Shooting with Julie (Julie Chesire Photography) in St Helena, California a on August 1st was amazing, and exhausting. We had so much fun with this huge event (350 people!) and worked our fingers to the bone. I loved every minute of it. The wedding took place at St. Helena Catholic Church and the reception was at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Both Venues were both beautiful and challenging to shoot. So much fun!

This was a HUGE Italian family and they were awesome. The bridal party was great, 10 guys and 10 gals in all, and they were enjoying every moment of the day. Eleonora and Al are a beautiful couple. It is no wonder they have so many friends!!

I had the pleasure of spending quite a bit of time with the guys and enjoyed their antics. They may look pretty tough here, but they really a bunch of teddy bears. The excitement of the days events was definitely in the air, and they reveled in it. Nothing like a round of Bocce Ball before your wedding to calm your nerves...

After the wedding we stopped at Charles Krug Winery where we got some great pictures with a view of CIA in the background. It was a nice moment for them to be alone and enjoy their first married moments together.

The reception venue and CIA was stunning. The aroma of the fresh flowers was in the air and the candle light made for an ambiance full of romance.

Their cake was beautiful, It is amazing what some people can do with a bit of frosting. I love to bake, which you should know if you keep up with my blog. But not once has a cake ever turned out like this for me.

That is right, this event took place at the CIA, which meant that the food was top notch.

Congratulations Eleonora and Al!