Some weddings are built for hundreds.
This one was built for two.
It began in Milan — in a hotel room with a window
that looks directly onto the Duomo. Marina getting
ready in that light, the cathedral rising behind her,
the city below completely unaware.
We walked to the Duomo together. Then the cars came,
and we drove north toward the lake.
Lake Como in the morning has a particular quality —
the water holds the light differently than anywhere
else, and the villas along the shore feel like they
exist outside of ordinary time. We boarded a small
boat and crossed to Villa Balbianello, one of the
most extraordinary places in Italy. Stone terraces
above the water. Gardens that have been tended for
centuries. Silence, except for the lake.
The ceremony was intimate — just the two of them,
a celebrant named Lyubomir, and the villa as witness.
Marina and Cameron had chosen each other with full
knowledge of what that means — and the photographs
show exactly that. Nothing performed. Everything real.
After the ceremony we walked the grounds of the villa,
finding light in the gardens, on the terraces, at the
water's edge. And then it was done. Quietly, perfectly.
The most moving weddings I've photographed are rarely
the largest ones.
As a destination wedding photographer based in Paris,
I travel across Italy — Milan, Lake Como, Amalfi,
Tuscany — for couples who want something intimate,
intentional, and unforgettable.
VENUE · Villa Balbianello, Lake Como LOCATION · Lake Como, Italy SESSION · Intimate Elopement PHOTOGRAPHY · Kolesnik Nikolay
