25 Sep 2009, Posted by Carmen in Blog, Outdoor Wedding, Weddings, 1 Comments
Kristan & Jason | Wine Country Inn, St. Helena, CA | Calistoga Wedding | Calistoga, CA
After shooting a series of wonderful urban weddings this summer, it was delightful to shoot Kristan & Jason’s wedding, which turned out to be the quintessential backyard wedding! After getting ready at the Wine Country Inn in St. Helena, CA, these guys were fortunate enough to have access to Jason’s father’s home in Calistoga, which, as everyone kept telling him that day, is a gem of a wedding location waiting to be discovered, and a treat for a photographer to work at. He has carefully kept up the place, keeping a lot of the home’s original antiques usable at modern standards, and even the hallway bathroom sink was charmingly restored! The property is blessed with some beautiful woodsy trails where we staged their first reveal, a sweet front yard with lush grass perfect for a cocktail hour, a backyard with plenty of room for an outdoor reception, a dance floor with lights, and a stage for the band to set up. Not to mention an idillic field for the outdoor ceremony, framed by a huge oak tree (see photo of their kiss) and a view of gorgeous vineyards right behind, part of which Mr. Schingler leases to Beringer wines. And as if the setting, the time of year, the weather and the light that day weren’t perfect enough, Kristan and Jason just couldn’t be a cuter couple! They met in law school in San Diego, are both lawyers (Kristan is a 4th generation one!) and wine buffs, and have so many moments where their expressions look so much alike… just check out the 2 photos of their reactions during the toasts! And of course, their perfect day had to have a perfect full moon rise at the end. Thank you to both for such an enjoyable experience!
