There are weddings you start photographing as part of your work.
And then there are weddings that, along the way, become something more.
Nicola and Matilde are two people from Lucca I had known for years.
We had crossed paths many times, shared mutual friends, but until that moment we had stayed somewhere between acquaintances and something closer.
When they contacted me to tell the story of their wedding, I was genuinely happy to meet them and understand whether I could be the right person to accompany them on such an important day.
From our very first meeting, they were clear about what they wanted:
a complete story, from the preparations to the final dance.
Photo and video.
A wedding begins months before
As always, the wedding did not begin on the day itself.
It started months earlier, with location visits and planning.
The ceremony was held at the Church of San Martino in Vignale, while the reception took place at Villa La Badiola.
Knowing the spaces in advance is always important, but in this case even more so.
The church is not very large, which meant we had to carefully plan how to move without being intrusive, especially considering we were working as a team.
At Villa La Badiola, the visit was not only about revisiting a venue we already knew, but about carefully planning the flow of the day so everything would unfold naturally, without improvisation.
The preparations
On the wedding day, we divided into two teams.
One with the bride.
One with the groom.
Matilde got ready at home with her mother and bridesmaids.
The spaces were not large, which led us to work discreetly, also using the outdoor areas to tell those moments without invading them.
Nicola prepared at his parents’ house, surrounded by his family.
Different atmospheres, but the same positive tension.
There are moments that repeat in every wedding.
The groom looking at himself in the mirror for the first time fully dressed.
The bride putting on her dress knowing that, this time, it is different from all the fittings before.
For Matilde, one of the most intense moments was seeing her bouquet for the first time.
She had not chosen it directly. She had only given a few guidelines.
The emotion was so strong that for a moment we feared for her makeup.
The ceremony
The ceremony was simple and linear.
But as often happens, its strength did not lie in grand gestures, but in the looks exchanged.
There are moments that define a celebration:
- the groom entering with his mother
- the first look toward the bride
- the moment a parent walks their daughter down the aisle
These are moments that do not repeat.
They tell the story of moving from one family into another.
After the ceremony and the rice toss, before heading to the villa, Nicola and Matilde made a brief stop to visit her grandmother, who had not been able to attend.
A short visit, but deeply meaningful.
Couple portraits
Couple portraits are often underestimated.
In reality, they are the only moment of the day when the couple is truly alone.
During the preparations, someone is always there.
During the ceremony and reception, even more so.
That moment, instead, belongs only to them.
At Villa La Badiola, we chose the outdoor spaces, among vineyards and olive groves.
No staging.
No constructions.
Just one request:
“Take your time.”
At one point Nicola stopped, looked at Matilde and whispered:
“I haven’t had the chance to tell you that you look beautiful.”
Those are words you cannot direct.
You can only witness them.
The celebration
Back at the villa, the day truly came alive.
Cocktails in the park, live music, and an unexpected moment:
Nicola was invited to play the drums by his former music teacher.
During the evening, we set aside time for portraits with friends and family.
A moment many couples think is unnecessary, but that inevitably becomes essential.
Sooner or later, someone will ask for those photos.
It is better to include them naturally in the timeline rather than chasing them later.
Dinner took place in the villa’s courtyard, followed by the cake cutting, the bouquet toss, and the party in the gardens above the fountain.
Beyond the wedding
At the end of the night, our work was finished.
But the relationship was not.
From that day, a true friendship began and continued over the years.
We later photographed their pregnancy as they awaited little Emma.
And they were present at our own wedding.
When work turns into relationship, it means the story has gone beyond the images.
Every wedding is different.
But some leave something that lasts.
The professionals behind the day
Behind every wedding is the work of many people.
These are the professionals who contributed to Nicola and Matilde’s day.
- Make-up: Maura Martinelli
- Manicure: Nabiria Estetica
- Hair styling: Fashion Donna
- Wedding attire: Laura Sposa Chic
- Floral design: Verdemania
- DJ: Andrea Pieroni
- Live Music: Luca Giometti X jam e Deviana Morgan
- Catering: Del Carlo Catering
- Venue: Villa La Badiola
- Vintage Car: Drive the Vintage
- Lighting service: Secondarete
If you are planning your destination wedding in Lucca or Tuscany and would like to understand how your day could be told through images, we can start with a conversation.