Villa Catignano Wedding Photographer
A Guide To Getting Married At
Villa Catignano
A 17th-Century Estate In The Heart Of Tuscany
Villa Catignano Wedding Photographer
From the Dolomites’ snow-capped summits to Sicily’s orange fields at Mount Etna’s base. Not many places in the world are more beautiful than Italy, from Tuscany’s rolling hills sprinkled with historic villages to the Amalfi Coast’s sheer cliffs with colourful buildings.
If you are travelling from Pisa or Florence, the driver takes you south through the Val d’Orcia, and somewhere between the cypress avenues and the terracotta hilltop villages, you stop trying to describe it to yourself and just look.
Villa Catignano sits outside Siena in the Chianti Classico wine region, a 17th-century Tuscan estate with a formal Italian garden, a cypress-lined avenue, a private chapel and views across the hills that change colour every hour of the day.
You are not getting married at a venue. You are getting married at a place that a family has tended for three hundred years, in a landscape that has been painted, photographed and written about for centuries.
The light here is unlike anywhere else you have ever been.
My approach to wedding photography is all about real moments between people, and Villa Catignano gives you the space for those moments to unfold naturally
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You didn’t just photograph our wedding. You went far beyond that and helped make the whole experience amazing
Marisa & Michael
Photographing Weddings At Villa Catignano
A destination wedding at Villa Catignano has its own particular rhythm. Longer, more relaxed, spread across the grounds and gardens with the Tuscan hills stretching out in every direction. I work to that rhythm rather than imposing one of my own.
I arrive early and stay late. The light changes quickly here, and I never want to miss a moment of it.
Inside the villa, the frescoed walls, the old stone floors and the original furnishings give the getting-ready photographs a depth and character that no hotel room can provide. The morning here feels genuinely different from any other venue where I work.
The ceremony in the Italian garden with the cypress avenue behind you. The confetti walk at the bottom of the garden, with the statues of the four seasons on either side and the Tuscan countryside stretching away behind, is one of the most naturally beautiful confetti photographs I have taken anywhere in the world.
Then golden hour. The light in Tuscany in the late afternoon is unlike anything in northern Europe. Warm, directional, it does things to a photograph that no amount of editing can replicate. The garden terraces, the cypress avenue, the view from the top of the steps looking back towards Siena, all of it comes alive in that final hour before sunset.
At Villa Catignano, the estate is positioned to catch that light at its best.
The dinner under the stars. The dancing goes on longer than anyone expected. I document all of it without directing any of it.
The photographs that come from a day like this, in a place like this, tell a story that no other venue in the world could replicate.
Why Couples Choose A
Villa Catignano Wedding
Tuscany
The cypress avenues, the terracotta hills, the vineyards turning golden, the light in Chianti is extraordinary, and Villa Catignano sits right at the heart of it.
The Entire Estate Is Yours
Up to 86 guests sleeping on site across the villa and the Fattoria.
No hotels, no logistics, no separation.
Your wedding party wakes up together on a Tuscan estate, and the celebration belongs entirely to you.
A Private Chapel & Italian Garden
The ceremony is in a formal Italian garden with a 17th-century chapel and a cypress-lined avenue behind you.
Photographs that no other venue in the world could replicate.
The Food & Wine
Villa Catignano sits in the Chianti Classico wine region, and the estate has direct connections to some of Tuscany’s finest producers.
The food is rooted in the landscape around you, seasonal, local and genuinely extraordinary. A wedding dinner here is an experience in its own right.
Award-Winning
The Estate
Villa Catignano Wedding
Villa Catignano is made up of two parts.
The main Villa, a 17th-century mansion with frescoed walls, original hardwood floors, seven spacious apartments and views over the Italian garden and the Tuscan countryside.
And the Fattoria, the old farmhouse on the estate, was carefully restored and converted into further accommodation for guests.
Between the two buildings, the estate can sleep up to 80 people, which means your entire wedding party can stay on site for the full duration of the celebration.
Most couples who marry here arrive a few days before and leave a few days after, making the wedding a proper week-long stay in Tuscany.
The swimming pool, available from May to October, sits in the grounds surrounded by lawns with views across the Chianti hills.
The estate produces its own wine and olive oil. The Italian garden, with its four statues of the seasons and the long stone steps leading down to the lemon grove, is the setting for almost every Villa Catignano wedding ceremony.
Getting Ready At Villa Catignano
Villa Catignano sleeps up to 30 guests in the main villa and a further 56 in the Fattoria, so your entire wedding party can wake up on the estate on the morning of your wedding.
This changes the day completely. The getting-ready photographs happen in sun-filled Tuscan rooms with terracotta floors and old stone walls.
Your bridesmaids are already there. Your family is already there. The morning moves at exactly the pace you want because no one needs to travel anywhere.
I will arrive at the villa early and stay with you through the morning, moving between both of you as the day begins.
This is where some of the most intimate photographs of the whole wedding come from, before the ceremony, before the guests, before the day has fully begun.
The Ceremony
Villa Catignano Wedding Photography
Weddings at Villa Catignano take place in the Giardino all’Italiana, the Italian garden that descends from the main villa down a long stone aisle flanked by statues, geraniums and lemon trees, with the medieval skyline of Siena visible in the distance.
The couple descend the old stone steps together, passes through the four statues representing the seasons, and arrives at the ceremony space at the bottom of the garden. It’s a naturally theatrical entrance that never looks staged because it’s been there for centuries.
The garden is fully dressed by the Villa’s catering and events team for the ceremony. In summer, parasols and fans are provided for guests; the Tuscan sun in July and August is serious. The best months for outdoor ceremonies are May, June, September and early October, when the light is extraordinary, and the heat is manageable.
The couple descend the old stone steps together, passes through the four statues representing the seasons, and arrives at the ceremony space at the bottom of the garden.
For the reception, the options are the terrace overlooking the garden for drinks, the Italian Garden itself for a long dinner under the stars, or the villa’s courtyard for an evening celebration.
Each feels completely different. All of them photograph beautifully.
Staying At Villa Catignano
Villa Catignano Wedding Photographer
One of the things that makes a Villa Catignano wedding genuinely special is that your guests don’t leave at the end of the night. They’re already home.
The Villa itself has seven apartments, each sleeping between two and six people. The largest, the Dia Apartment, sleeps six. The most intimate, La Mansardina, sleeps two and is popular with couples. All apartments include fully equipped kitchens and most face either the Italian garden or the surrounding countryside.
The Fattoria, the old farmhouse on the estate, has a further nine apartments, ranging from studio rooms to larger rustic apartments that sleep up to seven.
Between the Villa and the Fattoria, the estate can comfortably sleep up to 80 people
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The swimming pool is available from May to October for guests staying on the estate, surrounded by green lawns with the Chianti hills as the backdrop. Wine tours and tastings in the Chianti Classico area can be arranged through the estate.
Villa Catignano is open from 1 April to 31 October, and from 20 December to 7 January. The Fattoria is open all year round.
How Much Does It Cost To Have A Wedding At Villa Catignano?
Villa Catignano operates as a private estate rental rather than a dedicated wedding venue, which means the cost structure is different from a standard venue hire. You’re essentially renting the whole estate for the week, which gives your wedding party an entirely private Tuscany experience.
Most wedding parties rent both the Villa and the Fattoria for the full week, accommodating 80 guests on site. A full week at Villa Catignano with 50 to 80 guests on site and a full wedding day sits between €50,000 and €90,000 in total once accommodation, ceremony, catering, flowers, music and photography are all included. It is a significant investment, but you’re essentially hosting your closest people for an entire week in one of the most beautiful places in Europe.
Minimum stays apply: seven nights in high and mid season, three nights in low season.
Getting To Villa Catignano
Villa Catignano Wedding Photography
By air:
The most convenient airports are Florence (Amerigo Vespucci) and Pisa (Galileo Galilei). Both are approximately 1.5 to 2 hours by car from the estate. Rome Fiumicino is around 3 hours by car. For guests flying from the UK, both Pisa and Florence are served by multiple airlines, including easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways.
By train:
Siena has a main railway station with connections to Florence, Rome and Pisa. From Siena, Villa Catignano is a short taxi or hire-car ride. The estate is happy to arrange transfers for guests who need them.
By car:
Best to use Waze, Google Maps, or Apple Maps for the most efficient route to Catignano Villa.
Choosing you as our photographer was one of the best decisions we ever made
Joanna & Daniel
QUESTIONS?
01 / Do You Travel To Italy For Destination Weddings?
Yes. Italy is one of my favourite countries to photograph weddings in. The light, the venues, the atmosphere, all of it make the photographs better. Travel costs are covered as part of destination wedding packages.
03 / Can All Our Guests Stay On Site?
Yes. Between the Villa and the Fattoria, the estate can sleep up to 80 guests. Most couples rent both for the week, turning the wedding into a full stay in Tuscany for the whole party.
02 / How Far In Advance Should We Book Villa Catignano?
The estate gets booked quickly for peak summer dates, particularly June, July and September. If you have a specific date in mind, enquire with the villa as early as possible. The same applies to your photographer.
04. What Is The Best Time Of Year For A Villa Catignano Wedding?
May, June, September and early October offer the best combination of light, temperature and landscape. July and August are beautiful but hot, the estate provides parasols and fans for outdoor ceremonies. The estate is closed from November to March.
If you are planning a wedding at Villa Catignano, fill in the form below and let’s find out if your date is available
Enquiries
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