Some weddings follow a precise script, others unfold moment by moment.
Chiara and Ersi’s day was like that: intense, deeply lived, shaped by families coming together, different traditions coexisting, and memories meant to last.
A wedding in Lucca, celebrated on a bright late-May day, told through a discreet gaze and constant presence, from the preparations to the dancing.
From Preparations to First Glances
The day began in Porcari, where Chiara and Ersi were getting ready in two separate houses, right next to each other. A rare and fortunate circumstance, which allowed me to personally follow both preparations, supported by my photo and video team.
Preparations are always one of the most intense moments of a wedding. That’s when everything becomes real: the outfits worn alone for the last time, the glances of family members, the emotions held back with difficulty.
It is also a suspended, silent moment — the kind that only photographs and films can truly preserve.
Among the most touching moments was when Chiara walked down the stairs and her father saw her in her wedding dress for the first time. A simple, authentic emotion that needed no direction or staging.
The Ceremony at Villa Fambrini
After the preparations, we moved to Villa Fambrini in Santa Maria a Colle, where both the ceremony and the celebration took place.
As tradition often dictates, Ersi arrived first, welcoming guests and family members. Shortly after, Chiara arrived with her father.
The civil ceremony was officiated by a close friend of the couple, with Ersi’s sister and Chiara’s brother serving as witnesses. An intimate and heartfelt moment, reaching its emotional peak during the final symbolic gesture: the release of balloons into the sky in memory of the grandparents who could not be physically present, but were there in every other way.
Time Together, Without Forced Poses
After the ceremony, the garden aperitivo became the setting for one of the most important moments of the day: the couple portraits.
No rigid posing, no forced gestures. Just Chiara and Ersi taking their first moments together as husband and wife, away from the guests.
Thanks to the relationship built through conversations in the months before the wedding, our presence became almost invisible. And it is precisely in that space that the most sincere images are born.
The Celebration, Traditions, and Dancing
Before dinner, we gathered everyone for the traditional group photographs with friends and relatives, handled quickly and naturally, without interrupting the flow of the celebration.
The first dance, to the song Eccoti, took place before the couple even sat down at the table — an intense and emotional moment that immediately set the tone for the evening.
Dinner, prepared by the villa’s in-house restaurant, soon transformed into the liveliest part of the day. Thanks to carefully timed music, the dance floor came alive from the very first courses, alternating Italian music, European dance hits, and traditional Albanian dances.
If the ceremony followed a more traditional structure, it was during dinner that Ersi’s cultural roots truly emerged — handkerchiefs waved during the dances and an energy that involved every guest.
The Finale — Light and Symbolism
The cake cutting in the garden of Villa Fambrini, surrounded by sparklers and cold fountains of light, marked one of the most evocative moments of the day.
The evening ended with a gesture belonging to Albanian tradition: the groom burned the shamia e beqarisë, the so-called “bachelor’s handkerchief.”
A symbolic rite of passage marking the end of single life and the beginning of a new chapter as a husband.
A simple gesture, yet rich with meaning — a reminder that traditions continue to live even far from home, weaving naturally into the fabric of the day.
Telling a wedding story means truly being present without invading, leaving space for people and for what happens naturally.
This is the way I choose to tell stories like Chiara and Ersi’s.
The Professionals Who Contributed to the Day
A wedding also takes shape thanks to the people who make it possible, each bringing their own work and sensitivity.
- Make-up: Nabiria Estetica
- Hair Stylist: Dorina Hair Stylist
- Bridal Attire: Le Spose di Claudia
- Jewelry & Rings: Stroili (Carrefour Lucca)
- Floral Design: Fiorista Pierini
- Stationery & Live Illustration: Valentina Foscaresi – Dreams Drawer
- Music: DJ Sharon
- Wedding Cake: Pasticceria Stella
- Venue: Ristorante La Corte – Villa Fambrini