Check out Jeff and Lauren’s romantic Palazzo Avino Amalfi Coast Wedding.
I was planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast to photograph an elopement editorial when one of my local contacts, Zoe, a bridal makeup artist, heard from one of her brides, that their photographer had fallen through. Knowing I would be there on the Amalfi Coast for their wedding day and possibly available, she recommended Jeff and Lauren get in touch.
Luckily for me their wedding date slotted in perfectly with my travel plans and I got them booked into my system as they were on their way to the airport. I could tell they were anxious to book before they departed and thought they would relax more knowing they had signed contracts, so I sent them my online quote, contract and questionnaire straight away for them to process. Which they did. We all relaxed!
With the temperatures expected to be in late 20’s I only needed to pack something light and comfortable to shoot their wedding in. I had never been to Palazzo Avino before but I knew it was a popular wedding location in Ravello and somewhere I was keen to visit.
On the day I arrived in Ravello by taxi at midday. I wanted time to explore the town and capture the local area before going to Palazzo Avino. Jeff and Lauren were expected there around 5.30pm, so I made sure to find their hotel first and explore its surroundings.
I first went to Piazza Duomo for a bite to eat, it was a very hot day and many were seeking shelter. There was an unhurried vibe to the place that felt different from the other places I had visited. It was tranquil and serene, no rushing permitted. I ordered a pizza and a coffee from the waiter in my stilted Italian, learned from a two hour audio book on the flight over from Gatwick – its been a busy wedding season.
I edited my Capri images from the day before and drank another delicious cappuccino – yet to find bad coffee in Italy, but intent on trying as many as possible.
I wandered the streets in the direction of Villa Cimbrone and passed several other amazing wedding venues. These are the places I found:
The Villa Cimbrone garden was incredibly beautiful and thankfully offered a lot of shade. I walked around slowly, the mid-afternoon heat feeling just as hot as midday. I arrived at the Terrace of Infinity and took some photos of the view. Though I am not scared of heights, it did feel a little dizzying to be so high up.
I decided to head back to Palazzo Avino, I knew I would have plenty of time, but I was keen to get started.
Palazzo Avino is a stunning five-star deluxe hotel. Built-in what was once a 12th-century private villa for an Italian noble family and opened as a hotel in 1997, Palazzo Avino has been lauded as one of the world’s finest hotels and boasts one-star Michelin dining. Tucked away in the medieval hilltop village of Ravello, perched high on the cliffs, 350 m (1,000 ft) above the sparkling Mediterranean, Palazzo Avino overlooks some of the coast’s most picturesque fishing villages.
After taking some exterior shots, I looked through the gardens and chose my couple and group shot locations.
The wedding party arrived in good spirits and plenty of time. Which worked well when Lauren realised her veil had been forgotten at the bridal prep location. Thankfully, someone was on their way and the wedding party collectively relaxed. We were shown to a bright clean room where Lauren began the final preparations to get into her wedding dress.
When the time came, we all made our way to the Vimini Terrace to wait for Lauren and her father. I could tell Jeff was nervous as I took a few photos of him straightening his suit.
Lauren gracefully made her way down the stairs to her beaming father, I watched Jeff’s reaction, he couldn’t take his eyes off his stunning bride. I sensed they were both holding back tears.
Framed by the stunning floral arch, created by Francesco Di Bianco and his amazing team, Lauren and Jeff read their own vows to each other.
As they celebrated their marriage with a kiss, their families clapped and cheered. The newly wed couple beamed as they walked back down the aisle together.
We walked to the gardens next door and spent some time taking couple portraits, Lauren and Jeff looked absolutely stunning and so happy together.
We then rejoined their wedding party back on the terrace where canapés and cocktails were being served.
One everyone had their fill, we walked back to the gardens to take the group shots. The intimate wedding party were in great spirits and we had fun taking the groups shots.
After the group shots, I rushed to the stunning Rossellinis Terrace, where Francesco and his team had put together a breathtaking tablescape. I was in my element photographing his talented creation.
Knowing I only had a small amount of time to capture Jeff and Lauren, I looked for every opportunity to capture them together, so I went back to the garden and took a few more images of Lauren and Jeff making their way through the Palazzo Avino hotel towards the Rossellini Terrace. Everyone was clearly blown away by the table setting.
While the party were served their wedding breakfast, I borrowed Lauren’s bouquet and ring box to take some photo’s around the hotel. I was not short on locations and struggled to decide on which beautiful setting to use.
Once Lauren and Jeff had finished their mains, we went to the roof to get some golden/blue hour shots. The view of the coastline behind them was so picturesque. Working around the roof top pool, I decided to pop a flash on for some more editorial style images.
Returning back to the wedding breakfast, I captured Lauren’s mum giving a speech and toast to there newlyweds. There was a lot of love in the room and a few tears shed. Public displays of affection are literally my favourite. and watching Kim show Lauren how proud she was of her daughter was incredibly touching.
I thanked Lauren and Jeff for having me and left to get my taxi back to my AirBNB in Montepercuso, near Positano. Luckily for me, the fabulous il Ritrovo restaurant was still open and happy to give me a table. Whilst the wedding images backed up on my laptop, I had a glass of the house red and mussels with spaghetti, it was absolutely delicious.
Check out my guide on Amalfi Coast Wedding Venues – Top 10 to read more about these amazing wedding locations
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