend most in Napa Valley.
Hair & Makeup 01
Carrie Aldous
Carrie’s work is luminous and photograph-ready without looking overdone. She understands how makeup translates on camera, keeps the getting-ready energy calm and beautiful, and the results speak for themselves in every frame.
@carriealdous →Hair & Makeup 02
Contour Bridal
Contour Bridal brings professionalism and warmth to the getting-ready experience that is genuinely hard to replicate. The work is flawless, the energy is calm, and brides always feel like the most beautiful version of themselves.
@contourbridal →Florals
The Florists
The right florist understands the landscape they are working within. In Napa Valley, the best floral design feels like it grew out of the valley itself. Here are the two studios I love most.
Florals 01
Marianas Floral Design
One of the most talented floral studios in the valley. Lush and intentional without ever looking overdone. Whether a sweeping ceremony installation, a head table runner, or an intimate bouquet, the work always feels native to Napa soil.
@marianasfloraldesign →Florals 02
Wine Country Flowers
An organic, seasonal sensibility that feels completely native to the valley. Their attention to texture, color, and movement makes their arrangements extraordinarily rich to photograph at every Napa venue.
@winecountryflowers →
The Film
Videography
A great wedding film is not an afterthought. It is the thing you will watch on your anniversary every year for the rest of your lives. These are the three videographers I trust most in Napa Valley.
Video 01
Silver Tie Films
Led by Gustavo Matteucci and based right here in Napa Valley, Silver Tie Films has been building a storytelling-focused reputation across the Bay Area and Napa Valley since 2006. What sets Gustavo apart is his presence on the wedding day. His couples consistently describe him as someone who felt more like a welcome guest than a vendor, which is the highest compliment a wedding filmmaker can receive. The films he produces are emotionally rich, beautifully composed, and genuinely moving.
Visit Silver Tie Films →Video 02
Interstellar Films
Led by Sebastien Manceau, whose couples rave about his calm and unobtrusive presence on the wedding day. He captures emotion without ever getting in the way, works seamlessly alongside photographers, and his final films have a movie-quality feel that is genuinely impressive. His drone work and cinematic storytelling approach make every Napa Valley wedding feel like it belongs on screen.
Visit Interstellar Films →Video 03
Nice Shot Films
Nice Shot Films has built a strong presence in Napa Valley specifically, with extensive experience at the valley’s most sought-after venues. Their approach is cinematic and wine country-forward, with a deep understanding of how to capture the landscape and the light that makes Napa so special. For couples who want a film that feels like it was made specifically for this place, Nice Shot Films delivers.
Visit Nice Shot Films →The Music
Music and Entertainment
The music you choose sets the emotional tone from the first note of the processional to the last song of the night. Here are the artists I recommend for both live bands and strings.
Live Band
Lucky Devils Band
Lucky Devils Band is a premium, customizable three to fourteen piece band whose musicians have performed with Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Etta James, and Santana. They have brought the party to wine country weddings repeatedly and the reviews speak for themselves. Dance floors that never empty, guests who cannot stop talking about the music, and a team that is professional and genuinely fun to work with from the first planning call through the last song of the night. If you want a live band that will make your reception the greatest party of your guests’ year, this is the one.
Visit Lucky Devils Band →Strings
Bellarosa Strings
Bellarosa Strings is nestled right here in the heart of Napa Valley and offers everything from solo violin to full chamber orchestra. They specialize in pop and rock covers performed by premier string ensembles, and have been featured in the New York Times, People magazine, and Style Me Pretty. For ceremony and cocktail hour music that feels elevated and memorable rather than generic, Bellarosa Strings is extraordinary. They can also offer light DJ services and amplification to carry you seamlessly from one part of the day into the next.
Visit Bellarosa Strings →
The Details
Rentals
The right rentals elevate every detail photograph and set the overall visual tone of a reception. Here are three rental companies I have seen produce consistently beautiful results in Napa Valley.
Rentals 01
Theoni Collection
Distinctive European-inspired tabletop and furniture. The quality and character here simply cannot be matched by mass rental companies.
@theonicollection →Rentals 02
Bright Event Rentals
One of the most comprehensive rental companies in Napa. Expansive inventory, professional team, and consistent delivery. A reliable and trusted partner for any scale of celebration.
@brighteventrentals →Rentals 03
Encore Events Rentals
A staple of wine country events for years. Lounge furniture, bars, and specialty pieces with a warmth and quality that reads beautifully on camera every time.
@encoreeventsrentals →
A Final Note
On Building the Right Team
Napa Valley is home to an extraordinary community of talented wedding professionals and this list reflects the vendors I have had the most personal experience working alongside. Every name here is someone I trust, respect, and am genuinely glad to share a wedding day with.
If you are planning a Napa Valley wedding and want personalized recommendations based on your specific venue, style, and vision, I would love to connect. Sometimes the best vendor for your wedding is not on any list, but someone I know who is exactly right for you. Reach out and let’s talk about your day.
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I am Alicia Parks, a Napa Valley and Sonoma wedding photographer based in Santa Rosa, California. I would love to hear about your day.
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