It’s funny, when someone asked me about destination wedding videos, I used to think about Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, etc. But living and working in the Napa – Sonoma Valley Wine regions, I find that often means Napa or Sonoma for a lot of couples.
Often, a destination wedding consists of a core group of family and friends, maybe 40 – 60 people. Traveling somewhere for not only the wedding but for a sort of vacation. You have the opportunity to indulge in local attractions, customs, music, and sometimes the the location itself.
As I’ve done several “local” destination weddings, here are a few ideas for the Napa – Sonoma area.
⦁ The obvious, wine tasting.
⦁ Probably not so obvious, beer tasting. or maybe a distillery tour.
⦁ The not, not so obvious a culinary tour.
⦁ Maybe a leisurely Wine Train adventure thru the Napa Valley.
⦁ Possibly, golfing, kayaking and zip-lining.
⦁ And finally, why not go for it with a once in a lifetime event like Hot Air Ballooning over the vineyards at sunrise.
It really doesn’t matter what you’re in to, the point is that there are lots of really great options for you and your guests. Having us capture those experiences with your family and friends brings another dimension to your destination wedding video.
Bonus: When we have the opportunity to “hang out” for a few days, something interesting happens. I get to know more about you, your history, and your guests. We have the opportunity to capture some really fun footage, and sometimes come up with something very personal to you.
Example Destination Wedding Moment
During a Lake Tahoe destination wedding, I was sitting with the bride looking out over the lake and she asked, “What about a cake reveal?” Having never heard of such a thing, my response was “Tell me more”.
As it happens, the person baking their cake is a highly regarded baker, and she was surprising them with their cake. Since we had the run of the resort, we coordinated with the baker to arrive before rehearsal. I would meet up with them, and we’d set up the cake in a walk in cooler.
So, the groom brought two ties down to the rehearsal to use as blindfolds. Once they were blindfolded, they entered the cooler, arms and hands outstretched. As the blindfold – ties came off, their expressions when seeing their cake were priceless!
While this may not be something that you would do, a casual conversation may lead to something neither one of us thought about until that moment. This is sometimes how a magical moment that is uniquely you unveils itself!
Random Thought:
Remember, a destination wedding doesn’t always mean flying somewhere. Maybe it’s your favorite vacation spot an hour or two away. Maybe it’s where you spent your first vacation together. Once you leave the routine of daily life, you create a magical escape. In the future, when you travel back in time with your videos, it’s like vacationing on your sofa.
So, are you going somewhere special and/or exciting for your wedding? Let’s Chat!
Have an amazing wedding! – Ken
