This Glamorous Bridal Shoot Took Place in a Medieval Tuscan Fortress

Bride facing away into the sunset

When Eleonora Mancini, Il Fiore Di Eleonora Mancini floral designer, and Lucia Saltalamacchi, wedding planner, created the mood board for this photoshoot, they wanted to create something special. They felt that a traditional bridal photoshoot was not enough to show the beauty of Sorano, also called the Tuscan Matera because it is entirely built on tuff rock, and Pitigliano. That's why Lucia and Eleonora decided to add a pre-wedding "girls only" photoshoot with photography by Babajaga Freelance Photographers. Keep reading to hear more about how this incredible shoot at Hotel Della Fortezza Orsini came to life with filming by Mario Albanese Pereira Films, dresses by Millia London and Esperia Spose Civitavecchia, and impeccable hair and makeup by Oh My Blush! Make up & Glam.

Aerial view of invitation, headpiece, shoes, and wedding bands with vintage photographs

Aerial view of headpiece Aerial view of shoes, wedding ring, hairpiece, and invitations

Sparkly wedding shoes and bridal bouquets

Bride in robe looking at wedding dresses

Bride pouring champagne with two bridesmaids

Aerial view of floral bridal shoes Bride in ruffled wedding dress putting on blue bridal shoes

Portrait of three brides in pink, blue-gray, and orange ruffled wedding dresses holding bouquets

Millia London dress designer sent their amazing soft tulle ruffle gowns and La Scarpetta Di Venere gave the brides their gorgeous handmade shoes. Fili Di Poesia provided handmade hair accessories, also used on the stationary photos and the cake topper. On the first day Dan Rebdev from Babajaga Freelance Photographers Studio and Videographer Mario Albanese Pereira took amazing photos and video of our models, Maya, Giara, and Stephanie, in the most charming corners of Sorano. They played with the ancient grinstones for olive oil for a posed photo and strolled with them about the streets of the villlage, before going to Pitigliano. There, the beautiful Palazzo Orsini, a castle that dates back to the XI century, built in the center of Pitigliano, hosted the shoot in its frescoed rooms. Eleonora Mancini created gorgeous floral compositions to bring back the ancient pomp of the building and the sweet models played the role of noble ladies in a glamorous, yet modern way. Thanks to the beautiful sunset light and the magic shades that it casted on the ancient walls of the fortress, the photographer could take some amazing portraits of the models before closing the first day of shooting.

Groom walking down stairs

View over rooftops View of side street made of stone

View over rooftops into mountains

Groom looking at bride with veil

Portrait of bride through veil

Sorano by night looks like an enchanted place, and at dawn it is no less beautiful. On the second day, the shoot started with a more conventional getting-ready setting in one of the suites of Hotel Della Fortezza Orsini. This venue is one of the few original medieval fortresses in the world where you can actually stay and celebrate your wedding. Model Giara wore a Vera Wang bridal gown provided, together with the shoes, by Esperia Spose Civitavecchia, which provided also the suit and shoes for our groom, Andrea. Khrystsina with Satika Art created the digital stationary that we printed in an Italian typography. Many couples ask a graphic designer to create their stationary and then print it on their own. It is actually not as easy as you might think since the size of each piece is not a standard size. You will need custom envelopes as well, and choosing the right paper for each piece is no less easy.

Ceremony set-up with floral altar and ornate chairs

Groom standing at floral ceremony altar

Groom, bride, and two bridesmaids at ceremony altar

Reception table with draping florals and ornate chairs

Tablescape with vintage glasses and colorful centerpieces

Reception centerpiece with pink flowers White wedding cake with handmade floral design

Tablescape with crystal glasses, a candle, and centerpieces

Toscana Service provided all the necessities for the table: Lucia Saltalamacchia designed the mise en place, and Eleonora Mancini created the flower compositions for the table, as well as the ceremony arch and the exotic floral bridal bouquet. A simple and elegant white cake was designed by Antica Pasticceria Ferrini. But don’t be fooled by the appearance: a great cake designer can offer so many options for a mouth-watering cake even if the exterior is simple and plain. For this cake in particular, it was decorated with an original handmade cake topper by Fili Di Poesia .

Bridal portrait in pink ruffled wedding dress

Bridal portrait in blue-gray ruffled wedding dress Aerial bridal portrait in orange ruffled wedding dress

Portrait of three brides surrounded by florals and mosaics

Bride in orange ruffled dress walking across a stone bridge

Bride in orange ruffled dress surrounded by florals in front of blue wall

The planners' MVP's (Most Valuable Pieces... of advice!):

1) If you dream a wedding under the Tuscan sun, always remember that our sun is pretty hot and a ceremony at 2:00 p.m. in a field without any shade can be really a uncomfortable mistake.

2) On the other hand, even during our sunny and hot summer there still can be a few rainy days - don’t forget to have a plan B for the ceremony and reception.

3) If you are planning a destination wedding, a local wedding planner can literally save your day by choosing the right professionals for you in order to respect your budget. If you have a “man in the field” (a.k.a. a local wedding planner), you can enrich your wedding with many little details created by Italian artisans without wasting money. Many couples choose olive oil little bottles as favors or handmade little pieces of art created by the wise hands of our local artisans. A local wedding planner will know local and traditional products and exactly where to buy them at the right price.

Night scape view over Sorano