St. Helena Wine Country Wedding

When we left Livermore on the morning of Brittany and Scott’s wedding, it was POURING. Not a light little drizzle, we’re talking a can’t-see-the-car-in-front-of-you torrential downpour. We’re all for the romance of a rainy day wedding, but this was a little over the top!

It’s a long drive from Livermore to St. Helena, and with each town we passed, things were looking up. By the time we made it to wine country, the sun was shining and all that was left of the storm were dramatic clouds, and that fresh glow that only comes after a good rain. We knew this was going to be a magical day and we were not disappointed.

When we first arrived at the private family estate, we were a little concerned—there were no signs of a wedding what-so-ever. It turns out the couple and their friends had prepped all the tables the night before, then had to tuck everything away in the tiny little barn to protect it from the elements—and were prepared to say their vows and entertain their guests in that little covered space if necessary! Thankfully, it didn’t come to that. In no time, the full bridal party arrived, swiftly unpacked the barn, and headed to their respective quarters to get ready.

st. helena wedding

There was a lot of joking about how slow Scott is to get ready. (To be fair, he was also the one putting the finishing touches on the reception prep!) The girls were dressed quickly and did a lot of peeking out windows to see who had arrived and whether the boys had made it to the ceremony space yet. st. helena wedding

purple wedding flowers, tulips, roses
pleated wedding shoes, ruffles
st. helena wedding

hand fastening ceremony Brittany and Scott literally “tied the knot” by including a hand-fastening ceremony as part of their vows. This ritual was not only a beautiful nod to their heritage, but also a fun way to incorporate their wedding colors!We could not have asked for more gorgeous skies to shoot their formal portraits under. Drifting clouds, dramatic colors, AND a rainbow?! It doesn’t get better than that.

Brittany has a family of dancing MACHINES! Seriously, it was amazing. Not only did she and her parents keep the dance floor alive all.night.long, her dad even did a full solo to I’m Too Sexy. No joke. His moves were sweet, but his stamina was incredible!!