A surprise romantic anniversary getaway quickly turned into location scouting. Don’t judge me. You would have been mentally placing a bride in the magical turret against the stormy sunset too. And thinking about a groom lightly kissing his bride in the middle of the vineyard against the warm yellow glow of the evening sun. Or maybe I have a sickness.
My husband surprised me with this quiet getaway for our 11th wedding anniversary knowing it lands right before my busiest season. Our friends Josh and Jamie know the owners personally and have referred to Alexandria Nicole Cellars many times over the years. How great the wine is, how entertaining their parties and events are, and how fun the owners Ali and Jarrod are.
When John and I arrived to the vineyard we were late due to my error in entering the wrong address into my phone. We were supposed to meet Ali for our private arrival tasting, but rather than heading to the formal tasting room we found Jarrod near the tiny houses where thought we needed to check in. We were all sorts of wrong!
Jarrod greeted us and took us to our reserved tiny house, which was the Jet Black. He gave us a great tour of the home showing us how to operate the garage door which opened to the living room, how to light the fire pit and how to replenish our drinks with wine on tap. My favorite feature was the surrounding area. We were literally in the middle of the vineyard and facing the Columbia River.
After our tour Jarrod treated us to our own private tasting in their brand new tasting room. Each wine had its own distinct flavor and Jarrod answered every last question we had about their facility. Ali joined us after a bit and the four of us conversed, laughed and began discussing how they use their venue as a spectacular wedding spot. I was immediately intrigued and was anxious for Ali to offer us a tour of Destiny Ridge….the immensely glorious castle-looking feature sitting prestigiously atop of the vineyard hills.
I am in love.
Picturing the romantic weddings that take place on the terrace overlooking the river had me in a trance. Everywhere I looked there were photo opportunities. I was kicking myself for not bringing my artillery of gear to capture this beaut. All I had was my 50mm lens, but that was going to have to do as there was no way I was going to stay 2 full days in this wine country without capturing its majestic nature.
Brides, if you are looking for a wedding venue that holds glamour, class and modern rustic touches IN the vineyard. THIS is the place for you. Ali and Jarrod invest genuine care into this gem and even more into their guests. We felt it immediately upon our arrival and meeting them for the first time. I am jealous of the wedding couples who get to experience this gift on their special day.
Furthermore, (I wish I had more time and the gear to capture the lodging) they have the absolute best lodging accommodations for your bridal party and guests. You’ve GOT to check out their tiny houses on their ANC Tiny Houses. They are even building more for the convenience of extending the wedding party and staying in the vineyard rather than driving home.
We may have something in the works for a spectacular inspiration shoot in the future, wink wink.
Spokane Wedding Photographer (hoping to be a central Washington wedding photographer traveling to majestic vineyard weddings)
Crystal Madsen Photography
509-499-1090
crystal@crystalmadsen.com
