The Estate Yountville in Napa Valley is one of my favorite places to photograph weddings in the region. The Estate as whole is fairly expansive, but the key spaces are pretty close together, making it logistically fairly straight forward for a full day wedding, from getting ready in the Vintage House, and ceremony and reception in the Pavilion and Barrel Room.
If you’re having your Estate Yountville wedding ceremony onsite, it’s likely to be staged at the Pavilion West. It’s a space that’s self-contained from the public, but feels spacious and expansive. On the north side is the gazebo structure which makes for the perfect setting for the ceremony as well as group portraits. For those hosting a larger outdoor reception on the lawn, it also serves as an ideal backdrop for the head table.
The wall alongside the western side I love to use for group photos as well–especially in the afternoon since it’s a fantastic set up with backlight.
The Pavilion East is commonly used as the spot for dinner receptions. It’s a more intimate space, particularly in the evening under the string lights.
The Pavilion South Patio is generally used for welcome drinks as well as cocktail hour before guests move into Pavilion East for dinner.
It’s a little bit further out from the rest main spots, but if you’re dying for some shots in the vineyards, at the south end of the Estate Yountville is a small vineyard that can be used for photos as well.