WELCOME!


This blog follows a bit of our personal and professional life, and features images from weddings and portrait sessions we've done, the places we traveled, and the adventures of our combined family-life. It's basically an ever-changing photo album combined with an information source for current and potential clients. Thanks for visiting!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Our Napa Experience




The weekend in Sonoma was great. We had dinner in downtown Sonoma that Sunday evening, at a divine Portugese restaurant called La Salette, al fresco. However, the pinnacle of this whole trip for me was Napa Valley! I was SO excited as we made our way Monday morning through the Carneros region, passing acre upon acre of grapevines. We ate a country-style breakfast, grits and all, at the cutest little place called the Fremont Diner.



Arriving at the Beazley Inn in Napa, we immediately knew this was going to be a special time. The gardens here are so beautiful, and the interior of this antique Victorian mansion is just as well-manicured and polished. Our innkeepers, Carol and Jim Beazley, made us feel right at home, upgrading our room to the Master and offering us discount passes to various wineries which we immediately put to use. We dropped our luggage and were off to Mumm Winery for a tour of their facilities and a taste of their famous sparkling wines. The grounds and the art museum inside were just as fascinating.




Tuesday morning we were up and out relatively early to meet the minister who would marry us, Reverend Blane Ellsworth. (www.enchantingelopements.com) We chatted for over an hour and he cleverly put together a service where he mentioned many of the topics we'd discussed that morning, including how we'd met through my friend, Chris' mother! We stopped into the Napa town clerk's office to get our marriage license ... here we are!




I then took off to treat myself to a manicure -- it was my wedding day after all! Back at the inn it was time to start preparing, for our photographer was due to arrive by 3:00 p.m. Here are some shots she took that Chris is so familiar with taking himself (yes, he found it rather strange being on the other side of the camera for a change). The photos to follow are naturally not "ours" but rather courtesy of Nadine Ohara.



The weather on this day, and every day for that matter, was absolutely perfect -- sunny, temperate, low humidity ... thank you God for a good hair day!












Reverend Blane performed a customized ceremony for us on the gorgeous grounds of a private home in Napa, complete with vineyards, flowering shrubs, water fountain and arbor. As our iPod played the nature music we'd chosen, we exchanged our vows and shared in the symbolic cup of blessings and cup of sorrows. Although our family and friends couldn't be with us as witnesses, it was so very nice to feel totally relaxed, unhurried and at peace during this whole experience! Here are a few more shots of our day, and what fun our photo shoot was! Nadine is a consummate professional in every way, and she accommodated our every photographic wish.



This gorgeous property offers a treasure trove of photo ops!







We finished up our evening with a wonderful dinner at Brix Restaurant in Yountville.



OK, well ENOUGH of us already! Our next blog entry will focus on someone else ~ we just shot a beautiful wedding for a fantastic couple, Karen and David, and we look forward to providing you some previews. Stay tuned ~ this couple is really photogenic! And please, let us know if you enjoy these 'peeks' by clicking on either Facebook or Twitter "follow"; better yet, leave us a comment!

2 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your Marriage! - I wish you both a long healthy and happy life.

    Well the Napa Valley sure is like the Hunter Valley in NSW Australia, and that is where I have shot a lot of Weddings.

    It looks like a wonderful place and it also looks like you guys had a great day

    Anyway the link is ... and why I am having a visit here to have a sticky-beak at your photos . . . Nadine Ohara - certainly a most wonderful and trustworthy person who often gives freely, without any cause to herself... and she's a pretty good Photographer, too!

    Best to you both,

    WW

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you William! Very kind of you indeed. Totally agree with you, Nadine is a super person!

    ReplyDelete