As a photographer, photographing a destination anything is a dream. And with this dream comes a ton of emotions that follow.  I was approached by my friend, Amanda Perna to shoot her destination wedding. Throughout the many months of her planning she changed her destination and venues several times.

I followed her journey and than realized she may not find what she wanted. After several months, she finally made the realization that she wanted to get married at the Four Seasons Firenze, in Florence, Italy. What a dream, right?! The land of gardens, Monet, and good cheese and wine (Although, I’m not  a wine connoisseur I can appreciate a beautiful vineyard 😉 )

I couldn’t imagine the degree of wedding that this sort of venue would give. We had so many beautiful things that could be presented to us in Florence, Italy. Not only is the architecture extremely gorgeous and beautiful, and bright. But, the actual Four Seasons Firenze, in Florence, Italy, was such a magnificent venue all on it’s own. The chandelier, the cobblestone, the vivid colors, it was all a dream that had just become reality.

I had only documented weddings that were domestic, and having the opportunity to shoot a wedding over sea’s was not only exciting but daunting at the same time. I usually photograph with my husband, but at this point in time, it was only going to be me taking this trip. I put on my big girl pants, and started to plan not only my execution but my travel needs to photograph this wedding correctly. I was lucky enough to view the venue prior to the actual event, and I could have not been more pleased with the magnitude of the Four Seasons Firenze.  What made the venue that much more special is that we walked to it, from our hotel, and it was almost like a secret place. It literally snuck up on me.  We weaved through side streets and finally reached an alley that shared the garden entrance and the main entrance to this beautiful place.

Amanda’s wedding was not only a destination wedding,  but it was also a true family reunion of sorts. They had chosen 50 of their closes family friends, and immediate family to share on this experience.  When my trip was booked by the bride, she also took in account on how she wanted me to stay and become familiar and comfortable with the guest of the wedding.  This was such a huge deal… Not only did I loose the stress of being alone in a foreign country, but I was able to really photograph her family and friends naturally. At the time of the wedding, they were extremely comfortable with me. I got to be a small fly on the wall when needed, but also a welcomed friend.

I photographed the laughs, the dining, the tours, and the heart of the trip.

It was such an honor to be so welcomed into this inner circle. I felt so blessed for wonderful company, and also for new friends and family that I got be adopted into.

I can only hope that I get to photograph more of these types of weddings. Yes, the experience of being able to photograph something so beautiful and intimate was unreal. But also the ability to have someone trust me alone to photograph not only their wedding, but the moments that they don’t usually have with family and friends.

With this said, capturing the essence of this special place was one of my most proud moments in my photography career.  I am forever grateful to Amanda and Solomon Strul for taking a chance on me, and trusting me to photograph their special wedding in Florence but also inviting me to be more than just a photographer.