TUSCANY ELOPEMENT

When I got an email from Petra, I have to admit, my heart started to beat a little faster. They contacted me at the end of August, inquiring for me to shoot their elopement in Tuscany in early October. Location was going to be a beautiful, rustic Hotel just a few kilometres outside from Florence, in a picturesque little town called San Casciano. They told me the two options for their wedding day – either they were going to have a massive event to invite everyone they knew or they were going to elope, just the two of them. Since combining both of their families and friend circles would have reached a massive number, they stripped it down to the essentials- the two of them and the celebration of their love.

It took no more than a few minutes for us to click during our first meeting via Zoom. You know that feeling like you’ve already met someone without actually knowing them? That’s exactly what it felt like and chemistry is so so important to have between a couple and their photographer. These are intimate feelings and moments you’re going to have captured, you’re going to want to have fun and be comfortable around your photographer!

So, I drove down there the day before, checked into the cutest B&B just outside of the town of San Casciano, had something to eat in a little restaurant and went to sleep content, knowing the day after was going to be wonderful. Having breakfast, the next day was quite an experience – this B&B used to be a compound with a church, so the former church hall was converted into the dining hall. I spent the morning enjoying this quiet and windy October day, finally getting some reading in and being able to hear myself think after this long and strenuous season of weddings. I left to meet Petra & Radim in the early afternoon, they were just coming back from their civil ceremony in the Town Hall and, let me tell you, the were radiating with joy. Meeting them in person was even lovelier than I had imagined, it felt like I was taking an afternoon stroll with friends of mine. We walked through the grounds of their hotel, chatted, laughed and most importantly, they got to enjoy their first hours as a married couple to the fullest.

One of the many perks of an elopement – no one else to focus on but each other. Their wedding turned out to be exactly what they were planning for it to be like, relaxed, elegant and intimate. I was lucky enough to be a part of that experience, with being my last wedding of the season 2021. Shooting in Tuscany has been on my manifestation list for some time now, it actually becoming reality was so unbelievable to me. The one and only ending to an amazing season, after last year’s season was unfortunately cut short. I really hope I get to meet them again at some point, definitely going to take them up on their invite to visit them in the Czech Republic!

TEAM

photography: @lisavongrebmer.photography

dress: @sandra_svedova

hmua: @liza_makeup_firenze