Wedding Photojournalism · Rome · Roma · Italy
Destination Wedding Photographer · Fotosceny
Wedding sessions are usually included in a standard framework. However, sometimes it happens that the scenario of events is planned off the beaten track, becoming different and very original.
Beate and Rolf are a Norwegian couple, whom I had the pleasure to accompany on their wedding day in Rome. We had previously discussed their plan and ideas for the day, and it turned out that everything was already set to the last button and all that needed to be done was to execute it. On the day of the session, we met at the agreed time, near the Trevi Fountain, at the hotel where they were staying. Here I met the bride and groom's family, as it turned out that they came to Rome with a large group of their closest relatives, who were to accompany us throughout the day. They were very nice and beautiful people, and all of them, regardless of age, spoke perfect English, so there wasn't the slightest problem in communication.
From the hotel, we take a short walk to the cabs that will take us to the Royal Norwegian Embassy. We arrive a little ahead of time, so there is a good opportunity to get to know everyone and get the first shots of the family. Everyone is very cheerful and happy, with a constant smile on their faces, so the photos are just the way I like them - natural and unposed. The ceremony goes fast, the lighting is quite difficult - several light sources of different temperatures mix together and I have to use the flash. Smiles, kisses, wishes, tears... The ceremony ends with greetings and a short session in the embassy garden.
From the embassy we go to "Vino Roma" - This is a tasting studio, a great place for wine connoisseurs, where wine tasting is conducted in an extremely professional manner, accompanied by great cheeses and cold cuts. The sommelier patiently introduces the guests to the secrets, presenting all the nuances of wine drinking. The whole thing begins with an outstanding Prosecco, but the guests will not have a chance to take the first sip soon, because first there are still a few interesting stages.
It turns out that a bottle of Prosecco, unlike other white and red wines, must be turned upside down before opening, so that the yeast contained in the liquid spreads fairly evenly throughout the bottle. Interestingly, the famous French champagne does not require such a procedure, because a special, sophisticated phase in its production, removes almost all the yeast from the liquid - in a fancy way the yeast is frozen with liquid oxygen and removed from the bottle.
After opening and pouring the wine into glasses, it is time for a short lesson in holding those vessels in your hand - a very common mistake is holding the glass by its top (very filmic way) which leads to rapid heating of the wine and loss of some of its properties. The correct way is to hold the glass by its foot - at the very base of the bowl.
Now it is time to observe the surface of the glass and its contents - the color of the liquid, the degree and speed of releasing sparkling bubbles, the degree of frosting - all these are important and are subject to separate evaluation.
The next phase is to check the aroma and look for scents - are there more notes of apples, pears, or maybe peaches, lemon, melon or fresh flowers? This is a very sophisticated stage that no connoisseur will miss.
Phew... Well, and only now you can check the taste. And to think that there are still excellent red and white wines waiting in line for tasting.
On this occasion, the sommelier tells us about the culture and the way of drinking wine by Italians - just like in other countries with a deep tradition of wine production - this liquid is usually drunk in combination with a meal or at least a snack, just to prevent it from going to your head too quickly. So it's time to add to the tasting - cold meats and cheeses appear on the table.
For me it's a good moment for a break in shooting - so I go back to the hotel, change into more casual, working clothes, take more equipment for different occasions and after an hour I return to my guests to accompany them in the next attraction of the day.
It is a meeting with a guide who is supposed to take the guests to several interesting places in Rome. The guide is one of a kind - a Norwegian, a journalist who has spent over thirty years in Rome. So the Norwegian language resounds and I, unfortunately, do not understand a word. Looking at the curious faces of the guests, the stories must be extremely interesting. And indeed, after each one Rolf makes a shorthand for me in English - a very nice and warm gesture, extraordinary people. One of the places our guide leads us to is the "Gamarelli" store at Via S. Chiara 34, with clothes, shoes and accessories - designed for popes. Interestingly, at the time of the election of a new pope, clothes are prepared for him - however, since it is not known in advance who will become the new pope and what size clothes will be needed, the clothes are sewn in triplicate - each in different sizes, so that later the required one is available on hand. Until the finished vestments are moved to the Vatican, they can still be seen in the store window.
It is long after dark when the meeting with the guide ends. The last point we head to is the Hassler Hotel in Piazza di Spagna, at the very top of the Spanish Steps, where a gala dinner will be held. Guests are welcomed with glasses of excellent Prosecco, refined appetizers are served, bottles of white "Chardonnay Friuli Colli Orientali" are chilled on ice, red "Brunello di Montalcino" are on full alert. And I don't refuse a treat when, once again, a family member comes up to me and invites me to enjoy it.
Just before dinner, Beate places each guest individually at the table, and once everyone has their seats, she begins her speech. And it's just a pity that I don't speak Norwegian, because the atmosphere becomes extraordinary.
And do you already know how unusual this whole session in Rome is?
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