Wine & Weddings

Snohomish knows how to celebrate

By Ellen Hiatt

Snohomish knows how to celebrate the sweet things in life. From wine to weddings, romance to life’s little moments, they come together as one to bring out the best in town.

Known as the region’s wedding capital, the town is home to historic wedding chapels, charming barns on working farms, rustic and woodsy outdoor venues, a historic ballroom, elaborate gardens, and more. The wedding planners, venues, and broader event service industry came together to form the Snohomish Wedding Guild (mysnohomishwedding.com) to bring this bevy of celebratory resources to the public.

“We continue doing what Snohomish does best — which is tours. We have the wine industry and breweries, and now we have wedding tours,” said Sharon St. Marie, president of the Guild and owner of Belle Chapel. The little chapel is a 137-year-old Methodist church where Sharon helps create lasting memories for the important moments in life.

The chapel is a smaller venue holding fewer than 150 people, whereas larger weddings are often at home in the cavernous barns surrounded by open fields. Sharon finds the chapel is perfect for the weddings of older couples who no longer desire the large affair or have winnowed their friends list down to a meaningful few. And in recent years she’s seen an enormous uptick in weekday elopements, spontaneous weddings for the daring and romantic.

“People are prioritizing what’s important to them. The pandemic showed us that we all lost people that we adored. We realized we don’t necessarily have days to waste,” she said.

St. Marie’s own son was married at Hidden Meadows, a fifth-generation farm converted to an event venue for as many as 350 guests. The barns that once housed hundreds of dairy cows have been creatively converted into an elegant venue.

Natalie Fisher of Marysville married her sweetheart at Hidden Meadows, as well. “The moment I stepped out of my car when visiting venues, I said ‘Oh my God! This is the place. I don’t need to look anymore!’” she said. “I fell in love of the view, the entire venue right away and I even put our deposit down right then and there.” There are a couple chances throughout the year to learn about all of the wedding resources in the valley. The Saturday before Valentine’s Day, at the Feather Ballroom, the Guild will host a Sweethearts’ Stroll Engagement Showcase (11 a.m.-4 p.m., Feb. 11, 2023).

The stroll, which has been accompanied by chocolate and wine walks in the past, is a great opportunity to explore the Feather Ballroom as well. The ballroom was built in 1906 and retains its grand staircases, the original “sprung” dance floor with springs beneath the floorboards for that “floating on air” feeling, and its original, multi-layer embossed copper ceiling. Grand, indeed!

In June, the Guild also hosts a wedding tour (11 a.m.-5 p.m., June 4, 2023) — an opportunity to visit all the region’s venues. There is no better time to tour 15 different wedding venues and meet over 100 vendors who can supply everything from linens to appetizers to officiants. Romantic inspiration awaits in Snohomish!

For The Wine Lover

As Sharon said, Snohomish knows how to celebrate. Wine lovers have been celebrating in Snohomish for some time now. The everpopular Snohomish Wine Festival draws nearly two dozen wineries and cideries, with creators of kombucha along for the ride.

Snohomish Chamber of Commerce Manager Nancy Keith said the festival is in its 13th year in 2023, when it will occur on Saturday, March 4.

“We feature usually somewhere around 20 or 22 wineries,” she said. “It’s just a great opportunity for our guests to try lots of different Washington area wines. We feature a lot of local wines, local to Snohomish and the Snohomish area as well.”

Held inside the Thomas Family Farm’s airy and down-to-earth barn, the festival feels spacious even when it’s at its busiest. And it can get busy! The 2022 festival welcomed 800 visitors.

The chamber introduced “bubbles” to the line-up last year, as well. “That’s anything sparkling,” Keith said.

“There’s good food, too,” she said. “We’re lining them up.”

Keith suggested coming for the VIP experience. VIP tasters get some alone time with the vintners to talk about a grape’s provenance, how a wine was made, or what it best pairs with.

“It’s an elevated experience,” she said.