They were married at the Presbyterian Church in St. Helena with Pastor Jonathan Eastman officiating and had their reception at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. This time of year, the available day light goes quickly in the late afternoon and many couples are having all or most of their formal photos done prior to the ceremony. This works out well as the bride and groom have their photos together before it gets dark and, as an added bonus, they can spend more time with their guests post ceremony.

Lois and Guy with their Bridal Party.


A lot of the warm ambience inside the church comes from the large windows that let the available light from outside to filter in.


The backlighting from one of the windows provided this nice silhouette of one of the bridesmaids during the ceremony.



Pastor Jonathan’s wife rings the church bell as Lois and Guy exit the church.

This photo was taken right after the ceremony behind the church before they noticed anyone was there. I hope they always remember how they felt at that moment when they look at this photo.

Dramatic early evening lighting makes this an even more engaging photo as they talk a walk together after the ceremony. Sun flair perfectly directs the viewer’s attention to the couple, who are the center of interest.

Then it’s off in a limousine to the Culinary Institute of America for their reception.


I love photos that are not only story telling but I also like to be alert for compositon that is multi-layered. Here Lois and Guy are entering the Culinary Institute to join their guests for their cocktail reception.


Guests enjoyed chilled oysters and shrimp along with their wine and other hors d’oeuvres prior to dinner.

A detail of the place settings inside the Barrel Room where the reception was held.

Cake by Patisserie Angelica.

This silver bell was used to get the attention of the guests prior to Guy addressing them all and thanking them for joining them for their special day.


Guests enjoyed dinner in the Barrel Room which was lit softly with candle light along with minimal other lighting.

End of the evening romantic shots shows off the grand architecture of the Culinary Institute.



Congratulations Lois and Guy!