Kaitlyn & James
A Wedding at Villa Cariola, Lake Garda: Kaitlyn & James's Two-Day Celebration
High above the eastern shore of Lake Garda, surrounded by olive trees and old stone walls, Villa Cariola is one of those places where you arrive, take a breath, and immediately understand why couples cross an ocean to celebrate here. Kaitlyn and James came all the way from America, and for two days in May, the villa belonged to them and the people they love most.
The Warmest People in the Room
Every wedding leaves you with something. With Kaitlyn and James, it was quite simply the people. I have rarely met a couple so genuinely warm, so kind to everyone around them, and their guests were exactly the same. From the first evening on, there was no ice to break. Families folded into each other, strangers became friends, and by the end of the weekend it felt like everyone had known each other for years. That warmth is in every single photograph.
Two Days at the Villa
The celebration began the evening before the wedding, with a relaxed rehearsal dinner on the terrace of the sale feste. A pizza buffet, cold drinks, and speeches from both fathers that set the tone for everything to come: heartfelt, funny, and full of love.
The wedding day itself started slowly, with a long, easy morning of breakfast and getting ready. In the early afternoon, Kaitlyn and James stepped away from everyone for their private vows, just the two of them, followed by a first look with the brothers and dads, one of those small moments that hits harder than you expect. The ceremony took place in the late afternoon light.
While the guests enjoyed the cocktail hour on the terrace, we took the couple, the bridal party, and the families out for portraits. Dinner was served in front of the villa, with the best man and maid of honor raising their glasses between courses. Then the first dance opened the floor, followed by the father-daughter and mother-son dances, the cutting of the cake, and fireworks over the lake. The party carried everyone deep into the night, long past midnight.
Captured on Digital and Super 8
We photographed the two days on digital and analog film, alongside Super 8 footage. Digital carries the story from the first pizza to the last dance, while film and Super 8 catch the texture of it all: the grain, the light, the small in-between moments. For a weekend this warm, the softness of film simply felt right.
Looking through the final images now, it's the kindness between these people that comes through in every frame.
