Notes on the light
Villa Montalvo is a Mediterranean-revival villa built in 1912 in the hills above Saratoga, now home to the Montalvo Arts Center. Formal gardens and cypress-lined walks surround the house, and the building itself carries a genuine architectural weight that few Bay Area venues can match.
The spaces, and how they film
The Loggia. An arched walkway along the villa's front facade gives a ceremony real architectural presence, columns and white drape doing most of the visual work without needing much additional structure.
The Formal Gardens. Manicured hedges and cypress trees surround the property, giving portraits a classical, European feel distinct from most California wedding venues.
The film, so far
We have made one film here so far: Antonio & Nika, a ceremony beneath the loggia followed by a reception that carried the day's formality straight through the evening.
Filming here
Because the villa and gardens are genuinely historic rather than purpose-built for weddings, we treat the architecture as the star and keep additional florals and structure minimal. The loggia and gardens do not need much dressing to look extraordinary on camera.