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Fifteen minutes in the vines with a glass of their wine. That's the part couples tell me they remember.

There's a moment at Valleyview Farm I wait for all day. The sun sets behind the vineyard, the rolling hills go soft, and everything settles after the noise of the reception. As a wedding photographer at Valleyview Farm four times over, I know that light arrives earlier in October than most couples expect, and that the ridge behind the property cuts it about half an hour before your weather app says it should. I build your timeline backward from that window instead of hoping we catch it.

Dinner, toasts, and then one slow walk through the vines with a glass of their wine while the light is still doing that. It takes fifteen minutes and it's usually the part couples tell me they remember. The rest of the day here runs the same way, unhurried, because the staff has done this a hundred times and nobody is standing over you with a clipboard. If you want to be outside all day and you don't mind a little dust on your shoes, this is your place.

Vineyard weddings just outside Charlottesville, photographed slowly and in the best light of the day.

Why I love photographing at Valleyview Farm

Fog in the low rows, chairs already wiped down at nine in the morning. Nobody here hovers, which means nothing gets rushed.

One frame I look for every time. The two of you headed up toward the barn, vine rows on both sides, in the last light.

Couples book this place for the patio view and don't know about the field behind the tree line. That's where half your portraits happen.

an unhurried staff

the uphill walk

The second field

WHY VALLEYVIEW 

ALEX & SARA

“They knew EVERYTHING about shooting a wedding at Valley View. We couldn't be happier!”

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Tiffany & Patrick's Autumn Wedding at Valley view —

There's one frame I look for every single time: the two of you walking away from me, up the hill toward the barn, late in the day, with the rows on both sides. I don't stage much of it. I just get you pointed uphill and stay back.

Most couples book Valleyview for the view off the tasting room patio, and then they find out on the wedding day that there's a whole second field behind the tree line they never knew about. That part always gets a reaction. It's also where a good chunk of your portraits will happen, so it's worth walking out there before the day if you can.

The moment I still think about is from my second wedding here. A grandmother couldn't get up the hill, so the groom moved the first dance down to the patio where she was sitting. Nobody planned it. That's my favorite frame I've ever made at this venue, and I got it because the staff let it happen instead of pulling everyone back on schedule.

If you want to be outside all day and you don't mind a little dust on your shoes, this is your place. The wine is genuinely good, too, which sounds like a strange thing to care about and absolutely changes the mood of a reception.

The Moment I Wait for at Valleyview Farm

The upper vine rows for the walking shots. The north side of the barn, where the doors are, because that's open shade all day and it works even at high noon. The old oak at the edge of the lower field. And the gravel lane along the fence line. That's the whole portrait plan, and it fits in about 40 minutes without rushing.

The four portrait spots I use every time

The ridge behind the vineyard cuts the light about 25 minutes before actual sunset, and closer to 35 in October. Whatever time your weather app gives you, back it up half an hour and build your timeline from there. 

Golden hour ends earlier than your app says

The west-facing rows are where this property earns its reputation, and that's an afternoon situation. Mornings here run flat and hazy, especially in summer. If you're deciding between a morning and an afternoon first look, take the afternoon.


The best light at Valleyview Farm is late afternoon

What to know about photographing at Valleyview Farm

The rain plan and the accessible option, both. Covered, close to the parking, and the gravel bounces a surprising amount of light back up. One of my favorite frames here happened on this patio because a grandmother couldn't get up the hill.

THE STONE PATIO

Faces west with the foothills behind you. That view is why you booked this place, and it's also why ceremony timing matters here. At 5:30 or later the light is behind the guests instead of in your eyes.

THE CEREMONY LAWN

Along the fence line, running toward the vineyard. Gives us a straight line and some depth, which is hard to find on a property this open. Good for the wedding party, good for walking shots that aren't uphill.

THE GRAVEL LANE

Warm wood, string lights, and corners where the light gives up entirely. I bring more lighting into this room than I do at most venues, and I set it during dinner so it's done before dancing starts.

INSIDE THE BARN

At the edge of the lower field, out of sight from the tasting room patio. Shade at any hour and no guests wandering through the background. This is where I'd put your first look if you're doing one.

The Old Oak 

My safety net. Open shade all day, so this works at noon in July when nothing else on the property does. Weathered wood, big doors, soft light on your face. If we're behind schedule, this is where we go.

The North Barn Doors 

The signature shot and the reason to protect your sunset window. West-facing, rows on both sides, the barn at the top of the hill. We walk up, you keep walking, I stay back. Fifteen minutes, usually the last thing we shoot.

THE UPPER VINE ROWS

Seven spots on this property do most of the work. Some of them you'll see the day you tour. A couple you won't find unless someone points them out. Here's where I take couples, and why.

Inspiration

valleyview farm

emily & peter

“Our wedding at Valley View Farms was a dream come true and Krista caputured it all perfectly!”

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Yes, and I'd use the old oak at the edge of the lower field. It's out of sight from the tasting room patio, which means your guests won't accidentally walk into it, and the tree gives us shade at any hour. If you're doing a first look in the afternoon rather than the morning, the light there is far more forgiving.

Can we do a first look at Valleyview Farm, and where?

Always, and more of it than I bring to most venues. The barn is warm wood and string lights, which looks lovely to the eye and gives a camera very little to work with in the corners. I set up during dinner so it's finished before dancing starts. Your reception photos should look like the same day as the rest of your gallery. 

Do you bring lighting for the barn reception? 

Eight to nine hours for most Valleyview Farm weddings, and here's the reason. Coverage has to stretch from getting ready through the sunset window, which sits after dinner in most seasons. If your coverage ends at eight hours and your ceremony started at 5:30, the walk through the vines is the thing that gets cut. That's the shot you'll want most. 

How many hours of coverage do we need at Valleyview Farm?

It photographs well, which I don't say about every venue. The barn holds your full guest count, though they set the chairs short-ways so you lose aisle length. For portraits we move to the covered patio, where the gravel bounces a surprising amount of light back up. I've shot a full rain day here and the gallery does not look like a backup plan. 

What's the rain plan at Valleyview Farm, and how does it photograph? 

Four places, in this order: the upper vine rows, the north side of the barn where the doors are, the old oak at the edge of the lower field, and the gravel lane along the fence line. The barn doors are the safety net, because that's open shade all day and it works even at noon. The full loop takes about 40 minutes. 

Where do you take portraits at Valleyview Farm?

Earlier than your weather app says, by roughly half an hour. The ridge behind the vineyard cuts the direct light about 25 minutes before the listed sunset, and closer to 35 minutes in October. So if the app says 6:45 in October, plan for the good light to be gone by about 6:10 and build backward from there. 


When is golden hour at Valleyview Farm?

5:30 or later, if the venue and your officiant allow it. The ceremony lawn faces west, so an earlier ceremony puts the sun directly in your eyes while your guests sit in better light than you do. Moving from 4:00 to 5:30 is the single change I've seen improve a day here the most, and it costs you nothing.

What time should our ceremony start at Valleyview Farm?

Four times. Two fall weddings, one June wedding, and one engagement session in the vines. That's enough to know the property in different seasons, which matters more than the number itself. The light in October behaves nothing like the light in June here, and the walk from the ceremony lawn to the upper rows feels very different in ninety-degree heat.

Have you photographed at Valleyview Farm before? 

Frequently asked Questions

GET TO KNOW ME

I'm a wedding photographer based in Charlottesville, nine years in and about forty weddings a year. Early on I tried to shoot everywhere. These days I'd rather know a handful of Virginia venues well enough to tell you when the light leaves and where to stand when it does. Valleyview Farm is one of the ones I know best.

I shoot quietly, I don't stack you into a hundred posed portraits, and I will absolutely be the one telling you to eat your dinner while it's hot.

charlottesville, virginia wedding photographer

Krista Jones 

thank you! we'll be in touch soon!

Whether you’re getting married at Valleyview Farm or someplace in California (or beyond!), we would love to be considered for your day. 

If you’re interested in working with us, the best way to reach us is by either filling out the form or sending an e-mail to hello@youremail.com with your wedding date and location. If you’ve filled out the form and haven’t heard from us in a few days, please email us directly.

WE WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF YOUR DAY!

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