Wedding photography in Italy
Services
Here you will find everything included in my wedding photography service: how long I stay with you, how many photographs you receive and when, how albums and travel work, and what is covered by the contract. These are usually the first questions couples ask me, so I think it is only fair that you have clear answers before you get in touch.
How long I stay with you
I usually arrive two hours before the ceremony.
I begin around two hours before the ceremony. This is when things happen that people later forget they experienced: the waiting, the small gestures that reveal the tension, the movement that accompanies the preparations. For daytime weddings I generally stay until around 8 pm, while for afternoon weddings I stay until midnight, for a maximum of twelve hours. If the day runs longer, additional hours can be added at a rate agreed in advance, with no surprises on the final invoice. I do not offer reduced packages covering only the ceremony or just a few hours. This is not a commercial decision. I work as a documentary wedding photographer, and a reportage made in two hours is not a reportage. It is a list of required moments. What really makes wedding photographs different is almost always found around the main events, not inside them. It takes time to get there.
If the wedding takes place over several days, I photograph those as well. In that case, we plan coverage around the schedule together, and price the additional day separately.
The weddings I photograph
The number of guests does not change the way I work
I am happy to photograph intimate weddings with only a few guests. The number of people makes no difference to me. What matters is the connection between them and what happens among the people who are there.
For the same reason, I do not photograph elopements without guests. Much of my work comes from what happens between you and the people you have chosen to share the day with. Without them, half of the story I normally tell would be missing, and I would not be the right photographer for you. I photograph the wedding day only.
I do not offer engagement sessions, anniversary photography, vow renewals or family sessions.
I prefer to do one thing and do it well.
How I work throughout the day
Natural light, flash only when needed
I use natural light for as long as possible, because it preserves the real atmosphere of the place and the time of day. When the conditions are no longer enough, especially during the evening reception, I use flash. It is not a stylistic rule to defend at all costs. It depends on what is needed at that moment. I use a drone when it adds something meaningful to the story and when the location, conditions and local regulations allow it. I do not include it automatically just to add another item to the quotation. I always work with two cameras, both with dual card slots, so every photograph is recorded on two separate cards at the same time. That same evening, I copy everything onto additional storage devices, creating three further backups. I also carry duplicate equipment, so if something stops working during the day I can continue without you even noticing. These precautions may not be particularly interesting to describe, but they are part of the professionalism required to manage work that cannot be repeated.
What you receive
Between 800 and 1,200 individually edited photographs
I usually deliver between 800 and 1,200 photographs, carefully selected and edited one by one. I do not provide RAW files because they are unfinished working material and do not represent the final story I have chosen to tell.
Some photographs are delivered in black and white because that is where they work best. Whenever possible, I also include a similar image in colour so you can keep the version you prefer.
Your photographs are delivered through a private online gallery that remains available for two months. Whenever possible, I also send you a small preview shortly after the wedding, without making you wait for the complete gallery.
You can add an album later. It is not a decision you need to make straight away. Albums are available in 27 by 20 cm and 32 by 24 cm formats, with photographic printing or fine art paper. You choose the photographs and I take care of the layout. Two rounds of revisions are included before printing. I also produce fine art prints.
How far I travel
Throughout Italy and abroad, with no fixed travel limit
I travel wherever your wedding takes me, throughout Italy and abroad, with no fixed radius. Travel and accommodation costs are calculated according to the destination and agreed before the contract is signed, so the quotation you receive is already complete.
For weddings outside Italy, I also check any travel and destination requirements in advance, so there are no unexpected issues on your wedding day.
How to book
Your date is reserved when the contract is signed
Your date is reserved once the contract is signed and a 25 per cent deposit has been paid. The remaining balance is divided into three equal payments, with the final payment due when the photographs are delivered.
If the wedding is moved to another date, the conditions stated in the contract apply and we will check my availability for the new date together.
I carry professional liability insurance, including cover for venues that require suppliers working on their premises to hold a specific policy. More and more villas request this, so you will not need to worry about it.
If I have never worked at your venue, I may arrange a visit before the wedding. For venues within approximately one hour of travel, the visit is included in the service.
When other professionals are involved
Photographers and videographers share the same moments
I am used to working alongside wedding planners and other professionals, and they do not need to be people I have worked with before. I do not provide video. If you need it, I can introduce you to videographers who regularly work with my studio or recommend other trusted professionals when appropriate.If you choose the videographer, a content creator or any other professional working during the day, there is one thing worth checking first: their way of being present at the wedding should be compatible with an unobtrusive approach. Photography, video and content all share the same moments and scenes. If one of these services needs to stop people, ask them to repeat gestures or construct what is happening, it inevitably affects everything else.
What matters to me is that the wedding remains a wedding, not a continuous production. This is why I work well with professionals who know how to be present without becoming the protagonists of the scene.
What I do not do
No checklist of photographs to recreate
I do not work from an endless checklist of photographs to recreate. You can tell me which people matter most, which relationships are important to you and which situations you do not want me to miss. What I will not do is follow a predetermined sequence of images, because that would mean spending the day chasing photographs that already exist instead of paying attention to what is happening in front of me. The best moments at a wedding are never on a list. Before the wedding, I will not ask you to prepare anything for the photographs. I need to know the schedule, who the important people are and anything else that can help me understand what is likely to happen.
Where I work
I live in the province of Varese, and many of the weddings I photograph take place within an hour of home: the province of Varese, Milan, Lake Maggiore, Monza and Brianza. These areas differ more than they may seem in terms of schedules, light and travel times, and I have explained what you need to know about each one. For everywhere else, I travel throughout Italy and abroad. Tell me where you are getting married and I will tell you what to expect.
If this feels like the right way to tell the story of your day
Tell me your date and location, and I will let you know straight away whether I am available. From there, we can talk through everything else calmly, with no obligation and no pressure.
The wedding comes before the photographs. Everything else follows from that.
