I’m starting this months blog with a Villa Podernovo wedding. I’m heading out to Italy in April to shoot on a workshop down in Puglia as I’m restarting my adventures in Italy and I can not wait! After having the twins and little Sid, I’ve had to step back from shooting too far away from the Cotswolds but fast forward a couple of quick years, school has become part of their lives, but the bonus is I’ve got the green light again and am so keen to embrace that dolce vita that I’ve missed.

I’ve photographed at Villa Podernovo a few times. All different set ups. Twice, the couple have got married at the local San Galgano Abbey, see here for Sam & Emily, but this was my first time with a ceremony at the venue. The villa itself features 5 apartments with a total of 9 fab bedrooms (many with en suite bathrooms) that can sleep around 18 adults. Each apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, a stunning living room with a fireplace, and comes with access to a beautiful outdoor terrace where you can soak up the Tuscan sun and enjoy an al fresco meal with friends and family. Theres plenty of space on the day to both get ready on site but also, there are local places to rent too. With the weddings in Italy being generally later on in the day it’s not a bad idea to have a different location in the morning, that way you can move freely without feeling penned in! Go for a swim or even into the local town, Monticiano for a walk and coffee or grappa, depending on the nerves.

Beth & Steve got married outside the front lawn with the most amazing smell of the jasmine growing beside them, warmed in the afternoon light. It was breezy but actually a welcome break to the heat. The day flowed, with confetti on the way around to swimming pool, where they held the Prosecco and canapé reception put on by the wonderful L’Aurora team. Back round to dinner and speeches in the sheltered front part of the villa and a limoncello reception and cake cutting outside again.

Really, if you’re looking for a relaxed but beautiful way to have your wedding, you can’t go wrong following these footsteps. Yes, it could probably feel like a mammoth initial task to organise a wedding in Italy (I mean, what wedding isn’t!) but the feel to the day is very different to a UK wedding. Having the time the day before and after just lets everyone step down a gear and fully immerse themselves in your day. A Villa Podernovo wedding allows you to personalise it too. With it being a private site, you have so many choices as to where you hold things, so you’re not restricted by where you have your dinner. Although you can take on all organising, I would always recommend seeking out a planner. Diane from the Villa is great or there are several that cover the area and can help with the supplier follow ups as they just know how they work as they can be on the it an miss side for replies.

If you’re planning to marry in Italy, Tuscany or of course, a Villa Podernovo wedding, I’d love to hear your plans. Taking out a UK photographer isn’t as complicated as it sounds and can help with feeling more relaxed during the day if you have someone you can form an easy bond with. If you need any more info, just shout.

Cannot recommend Naomi enough! She was so easy going, lovely & genuine to talk to. Made us feel completely at ease and got some incredible shots without feeling like we were constantly posing. She was also super efficient and on the ball – our group shots were done really quickly so we could go back to being with our friends and family. The photos were better than we imagined – lots of smiles and really captured the FUN!

Dress: Stella York || Boutique: Love Bridal London || Venue: Villa Podernovo || Caterer: L’Aurora Florist: Patrizia || Legalities: Italian Wedding Papers || String Quartet: Florence String Quartet || DJ: DanceParty || Very lovely Videographer: GingerBread Productions