Bride Attended 100’s of Weddings Before Eloping in Italy, HER TOP 3:
As a wedding photographer herself… she’s seen every trending bridesmaid dress colour, wedding invitation or non-traditional idea come and go. We had a loooooong phone call a year and a half before the wedding. The vision and ideas she shared are EXACTLY as they came out. I knew this wedding really was going to be something special. And it was. SO SPECIAL in fact it had me (for the first time ever) regretting I hadn't done my own wedding like theirs.
At first, her 3 non-negotiables were a shock to me…
and I guarantee they’re not what you think ↓
Their gorgeous ceremony in the private courtyard of Villa Valgiano, located just outside of Lucca, Italy in the Tuscan hills.
After being in the wedding industry for years and being a bride who’s seen HUNDREDS of weddings, you best believe she knew exactly what she wanted (and didn’t want) for her own.
Her 3 non-negotiables for the PERFECT wedding day were…
#3: Ditch Tradition
I KNOW… wild, but if I could have a moment of your time to explain…
No excruciating maid-of-honour, best man, etc, etc, etc selection process… they prioritized what meant most.
1. No Bridal Party: Their family + closest friends were all invited to an intimate ceremony at the private villa they rented for the week. Everyone there was equally a part of the wedding.
2. No Speeches, Only Toasts: This left dinner feeling less formal and gave everyone an opportunity to share if they wished to.
3. Getting Ready Together: Ugh. So sweet. Less nerves. More time together. Wins all around. The bride and groom spent time together throughout the morning, with a special first look at the wedding dress in their wing of the Villa.
Take a peek at how gorgeous the inside of Villa Valgiano is. ↓
OK, but this next one’s the real kicker…
#2: Get married before you go.
How do you legally get married in Italy?
This was the best decision they made leading up to the wedding. Instead of dealing with the legalities and paperwork in a foreign country (talk about STRESSFUL when you’re supposed to be on vacation), they chose a
civil ceremony back in our hometown (Edmonton, Alberta) before they went on the trip.
Imagine having to run around Italy to find a registry office DURING your trip, language barriers, and the nerves that go along… no thanks.
Okay, no, I can confirm… they were still nervous. Because we had the opportunity to capture BOTH their civil ceremony one year before their wedding day in Italy.
quick intro: I'm daria... half of the destination wedding photographer + videographer. it's my job to make sure everyyyyy moment is never get forgotten. 
We saved the best for last… keep scrolling for the #1 thing she COULDN’T have her wedding without…
after a quick ceremony + dinner break. ↓
#1: A Local Photographer and Videographer TEAM
(her words not ours… we promise we didn't pay her to say that LOL).
Us + the bride and groom exploring Venice. It’s not this easy to get along with random videographers, I like this one best. :) We share cars and hotel rooms too so we save our couples $.
Ben and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary in Italy (with these guys)! Not every wedding we shoot is such an exciting celebration on our end… but, every one is like a long double date.
+ We sat down for dinner. And talked about OUR wedding day. What was supposed to be one of the most memorable days of our lives. And collectively remembered only what we’ve seen in our photo album. And lobster mac and cheese. People still talk about it.
Our biggest regret, and the most frequent I hear from other brides, was not having a wedding video. Photos are one thing. But, 10 years from now… re-living every moment of this highlight video will mean considerably more to us (and it’s not even our wedding)!
The way you look at eachother.
The way you giggle.
The forehead kisses omg.
Her laugh.
His smile.
The magic of starring in your OWN movie. ↓
OK, I LOVE the video but where are the rest of the photos?!
We’re not gonna leave ya hanging. These are without-a-doubt some of my favourite photos I’ve EVER taken.
*in CRTV voice: but wait, there’s always more.
Only cool people scroll to the bottom for the super secret surprise ↓
* drum roll please *
the super secret surprise is…
The ceremony in Lucca at Villa Valgiano was only our first stop of a wild 14 day Italian extravaganza across the country. We took a train up to Venice and the Dolomites with the bride and groom afterwards for some truly once-in-a-lifetime moments.
We’ll be posting MANY MORE BLOGS with all the photo goods on dxbcreative.co, but in the meantime, here’s a sneak peak:
Tiny church in Passo Gardena, Dolomites, Italy.
until next time…
Hey, we’re Ben + Daria.
Edmonton’s (probably planet earth’s tbh) MOST FUN photo + video duo.
And - your next photographer and videographer. We can’t wait to meet you guys. Where are we headed?
