Napa Valley Wedding Photographer

Places couples choose between here, and how each behaves for photographs. A list, not a list of partners: we recommend nowhere for a fee.

• Beaulieu Garden

  Formal garden, Rutherford

  Sycamore allée and boxwood on the valley floor. The allée runs the way the evening light comes down the valley, which is the composition to use.

• Charles Krug Winery

  Historic winery, St. Helena

  Lawns under old oaks beside nineteenth-century stone buildings. The canopy gives shade at the hours when the open floor is too hot.

• Stanly Ranch

  Ranch resort, Carneros

  At the southern end where the bay fog reaches, so mornings are cooler and softer than anywhere further up the valley.

• Auberge du Soleil

  Hillside terraces, Rutherford

  Up on the eastern slope looking west down the valley, which means the sunset arrives head-on rather than from the side.

• Carneros Resort and Spa

  Resort and hilltop, Carneros

  A hilltop over the vineyards that takes the evening light and the breeze off the bay together, cooler than the valley floor to the north.

The kind of place

• —Working estate wineries, with barrel rooms that are cold, dark and wonderful
• —Private ranch properties in the hills above the floor, reached by a single road
• —Olive groves and oak terraces, where the ceremony faces west by necessity
• —Modern architectural wineries, which photograph as sharply as they were designed to

• —Harvest runs roughly from late August into October, and a working winery is doing its real job in those weeks. Access to the working parts of an estate is negotiated, not assumed.
• —The valley floor is significantly hotter than the hills above it. A mid-afternoon ceremony in August is a decision with consequences.
• —Many estates have a fixed end time set by county permit rather than by the venue’s preference.
• —Distances look small on a map and are slow in practice on Highway 29 on a Saturday.

How much does a wedding photographer cost in Napa Valley?

Most Napa weddings book Destination Wedding, from $3,350 for the full day with one photographer. Full Day coverage starts at $2,550 for up to ten hours and Half Day coverage at $1,650 for up to five. Travel and accommodation are itemised at cost, and every wedding is quoted individually, with the exact figure sent in reply to your inquiry.

When is the light best for portraits in Napa?

In the last hour or so before sunset, with the sun coming down the valley behind you. It arrives noticeably later in midsummer than in October, and the ceremony time should be chosen from it rather than the other way round.

Can we photograph in the barrel room?

Usually, and it is worth arranging with the estate in advance. A barrel room is the one cold, dark, still space on a hot gold day, and it is what stops the set looking uniform.

Should we avoid harvest?

Not at all — the valley is at its best from late September, with the vines turning and the air smelling of fermentation. It does mean the estate is busy with its actual business, so access to the working areas is agreed rather than assumed.

How far ahead do couples book for Napa?

The September and October Saturdays go first, often more than a year out, because the estates host a limited number of weddings around harvest. Spring and weekday dates are more open.

Can we elope in Napa Valley?

Yes. The Elopement booking starts at $950 for two hours with one photographer, with location and timing planning. Many wineries and inns host very small ceremonies, and a vineyard at the end of the day needs little else; the estate confirms what it allows.

How hot does it get?

Hot enough on the valley floor in July and August that an afternoon outdoor ceremony is uncomfortable for everyone. The hills above are cooler, and so is Carneros at the southern end where the bay fog reaches.