Sicily Destination Wedding at the Beautiful Dimora delle Balze
Rose & Jeff - Sicily, Italy - Wedding VideographyHaving worked in Sicily a few times, I can confidently say it’s never boring. An erupting volcano throwing out ash and rain on your outdoor wedding day may have put me on the cusp of quoting everyone’s favourite Canadian-American singer—but I won’t. Instead, I’ll focus on another favourite Canadian-American force: Rose and Jeff. Adventure lovers at heart, they flew all their nearest and dearest from the USA and Canada to Sicily to witness their rustic yet elegant matrimony. That is, minus Jeff’s father, who sadly wasn’t well enough to travel, which made capturing their wedding film perfectly all the more important.
A Rainy Destination Wedding in Sicily
With destination wedding films, the location needs a little more stage time in the final edit, as the couple have chosen the location for their love of it as a whole. But in reality, you can often attend a destination wedding and not actually see much outside of the ceremony and dinner area itself. This is where you need a videographer who goes the extra mile to include all of the elements for you… eh hem, over here! One who says no to start with airport shots like a tourist video, but instead creates a flowing narrative to make it relevant, reflecting the true essence of the destination.
Il mio punto, I flew out two days early to capture the surroundings of the island and the venue, Dimora delle Balze. Though I was only scheduled to film the welcome dinner the night before and the wedding day, I had checked the weather and realised that Mount Etna’s latest eruption would bring a storm—making it unlikely I'd be able to get drone footage as planned on the day. Drone shots can be overused by some, but this venue, Dimora delle Balze, deserved to be shown off in this way—the beautiful open courtyard beneath a castle-like tower, perched on top of the chalky Sicilian hillside. I hoped I would be able to match the look of the conditions between the days, in the final video and planned a few transitional shots just in case I needed to emphasise the beginning and end of the rain storms.
I am relieved I made this decision, as the rain was so relentless on the wedding day, not stopping for a single minute. Keeping my gear dry was time-consuming, but I came prepared with custom camera raincoats and even one for the photographer, who wasn’t so. Yet, despite the relentless rain, the day was anything but a washout. Rose and Jeff’s joy brought the metaphorical sunshine. The drama of the rain gave a buzzy childlike excitement in the air, among all the guests.
Liz Linkleter’s team pulled off an emergency marquee setup, and truly, it was perfect!
Wedding Planning: Liz Linkleter Events
Wedding Venue: Dimora Delle Balze
Floral Design: Liberty Lane Flowers