A Childhood Fairytale, All Grown Up
Donna has loved Ever After since she was a kid, the Drew Barrymore fairytale she still calls “my fairytale.” So when she and Daniel started planning their engagement session, a real castle felt less like an idea and more like something she’d been picturing her whole life. She wanted photographs that felt “timeless and elegant while still natural and relaxed,” and Napa’s golden light made Castello di Amorosa the obvious place to start. There’s a nice bit of symmetry in how they found their way to Tiffany, too. Donna first met her years earlier as a bridesmaid, and stayed a quiet fan of her work ever since.
The Surprise
Donna knew they were there for photos. What she didn’t know was that this Castello di Amorosa session was the proposal. Daniel had spent months quietly planning every detail, deliberately misleading her along the way, at one point letting her believe Tiffany was stuck in traffic and not even on site yet. By the day of, Donna was fully convinced a proposal wasn’t coming. When Daniel got down on one knee in front of the castle’s stone tower, framed by olive trees and rows of Napa vineyards below, her surprise was real. Donna said yes. The two of them spent the rest of golden hour moving through the castle’s arched doorways, sunlit courtyards, and stone walls overlooking the valley, newly engaged and still catching their breath.
From Castle Romance to Garden Light
From Castello, they moved to Inglenook in Rutherford for a softer second act. Donna and Daniel had talked about wanting something lighter, a contrast to the castle’s old-world drama. So Inglenook’s wisteria-draped pergola and open lawn gave them exactly that. Donna changed into a warm, rust-toned dress for the shift. As the afternoon wound down, the light turned soft and golden. It was an engagement session that started with a proposal and somehow kept getting better.
Donna’s fairytale started with a movie she loved as a kid. Now it’s a real one, castle and all.
Planning a proposal of your own? Inquire about your engagement session.
Vendors | Location Castello di Amorosa & Inglenook, Rutherford | Photography Tiffany Longeway Photography |
