Borgo Santo Pietro wedding in the rain. A stunning relais about 45 mins to the south-west of Siena. The Relais is set in its own delightful gardens, it is an oasis hidden away behind private gates and walls. Once inside, you will meet perfect gardens, fountains, statues and endless authentic details. Inside the villa, the level of decor, and attention to detail continues, providing a very inspiring backdrop for a wedding.

Borgo Santo Pietro wedding in spring

I’m full of excitement to photograph this Borgo Santo Pietro wedding as I know the combination of the villa and the unique wedding location will lead to some interesting results.

We were hoping for a beautiful day of sunshine and an outdoor wedding, drinks to follow and dinner under the stars… instead it’s raining. Non-stop pouring rain all day. From sun up to sun down and into the night, every single photo will have to be taken under-cover. So it’s going to be a challenging day and we will all need to adapt to the poor weather conditions.

I start the day by taking a few images of the villa and gardens in the rain! Not easy struggling to take photos with an umbrella but there is nothing for me to do in the villa as the bride and bridesmaids are in hair an makeup and don’t want photos until they are ready.

Bride getting ready – Borgo Santo Pietro wedding

The bride gets ready in the main suite of the villa. She is with her bridesmaids and family and they are all in very high spirits. There are plenty of lovely moments between people as they help the bride and each other with their finishing touches. They also exchange some gifts, drink some prosecco and I take some photos of the bride with family members and small groups of people. The bride looks utterly radiant!

Groom getting ready – Borgo Santo Pietro wedding

The groom and his best men meet me at the entrance of the villa. They are basically ready to go, the groom just puts on his jacket and boutonniere and then they have a shot of whiskey together, a quick photo of everyone and then off they go to the wedding ceremony venue.

The wedding ceremony at San Galgano

The wedding is going to be at San Galgano Abbey. Unfortunately, due to the weather, they will not be able to have the ceremony in the main part of the abbey. Instead, they will be in a covered area off to the side. It is still a very beautiful room with lovely vaulted ceilings, and together with the tasteful understated decor, it becomes a lovely location for the wedding.

The lighting of the ceremony is a challenge so I have to work fast to add my own lighting. I must also convince the wedding planner that it will be nicer for the couple to look outside rather than look at a stone wall. You see, the planner has set up the ceremony the other way around to what you see in the photos. This means that they are facing a wall and have horrible backlighting. I convince everyone that it is best the other way around and in no time we have rearranged things.

The ceremony is lovely, outside it is still pouring with rain but no one cares. Inside the joy and excitement is infectious and if they are any tears they are from happiness! The lighting works out perfectly and the images come to life rather than being drab or dull. At the end of the ceremony, I take plenty of family photos and group photos. We were going to do the family photos in the main abbey but we need to take them inside as the rain is far too intense outside.

Borgo Santo Pietro wedding reception

Back at Borgo Santo Pietro, there is a short one hour cocktail in the entrance and piano room of the villa. A large tent with wooden floor is on the back lawn and it is resisting the pouring rain well. There are two long tables with many candles and flowers that create a lovely atmosphere. During the cocktail there are two short speeches, then I take the bride and groom for a few more portraits before everyone enters the tent for this Borgo Santo Pietro wedding reception. Everyone enjoys a lovely dinner and some hilarious speeches. The evening concludes with a first dance and cake cutting.