This was a fabulous elopement of a Chinese couple coming from the USA with a few guests.
From the early stages of planning, I felt it would be a particular elopement: the bride, Wenlan, expressed a very sophisticated taste regarding the decor and every minimal detail of the wedding preparations. It was a real pleasure for me to satisfy all her needs and requirements regarding their Big Day in Sicily.
Taormina and Castello degli Schiavi were chosen as a stage for Wenlan and Enze’s love story.
With only 4 hours of photo shooting, we could include:
- getting ready at the Ashby Hotel Taormina.
- the couple’s first look in the garden of the Ashby Hotel Taormina.
- Scroll down by foot in the city centre of Taormina and the municipal gardens. It was early October, so the streets were still crowded. The couple wanted a relaxed shoot with as few people as possible, so we chose the appropriate spots, bringing them away from the city hassle.
- Moving from Taormina to the ceremony venue by a fashion retro car.
- Handfasting Taylor-made ceremony at Castello degli Schiavi or so-called Villa Corleone. We adapted the central entrance of the villa and transformed it into a giant arch made of flowing fabric crowned by yellow, white and peach roses and flashy greenery with a retro touch of ancient-style pillars. The ceremony was conducted by me in person in English, with the help of a violin as background.
- After the ceremony the couple participated in the last photoshoot inside the villa and in the outdoor spaces, that have witnessed the most famous scenes from The Godfather trilogy.
- as the conclusion of their Big and Perfect day, the retro maggiolino has brought them back to Taormina where a 2-star Michelin restaurant was booked for them and their friends for the extraordinary sensorial and enogastronomic journey into Sicilian cuisine.
Photographer and videographer: Tatiana Costantino