Olga and Branislav’s Wedding at Clos LaChance Vineyards in San Martin

I would be a very happy man if every day could look as beautiful as Olga and Branislav’s wedding at Clos LaChance Winery.  Suzy and I were enchanted by the beauty of Clos LaChance from the moment we arrived.  The stunning sunset over the vineyards, accompanied with all the little details, combined to make this a breathtakingly beautiful ceremony and reception.

I met Olga a couple of years ago when she came in to have her portrait taken.  She posted the photos I took on her online dating profile.  When Branislav spotted her, he was immediately enchanted!  They started dating and when she told me they had become engaged, I was thrilled to know that my portraits of her played a part in getting them together.  Of course, since that day, I had been looking forward to photographing their wedding!

The afternoon sun was hot, so Olga had cold drinks on standby and a basket of parasols for the guests to use in the bright sunshine.

The ceremony overlooked the rolling hills.  As the ceremony began, the golden hour was fast approaching, casting beautiful light across the field.

Olga’s shares a very close bond with her younger brother.  It was very special to see that he officiated her wedding!  Incidentally, this was the second time that he was instrumental in her love life… he came along when I did her portraits, helping me hold the reflector 🙂

After the ceremony, Olga, Branislav, and their guests headed down to the courtyard by the vineryard for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

The food was exquisite.  Suzy and I couldn’t resist snacking on a few while we took pictures!  Branislav kept insisting that we have ourselves some wine to celebrate their wedding and being that we were at a vineyard, we both had ourself a glass of Clos LaChance chardonnay.

As the final hour of the sunset approached, I took Olga and Branislav for a walk around the vineyards to capture them during my favorite time of day.

If you look carefully, you can see the double silhouette above.  Anyone want to guess how I did this?

You have to admire this panoramic shot of the vineyard and rolling hills.

The dinner was lit by little light bulbs above their heads so that when the sun eventually set, the courtyard was cast with gorgeous ambient lighting.

The evening continued on as guests mingled and celebrated the union of two very special people.  How lucky am I do be able to play a part in getting Olga and Branislav together and then photographing their perfect day!