Wedding Venue: Martinelli Event Center

Posted Jan 19, 2012 by Gloria Atherstone

About the Venue

Not your standard “conference center.” That’s your first thought as you tour the Martinelli Event Center in Livermore. Lift your eyes toward the bell tower while you pass under the white stucco arches and across the patterned brick courtyard during your stroll. Garre Vineyards is one of the oldest wineries from one of the most well established families in the Livermore Valley, so it is a natural fit that they were chosen to be the hosts at the facility.

The multi-purpose event and conference center was originally designed by the city of Livermore to help welcome visitors and businesses to Livermore’s emerging wine community. The Spanish style stucco hacienda catches your eye from a distance as you ramble through the rolling hills covered with grape vines.

The event center sits atop a rolling bluff. You’ll find yourself drawn in, curious to which winery that is. The hacienda-style architecture is reminiscent of a Spanish estate and the last thing you expect is all the modern amenities that are associated with conference centers. But here at Martinelli, you get it all. The look, the location, and the bells and whistles will make planning and executing your day perfectly flawless.

When you arrive, the ideas will immediately begin to flow. Picture your guests milling about the courtyard, the gentle sounds of trickling water from the fountain adorned with flower petals. Imagine your guests’ faces when you and your groom are announced, making your grand entrance with the bell tower in the background. Picture perfect!

Ask the Expert

Early summer is the ideal time to host an outdoor soiree. The grapevines that surround you have a wide color spectrum of greens, which creates a gorgeous contrast to the rolling hills that are just beginning to change color. There are several locations to host your wedding ceremony. The reception lawn can accommodate up to 250 guests, but 180 seems like the perfect fit. Softly hanging clusters of lilac-colored wisteria covers the wood trellis and miles of green, amber gold, and red hues from the rolling hills of grape vines create a breath-taking backdrop.

From a design perspective, I love the idea of solidifying the hacienda style of the architecture by simply using a more rustic or design-centric chair. This is an easy way to create a more defined look and the cost is minimal, as you’ll most likely be renting ceremony chairs regardless. Your standard white wood or natural wood folding chair can get the job done, but consider using a Cross Back Chair in a light wheat color or a folding “Bamboo Wood” chair – these elements will change the overall feel and allows you so much more latitude in your overall ceremony design. Flowers adorning the back of the aisle chairs, a crisp white runner or a scattering of flower petals down the sides is simple, perfect, and elegant.

I Do Venues wants to recognize the talented team of wedding professionals who helped to make this bride’s dream a reality: Photographer – Belathee Photography; Coordinator – Va de Vie Events; Floral – Chestnut & Vine.