Early Mountain Vineyards

Beautiful Venue for Wedding Ceremony and/or Reception!

My husband and I recently had our wedding ceremony and reception at Early Mountain Vineyards (EMV) in Madison, VA in March 2013. We couldn't have chosen any other perfect location than this venue for our special day. Delores and Nicolette, the event coordinators are two... Read More wonderful ladies that helped plan and make the day go smoothly, not to mention very accommodating to what we wanted. This location is perfect for a small, more intimate wedding or for a large wedding. My husband and I looked for months for the perfect place (mainly in Charlottesville, however, we just couldn't afford the prices). EMV was very affordable and was the only place within our budget that offered more than just the venue, hey offered first class hospitality. Honestly, in my opinion this venue could be charging even more and it would be worth every penny, but they choose to keep it more affordable and reasonable for couples. The staff is very honest and even gave me extra tips on how to keep the cost down. Although, we had a strict budget (no more than $15,000 for the entire wedding, including everything from dress, favors, catering, etc.) I was able to have my dream wedding and not go over that budget thanks to EMV. It was a true blessing for us to find this venue and will continue to visit it over the years as it is now in our history. The venue on a whole is maintained very well by staff and clean...I can't tell you when it was built, but I can tell you that it looks new throughout and the decor is exquisite. We particularly love the vineyards wine. This venue also has a cute cottage for the bride and groom after the wedding just up the road, which I would also recommend. If you are shopping around for wedding venues I would highly recommend you check out this vineyard. I hope that you fall in love with the venue as we did! Lastly, I hope this review helps and congratulations to your upcoming wedding.

Winery Wedding and Reception

The venue is gorgeous and the staff at Early Mountain were fantastic to work with. The wedding coordinator at Early Mountain always responded promptly to my emails leading up to the wedding, and was available for several meetings. Each time, the wedding coordinator was gracious,... Read More patient, and offered a fresh perspective. The wedding and reception were wonderful due to the teamwork effort the winery staff had with outside vendors. Furthermore, there were no hidden costs with Early Mountain.

Beautiful Hillside Setting

Early Mountain Vineyards is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, about an hour and a half from Washington, DC. The mountains and grapevines are the perfect backdrop for an outdoor ceremony. Their event hall is grand, romantic, and filled with many beautiful design... Read More elements. It was a pleasure working with the event staff who were friendly and very helpful. My guests were enchanted by the casual elegance of the winery and the gorgeous scenery. It was a beautiful day for our outdoor ceremony and the patio was the perfect place for the cocktail hour while my husband and I walked the picturesque grounds with the photographer. The baronial event hall is gorgeous. The winery provided white folding chairs and the arbor for the wedding and the tables and chiavari chairs with cushions for the reception. They also had provided lanterns, bars, and beautiful farm tables. Faux burlap tablecloths are available for rent. They have the most beautiful cottage on grounds that is available to the bride the day of the wedding. It was such a calming and relaxing setting to prepare for the big day. I opted to rent the cottage the night before and the night of the wedding for an additional fee and it was well worth it. Thank you Early Mountain Vineyards for providing the perfect setting for my romantic, elegantly rustic wedding! :-)

Our wedding at Early Mountain was wonderful. Aside from the beautiful venue and countryside, Early Mountain delivered on all of the practical things we wanted: a nice place on-site for the bride and bridesmaids to get ready (the bridal cottage), an equally nice place for the... Read More groom and groomsmen to prepare, and a seamless rain plan. It rained on our wedding day so we had the ceremony inside, and the setup was really beautiful. Throughout our planning process, the staff were very helpful, responsive and professional. The only challenge we encountered was transportation; Early Mountain is a good 45-minute drive from Charlottesville (longer on a bus), so our guests who stayed in Charlottesville had a pretty long shuttle ride each way. If you want to have room blocks in Charlottesville, that's something to consider. We also blocked rooms at the Holiday Inn Express in Ruckersville, which is 20 minutes away and very nice. That's the option I would recommend to other couples.

Early Mountain is one of the most beautiful venues in VA. It was the only venue we looked at and we booked the next day. We loved the flexibility of choosing whether you want an indoor or outdoor ceremony and being able to change it at any time because you have the entire venue... Read More to yourself (they only do one wedding a day). This allowed us to monitor the weather and make a decision whenever we felt comfortable. We chose inside because we fell head over heels in love with the room (the stone floors, wooden mantles and medieval-esque light fixtures felt super romantic and kind of Game of Thrones in a good way). We also knew the vines wouldn't be ripe and the flowers probably wouldn't be in bloom in April (they weren't), so that helped make our decision as well. We lucked out because even though we chose to have our ceremony indoors, our cocktail hour opened up to a patio area overlooking the rolling hills, which let guests mingle outside and get the vineyard experience. Spring weather can be hit or miss, but we got sun and 68 degrees, and it was pure magic (the sunset was incredible). We worked with Taylor and Sara, who were both very quick to respond to our emails and answer questions about the venue, the weather, billing, etc. Another huge plus: We had the option of staying the night in the on-site cottage (where the bride gets ready pre-wedding), which we decided to do (it was included in the cost of the venue). SO glad we did! We woke up to sounds of birds chirping and sun shining on the vineyard. The decor is beautiful and it's the perfect place to spend your first night as husband and wife. We had the wedding of our dreams at Early Mountain and would do it again in a heartbeat!

We were so so pleased to be married at the Early Mountain Vineyards. Since our wedding was in March, both ceremony and reception were held in the Event Hall. Although I already knew the Event Hall was beautiful, it turned out to be so cozy and glamorous after just decorated a... Read More little by flowers and candles. But this was not the end—EMV had much more than the Event Hall! All places such as the Tasting Room, Patio, Gallery, and Wine Library were so stunning that all guests enjoyed the place so much. My favorite no doubt was the fully decorated and functioning Cottage. My ladies and I spent a wonderful and relaxed afternoon there while getting-ready, as well as took hundreds of beautiful photos. It was pricey, but I did believe the experience deserved every penny. Also, we saved quite amount of money on florist, rental, and catering as tables, chairs, and many decors were already included in the package. In addition, one night stay at the Cottage was too! During the planning process, we worked with Maggie and Taylor, and then Sara and Margaret after Maggie's departure. They were all professional, responsible, flexible, and willing to help. Most importantly, they worked as a team. All information was shared so there were no hiccups during the transition.

Early Mountain is just plain BEAUTIFUL! The moment my husband & I walked in we knew it was the venue for us. They provide gorgeous wine barrels, large farm tables, lanterns, ceremony seating, and more! We loved having the fireplaces lit even though it was an early fall wedding,... Read More and the great hall has an almost cathedral feel to it. They allowed us to set up our giant Jenga set outside which was a big hit, and they didn't mind our ring bearer being a golden retriever puppy. As far as communications and payment goes, they were easy to work with and very prompt in responses. The cottage you stay in on your wedding night is so cute and cozy, it was all perfect for us. We love Early Mountain and highly recommend it to anyone!

Early Mountain was the most beautiful venue for our Wedding reception. They were so easy to work with, always answered the phone and emails. We worked primarily with Taylor, but everyone at EMV was helpful. It was a bit on the expensive side, especially since we had our... Read More Ceremony at another location. But it was just perfect and worth the splurge!

I absolutely LOVE Early Mountain Vineyards. We just got married there and I couldn't have asked for anything more. The staff was so responsive over email and answered any and all questions I had throughout the whole process. I was able to stay in the bridal cottage starting at... Read More 12 pm the Friday before my wedding which made everything so much easier. the cottage is great and the perfect space to get ready with your bridesmaids (including THREE bathrooms!). We had a chance of rain on our wedding day but I wasn't even worried because EMV has such a great indoor space. In fact, that is one of the main reasons why we chose it. It is a gorgeous vineyard and all of our guests were raving about how beautiful the space was. We ended up having our ceremony and cocktail hour inside and it worked out perfectly. They have a huge kitchen for any catering company and most importantly, their wine is delicious! One of my guests even said "I don't usually like VA wine, but this is really good!" I can't say enough good things about EMV. I am so so happy we chose to have our wedding there, it was perfect. If you are looking for a vineyard setting, it is definitely the best option in Charlottesville.

Gorgeous Venue

My wedding at the vineyard was amazing!!!! The venue itself is so beautiful that I didn't need to bring in a whole bunch of extras like flower arrangements. The view itself was my best decoration. The venue is expensive, but for us it was worth it. We were married on a... Read More Sunday evening, so there was a little savings there. But we spent that savings having the winery close an hour early so it wasn't a crazy late night for people who wanted to go to work on Monday. And be prepared to book at least a year in advance!

Early Mountain was the perfect venue for our wedding! The landscape is absolutely beautiful--the mountain backdrop, rolling hills, grape vines and beautiful landscaping. The EMV team was incredibly easy to work with and extremely accommodating from the moment that we first... Read More stepped into the tasting room. The interior event space was just as beautiful as the exterior, as it provided a great backdrop for us to be able to design our ideal layout. An added bonus to the venue was the fact that it had an easy yet still beautiful backup plan in place in case of inclement weather that wouldn't cost extra. I can't possibly describe how happy my husband I were that we came across EMV during our search for venues.

A fairytale...

It's been just over a month since our wedding and I so want to go back and do it all over again! It was a fairytale. We had looked at about 5 other venues before EMV. BUT I had already seen pictures of EMV and had my heart set on it, so the other places really didn't stand a... Read More chance. We drove down from Annapolis Maryland to check out the vineyard and I had mentally signed the contract as we drove up before we even parked. Everything from the manicured lawn with beautiful flowers, the vastness of the vineyard and the rolling hills, to the stone and brick on the main building, was enough for me... Then you walk inside and you're done..."where's the contract!?" It's 5 stars in every area (except value). To be clear, the place is absolutely amazing and breathtaking and the service you'll get from Maggie and Delores is top notch and incredibly professional and super responsive (and we asked a ton of questions via email - all answered right away), but the price tag is quite steep. With that said, if you have the budget to go for it, you won't be disappointed. We heard from several quests at our wedding that it was the most beautiful wedding they had even been to. Of course, as a bride who worked for over a year on this day, that was music to my ears, and the location is largely what made the wedding as beautiful as it was.

Fantastic Wedding Venue

We fell in love with Early Mountain Vineyards as soon as we visited. The setting is idyllic, and it's one of the rare vineyard venues with an indoor space as lovely as the outdoor space. This feature came in handy on our wedding day---we had planned to have the cocktail hour... Read More outside after the outdoor ceremony, but due to uncomfortably warm weather we opted to have cocktails indoors (luckily, we had rented out the beautiful tasting room). From the stunning reception hall to the outdoor fire pits to the inviting, comfortable cottage that serves as a space for the bride and her bridal party to get ready and a honeymoon suite for the couple, the whole place is thoughtfully designed to make hosting a wedding as stress-free as possible. The staff was pleasant, professional, and helpful. They responded quickly to any questions we had along the way and were always accommodating. The only comment I have that approaches a criticism concerns the value---while we found the venue itself to be superior to the other winery venues we visited closer to Charlottesville (we visited a total of 6 or 7), I was surprised to learn that the price was as high as or higher than similar venues closer to town (and, therefore, to hotels that can accommodate large room blocks). If you're planning on providing transportation for your guests to get to the venue, it's worth factoring in that cost. But keep in mind that Early Mountain also offers amenities you'll pay extra for elsewhere, such as chairs for both the ceremony and the reception, tables, and decor items---not to mention a honeymoon suite! Overall, we felt like Early Mountain Vineyards was the perfect place to get married. Countless guests (and vendors) commented on how beautiful the venue was, and the thoughtful details that make it such an excellent event space helped our wedding go seamlessly. I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone looking to get married in the Charlottesville area.

The Perfect Venue for our Perfect Day :)

I can honestly say it was love at first sight when my fiancé and I visited Early Mountain VIneyard (EMV)! It was the first venue we looked at after getting engaged and, while we toured many other potential options in the Charlottesville, VA area, nothing came close to EMV. We... Read More were immediately blown away during our initial visit, beginning with the gorgeous tasting room when you walk in, followed by the breathtaking wedding event spaces. We wanted to get married in March and weather can be unpredictable, so our venue needed to have space to host the ceremony and reception indoors and the Event Hall at EMV was perfect for both. It actually snowed the Thursday before our wedding, and it didn't matter at all! There was ample space to host our 115 guests (majority of which traveled from South Florida) in a cozy, romantic, beautiful and unique atmosphere that everyone absolutely LOVED! Some of our engaged friends actually told us they had “venue envy” after seeing EMV for the first time! And, as if that weren't enough, access to the Bridal Cottage and Lounge/Library made our day that much better as the entire bridal party (not just the Bride and Bridesmaids) got to hang out and relax at the venue before the festivities began. As other reviews have stated, EMV was worth every penny, especially considering all that is included in the rental fee. Aside from the quality and charm of the venue itself, the EMV staff was INCREDIBLE - we chose EMV more than a year in advance and Maggie (our Event Coordinator) was wonderful and super responsive the entire time. We also worked with Nicolette, who was also awesome, so no matter whom you work with at Early Mountain, you will be in good hands! EMV was the perfect setting for our perfect day and we could not have been happier with our choice. We loved it, our guests loved it, and our vendors loved it too! We are now members of the wine club and are planning to stay in the Bridal Cottage for our one-year anniversary. Needless to say, we are huge fans of EMV and could not have imagined getting married anywhere else!

Winter Wonderland

I fell in love with Early Mountain Vineyards the minute I walked in! Sometimes you just know when something is meant for you. It is such a beautiful place with the perfect ambiance. With a December wedding, we used the reception hall for an indoor ceremony and were so happy with... Read More the outcome. My vision was winter wonderland theme, and to be honest I didn't want to overdo it becuase EM already has so much natural beauty. The staff was wonderful throughout the entire planning process. Maggie, one of the wedding coordinators was very organized, honest, and friendly. Every visit/meeting with her, I could tell she really enjoys working with brides. The bridal cottage on-site was such a cozy spot for my girls to get ready, and the perfect escape for Mr. & Mrs on the wedding night! We chose to have liquor, beer, and EM wines. We picked two reds and two whites, all very good and popular among guests. We truly love EM and plan to spend more time their as husband and wife, and will never forget our special day!

Amazing.

I fell in love with EMV from the moment I pulled into the drive at this gorgeous venue. I had my winter wedding here and had the most wonderful experience! The staff (Maggie is the best!) is so helpful, professional and sweet. The wine is great, the grounds and spaces are so... Read More beautiful and unique and are the definition of a "wow factor". I stayed at the EMV cottage both the day before and night of my wedding and it made my experience so relaxing and special- my bridesmaids and I had so much fun getting ready there- it really is the perfect place to prep for a wedding and a romantic getaway to spend your first night married. Everyone at my wedding raved that EMV was the most beautiful venue they had ever seen and I couldnt agree more- I cannot wait to go back again!

Early Mountain Vineyard Wedding

We held our wedding a few weeks ago at EMV. It was the most magical and amazing day! Not only is the venue gorgeous, but the staff is great to work with! We worked mainly with Nicolette during the year leading up to our big day. She was very responsive and was very helpful... Read More during the planning process. The day of the wedding, our wedding coordinators and Nicolette worked to make our day unforgettable! All that EMV has to offer (reception space, tables and chairs, patio with heating lamps and the views) made our wedding that much more amazing! We were blown away with all of the details which were highlighted and they made sure our day went according to plan. We also used the cottage Friday and Saturday night. Friday night the bridesmaids and myself stayed and got ready there on Saturday. The cottage is beautiful and has the perfect amount of space for all of us to get ready including the makeup and hair artists. We were blown away by the small touches in the cottage including the coffee maker and coffee, creamer, snacks, etc. Throughout the wedding and after, our guests were raving about how amazing the venue and reception space was. Guests mentioned it was the most beautiful space they have been to! We could have not been happier. Overall the weekend was amazing and it would not have been the same if we got married somewhere else. I would highly recommend EMV to all brides!!!

The ONLY vineyard you need to visit for picking your venue

Anyone looking to get married at a vineyard in the Charlottesville area should SERIOUSLY consider Early Mountain Vineyards as the perfect setting for their wedding weekend. While it’s not as centrally located as some other options, it provides a more unique, picturesque setting... Read More that you will fall in love with immediately - it is worth the couple miles of driving, and there are countless bed and breakfasts in the vicinity for your guests to make a complete weekend out of your wedding. If the beautiful setting were not enough to convince you, the wedding staff (in particular Nicolette) is extremely helpful and responsive with everything from recommendations, logistics, ideas, and anything else you might have questions about. If we could give six stars on service, quality, and value, we would - the staff, setting, and everything “extra” that you get is that amazing and takes additional work off your plate. Early Mountain Vineyards is worth every penny. Our recommendation: Go to Early Mountain Vineyards as your first stop, sit down, do a wine tasting, and cancel all the rest of your appointments - nothing else will come close. If you’re getting married in the Charlottesville area, you’re not going to find a more beautiful setting, more helpful staff, or get as many additional time, hassle, and cost saving things (like patio furniture, tables, indoor and outdoor chairs and cushions, and let’s not forget the beautiful, cozy guest cottage for the night of the wedding) than at Early Mountain Vineyards.

The ONLY vineyard you need to visit when picking your venue

Anyone looking to get married at a vineyard in the Charlottesville area should SERIOUSLY consider Early Mountain Vineyards as the perfect setting for their wedding weekend. While it’s not as centrally located as some other options, it provides a more unique, picturesque setting... Read More that you will fall in love with immediately - it is worth the couple miles of driving, and there are countless bed and breakfasts in the vicinity for your guests to make a complete weekend out of your wedding. If the beautiful setting were not enough to convince you, the wedding staff (in particular Nicolette) is extremely helpful and responsive with everything from recommendations, logistics, ideas, and anything else you might have questions about. If we could give six stars on service, quality, and value, we would - the staff, setting, and everything “extra” that you get is that amazing and takes additional work off your plate. Early Mountain Vineyards is worth every penny. Our recommendation: Go to Early Mountain Vineyards as your first stop, sit down, do a wine tasting, and cancel all the rest of your appointments - nothing else will come close. If you’re getting married in the Charlottesville area, you’re not going to find a more beautiful setting, more helpful staff, or get as many additional time, hassle, and cost saving things (like patio furniture, tables, indoor and outdoor chairs and cushions, and let’s not forget the beautiful, cozy guest cottage for the night of the wedding) than at Early Mountain Vineyards.

Great wedding at EMV

My husband and I had a great experience with Early Mountain Vineyards. We did not have a wedding planner and they were such a help with organizing our event. Because of inclement weather, we had to move the ceremony indoors, but it looked lovely and no one could tell it was a... Read More last minute change. We worked primarily with Nicolette and she is so organized, calming and informative! We were able to use a caterer that was not on their 'preferred vendors' list with no issue. They also allowed us to bring in much of our decorations and flowers the day before the wedding which was super helpful. My only issue is that I would have liked to have Nicolette at the rehearsal so we could go over a few details and discuss the inclement weather plan.

Beautiful Winery Wedding

We loved EMV. The ceremony was outdoors and the reception was inside in their reception hall. The venue is just beautiful and we were told several times that our wedding was on our friends' list of their favorite weddings they attended. While the venue is definitely a little... Read More bit pricey, it certainly wasn't the most expensive venue we looked at and I think you get a great value since EMV provides all the tables and chairs for the ceremony and reception. They also have a great kitchen (no rentals needed!); in fact our caterer was relieved to hear our reception location because they enjoy working there. Another perk of this venue is the cottage where the bride and bridesmaids can get ready. The cottage has a kitchen, several bathrooms, and plenty of space to have your hair and makeup team set up to pamper the ladies. The guys get access to a "man cave" room downstairs with a big TV, perfect for them to finish getting ready and hang out before the ceremony. The ceremony area is set away from the rest of the tasting room area open to the public so you don't feel like you have wedding crashers wandering through or a bunch of strangers watching your ceremony. You can't help a few people looking on, but it was quiet and not a problem. Another great part was the owners decided to close the winery at 6 pm - thank goodness! That cuts down on time that you'd have to share the venue with anyone else. We worked mostly with Nicolette, although we worked with Delores as well. Nicolette was friendly and accommodating throughout the planning process, especially the month leading up to the big day. When she knew how frustrated I was with my day-of-coordinator, she really stepped up and helped coordinate and I had total confidence that with her help, everything would be pulled off smoothly. Other staff at EMV were pleasant to work with, but Nicolette really put my mind at ease and allowed me to enjoy my wedding.

Gorgeous venue and lovely staff

The views at Early Mountain are to die for ! The staff is so helpful and accommodating. They answered every email in a timely manner and were very accessible. My family had an amazing time. The bridal cottage is so convenient to get ready in and perfectly decorated. I can't wait... Read More to go back for other events!

Early Mountain is beautiful!

EM is simply beautiful. All the guests enjoyed the view. Nicolette, Maggie & co were very helpful and responsive. We don't have any complaints. We'll definitely be back at EM just to escape from the city. Oh the bridal cottage is wonderful, fully furnished and convenient for a... Read More bride and her train.

August 31, 2014 - Wedding Day

There's so many great things to say about Early Mountain Vineyard! Our wedding day was like a fairy tale, it had the most beautiful view and atmosphere. Everything from the Great Lawn, Patio, Event Hall, Lounge and Bridal Cottage was absolutely gorgeous. The people there are... Read More amazing to work with. They were all super friendly and very accommodating which made our wedding planning experience memorable. We recommend Early Mountain Vineyard to anyone in search of a venue! If we had to do it over again, Early Mountain Vineyard would still be our number one choice.

Exceptional Quality and Attention to Detail

My husband and I looked at venues all over the Charlottesville region and even at venues around Maryland. We really wanted a venue that had a beautiful outdoor setting and equally as wonderful reception area. While many venues can boast having one or the other, Early Mountain... Read More Vineyard has everything. It is rare you can say that you would be just as happy with the ceremony indoors as outdoors but we did and truly meant it. Everything about it is stunning and the attention to detail the owners and Event Planning team put into everything is noticeable. My husband and I have high standards of quality and never once were we disappointed. The cost is certainly not inexpensive but you get what you pay for and more. Having the flexibility to find our own vendors was perfect and it made our wedding that much more a reflection of who we are. I cannot say thank you enough to EMV, Maggie and Nicolette for what they did for us.