Vendors & Venue
Vendors
Venue: Villa Alta
Catering: Villa Alta
Photo+Film: aurora borealis weddings
Flowerdesign: angolo fiorito pisa
Celebrant: enrico taliani
String trio: cristiano matto dj
A Pre-Wedding Photoshoot at the Leaning Tower of Pisa
The day before their wedding, we met Daisy and Devin in Pisa for a couple photoshoot at one of Italy’s most recognisable landmarks, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. They had travelled all the way from Texas to celebrate their wedding in Villa Alta, Tuscany, and we wanted to make the most of their time in Italy while creating something special for the two of them.
Visiting Pisa at this time of year requires a little planning. The area around the Leaning Tower gets incredibly busy with visitors, so we decided to start early in the morning, meeting just as the city was waking up. It meant we could explore the surroundings at a quieter pace and photograph Daisy and Devin without the crowds taking over every frame.
For us, though, these sessions are about much more than beautiful photographs. We always love meeting our couples in person before the wedding day. After getting to know each other through several online calls, having time together face to face makes a real difference. It gives us the chance to talk, get comfortable around one another, and build the kind of connection that allows everything to feel more natural when the wedding day arrives.
A destination wedding often means planning everything from a distance, sometimes across different time zones and thousands of kilometres. That is why we value these moments together so much. There is no strict schedule to follow and no pressure to make everything perfect. We can simply spend time with the couple, learn a little more about them, and let them experience what it feels like to have us around with our cameras.
By the time Daisy and Devin’s wedding arrived, we wanted them to feel that they were spending the day with people they already knew and trusted, rather than photographer & filmmaker they had only met online. The pre-wedding session in Pisa was a lovely opportunity to build that connection, while giving them photographs from their Italian wedding trip that were entirely their own.
The morning of Daisy & Devin — an editorial start at Villa Alta
We arrived early at Villa Alta in Tuscany, where Daisy and Devin were getting ready surrounded by their families. Since Daisy had a clear vision for an editorial-focused wedding gallery, we wanted time to explore every corner of the villa, find the best light, and plan our creative approach before the preparations began.
Arriving early is also an important part of how we work as wedding photographers and videographers in Italy. We always make time to introduce ourselves to the couple’s parents, friends, and family, so we can get to know everyone and feel part of the day rather than two strangers with cameras. It makes a real difference when the celebrations begin.
We spent the first two hours scouting the property and photographing Daisy’s wedding dress, Devin’s tuxedo, and the finer details. With our creative ideas planned and the setting explored, we were ready to join Daisy for her preparations and create the editorial wedding photography we had envisioned, while leaving room for the candid moments that make every wedding unique.
Daisy’s Bridal Preparations at Villa Alta, Tuscany
Daisy’s wedding morning at Villa Alta was full of incredible energy. She had spent months putting together a playlist of music from the 1940s through the 1970s, and it suited the villa so perfectly that we felt as though we had stepped into a film set in the 1960s, only with 2026 cameras, lenses, and drones in our hands.
Daisy did most of her own makeup, and from a creative perspective, the setting was a dream. The beautiful upstairs room offered views of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, gorgeous natural light, mirrors to experiment with, and enough space to move around and explore different perspectives. Every corner offered another opportunity for an editorial wedding photograph.
And, perhaps most importantly, we had time. As Tuscany wedding photographers and filmmakers, we believe that having room to experiment is essential to creativity. When we’re not rushing from one moment to the next, ideas start flowing naturally, each one leading to another. That freedom allowed us to create a collection of bridal portraits at Villa Alta that felt both editorial and personal to Daisy’s wedding day.
Meanwhile, Devin took the whole getting-ready process in his stride and was ready in about ten minutes. No stress, no fuss, just a very relaxed groom! That gave us even more time to focus on the details, capture his preparations properly, and create a series of groom portraits without having to rush through anything. We love when a wedding morning unfolds this way, leaving enough room to get creative with both sides of the story.
Daisy & Devin’s First Look and Wedding Ceremony at Villa Alta, Tuscany
After the preparations came the first look and ceremony, although the morning didn’t quite go according to plan. Daisy’s dress took considerably longer to finish than expected, and halfway through, the process had to start again. This pushed the timeline back and meant we had to move our planned couple’s portrait session to after the ceremony.
And this is where experience really matters. We never want a tight schedule to come at the expense of what a wedding day should feel like. For us, the genuine moments always come first, and we want every couple to have the space to fully experience their day rather than feel like they’re constantly being moved from one thing to the next.
So, we didn’t rush the first look. We gave Daisy and Devin the time they needed to see each other for the first time, let the emotions unfold naturally, and take in the moment together. Afterwards, we left them alone for a little while, giving them some privacy to enjoy the excitement, happiness, and love they were feeling before the ceremony began.
The ceremony itself was beautiful. For the film, we captured it from four different perspectives: two locked-off tripod cameras, Petra operating a gimbal, and aerial footage from our DJI Mavic 4 pro drone. With our audio recorders and wireless microphones ready, we were set to capture everything from the entrance to the vows, making sure the atmosphere, words, and emotions would all come through in the final film.
Even when a wedding timeline changes, our job stays the same: adapt, stay calm, professional and make sure the couple can enjoy the day while we take care of telling their story.
Editorial Wedding Portraits at Villa Alta, Tuscany
After the ceremony, it was finally time for Daisy and Devin’s couple portraits. Due to the earlier delays, we had to rethink our plans once again. What was originally meant to be a 60-minute session became just 20 minutes, as Villa Alta had the dinner service ready and the schedule could no longer be pushed back.
Daisy had a clear editorial vision for her wedding gallery, and we were determined to make it happen, even with such a tight timeframe. We focused on the strongest locations, worked quickly, and made every minute count without turning the experience into a stressful photoshoot for the couple.
This is also why we always aim to arrive one to two hours early for every wedding. Knowing the venue, scouting the light, and planning our creative approach in advance gives us the flexibility to adapt when unexpected delays happen. Even when an entire hour disappears from the schedule, we can still make the most of the time we have and create something that feels intentional, personal, and true to the couple’s vision.
For us, good wedding photography isn’t just about having a beautiful plan. It’s about knowing how to make it work when the plan changes.
An Intimate Wedding Dinner at Villa Alta, Tuscany
Dinner at Villa Alta felt more like a family gathering than a traditional wedding reception, which made perfect sense for Daisy and Devin’s intimate celebration. With only their parents and siblings present, their wedding had that rare, relaxed atmosphere of a destination wedding mixed with the intimacy of an elopement.
Villa Alta served one beautiful course after another, all presented in an elegant dinner setting that felt just as special as the rest of the day. As the sun went down and the evening turned into night, the atmosphere changed, opening up a whole new range of creative possibilities for us.
We started working with our own lighting equipment and direct flash, while also making the most of the villa’s existing lights to capture the dinner and the moments unfolding around the table. We love this transition from natural evening light to the atmosphere of a fully lit night, especially at venues like Villa Alta, where the surroundings offer so much to work with. The result was a mix of intimate, documentary moments and more editorial frames, capturing the warmth of the evening without losing the character of the place.
By the end of the evening, we had photographed and filmed a day that felt entirely true to Daisy and Devin. Intimate, full of character, and surrounded by the people closest to them. It was the kind of wedding that reminds us why we love what we do: creating something beautiful without losing the real moments that make it meaningful. After saying goodbye to Daisy and Devin, we rushed to Pisa, hoping to make it to our favourite pizzeria before it closed. There was no better way to end such a lovely day than with a pizza topped with creamy mascarpone, burrata and prosciutto crudo. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that make a perfect ending to a long wedding day in Tuscany.
Fattoria di fubbiano, lucca, tuscany, Italy— Nish & Matteo
Curious about their destination wedding story?
Set in the heart of Tuscany, Italy, Nish & Matteo's celebration at Fattoria di Fubbiano was a timeless gathering shaped by golden light, cypress-lined hills, and the effortless romance of the Italian countryside. Every part of the day unfolded naturally, from quiet, emotional moments amidst frescoed halls to vibrant celebrations under the festoon lights, surrounded by the people they love most.