When I first learned that I was heading to Lake Como to document Angela and Gavins wedding weekend – I was over the moon. Lake Como has long been on my list of places I dreamed of photographing weddings in since first visiting Italy in 2017. For their wedding week, we had two pre wedding sessions planned before their wedding day on Sunday, September 25th. The first of those was pre wedding portraits in the town of Bellagio. Bellagio is known for being one of the most picturesque spots in the region of Lake Como, and I would have to agree. The couple had planned on doing the classic Lake Como boat ride but unfortunately on the day of, the marina canceled due to unsafe weather. I did not want their pre wedding portraits to be anything short of spectacular, so I started looking for alternatives and found and fell in love with Villa Melzi and Gardens. It is super simple to shoot inside the grounds of this water front villa. For US/international photographers, just apply for a permit online on their website and email the form in. They got back to me very fast, and your couple is able to pay the film fee onsite the day of the session. From a sprawling estate with a multitude of gardens, to a beautiful set up overlooking the lake, it was perfect.
It was a super windy day so we used that to our advantage to create dramatic imagery and I took a more editorial posing approach. I love using black and white imagery to create depth and feeling in my photographs, while also showcasing the regions vibrant colors as well.
After we finished shooting at Villa Melzi we headed into downtown Bellagio for portraits with the landscape and a few shots on the iconic steps leading down into the waterfront. These were some of my favorite photos of the entire day because they were so relaxed and happy to be with each other. This is why I love what I do and value my couples so much. Seeing them happy and so in love during their session is such a joy.
Stay tuned to see even more from my time in Italy celebrating the Harmons. If you are looking to plan your destination wedding for 2024 or 2025, I would be honored to play a part in your wedding celebrations. I offer custom wedding collections for my destination clients that include pre wedding portraits, rehearsal dinner coverage,10 hours of wedding day coverage and much more. This is perfect for showcasing your entire series of wedding celebrations! To learn more about my packages, please visit my inquiry page and fill out a form.