A Vibrant Indian Wedding in an Iconic Tuscan Villa: by House on the Clouds

Villa Cetinale is an iconic property, filled with unique corners and rich character. We wanted to make the most of its many beautiful spaces.

“We believe in arriving creatively prepared—from researching the venue and building moodboards to doing a comprehensive scout the day before to find the best portrait locations. But beyond the planning, we stay present and intuitive, allowing space for spontaneity and real emotion to guide the way.”

Gear and Details

Cameras: Canon R5
Lenses: 50mm 1.2, 35mm 1.4, 24mm 1.4, 100mm 2.8, Lomography Petzval 55 f1.7
Coverage: 3 photographers over 3 days
Couple: Anmol and Gopi
Location: Villa Cetinale

We loved how the villa overlooked the other iconic parts of the grounds where we had one photographer positioned to capture types of point of view, storytelling shots.

Getting Ready

This was undoubtedly one of the most memorable moments of the day, as it revealed two beautifully contrasting emotions unfolding simultaneously. On one side, there was uncontainable joy and celebration, while on the other, quiet emotion and heartfelt reflection—a powerful reminder of how deeply personal and layered wedding moments can be.

As part of a Hindu ceremony, the bride’s bangles are washed in milk before she wears them. This shot was taken after carefully placing their emblem seal on top of the milk solution which was used to wash Anmol’s bangles. So it makes the photo a bit more special as it's not just the emblem but the milk which is part of the detail.

Ceremony

We worked as a tight-knit team of three photographers, three filmmakers, and a creative producer. Having both photo and film under one roof made coordination seamless, allowing us to capture every moment without stepping on each other's shots or compromising the visual flow.

The moment we saw the venue, we knew it was made for aerial coverage—so incorporating drone photography was a natural and essential choice to fully showcase the breathtaking setting.

This was the first wedding I shot using a Petzval lens, and I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about using a manual lens at an Indian wedding. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect in terms of image quality, but I have to say that I’m obsessed with the swirling bokeh and absolutely love how the images turned out.

Portraits

We took portraits right after their ceremony, and we love how they reflect Anmol and Gopi’s joyful and playful personalities. Capturing the real essence of a couple in the short window we get for portraits is always a challenge, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

The bride wore her mother’s wedding veil—a meaningful heirloom we wanted to honor her with a portrait that placed the veil at its heart. In the stillness of 4 a.m (earlier that day), we gently draped it over a chair and asked the bride to stand beside it, lit softly by a single LED across the hall. The result was a quiet, reverent image that captured the deep emotion of the wedding.

Reception

The reception was very dark and dimly lit. It was a challenge and a contrast to the amazing light earlier in the day. For most of the decor shots we chose not to use flash and to increase ISO instead so we can capture the mood of the place in a better, more natural way.