Harvest Inn Wedding

... A fall destination wedding I photographed at the Harvest Inn in St. Helena.  Jessica and Gary have an amazing love story.  They were both in the traveling cast of Sesame Street when they found me to photograph their wedding.  Now Jessica teaches theatre.  Kimberly Thompson was the officiant extraordinaire for this wedding!

Napa Valley Marriott Wedding

A beautiful wedding at the Napa Valley Marriott. Perfect!

Napa Valley Marriott

Here is a beautiful wedding at the Napa Valley Marriott. Perfect!

Carrie + Jeff

A small video of Carrie + Jeff's Valentine's Day celebration!

A note received from Carrie:
Hello Suzanne,

Thanks for putting this together for us.
Everyone has been so touched by the video/photos.

Thanks again for being part of our big day!
We were very lucky to find you.

Kind regards,
Carrie

Carrie + Jeff

What could be more fun than to photograph a Valentine's Day wedding?  Carrie + Jeff celebrated their Napa Valley wedding with a small group of close friends.  No problem with the rain - Carrie said it will bring their marriage good luck.  I was grateful that there was a small break, so we could do a few outdoor shots.

Say I do ...

Loved the RED shoes!

The happy couple!

My favorite valentine card

Thank you to Tamar (10) and Simone (9) for this fabulous Valentine's Day card to my husband and me. We love it!!

Lolo's Second To None_Click Here

Last Spring I photographed a St. Helena store - Lolo's Second to None - to launch their web presence.  Owner Kristine Waldenburg sells quality pre-owned merchandise in her upscale consignment store and is now selling on the web.   Check out her sight periodically, because the merchandise changes and you are sure to find some gems.  She has lots and lots of cool items! 

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays - it celebrates and recognizes ALL kinds of love.  Romance is alive and well, as is deep friendship.

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Annie Leibovitz_ Vanity Fair, Click here

I really do subscribe to Vanity Fair for the pictures ... although I respect much of what is written in the political realm too.   In the latest issue, Annie Leibovitz photographed President Obama's cabinet - at least the cabinet at that moment.  (Already out of date with Tom Daschle included.)  It's worth looking at her take on the team running our country.   Compare it with the photographs by Nadav Kander in the New York Times Magazine a couple of weeks ago.  What do you think?  (Alright - I thought Kander's were soulless, boring and scary.)

On a related note, did you notice that the Huffington Post was added to the white house press corps?  The reporter looks like he's about 12, but it's still a recognition of new media.

Kudos + Brides Against Breast Cancer

Getting great feedback from clients always makes us feel good and validates the care and personal attention we put into each wedding.  Here is a letter from our December 27th wedding written by the groom.  I am always touched by a kind note, but it is particularly sweet and a bit unusual to receive a note from the groom.

I want to put another plug in for the organization "Brides Against Breast Cancer" where Katie purchased her wedding gown.

Dear Suzanne:

Katie and I cannot thank you enough for everything you did in helping capture our special day.  Your creativity and artistic vision are gifts.  We absolutely love the photos.  They are nothing short of perfect.  You and Michelle went above and beyond any of the highest expectations Katie and I had.  The pictures from around town are some of our favorites.  Thank you for taking the time to find such beautiful backgrounds.

It was a challenge for us trying to coordinate and plan an entire wedding weekend from across the country.  It was a pleasure working with you and Michelle as you made everything go smoothly for us.  Again thank you for your flexibility and creativity in dealing with our unique situation.

Thanks again for all your effort. Please pass our thanks and praises to Michelle as well.  We wish you both the best of luck in the future.  We cannot wait to work with you on creating an album and it was our pleasure to send a glowing recommendation of your services to the Marriott.

Sincerely,

Steve and Kate

Penelope Jane Wedding Cakes_Click here for her website.

As a Napa Valley photographer, I get to peek at lots of services and products offered in the valley.  One gem I've found is Penelope Jane Wedding Cakes.  She created this gorgeous wedding cake for one of my December weddings.  The yummy cake had sugar coated grapes on the top - quintessential Napa Valley! 

Napa Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra

Napa Valley Youth Symphony's fundraiser concert "Make Our Garden Grow" is coming up on February 28.  I photographed a handful of orchestra members last year for the invitation.  For this year's auction, I'm donating a museum canvas piece using photographs of those musicians.  The music used is a piece from their November concert.  The NVYSO sounds great and is comprised of many of the best young orchestral musicians in the valley.  Click on the title above to purchase tickets and to learn more about the concert.