Dana and Larisa’s Napa Valley wedding marks the third wedding we have shot for the Sabin family. The first was in 2012 when Dana’s brother Ryan married his longtime partner Kevin in a civil ceremony in Chicago. The second was when Ryan and Kevin married again in a legal ceremony at San Francisco City Hall. They held their San Francisco wedding the day before Dana and Larisa’s wedding since all the family would already be in town.
The Sabin family is one of the coolest families we know, and they have become very special to us over the past couple of years. Dana and Larisa chose Mauricio to photograph their outdoor wedding at Dana’s parents’ vineyard, Sabina Vineyards. Ben and I were free that day, so we came along partially as guests and partially to second-shoot for Mauricio.
Dana and Larisa are easy-going, mellow people, and their wedding day reflected that. Guests milled around sipping wine until it was time for the ceremony on the lawn, with the rolling green hills of Napa Valley as the backdrop. Afterward, everyone mingled, and had more wine and cocktails, which resulted in quite the fun dance party.
One of the most touching moments of the evening was when Larisa and Dana, along with Dana’s siblings, Ryan and Laura, paid tribute to their grandmother. Their grandmother had only recently found out that both her granddaughters and grandson were gay, and all in that one weekend she (along with her sister) attended Dana’s wedding as well as Ryan’s City Hall wedding to Kevin. Their grandmother’s sheer love and support for her grandchildren made a big impact on everyone present that day.
As a couple, Dana and Larisa have worked to promote acceptance and understanding of marriage equality. They started a wine company together, Stand Tall Wine Co., which donates a percentage of profits to causes that are important to them. One percent of profits from their wine Genetic Pinot Noir goes to the Napa LBGTQ Project.
Check out more of our LGBTQ Weddings!