bride and groom pictures at a san galgano abbey wedding
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San Galgano

Relaxed photography at a Tuscan Wedding…

(This is a rambly one! Have a prosecco or Peroni in hand and get comfy before you start reading..!)

Where on earth do I start with this one. Emily and Sam contacted me back in June last year, just seeing if I would be interested in shooting their day in Italy…OMG…YES YES YES (obviously playing it cool on email but my excitementometer was through the roof!). I’d photographed Emily before as a bridesmaid at her best friend, Rachel and Chris’ wedding, at the stunning Elmore Court in the Cotswolds the year prior. Not being a couple massively keen on the limelight, they just wanted someone who could blend in with their day and their guests and although it’s nice to reassure a couple that you will be like that, it’s great when they’ve seen it first hand and book you because they like what you do 🙂

They’d set to marry at the jaw droppingly beautiful, San Galgano Abbey with the reception being held (and morning prep) at the gorgeous Tuscan Villa, Villa Podernovo in Monticiano. I can’t even begin to explain to you how incredibly excited I was to be booked for this one. Italy has played a big part of my upbringing and my family life. My wonderful pops, dropped everything, left his business (and two small children!) in 1980 after the awful Irpinia Earthquake to just go down to South Italy and help. He aided in the relief work there and came back on Christmas Eve that year. We’ve been back to the village ever since and Italy, well it just feels like a second home. I’d hadn’t thought much about shooting weddings in Italy until I did an amazing workshop called the Secret Retreat (any female photographers, this is one of the best workshops I’ve been on)  down in Castellebate last year and it just felt like I’d stuck gold in life goals!! Shooting weddings, which I love so so much, in a country so close to my heart. Wowzers, it doesn’t get better for me. Ha, sorry! I seem to have digressed to talking about me (me, me, me)  but it’s lovely to share a bit of what makes me…well, me! (hmm, google may not like my overuse of that word).

Back to the wonderful two. With them living in York, we didn’t get chance to meet up before hand so when we skyped, I was really interested to find out which one of the bridesmaids it was! (they were all gorgeous, so I always knew I was in for a treat). They talked about their plans and how much they couldn’t wait to just spend their time with their wedding party and ultimately I felt a lot of love from them towards the people that were going to be there. I think sometimes it’s a difficult choice to marry abroad. You know how it is, everyone’s busy with work and life, are people going to be able to make it? can they take time off work, kids, etc etc, but when it works, like this one did, the benefits are just insurmountable. We’ve all found it when you go to a beautiful wedding, especially when you’ve got lots of friends there but the day just zips by and wanting to cram everything in to such a short window, you leave without really having caught up with anyone! But to take a trip and just get to hang out together, in such amazing surroundings, well they’re memories banked, experiences lived and it’s those little pockets of opportunity that, for me, just can’t be beaten in life.

OK, I’ve wandered off again. Emily got ready at Villa Podernovo and Sam, a villa down the road with his Dad and Nan. They’d hired THE coolest, vintage Alfa Romeo, that Emily’s Dad would drive to the Abbey and Sam would drive back. (It did come with a burly and slick Italian, who watched every gear change. He clearly LOVED that car!). Emily’s dress, a Justin Alexander, was a gorgeous off the shoulder, with a lovely bit of subtle bling that was incredible in the Italian sun, that she got from Belles and Beaus in York, and Sam wore a very cool Italian style suit from Gresham Blake in Brighton.

They’d hired the Abbey for an hour, so it was closed to the public, which meant they had full use of it for the wedding and a little after. Although you can get married in the main heart of the Abbey, because they wanted a more intimate feel, they married in one of the cloisters to one side. I guess it helped keep them cool too, with the Abbey having no roof, there would have been no hiding in that hot sun. Luckily though, we’d manage to squeeze in 10 minutes after the ceremony to take some shots in the main bit. As a photographer, it was like Christmas! So many possible shots, so many pockets of light. OMG, which to choose first! We met the rest of the party outside the Abbey for a quick Moretti before heading back to the Villa to really get celebrations started.

Being an Italian wedding, there was a big emphasis on food and there was lots of it! Starting with a food station that I could have face planted in, to a 4 course meal after. Villa Podernovo, has great space for all elements of the day without being shuffled around to set up from bit to bit and when the festoon lights come on at night, it looks fabulous.

I have to say one of my highlights was working with the incredibly talented videographers Mrs Mashup, Aymie and Ben. Bizarrely, we were working together at a Cripps Barn Wedding a month prior and chatting over our dins discovered we were both heading out to the same Tuscan wedding! I totally recommend them if you’re looking for a videographer, they’re super cool and so lovely to be around.

I feel I may have rambled on quite a lot here, so let’s get to the bleeding images hey! Thank you so much for your time in reading this blog and stopping by, please do leave any comments below, I’d love to know what you think.

An enormous Baci goes to Emily, Sam and their fabulous friends and family for having me with you and for making me feel so incredibly welcome. It’s a wedding that I’ll hold dear for the rest of my life for a million reasons and to be given the opportunity to shoot their day, well, it blows my mind. Naomi xxx

(Oooh, and the beautiful bambina is Rachel and Chris’s, Immy. to a star)

‘You were amazing – we are so lucky that you agreed to come to Italy to capture our day for us!’

bride in black and white in justin alexander dress at a san galgano abbey wedding
villa podernovo wedding vintage alfa romeo outside
justin alexander dress with lace and sequin back hanging up at a tuscan wedding
rustic italian doors with justin alexander dress hanging up
kids at a a villa podernovo wedding
bride at a tuscan wedding
shoes and justine alexander dress at a tuscan wedding
villa podernovo wedding
brides long lashes at a tuscan wedding
girls getting ready at a villa podernovo wedding
lavender at villa podernovo
flower girl dress hanging up at a villa podernovo wedding
floral bridesmaids dresses hanging up at villa podernovo
relaxed morning at a tuscan wedding
creative photography at a tuscan wedding
groom getting ready at a tuscan wedding
tuscan wedding and a vintage alfa romeo
wheat at a tuscan wedding
bridesmaid getting ready at a villa podernovo wedding
flower girl getting ready at a villa podernovo wedding
inside of a vintage alfa romeo at a a villa podernovo wedding
bride in the lavender at a villa podernovo wedding
justin alexander dress with lace and sequin back a villa podernovo wedding
flower girl at a villa podernovo wedding
nervous bride at a villa podernovo wedding
gold and diamond engagement ring at a villa podernovo wedding
shoes at a villa podernovo wedding
black and white of bride getting ready at a villa podernovo wedding
father of the bride seeing daughter at a villa podernovo wedding
FOB and bride at a villa podernovo wedding
bridesmaids seeing bride for first time at a villa podernovo wedding
san galgano abbey
san galgano abbey
tuscan wedding with brides chair and fan
cloisters wedding in tuscany
syting quartet at a san galgano abbey wedding
bride arriving at a san galgano abbey wedding
father walking bride down aisle at a san galgano abbey wedding
groom seeing bride for first time at a san galgano abbey wedding
marriage in the cloisters at a san galgano abbey wedding
wedding in the cloisters at a san galgano abbey wedding
reading at a san galgano abbey wedding in the cloisters
wedding in the cloisters san galgano abbey wedding
flower girl playing at a san galgano abbey wedding
reading at a san galgano abbey wedding
bride wiping a tear at a san galgano abbey wedding
bridesmaid fanning at a san galgano abbey wedding
groom looking with love to his wife at a san galgano abbey wedding
marriage at a san galgano abbey wedding
getting married at a san galgano abbey wedding
first kiss at a san galgano abbey wedding
that just geot married feeling at a san galgano abbey wedding
groom laughing at a san galgano abbey wedding
marriage at a san galgano abbey wedding
groom signing papers at a san galgano abbey wedding
bride getting a gift at a san galgano abbey wedding
bridesmaid wiping a tear away at a san galgano abbey wedding
guests after a san galgano abbey wedding
couple in an empty san galgano abbey wedding
cool ladies at a san galgano abbey wedding
FOB and groom at a san galgano abbey wedding
bride and groom in an empty san galgano abbey wedding
bride and groom walking together at a san galgano abbey wedding
creative photography at a san galgano abbey wedding
bride laughing at a san galgano abbey wedding
blak and white of bride in justin alexander dress at a san galgano abbey wedding
tuscan couple shoot
groom at a san galgano abbey wedding
bride with veil caught in wind at a san galgano abbey wedding
bride and groom pictures at a san galgano abbey wedding
bride at a san galgano abbey wedding
bride and groom walking back to guests outside a san galgano abbey wedding
confetti lined up at a san galgano abbey wedding
birra amoretti served outside a san galgano abbey wedding
guy holding the bouquet at san galgano abbey
bride chatting to guests at san galgano abbey
confetti shot at san galgano abbey
bridesmaids at san galgano abbey
bridesmaids at san galgano abbey
bridesmaids at san galgano abbey
tuscan tall trees at san galgano abbey
dirt track leading up to a villa podernovo wedding
groom driving vintage alfa romeo at a villa podernovo wedding
bride and groom just arriving in a vintage alfa romeo at a villa podernovo wedding
bride laughing at groom at a villa podernovo wedding
mozeralla and tomatoes at a avilla podernovo wedding
funny table lay out at a villa podernovo wedding
salmon canapés at a villa podernovo wedding
funny name cards at a villa podernovo wedding
canapés at a avilla podernovo wedding
bread and rosemary at a villa podernovo wedding
string quartet playing at a villa podernovo wedding
menu at a villa podernovo wedding
wedding boys at a villa podernovo wedding
wedding bouquet of roses at a villa podernovo wedding
table lay out at a villa podernovo wedding
bridal party at a villa podernovo wedding
villa podernovo and wedding guests
bridal party together at a villa podernovo wedding
bride and groom together at a villa podernovo wedding
bride and groom walking in at a tuscan wedding
guests at dinner at a villa podernovo wedding
flower girl at a villa podernovo wedding
tuscan couple shoot at a villa podernovo wedding
nan at a villa podernovo wedding
silhouette of bride and groom at a villa podernovo wedding
bride and flower girl at a villa podernovo wedding
bride squeezing grooms hand too much at a villa podernovo wedding
couple shoot in italy at a villa podernovo wedding
black and white picture of a couple at a villa podernovo wedding
baby on the dance floor at a villa podernovo wedding
bride and groom first dance at av villa podernovo wedding
band playing
festoon lights at a tuscan wedding
bite size tiramisu at a tuscan wedding
relaxed wedding photography at a tuscan wedding
kids on the dance floor at a tuscan wedding
couple on the dance floor with festoon lights
couple kissing at a a villa podernovo wedding night time
conga at a villa podernovo wedding
pink flamingo dancing at a villa podernovo wedding
bride and groom in a pink flamingo at a villa podernovo wedding
pink flamingo dancing at a villa podernovo wedding
dancing at a villa podernovo wedding
candles on tuscan stairs