When owners rent their private properties or wineries as event venues, permits are required. Property owners are not "grandfathered in" --in Sonoma County, they are required to have a Use Permit for Special Events. Healdsburg Country Gardens has the required Use Permit for Special Events,
Owners of venues with Use Permits for Special Events:
• operate openly without fear of being discovered by zoning officials. They are never "secret venues."
• have met public health, environmental impact, fire and highway safety requirements as required by law.
• honestly enter into site rental agreements because they operate legally.
• issue contracts they can uphold.
• have neighbors, the city or county zoning boards, Code Enforcement and the Permit Resource Management Department who are fully aware of their legal event businesses.

Owners of venues WITHOUT permits are likely to be closed for zoning violations and operating illegal businesses. They are offering their properties fraudulently and placing your wedding day at risk. Most of these properties cannot apply for Use Permits for Events due to current Sonoma County zoning laws. You can easily verify the legal status of a property by contacting Sonoma County Code Enforcement within the Permit & Resource Management Division (PRMD). You will need to provide the street addresses of the facilities you want to verify.
At Healdsburg Country Gardens, we operate legally and make promises we can keep. I hope this information helps you make an informed choice.
Barbara Gruber, Owner
Healdsburg Country Gardens www.hcgweddings.com
A venue with a Use Permit for Special Events