California was slated as our Destination: X feature for the month of December ages ago. Long before we knew the state would be in the limelight for news unrelated to weddings and honeymoons. The beautiful state of California has recently been ravaged by wildfires and that’s inspired us to highlight the resilience of these special destinations. The fires that affected Northern California just a few short months ago are now being replaced by damaging fires in Southern California. We’ve been in contact with our friends at Sonoma County Tourism to see what’s new in the area, how they’re bouncing back from the damages and why they’re still a solid destination wedding and honeymoon option.

Sonoma is Back in Business

As of the end of October, Sonoma is officially back open for business after the wildfires. “We invite you to come see us,” says Tim Zahner, interim CEO of Sonoma County Tourism. “Come help us recover from the recent wildfires by allowing us to delight you with world-class hospitality, awe-inspiring views and sensory experiences unlike any other. It’s what we do best.”

Whether you make your way to Sonoma via a California road trip along the famous Highway 1 or fly into nearby San Francisco, you will be met with endless opportunities for fun upon arrival. Sonoma County has put together a variety of sample itineraries for you that you can narrow down by length of stay, interests or theme. For ideas on how to spend your destination wedding or honeymoon time in Sonoma, click here.

Sonoma Wedding Gift Ideas

Whether you’ve opted to select Sonoma County for your destination wedding or honeymoon location, it’s easy to bring some of the area home with you. Sonoma County Tourism is sharing some of their favorite local gift ideas – whether you purchase them for yourself as a memento or as a “thank you” gift for your family or bridal party.

• Sporting Life Experience – Enjoy shooting, the Sonoma Raceway and a dinner at Ram’s Gate winery.
• Winemaker for a Day – Live the dream for a day and run the show through Buena Vista Winery.
• Meet the TasteMakers – Get a behind-the-scenes look into the Sonoma County culinary scene with this three-day experience through Sonoma County Living.
• Cheese Making Class – Learn about and develop your skills for making this classic wine accompaniment with The Epicurean Connection.

Honeymoon in Sonoma Wine Country 

Everyone knows there are plenty of romantic spots to choose from for your honeymoon in California, but Sonoma County certainly tops our short list of favorites. Located just 45 minutes from San Francisco, it boasts over 425 wineries, beautiful beaches, redwood forests, world-class dining and top-ranking resorts. For more information about why Sonoma County makes a fabulous honeymoon destination, check out this article, “Best Honeymoon Destinations: Sonoma Wine Country.”

Here at DID, we have no doubt that Southern California will ultimately bounce back just as effectively as Northern California has and our thoughts are with all of those who have been and are currently being affect by the California wildfires. Once the fires have been contained, we encourage destination wedding and honeymoon couples to aid in the recovery by supporting the local economies and bringing in your wedding business! For more information about Sonoma County specifically, visit sonomacounty.com.

Note: All of the photos here were taken post-wildfires, since October 10, 2017, and reflect the current state of Sonoma County.