Since Italy is one of the most popular places to get married, we asked Tommaso and Laura, the talented photographer couple behind Lato Photography, about the beautiful weddings they shoot in their home country.
What makes you unique and what do you love to capture?
We are inspired by black and white film photography neorealism cinematography [like Fellini, Rossellini],
art and Italian vintage car design. We like to blend fashion, editorial and documentary aesthetics to create something elegant, with a sense of storytelling. Our style is connected to our roots, and we feel deeply driven to create something unique.
We have been shooting destination weddings in Italy and across Europe since 2013, both digital and on film and Super8. We mainly shoot intimate weddings, from 50 to 70 people, and Italian destination weddings, but we also shoot elopements and engagements.
Couples generally email us or get in touch via our website, and then we meet up on Zoom to get a feel for each other and put a face to a name.
What’s your favourite wedding venue or destination region in Italy?
We often shoot weddings in Puglia, in the south, and we love it. There are beautiful Masseria (farmhouses) that can host intimate weddings and they have a unique style and authentic vibes. Sicily is quite unique, too. The south of Italy is very different to places like Lake Como or Venice.
It’s less crowded, and quite warm (even in spring and autumn) and the vibes are so Italian: great food, chilled people and sunny days.
These regions are getting popular but it is still fairly easy to find available venues. You can find better
deals outside the high season, in April and October.
It’s a good idea to look online (Instagram, for example) for venues that reflect the style you have in mind. If you can’t make it to Italy to view venues in advance, it’s a good idea to get in touch with a planner who can help you with location scouting. In the south of Italy, we can recommend Alessandra Linoci and Giusy D’Ambrosio, who can also help you find the best options for catering, and activities for the days around the wedding, and generally keep you out of the stress of planning
Couples should be thinking about their dream wedding — full of fun, good food and families and friends next to you — not getting stressed about whether everything will go the way you imagined. A happy couple will make a wedding day great for all the guests.
Are there any Italian wedding traditions or Italian ways of doing things that you especially love?
We really love traditional Italian music and the way Italian musicians love to play. You could have a
street band during your cocktail hour (look up the Zagor Street Band) or a pizzica (a traditional dance from Puglia) at your welcome dinner. You can find traditional music and entertainment all over the south of Italy.
Is it tricky for foreigners to arrange to be legally married in Italy?
You can have a legal ceremony in Italy with a celebrant from the town hall, but not all venues are allowed to host this. You also have to prepare and send all the paperwork months before the wedding, so you need to get in touch with a town official or wedding planner if that’s what you want. Many couples choose to have a legal ceremony where they live and a symbolic ceremony in Italy.
Where do you recommend for honeymoons?
Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan, of course. Get deeper into the Italian vibes! Discover history in Sicily. Get delicious food in Puglia. Have a crazy ride on the narrow streets of the Amalfi Coast. Come and visit us in Bologna! Why not get to the Dolomites in the north for some cooler weather? Many of the couples we shoot spend their honeymoon strolling around Italy, from north to south.
Enter Lato Photography’s enchanting world, where moments spring to life through the lens.
Follow them on Instagram @latophotography for a daily dose of inspiration.
Visit their website now Lato Photography or email them at info@latophotography.com to start your photography journey.
LATO Photography
