Valentina has Umbrian roots and lives in London; Thomas is English. They were married with a religious ceremony in the church of the Abbazia San Pietro in Valle, in Ferentillo, in the Valnerina, and celebrated in the cloister with half of the guests arriving from England and the other half from all over Italy.

It was an Italian-English wedding in the fullest sense: two languages in church, two cuisines at the table, two different ways of celebrating that by mid-evening had become one.

Getting ready at the abbey

Valentina got ready in the rooms of the abbey. I photographed the dress, by Atelier Marcelloni Sposa, hanging from an olive tree in the garden before she put it on. Her mother helped her fasten it, button by button. Then the veil, worn over her head, and a bouquet of pink and white peonies.

From the bedroom windows you can see the bell tower. It is one of those venues where you don't need to look for a background: you just open the shutters.

The ceremony in the abbey church

The church of San Pietro in Valle is a single stone nave, with a timber truss ceiling and walls covered in twelfth-century frescoes. For a photographer it is a rare place: light comes in from above and from the main door, and the colour of the frescoes is all the decoration it needs.

Thomas, in a light grey suit, walked in on his mother's arm. Valentina came down the nave with her father. The service was held in Italian and in English, so that nobody present was left watching without understanding. The exchange of rings, the readings, and then the exit onto the churchyard to applause, with a group photograph of all the guests in front of the façade.

In church I work without flash. Here more than anywhere: the frescoes deserve respect, and natural light is enough if you use fast lenses.

The portraits: the bridge, the village, the cypress avenue

After the ceremony we took half an hour. First a wooden bridge over the river, with the green of the Valnerina all around, then the stone houses of the village, and finally the cypress avenue that climbs towards the abbey.

That avenue is the spot I use most often when I work here. In the late afternoon the light passes between the trunks and draws stripes across the road: all they have to do is walk. We took the last photograph from the hillside opposite, with the abbey and its bell tower behind them.

Dinner in the cloister

The reception was in the cloister, with round tables dressed in blue under the arches. The meal by Apollinare Catering combined Umbrian cooking with a few flavours familiar to the English guests. The sweetest moment was Thomas's grandmother discovering porchetta.

Then the speeches, which at an English wedding are a serious matter: someone on their feet among the tables, the laughter, the raised glasses. Swinger's Tune, with vocals, sax and keyboard, moved easily from Italian classics to the songs the whole English side of the room knew by heart.

In the evening the cutting of the cake, a tiered millefoglie, and dancing outdoors with the lit wall of the abbey behind.

A bilingual wedding in Umbria: what I have learned

As a destination wedding photographer in Italy I often work with couples who bring two countries together, and three things make the difference.

A service in two languages. You don't need to translate everything: the readings and the vows are enough. People who hear their own language are moved, and it shows in the photographs.

The speeches. For British and American guests they are the heart of the party. It is worth scheduling them between courses, while the light is still good, and telling your photographer beforehand.

The accommodation. If guests arriving from abroad sleep at the abbey or nearby, the celebration starts the evening before and ends at breakfast the next day.

I have gathered the paperwork and the guest logistics in my guide to planning a destination wedding in Italy.

The Abbazia San Pietro in Valle, in brief

The abbey is in Ferentillo, in the province of Terni, halfway between the Marmore Falls and Spoleto. It takes up to 80 guests for the reception. A religious ceremony is held in the adjoining church, as Valentina and Thomas did; a symbolic ceremony in the panoramic garden.

All the practical information on spaces, rooms, costs and the plan B in case of rain is in the story of another wedding at the Abbazia San Pietro in Valle, Julie and King's.

The suppliers at this wedding

Gallery

Frequently asked questions

Can you have a church wedding at the Abbazia San Pietro in Valle?

Yes. Valentina and Thomas had their religious ceremony in the church adjoining the abbey. It has to be arranged with the parish priest of Ferentillo, as the venue explains.

Can you plan a bilingual wedding in Umbria?

Yes, and it is simpler than it sounds. Readings and vows in both languages are enough, along with suppliers who are used to international couples. I also talk about it in why choose a wedding photographer in Umbria.

How many guests does the Abbazia San Pietro in Valle host?

Up to 80 for the reception in the cloister.

Is the abbey suitable for guests travelling from abroad?

Yes. The nearest airports are Rome and Perugia, and the abbey's rooms allow some of the guests to sleep on site.

Where are the portraits taken at the Abbazia San Pietro in Valle?

In the cypress avenue, in the cloister and in the panoramic garden. With half an hour available you can also go down into the valley, as far as the river.

Do you speak English with the guests?

Yes. I speak English with foreign guests, and at weddings with two languages it is most useful during the group photographs.

I live in Terni, about twenty kilometres from the abbey, and I photograph weddings all over Umbria and Tuscany.

Is yours also a story that brings two countries together? Look at the portfolio and the other wedding stories, or write to me: I answer every message personally.