Before arriving, we crafted detailed moodboards to align our vision with the couple’s inspirations. Piermarco in particular anchored the aesthetic of the day in two cinematic references:

In the Mood for Love: warm intimacy, gentle glow

Memoirs of a Geisha: poetic stillness, suspended emotion

These references became our compass for lighting, composition, and movement. We also pre-scouted locations virtually weeks in advance, then refined our choices on the ground the day after arrival, paying attention to how light moved across the valley at different times.

Photographer: Bottega 53

The getting-ready room had a soft, muted ambiance in the light that didn’t naturally match our normal references… so we built the light ourselves. Piermarco crafted an improvised two-light setup using: the modeling light of a flash and a second continuous source he “borrowed” from the makeup artist’s kit, Arsène-Lupin style.

We wanted the frames to feel delicate, intentional, and reminiscent of a film still.

The result: a warm, nostalgic, suspended-in-time mood that felt deeply personal to Jane.

After documenting the scene silently, I couldn’t resist creating a small series of black-and-white direct-flash frames at f/8: graphic, spontaneous, and very much part of my visual identity.

After the tea ceremony indoors, the larger ceremony unfolded in an open valley framed by mountains, a space that felt sacred in its simplicity. The feeling in the air under those mountains was heavy with meaning.

Because the processional path was long and dramatic, we knew the drone would be essential. It allowed us to capture Jane and her father’s approach in its full scale in a way no ground perspective could match. Of course, showing the grand location.

Our four-photographer team positioned ourselves as follows

This coordination created a multi-layered narrative: intimate expressions, wide environmental context, and the emotional arc of the moment all woven together.

We used only natural light for the portraits, because the light was incredible and soft on the day. This allowed the landscape and delicate autumn tones to lead the way. We kept the look clean, minimal, and cinematic.

Highlights of the portrait process:

We loved the way Jane responded to the valley wind. It would lift her dress or hair at just the right time, adding a poetic, unplanned element to several frames.

The tented reception felt like a hidden treasure in the middle of the valley.

Standout elements:

Inside, the lighting was low and intimate, so flash was essential especially during dinner and the party. We mixed on-camera and directional flash to keep the mood balanced: energetic when needed, but never overpowering the design.

This wedding required a more delicate approach than usual. The greens in the valley were incredibly rich, and the light shifted constantly with the overcast weather. To preserve a natural palette, I softened tones, controlled saturation carefully, and prioritized True Tone skin balance.

The final edit is a little more muted than our normal, but still feels authentically Bottega 53, timeless, intentional, cinematic, but with additional precision to honor the unique atmosphere of Rissai Valley.

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