After a 10-year career in destination wedding photography in Tuscany, I can say to have shot every kind of event. I saw super-chic marriages rather than rustic celebrations or intimate and low-key elopements. Each had its own fil rouge, which made it unique to me. Like newlyweds, I also have my favorites, though. And among hundreds of events, I would re-shoot some of them from the beginning, even in the rain and in the heat. In the end, among the few that I’ve selected through the years, I also pick this celebration, which reflects in all and for all my values: family, friends, and love for the authentic pleasures of life.
I have gladly discovered that Texans and Italians are not so different in terms of life priorities. I witnessed a sober and relaxed event, where I’ve never seen ostentation, but only the desire of spouses and guests to spend a great time together, among chats, good food, and excellent wine. That healthy lifestyle that we often forget among the lots of tasks of contemporary life and that I had the chance to taste here again. In the end, the extraordinary elegance of this wedding is all here.
Beyond the celebration, this Borgo Finocchieto wedding was also the occasion to gather with friends and relatives who live in different states. Tuscany and the Val d’Orcia are the perfect destinations, thanks to their impressive locations set among legendary vineyards and cypress trees. Borgo Finocchieto is the best balance of Tuscan beauty and luxury accommodations. It provides a spa, a great pool, lots of pathways, rustic but perfectly furnished apartments, privacy, and sights that take your breath away. It’s an ancient village of houses that Franco and Pascale, the owners, renovated to its early glory. Although the days spent here have been unusually rainy, Borgo Finocchieto has always been amazingly hospitable.
The bride and groom got ready together with their families at Borgo Finocchieto; then, they exchanged rings and vows in the pretty little church of Castiglion del Bosco. Just a few wedding photos at Villa Sant’ Anna, and it was time to go back to Borgo Finocchieto, where the guests were already enjoying canapes and cocktails in the garden. Guest stars of the event, two fabulous vintage Bentleys and Avis, that I would never get tired of shooting among the white roads of the Val d’Orcia. And so the reception began.
Who knows if I’ll meet these lovely people somewhere else? It would be fantastic to toast with them, reminding their fabulous event.
