A Fairy Tale Wedding in Florence, Italy
John and Sofia’s WEDDING VIDEO FEATURE
The Venue
John and Sofia’s wedding day took place at both a beautiful villa in the Tuscan Hills overlooking and the oldest church in central Florence - Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli, so I knew before i even landed that their wedding film was going to be a highlight of 2022.
Florence is my favourite city in Italy, so steeped in history and culture and dripping with art and beautiful architecture, I knew i had to include the city as the setting of their wedding as much as the venues they had chosen for both their ceremony and reception, so I spent some time before the wedding itself taking some shots around the centre of the beautiful capital of Tuscany.
Nestled in the heart of Tuscany, Florence boasts an array of stunning venues for a wedding. From the grandeur of historic palaces and villas to the charm of intimate vineyards, Florence offers a myriad of options, each with its own unique allure.
One of the significant aspects of a Florentine wedding is its deep-rooted history. The city's historical sites, from the iconic Duomo to the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio, provide a majestic backdrop for a wedding ceremony. Walking down the aisle in Florence is like traveling back in time, embodying the romance and grandeur of the Renaissance period.
Moreover, a Florence wedding is not complete without incorporating local traditions. Florentine weddings often involve traditional rituals, such as the "La Tarantella" dance and the "buste" – a satin bag carried by the bride for guests to place their gifts in. These customs add a unique touch to the wedding, making the event not just a celebration of love, but also a cultural immersion.
In essence, a wedding in Florence is a perfect blend of romantic scenery, historical grandeur and cultural traditions, all things that help bring my wedding videography to life so I always love to work here!
Teaser film
John and Sofia’s Wedding Day Plans
Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli
John and Sofia had planned their day down to the finest detail, from the beautiful venues to the design of the flowers arch outside the church, where they would have a first look and places they wanted to visit the day after the wedding for an extended portrait shoot, so I already had a good idea of the sort of film I would be producing in advance, which is always helpful.
The wedding started at Villa Le Fontanelle where both bride and groom got ready in the morning- and as they had booked both me and my second videographer, we were able to get plenty of lovely moments of the pair with their friends and family then.
We then made our way in a taxi through the busy streets of Florence to its very heart where the little and ancient church is nestled amongst equally historical buildings. John and Sofia’s catholic ceremony, conducted in English, was a beautiful and touching part of the day, particularly the inclusion of some Mexican traditions to pay homage to Sofia’s heritage.
After some shots with a stunning classic car at a viewing point overlooking Florence, we then made our way back to the Villa for some golden hour photos before John have a heartfelt speech to the intimate gathering of family of friends with the twinkling lights of the Florentine skyline behind him before the couple danced the night away.
The next morning, bright and early, we met again for an extended portrait shoot at some lovely spots around the city, including the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio Bride, giving me plenty of lovely Footage to work with in the edit.
Florence has so many options when it comes to backdrops for your photos so it really is worth researching what areas you like the most and an early start is imperative if you want to get the sort of shots you’ll see in this film as within an hour of our arrival the streets were packed with tourists.
I love emerging the viewers of my wedding films in the history and culture of the location a couple have chosen for their day as much as capturing the day itself so hopefully that comes across in both the teaser film and feature film from this wedding.
Wedding Videography Approach
My main aim as a wedding videographer is to produce cinematic, yet authentic, mementos of a wedding day. I want them to be stylish, filled with all the emotions of the day while being infused with a classic cinema flair, which I always have in the back of my mind when choosing which lens to use in a certain moment, how to frame a shot, the sounds and music I will use to tell that part of the story and thinking always about the edit.
Me filming a wedding in Portugal with my minimalist set up.
I knew the setting of Florence was very important to John and Sofia, so I made sure this was a focal point of their film and also that the music I chose to open their feature would put you in mind of its rich history and religious importance.
Once I have these all story telling elements in place I make sure my films are as cinematic as possible, and what I mean by that is I use every tool and technique at my disposal, from the filming style on the wedding day, to the editing and colour grading techniques afterwards, to create a piece of work that feels like a mini-movie, like a short piece of classic cinema, with a proper beginning middle and end, establishing people, place and story as elegantly as possible, woven together with music I choose carefully for each project.
Most importantly though, I use equipment and a filming style on the day that allows me to capture these moments without leaving a heavy footprint on the day- I use very minimal equipment, similar to a photographer, and avoid stage managing the day in any way because the most important element of making a great film is authentic moments and emotions and the only way to achieve these is allow them to happen naturally, unhindered by over posing/staging and manufacturing the events.
