If you would have told me that we’d be shooting a wedding in Italy 5 years ago, even a year ago, I would have called you crazy… It was exactly a year ago from today when Lisa & Rinaldo commissioned us for their destination wedding in Calabria, Italy.  Traveling to Italy and photographing their destination wedding was truly an honor — an opportunity of a lifetime!  Lisa is the twin sister of Maria who we photographed last year.  (Maria’s wedding) It was also the first time we met the “P” family.  Ever since the beginning, they’ve treated Andy and me like family.  We knew that going to Italy would be so much fun and we couldn’t wait to spend time with them.  We were full of excitement and nervousness as we didn’t know what to expect.  From the time we arrived to their hometown of Cosenza, Calabria, their family took care of us from beginning to end.  Not only were we able to capture Lisa & Rinaldo’s special day, but we also got the chance to get to know their close family members.  Lots of laughter and good memories from Calabria.

Lisa and her siblings are  second generation Italians living here in the US.  We had a long talk with Lisa’s dad, Mr.”P” who proudly shared their family history and all the hardships he had gone through when he decided to come to the  United States.  Through their hard work and dedication, their family now runs a very successful chain of grocery stores in the Chicagoland area.   I could really relate as I am also a second generation Filipino American.  Without the perseverance of my parents, I, along with my siblings, wouldn’t be where we are now.  We should never forget our roots and appreciate where we came from.  The P’s are a tight knit Italian family that celebrates the importance of family.

Rinaldo grew up in a nearby town also in Calabria where his family owns a successful restaurant which is located on the first floor of their house.  They grew up running the family business and let me tell you, Rinaldo makes the best pizza I have ever tasted, no lie!!  I keep telling him to open up his own restaurant and believe me when that day comes I will be sure to let you all know.

It was there  that we met Rinaldo’s parents, Mr.& Mrs. L.  We had a great time getting to know them because they were  so nice and welcoming.  We could really see where Rinaldo gets his great personality.   His parents talked about Rinaldo growing up and you could really hear the excitement in their voice as they spoke about him.  They were sad and happy at the same time that he would be living in the US now but one thing was for sure,  they  knew he would be able to take care of himself and Lisa, there was no doubt about it.

Lisa and Rinaldo’s story is full of chance happenings, risk taking, fear of the unknown and trust.   Now if that’s not LOVE then I don’t know what is!

1000+ year old castle overlooking the Sea

S?unset at the castle… love how the wind just took her veil!

I seriously wish we had a lot more time to photograph them there… I could have shot there all day!

Lisa and family got ready in their home in Calabria.

Rinaldo’s house, check out the restaurant on the main floor.

Is it me or does he look like a young Benicio Del Toro?

Rinaldo with his best men

The church located right in the heart of their town where Lisa’s grandparents and parents got married.

The whole town was watching as Lisa arrived at the church.

anticipation

a loving kiss

Nothing could stop us from getting to that castle, not even these cows blocking the road!

Thank you Lisa and Rinaldo for trusting us to capture your special day.

A special thank you to Octavio also for helping us out on the day of their wedding.

Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think!