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Everybody dreams of having a fairytale wedding - Millie and Joe made their dream come true! I have photographed Millie and Joe's family a few times, so when I had a message from Joe to say they are eloping to Italy and they'd like me to be their photographer I was absolutely ecstatic! I had never photographed a destination wedding before, to say I was excited was an understatement. The best part was that Millie didn't know that Joe had chosen me to be their photographer, and we kept it a secret until the morning of the wedding day! I flew to Italy with my husband and family a few days before the wedding, which allowed me plenty of time to get my bearings. One of the first things we did when we arrived in Lake Garda was check out the wedding ceremony venue - the most beautiful castle which is perched on a cliff, overhanging the lake. Whilst we were exploring the castle, who did I see? Joe, Millie and their two girls walking around too. I quickly had to try and hide, as Millie was still unaware that I was going to be their wedding photographer in two days time! You couldn't make it up! I met Joe the next day outside the castle grounds and he showed me all of the incredible locations that we would be visiting, he even showed me the sailing ship that we would hopefully be going on. At this point the heavens had opened and we both went into the nearest shop to buy some umbrellas.
On the morning of the wedding I caught the bus at 7:30am ready to surprise Millie at her accommodation. She really had no idea what was in store for her, all she knew was that she was getting married at the Castle - the rest was a surprise!
Once all the girls were ready we jumped into a taxi, which dropped Millie and I to our next mode of transport, a Tuk Tuk! The Maid of Honour and Millie's two children followed us on foot, waving as we went past.
As the bride walked up the steps of the castle and down the aisle a violinist started playing "Let It Go" from frozen, which the children of course loved! After the ceremony the children also managed to get the violinist to play "Baby Shark," I don't think he had ever had this request before!
Shortly after we left the castle the rain started pouring, but that did not dampen anybody's spirits! As we were walking through the colourful narrow streets, crowds of people were clapping, and Aria, Joe and Millie's 4 year old, was shouting "thank you, thank you, I am the princess" - This is a moment I don't think I will ever forget. It was absolutely priceless! After a quick bite to eat and something to eat, the bride and groom and their ten wedding guests boarded a sailing ship. The children spent the next hour pretending to be pirates and having a go at steering! Meanwhile the adults enjoyed sipping Prosecco and admiring the breathtaking views.
After the boat trip we had some free time exploring the town and taking advantage of the most unreal scenery. Finally we reached our last destination "Ristorante Paradiso Perduto." I sometimes still dream about the meal we ate there, I don't think anything will compare to the Italian food! When the wedding cake was served, Aria, the four year old got extremely excited and shouted out "Happy Birthday Everybody!!!" When we explained that it was no one's birthday but in fact it was mummy and daddy's wedding day, we all had to sing Happy Birthday but with the words Happy Wedding instead. The night came to an end with lots of limoncello shots and aching jaws from laughing too much! I just want to say a massive THANK YOU to Joe for trusting me to capture their fairytale wedding, you not only lived your dream but you made my dream come true too! This will be a day that I will never forget, I hope to capture some more destination weddings soon!
