A Destination Wedding in Florence, Italy

Kailin and Garrett travelled over from the US to get married at Villa Le Fontanelle, in Tuscany. A few days beforehand, I headed out to Italy as second photographer for Faye Wilde Photography, alongside Jae from Rue & Wild on video, so we could spend a bit of time enjoying the city before the wedding. Those days were spent wandering through Florence, escaping the heat where we could, eating good food and making the most of a few slower days before the wedding.

Florence Pre-Wedding Shoot on 35mm Film

The day before the wedding, we roamed through the quieter streets around the city for a pre-wedding shoot whilst Florence was still waking up. One of the things I love about Florence is how often the Duomo appears unexpectedly between buildings. It feels impossible to lose sight of it for too long. My focus for the shoot was capturing the couple on 35mm film, eventually making our way towards the Duomo as the city began to wake up.

The Ceremony at Villa Le Fontanelle

As a second photographer, a lot of my role throughout the day was documenting the smaller in-between moments happening away from the main timeline of the wedding, observing the day from a different perspective as everything unfolded around us. Guests arriving slowly, conversations happening in the shade and the atmosphere building before the ceremony began. The wedding began with a late afternoon ceremony in the gardens overlooking the Tuscan hills.

Afterwards, drinks were served outside whilst a violinist played nearby and guests gathered around one huge grazing table covered in bread, cheese, olives and cured meats.

Couple Portraits in Tuscany

One of my favourite moments from the day happened just after we’d finished taking couple portraits, before everyone sat down for dinner as the light was beginning to soften. Kailin and Garrett sat together slightly out of sight from everyone else, quietly taking in the view over the hills before rejoining their guests. They were both completely present in the moment.

Before dinner, everyone gathered in the courtyard for speeches whilst the sun slowly began to set behind them.

A Destination Wedding Reception in Italy

As the sun continued to set, everyone made their way towards one long dinner table overlooking the city. The whole evening felt more like one huge dinner party with all your favourite people. Pasta was passed between guests and glasses clinked across the table whilst conversations carried on between courses. Nobody seemed in any rush for the evening to move on.

Kailin and Garrett cut into a huge tiramisu before the music slowly took over the rest of the night. People drifted constantly between the dance floor, conversations outside and late night gelato, before somehow ending up back in the middle of the party again. Somewhere in the middle of it all, there was also a huge champagne spray and some of the best dance floor choreography I’ve ever photographed at a wedding. Everyone was so carefree and present, like they already knew these would become core memories.

Second shot for @fayewildephotography