The Culinary Institute of America

ation. The event coordinator, Amy, was a delight to work with from planning to day of. She was great at understanding our needs, communicating with us what was possible within the budget we provided, and she was just all around a lovely person to work with. The day of we had another coordinator who was just as wonderful, and kindly wrangled some guests who had managed to find themselves outside of our designated space. The actual kitchen and serving staff were attentive and we received nothing but the highest compliments on them. A big thank you to the bartender who made one of the best Aperol Spritz I've ever had in my entire life (they were a hit with a very picky spritz crowd). I cannot recommend the Culinary Institute enough, it was truly the perfect venue and we will definitely be going back there to celebrate our future milestone anniversaries with them!

s. We had several walk throughs where someone from CIA always made the time to come meet us to answer logistic questions. The venue is beautiful for a ceremony and reception. Everything felt more elevated without needing too many decorations or florals. The service day of the wedding was amazing. All the staff was extremely accommodating and sweet. The food was a home run with our guests! A seamless experience overall. One thing to note is that it is a public space - the restaurant and front entrance will be open. We did have a few wedding crashers that night.

r spaces and provide gender-neutral restrooms, and the pricing was reasonable. However, the event management team seemingly had quite a bit of churn over the course of the year that we worked with them, and communication was spotty at times, including during the weeks leading up to the wedding (which undoubtedly fell during a busy period). On the day of the wedding, there was a pretty substantial service backup (seemingly due to an issue with dietary restrictions) that led to our dancing time being roughly an hour shorter than we had planned. On the whole, we’re very glad we had our wedding here. But in our experience it can be a challenging venue to work with if your event falls during the peak wedding season.

metic appeal of the venue wasn’t enough the food and service was top notch! Best wedding food ever! That opinion was expressed by all our guests. The service was spectacular, could not have asked for a more professional and kind staff all night. Also, Amy was a dream to work with. When we ran into a small staff change hiccup back in the summer, she took charge and handled it like a boss. She made sure we were constantly taken care of and happy with every decision made. We are still day dreaming of our day!

to make sure we had the best day possible!

eption were in the barrel room. The staff turned the room around quickly and flawlessly. HUGE shoutout to our production company Rion Designs and Jamie Gansler with Lally Events on helping execute the most gorgeous vision for our big day---from lighting, to flowers, to candles and more. The room looked insanely beautiful---beyond what we imagined possible. It wouldn't have happened without Andrea and her team. They were so accommodating not just throughout the planning process, but throughout the wedding (which went until 1am---woo woo)! They made sure we always had what we needed and that everything was perfect. Champagne upon arrival. Cocktail hour and hors d'oeuvres in the cafe to kick off the reception. Dinner was a 12 out of 10. Drinks were amazing (and strong) :) Cake was absolutely stunning and mouth-watering delicious. Dance floor was on fire (thanks to our DJ---Dave Tutton). We had about 170 guests and they are STILL talking about how amazing the wedding was. It was certainly the best night of our lives. If only we could throw a party like this every NYE :) THANK YOU ANDREA (and team) on turning our dream wedding into reality.

tour/check out the gift shop! Also, this venue allows for a great mix of outside/inside events for your special day. We did our ceremony and cocktail hour outside and our reception inside. This made is easy to ensure our guests were never too hot or cold. You should note that there is no direct sunlight on the front terrace after about 4pm (depending on the time of year). One of the initial reasons we loved this venue was because there was a “built in” back up plan. The year before there were fires during this time, and we wanted to make sure the venue could accommodate the entire wedding inside if needed. Fortunately for us, the smoke on our wedding day was limited and we could host our event outside/inside as originally planned, but it was comforting to know we had options. The venue also has a backup generator in the case of a power outage. Food: The food will be even better at your event than you or your guests will expect. When we did our tasting, the chef sat with us as we discussed some tweaks which was great. On our wedding day, the food was as good (if not better) than at our tasting. Another special part of the CIA was working with the pastry chef on the cake. The pastry chef was very eager to bring my vision to life and made all the different accommodates I requested. Of course the cake was also AMAZINGLY delicious. Also, the pastry chef WAS THERE ON OUR WEDDING DAY to make sure everything was set up perfectly AND to help cut slices and such. That to me, is unheard-of and very special. Alcohol: BYOB! The CIA allowed BYOB for our wedding which is unique in Napa Valley. This was incredibly important for us because we wanted to bring some special bottles for our guests, and simply paid corkage vs. a highly marked up per bottle fee. The venue did a fantastic job facilitating our wine and ensuring our guests never had an empty glass. Support Staff: We LOVE Andrea. From start to finish, Andrea was supportive of every crazy idea we had, and made the whole experience fun from start to finish. Never at any point did we feel as if our event wasn’t her #1 priority, which is impressive considering how busy the CIA is :) Also, the week leading up to our wedding we were unsure if we even be able to have our wedding at the CIA because of the fire threat/smoke/evacuations. Throughout the entire process, Andrea was continually checking in with us and doing everything in per power to ensure we felt calm and supported. This made the BIGGEST difference and we cannot thank her event. The day of event staff were also amazing and were checking in with us continually to ensure we were having the best time, which we did! Overall impressions: The CIA at Greystone is worth every single penny. Napa Valley weddings can be incredibly expensive, but every thing we spent money on at the CIA seemed to be a fair and reasonable cost. Looking back, I would 100% have my wedding here again and hope I can find a reason someday to throw another event here :) Lastly, quick shoutout to our other amazing and highly recommended vendors: Bre Thurston (photography) Denon and Doyle (sound, DJ, lighting, photo booth) Vanda Floral (floral decor)

corkage fee. The whole cost was quite reasonable compared to other Napa Valley venues and the staff is just awesome. The CIA is a no brainer venue!

ken several cooking classes at CIA Copia (along with our boys). When we saw them at at table at a bridal exhibit we were wondering why they were there. We had no idea that we could actually get married at one of my favorite places in Napa! The venue was perfect. The food was phenomenal- our guests are still taking about how amazing the food was. The entire event was more than I could have ever hoped for and Andrea was fantastic to work with. We are so very grateful for being able to share a place that is so near and dear to our hearts with our family and friends.

Room was beyond beautiful. Service and food for 185 people were exceptional. Hands down- nothing short of WOW! I would give them a 6 out of 5 stars!!

ouldn’t have asked for a better experience. The venue on its own stunning and the food night of was outstanding! We can’t thank Andrea and the other CIA staff enough for making our day so amazing. We are so appreciative!! It has been a month since the wedding and all of our guests are still talking and texting about what a lovely time they had and about the wonderful venue. We can’t thank Andrea and the CIA enough for their integral part in our special day!

wedding package. This was the best find ever!! Instead of charging a pricey venue fee, they charge per person. The package included florals, wedding cake, buffet style dinner, tables, linens, chairs, and drinks. We added signature cocktails and beer for an additional cost, but wine and champagne were included. Everything was beautiful and the event went seamless the day of. The wedding coordinator, Lisa, was great and always took care of any questions and concerns we had. This is a highly recommended wedding venue! They are experts at hosting events and of course, cooking! All of our guests are still staying how good the food was. Check this place out if you're hosting a small wedding!