4.8 out of 5 stars and 12 reviews
4.8
(12)San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Cruz Mtns.
About this vendor
Elegantly nestled high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains, where redwoods and winery meet just miles from the Pacific Ocean, Thomas Fogarty Winery is the ideal wedding venue! Sweeping views of the Bay Area paired with terroir focused wines make a perfect backdrop for your special day! Contact us for our Wedding information details and to schedule a venue tour. We would be honored to host your Big Day!
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Estate
- Mountain
- Trees
- Vineyard & Winery
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
Awards and Affiliations
3-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2013.2012.2011.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
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4.8
out of 5.012 reviews
Thomas Fogarty Winery, nestled in the heart of the Bay Area, surpassed all our expectations and created the perfect backdrop for our wedding day. As members of TFW for several year...
s, we had enjoyed many tastings and events at this majestic venue, making it one of our favorite places. The combination of a breathtaking vista, impressive architecture, and a dedicated staff added a unique charm that made our wedding experience truly unforgettable.
What also makes TFW particularly special for us is the personal connection my wife developed with the venue long before we met. Over a decade ago, while still in school, she attended an event at TFW and fell in love with its allure. It became her dream location for the day she would say "I do." Little did I know that she had already coordinated with the management to secure our wedding date by the time I proposed. It was a delightful surprise to discover that we actually both shared the same dream location for our wedding!
The sweeping views of the Bay Area never lose their magic for us, and we were thrilled to share this special place with our guests, many of whom were left speechless by the beauty of the surroundings, having never seen the Bay Area before. Despite the unpredictable weather, the TFW staff, led by Kristin and her event team, demonstrated exceptional professionalism and dedication. When the rolling clouds, rain, and mist complicated our plans, they pivoted with our wedding planner to execute a new strategy, turning challenges into opportunities. The result was a day even more beautiful than we had imagined, with the clouds and mist adding an unexpected charm to the overall atmosphere.
From the initial planning stages to the execution of the event, Kristin and her team were always available to answer our questions, collaborating seamlessly with our planner. Their attention to detail and commitment to creating a magical atmosphere did not go unnoticed, enhancing our wedding experience.
The venue's aesthetic appeal is a common thread in other positive experiences you'll find online. The picturesque setting is not just a backdrop but an integral part of the overall charm of Thomas Fogarty Winery. And the expansive vineyard provides an intimate and romantic atmosphere for all ceremonies, and the transition to receptions at their pavilion is a seamless continuation of the natural surrounding beauty.
The added benefit to hosting an event there is the versatility of the venue. Whether indoors or outdoors, TFW allows for easy adjustments if the weather throws you a curveball, as it did for us.
Their commitment to ensuring our happiness was evident in every interaction, instilling confidence at the outset in their ability to coordinate a beautiful event with our numerous vendors.
In retrospect, choosing Thomas Fogarty Winery for our wedding was a decision we will forever cherish. The stunning venue, attentive staff, and overall magical atmosphere combined to create an experience that surpassed our every expectation for our special day. If you're in search of a venue with breathtaking views and a team of dedicated professionals, Thomas Fogarty Winery is undoubtedly a top choice.
We hosted our wedding on 11.11.2023 and truly could not have imagined a more perfect venue. The location offers a true escape, with a view of the bay as a reminder of what is below...
the mountain. We have several guests who traveled from Chicago, so they were absolutely stunned by this venue and we have received so many compliments. Kaitlin was an absolute joy to work with, from our first meeting to our official tour to our wine tasting and finally our wedding she was amazing to work with! The wine was absolutely perfect, and our guests could not stop talking about it!
We hosted our wedding here in August 2022. Excellent venue, easy to work with, views and outdoor spaces are incredible, and stunning backdrop for all your pictures. The wine is gre...
at, so we were happy to purchase it from them (a requirement). The Pavillion is gorgeous and provides everything you need for a wonderful event. The negatives: There are only 40ish parking spots, so you will need to arrange (and budget) for shuttles. The Hill House is where guests will dance - it’s a bit warm in there, even when it’s cool in the evening (they need a better AC system). Workers take smoke breaks near the storage area; bride & groom will need to pass through cigarette smoke a couple of times before the ceremony.
LOVED my wedding here so much - everything was professional and easy all the way through and through. Such a gorgeous venue, my family raved over the beautiful views and atmosphere...
. I loved the entire process, from the very beginning viewing the venue they were so caring and wonderful through after the wedding. Overall 10/10 and 100% would have my wedding here again.
The only negative is the reception area chairs that come with the venue. They are very outdated, and for the price you are paying for this venue I believe they should upgrade. The stain of wood is just not happening. I had to upgrade my chairs along with others I’ve seen online. They should definitely upgrade these ASAP!
HOLY WOW! If you’re looking for a STUNNING, transporting, and incredibly memorable venue, THIS IS IT! This winery is nestled in a forest on top of a mountain with view of the bay...
(WHAT?! how is this venue everything amazing rolled into one). Its location is convenient (access wise and lodging wise) when compared to Napa/Sonoma.
Both of us love travel and the experience of shuttling into the mountains through the forest to get up to TFW was truly transporting. Our wedding date was June 29th, and we had a perfect weather. The flow of the space really adds to the flow of the day. As folks move through the various spaces, they experience different views of the winery at various times of day. The evening light is stunning as was the sunset.
As for the planning / coordination, the team at TFW was kind and wonderful. They highly recommend a planner (and you definitely need one) as their team is there to support the venue side of things. However, they are very helpful with the wine selection and even came up with a “Winetail” for us. The venue does have strict parameters - this made it easier for me since it narrowed down the choices but some folk might find it limiting.
The only thing I would change about the day would be to add on time to increase our dancing portion (I recommend at least 1-2 extra hours if you want decent dancing time, which does add quite a bit of cost as you need to also pay overtime for all staff). TFW is an expensive venue to get married at. I highly recommend working with a planner (I recommend Denise Lillie Engagements, who planned ours and is recommended by TFW) from the get go to fully grasp all the items that need to be accounted for at this venue so you are comfortable going into it.
Note: while the experience, location, and service are 5 stars, I have rated the winery at 4 stars due to value…areas of improvement include 1) increase timing given the hefty fee since you definitely need more than the baseline and 2) replace chairs and tables or expand selection to include more long tables for modern look…the chairs are extremely dated and add more beige to the already brown pavilion. We had to rent extra tables and all chairs.
Our vendors for the day were as follows:
Planner: Denise Lillie Engagements – 5 stars
Caterer: Jalsa – 5 stars
Service / Labor: Continental – 5 stars
Music: Ivy Hill (Paris Yacht Club) – 4 stars
DJ: DJ Tanveer – 5 stars
Photographer / Videographer: The Allens – 5 stars
Makeup: InstaPretty – 5 stars; A List (Julie) – 5 stars
Rentals: Fine Linen Creations / Continental – 5 stars
Décor: Balloon Crew – 5 stars
Flowers: Enchanted Floral + Denise’s team (planner) – 5 stars
Henna: Neeta / Mehndi Designer
Hotel: Westin Palo Alto
Our wedding at Fogarty was INCREDIBLE! We got so lucky with the weather in September and the view (including the sunset!!) were perfect. The events coordinators (Quan and Trisha) w...
ere incredibly helpful and always available via phone and email. Everything seemed to go flawlessly and all of our guests commented on how beautiful the venue was!
Getting married at Thomas Fogarty Winery was by far the best wedding decision made throughout wedding planning. As soon as we found the place I was in love! We had toured a few oth...
er wineries in the bay area but nothing was as well maintained and as beautiful as Fogarty. You have a few different options for doing your ceremony and reception indoor/outdoor and with any option you choose you have the most beautiful view of the vineyards, bay area, santa cruz mountains, and even Oakland on a clear day. We choose to do the ceremony on the lawn and the reception on the Pavilion. Our guests were literally blown away by the whole place. We have been getting so many compliments and guests saying our wedding was the best they've ever been to since the big day.
Fogarty also has a great preferred vendors list. The vendors are all top-notch and the ones we did choose to work with from the list made wedding planning a breeze! They all know the venue and team so well. It made everything a lot easier and we knew we were in good hands!
Do you want a dream wedding? Visit Thomas Fogarty Winery. Not only is the view spectacular, but the staff is top notch. Having great wine on site doesn't hurt, either. Friendly...
, helpful, and knowledgeable, Becky and Patty took great care fulfilling all of our needs and requests. If you want a wedding site that has unlimited potential, look no further than Thomas Fogarty Winery.
My brother introduced us to Fogarty winery. The customer service was great and wine fantastic. We've received compliments about it during our wedding.
Very pretty outdoor venue, but it'd be difficult for guests to get to without a shuttle.
The staff at Fogarty was helpful along the way with all of the planning process. They let you tour and come as much as you want, and more often then not we had free wine tastings! ...
They were especially great with the vendors that they suggest, at first I didn't want to be held back by having to choose from their vendors, but we are so glad we did!
We've had so many people tell us that this was the best wedding they've ever been to and Fogarty is to thank for that!
Becky and Ellie,
I thank you for all of your help and assistance on and before Aaron and I's special day. You truly made the experience of planning our wedding easy. Choosing o...
ur Vendors off the preferred vendors list was exactly the right thing to do, because everyone on the preferred vendors list knew everything about the location and the event space. On the brochure of Thomas Fogarty Winery it says "Your Dream Wedding Come True..." to be honest our day was exactly how we imagined it to be. Dreams really do come True! The weather was beautiful! We had our ceremony in a 360 round on the lawn in the garden overlooking the most spectacular view of the Greater Bay Area stretching across the Bay to S.F. We had our cocktail hour and dining experience outside on the deck and pavilion.Words to describe our day; perfect, serene, magical, memorable, relaxed and FUN!
Forever thankful to be able to look back at our photos and relive the moments that we shared on Sept 30, 2011.
THANK YOU!
BIG HUGS,
PK + AK
Contact
19501 Skyline Blvd, Woodside, CA | San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Cruz Mtns.
Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyard