Christophe Genty is a wedding photographer based in Napa Valley who works throughout The San Francisco Bay Area, and beyond. He recently received the prestigious “Best of the Knot 2013” by the well-known print and online magazine, The Knot.com.

In early October, I had the pleasure of working with Chuck and Bethany on their Wine Country wedding photography here in Napa.  With the ceremony taking place at the Beazley House Bed & Breakfast and the reception on the Wine Train, their big day was one to remember.  The intimacy and comfort provided by this family owned venue was astounding and was ideal for the event. With the help of their marvelous wedding planner Sonja Beazley Burch, I was able to capture the magic of the beautiful event that marked the beginning of this incredible couple’s life together.

Chuck and Bethany are two people who fall nothing short of amazing.  Their relationship is so strong it has survived the great distance put between them by their jobs.  They both work in the military, and during the time of the wedding preparation, they were both stationed overseas: Chuck was stationed in the Middle East while Bethany did her work in Asia. We kept in contact via phone, email, and Skype, and everything turned out perfectly.  To set our schedule in stone, we met the day before the wedding to review the timeline and explore the venues.  We decided to do a first look photo session at the Bed & Breakfast followed by shots of the couple in the vineyards of Stanley Lane and by the Riverfront. Getting those photos done first made it possible to smoothly transition into family portraits after the ceremony and, more importantly, get to the reception sooner!

Just as the couple wasn’t from the Napa Valley, neither were their families.  This was a destination wedding, with everyone traveling to share in the special day.  For those who were unable to join them in their trip to Wine Country, technology proved the perfect solution.  With the use of an iPad, the ceremony was streamed to Chuck’s family and friends in Asia.  It was a good thing, too, because the ceremony was perfect.  Surrounded by family and friends, the couple looked overjoyed and very much in love.  As they exchanged vows under the lush oak tree behind the Beazley House, an added arbor behind the bride and groom brought another dimension of beauty to the site.

One of my favorite aspects of this wedding was the location of the reception: on-board the Napa Valley Wine Train.  Before the party began, Chuck and Bethany decided to secure a lock with their names and the date engraved on it onto a fence near the train.  It was a wonderfully symbolic way to publicly memorialize their love. Following the train ride, we took some fantastic pictures at dusk of the lovebirds walking between two lines of their closest friends and family who were holding sparklers. It was a poetic end to a sparkling night.

Thank you so much, Bethany and Chuck, for the incredible opportunity to be part of your most special day.

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