Tips for Proposing at Castello di Amorosa | Calistoga Proposal

**Update as of COVID- Castello is now only allowing people with an appointment/tasting reservation through the gate and up to their property. This includes having a photographer on site. This fee is $55.**

I have been photographing proposals for well over 7 years now, and one of  the "most asked" first questions I get is tips for proposing at Castello di Amorosa. It is definitely one of the most popular wineries in Napa Valley! Here are my top 3 tips if you are dead set on using this location-

1- Get there EARLY! I know most people are traveling from out of the area and this can be hard. Who the heck wants to wake up at 8am (or earlier, depending on where you are traveling from!) to start off your "relaxing" wine county week/weekend? The problem is, once the doors open at the castle, cars and people stream in and it's crazy busy (aka photo bombers EVERYWHERE).  If you are hoping for a quiet, more intimate moment to get down on one knee, you'll want to do it as early as possible.

OR- chose the last tasting of the day and do it at the end…again, most people will be headed out at that point, so you should have more luck with privacy, and chances are, the lighting will be better!

2-Try to do it on a weekday morning, if possible- I have been there on a weekend for an engagement session, and there is often very limited parking  (I have even seen parking attendants resort to having cars park up and own vineyard rows, which you will see as you are driving up the main entrance. Not super picturesque.)

3- It costs $25 per person to get inside the Castle, whether you are taking a tour or not. I have been inside several times, as my clients wanted photos taken inside, so they opted to pay for my entrance fee. The photos I took are beautiful, but we spent half the time we were there waiting for tours to move past, or for random guests to move out of the frame.

I know, I know- I sound like Debbie Downer over here! Castello really is a gorgeous location, and as you can see from the photos below, it can be worth it all- it's just a good idea to plan ahead. That place can feel a little like entering Disneyland!

Alternatively, you can call Castello to book their North Tower tour, to ensure your privacy, and a more elevated proposal experience!

Here are few of my most recent proposals at Castello- North Tower and In the Vineyards

And here are some photos from a variety of different proposals, where you can see how the time of day and time of year affect lighting and the way the vines look.