I’ve always wanted to be a destination wedding photographer in Italy. It’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I went to Italy the first time when I traveled abroad in high school. I fell in love with the country’s architecture, the culture, and the overall Old World esthetic. So naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to photograph a destination wedding editorial when Amanda, of AMV Weddings, invited me to her first-ever luxury destination wedding retreat.
For couples looking to plan a destination wedding in Italy, the first decision they’ll have to make is where to hold the wedding. Choosing a venue is a critical part of the planning process because the venue helps set the tone of their wedding. There are, of course, several venues throughout the Tuscany region that are beautiful so whichever venue you choose, it’ll be gorgeous no matter what.
One of my favorite venues in Tuscany is Villa Cetinale. That’s where we stayed during our luxury destination wedding retreat. It’s just outside of Siena by about 30 minutes, or an hour and a half drive from Florence, however you want to think of it.
Villa Cetinale is a beautiful villa with picturesque views of the Tuscan landscape. If you’re a Succession fan, then you’ll recognize the villa from the season 3 finale. The villa has two olive tree groves, lovely manicured lawns, and a pool towards the back of the grounds, so if you wanted to take a quick dip, you can.
To complement the esthetic of the villa, Amanda and her team put together a limoncello-themed wedding editorial for us to photograph. And when I tell you it was the prettiest design I’ve ever seen, it was! The vendors Amanda gathered are some of Italy’s and the United States’ leading artists in the wedding industry! They’re all amazing and they executed Amanda’s vision perfectly!!
Ok, so why am I showing you this editorial? Not just because it’s pretty. But rather, because it’s a great example of what you can actually do for your own destination wedding in Italy. From the feminine Amsale gown to Megan Therese Couture‘s dreamy clay flower crown, all of the items used in the editorial are affordable, gorgeous, and look super high-end.
Even the florals, designed by Flowers Living, are achievable! That’s not always true when you look at luxury editorial shoots for destination wedding inspiration.
It’s my dream to photograph a destination wedding in Italy. Whether it’s in Tuscany, along the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre, or Lake Como I’ll go anywhere my couples want me to go. I can’t wait to photograph all of the love, scenery, and magic of your Italian destination wedding!
Venue: Villa Cetinale
Workshop Host: AMV Retreats
Planning, Styling + Design: AMV Weddings
Workshop Speakers: Sophie Kaye, Rossini Photography, Andreas Georgiou, Koman Photography
Florist: Flowers Living
Furniture/Tabletop Rentals: Preludio Noleggio
Hair/Makeup: Madeline Eleanor
Cakes: Sweetie Pie Cakes
Stationery: Inquisited
Menswear: Bucco Couture
Classic Car: Classy Car Rentals
Linens: Nuage Designs
Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes, Something Bleu
Jewelry: Victor Barbone
Styling Mats: Lindale Studios
Ring Boxes: Lovely Ring Boxes
Styling Accessories: Curated Trove
Dress: Amsale
Accessories: Megan Therese Couture
Models: Fashion Art Wise
How do we even start to say thank you for all the work and effort you put into our wedding day?
- Josie and Scott
Lauren played such a meaningful role in our wedding, capturing the day in photos that we'll look back on for the rest of our lives. She kept Scott and me calm and sane - Lauren is a miracle worker! She put in 100% effort and gave us her very best, and that means so much to me. Seeing our photographs makes me so excited and so happy that Lauren was with us on this journey.
Lauren made the process so easy and made us feel so comfortable!
- Amy and Luke
We just wanted to say thank you again so much for your amazing work. You were seriously incredible to work with and we loved the locations you suggested for both our engagement shoot and the spots in Stillwater. We were very worried about getting professional photos done since we had never done it before, but you made the process so easy and made us feel so comfortable. Thank you!
Working with Lauren was easy breezy and FUN! She gave us our most treasured photos ever!
- GRACE AND NICK
There was a chunk of time in our wedding planning when we thought we'd go without a professional photographer to save on cost (terrible idea!) but once we met with Lauren, we knew we'd be in good hands. She checked in often and asked questions that got us thinking about other parts of the wedding that we probably would've missed. Lauren captured exactly who we are as a couple!
Lauren's enthusiasm and passion make the photo-taking process so fun – she made me feel like a star!
- Alisa AND Adam
Lauren and her team are so much fun to work with! She made us feel so comfortable on the day of our wedding, providing both silly and helpful cues to help us relax and be ourselves in our photos. Lauren’s background in dance is super helpful in recognizing simple posture changes that make a big difference, too. Oh, and the photos we got are just stunning!
Lauren was pivotal in making our wedding day perfect!
- Emma AND Erik
My husband and I looked FOR MONTHS to find the perfect photographer and after meeting Lauren we knew was the best fit for us. She made our day so much fun and easy. She found little opportunities to make the perfect photo all with a calm ease that comes from someone who has an artistic eye along with experience in understanding the flow of a wedding.
Not only is Lauren an amazing human being, but she is an awesome photographer!
- Haley AND Erick
I've been in several weddings and have worked with a multitude of photographers and I never felt as confident as I did with Lauren. I love how professional she is. She helped with the timeline way in advance and we stuck to that timeline the day of. She was also able to professionally and firmly keep unruly family members settled and focused and navigated family drama beautifully!
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