Villa Montalvo in Saratoga is just one of those magical places to have a wedding at. Originally the house of James Duval Phelan a mayor of San Francisco and then US Senator, the house and surrounding area are really a picture perfect place to get married at. There are so many little areas around here to photograph that are a never ending source of artistic inspiration. We had a amazing wedding out there earlier in the year and here are just a few of my favorites:

– Mark
Fine Art Wedding Photography

Dan and Katie had such a amazing wedding at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga. Such a happy couple with a great group of family and friends, it was just a picture perfect day. Thanks Dan and Katie for having us as a part of your day and congratulations!!!! Here is just a small peek at the day:

– Mark
Fine art wedding photography

I am going to start a new series on the blog for everyone out there planning their wedding. The bay area has so many awesome locations to have your wedding at sometimes it can be hard to find that right place. Since we have been shooting weddings in the area for 11 years we have been to pretty much every venue around and know all the great locations to have your wedding at. Every Wednesday we will highlight a new venue and show some work from a recent wedding there.

For our first week I want to highlight one of my favorite places to photograph at, Villa Montalvo (now officially called Montalvo Arts Center) in Saratoga. Montalvo is a perfect location for a wedding, the stately mansion sits at the end of an expansive Italian garden and lawn area and the views around the grounds are just breathtaking. The mansion itself (built in 1912) is an amazing backdrop for a wedding, there are so many areas around this property that just inspire the artist inside me to create beautiful wedding images. And the grounds around the mansion are just as break taking, its nestled in the Saratoga hillside and common to see deer walking across the front grass as you and your guests are dining along the front veranda.

Here is a little history of Montalvo Arts Center:
Montalvo Arts Center was previously known as Villa Montalvo, a historic landmark built in 1912 by James Duval Phelan (1861-1930). Phelan, a passionate Californian who had been a three-term progressive mayor of San Francisco, went on to become California’s first popularly-elected U.S. Senator. Villa Montalvo was Senator Phelan’s favorite home and a center of artistic, political and social life in Northern California. Phelan invited leading writers and artists to Villa Montalvo to work on individual artistic projects in an environment rich in dialogue and fellowship. Jack London, Ethel Barrymore, Mary Pickford, Douglass Fairbanks, and Edwin Markham were among Phelan’s many guests.

And a little slideshow from one of our favorite weddings out at Montalvo last year:

Wedding at Villa montalvo and St. Claire Hotel from mark stagi on Vimeo.