A ROMANTIC WEDDING MORNING AT VILLA DI GEGGIANO, TUSCANY
BEFORE THE WEDDING BEGINS
There is something particularly beautiful about the morning of a wedding.
Before the ceremony, before the guests arrive, before everything begins to move a little faster — there is still time.
For this editorial at Villa di Geggiano in Tuscany, we wanted to explore that quieter part of the day through both the morning of the bride and the morning of the groom.
But rather than keeping them completely separate until they were ready, we imagined a moment in between.
Not quite dressed for the wedding yet. No ceremony to rush towards. Just the two of them, together, wandering through the rooms of the villa.
Intimate, romantic, a little undone, and completely unhurried.
HI, I'M ORIANE.
French wedding photographer, documenting celebrations throughout France and beyond with a documentary approach and en editorial eye
a different way to photograph the getting ready
Getting ready photographs don't necessarily have to be about documenting every step of putting on a wedding dress or fastening a bow tie. They can also be an opportunity to create space.
A few quiet portraits. A moment together before everyone else enters the story. Photographs that feel softer and more intimate than the rest of the wedding day.
For this series, both of them were still wearing their morning looks : simple, relaxed and slightly undone ; which gave the photographs an almost boudoir feeling, without ever becoming overly styled or overtly sensual.
The intimacy came simply from their connection. A hand resting on a shoulder. Bare feet. Morning light entering the rooms. The feeling of having nowhere else to be for a little while.
VILLA DI geggiano, a historic wedding venue in Tuscany
And then, of course, there was the setting.
Located just outside Siena, overlooking the hills of Chianti Classico, Villa di Geggiano feels almost suspended in time.
Originally built as a farmhouse in the 14th century, the property has been home to the same family since 1527 and was transformed into the villa we know today during the 18th century. Many of its historic interiors have been remarkably preserved, including original furnishings, antique French wallpapers, fabrics and frescoes.
Photographing inside these rooms is quite extraordinary.
Nothing needs to be added.
The textures, faded colours, paintings and changing light already create an atmosphere of their own ; the kind of backdrop that makes even the simplest moment feel cinematic.
THE BEAUTY OF STAYING TOGETHER
Traditionally, the morning of a wedding often means two separate stories unfolding in different rooms.
And sometimes, that's exactly what feels right.
But there is something equally beautiful about choosing to spend part of that morning together.
It doesn't have to replace the excitement of getting dressed or the emotion of a first look. It can simply be another chapter before all of that begins.
Twenty quiet minutes together.
A coffee. A walk through the villa. A few photographs. A moment to remember what the day is actually about before being surrounded by everyone you love.
Not every wedding tradition has to be followed in exactly the same way.
GETTING MARRIED IN TUSCANY
Beyond its extraordinary interiors, Villa di Geggiano offers an incredible setting for a destination wedding in Tuscany.
The estate sits among vineyards in the Chianti Classico region, only a few kilometres from Siena. Outside, the historic villa opens onto an Italian garden designed in the 18th century, with cypress trees, lemon trees, statues and the Teatro di Verzura, an intimate open-air theatre framed by tall laurel hedges.
The property can be privately rented and currently welcomes weddings and private celebrations, with the possibility of hosting lunches and dinners both within its historic rooms and throughout the gardens.
It is precisely this combination that makes the venue so inspiring photographically : intimate historic interiors in the morning, Tuscan light outside, gardens for a ceremony or cocktail, and the surrounding landscape of Chianti as the backdrop to the entire celebration.
A destination wedding in the chianti countryside
For couples travelling to Italy from abroad, Villa di Geggiano offers something particularly special : the feeling of experiencing Tuscany rather than simply getting married there.
Siena is only a few kilometres away, while the villa sits within the landscape of Chianti Classico, a region shaped by vineyards, olive groves, food and wine.
Wine is also part of Geggiano's own history. The family has documented winemaking activity here since 1725, and the estate continues to produce organic Chianti Classico wines from its own vineyards today.
For a destination wedding, that creates the possibility of an entire Italian weekend rather than a single celebration : a welcome dinner, time in Siena, wine and long tables in the garden, the wedding itself and a slow morning the following day.
The kind of celebration where the destination becomes part of the memory.
documentary photography with an editorial eye
This editorial also represents something I love about wedding photography : documentary and editorial images don't have to exist separately.
I love observing what naturally unfolds, but I also love creating space for beautiful portraits when the moment allows for it.
Sometimes that means five minutes in beautiful light. Sometimes it's walking through the streets together. And sometimes it's slowing down the morning and making photographs before you're even fully dressed.
The intention is never to turn a wedding into a photoshoot.
It's simply to make something beautiful out of the time that is already yours.
IF YOU LOVE VILLA DI GEGGIANO, a few more wedding venues to discover in italy
If you're drawn to Villa di Geggiano for its history, romantic interiors and timeless Tuscan atmosphere, here are a few other places worth discovering for a destination wedding in Tuscany.
Castello di Celsa — Siena
A historic private residence surrounded by the Sienese countryside, with an Italian garden, a Renaissance chapel and beautiful views towards Siena. I particularly love the way its architecture and gardens feel elegant without losing that unmistakable old-world Tuscan atmosphere.
Villa Cetinale — near Siena
A remarkable 17th-century villa surrounded by formal gardens and the wild landscape of its historic park. Romantic, intimate and wonderfully cinematic, particularly for couples drawn to classical Italian architecture and celebrations surrounded by nature.
Castello di Vicarello — Maremma
A beautifully restored medieval castle surrounded by vineyards and olive groves in the Tuscan countryside. An especially beautiful choice for an intimate destination wedding centred around food, wine and a slower experience of Tuscany.
Castiglion del Bosco, A Rosewood Hotel — Val d'Orcia
An extraordinary estate in the Val d'Orcia, with vineyards, private villas, a medieval church and castle ruins overlooking the Tuscan landscape. A beautiful setting for couples imagining an entire destination wedding weekend rather than a single celebration.
From historic villas near Siena to secluded estates surrounded by vineyards, each of these places offers a different way to experience a destination wedding in Tuscany.
PLANNING YOUR WEDDING IN TUSCANY ?
If you're planning a destination wedding at Villa di Geggiano, in Tuscany or elsewhere in Italy, I'd love to hear what you're imagining.
Based in France and available throughout Italy and worldwide,
I photograph celebrations with a documentary approach and an editorial eye ; preserving not only how everything looked, but how it felt.
Share this story
