Fabiano and Oliver | Palazzo Avino

Fabiano and Oliver pose elegantly at their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Two grooms in tuxedos stand opposite each other in arched doorways, showcasing an intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Fabiano and Oliver share an intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino in elegant black tuxedos.

Fabiano and Oliver came from Vancouver to get married at Palazzo Avino with a handful of friends, a solo violinist, and a day that moved from the Pink Palace through the streets of Ravello to a second palazzo and back.

MEET ME

There is an oval mirror in one of the suites at Palazzo Avino, gold-framed, 18th century, hanging on a white wall between a marble column and a classical painting. I have walked past it dozens of times. On the morning of Fabiano and Oliver’s wedding, I saw what it could do.

  • Palm tree in front of a pale pink building with balconies and arched windows.
  • Close-up of palm tree trunk with coastal town and ocean view in background.
  • Man in hat naps in chair by flower display on a sunny patio.
  • Close-up of a palm tree trunk and fronds with a coastal village and ocean in the background.
  • Ornate archway entrance to building with potted trees, flowers, and a glass door.
  • Green arched doorway labeled "Palazzo Avino" opens to reveal a scenic terrace with mountains.
  • Terrace with palm, wicker chairs, and scenic mountain and sea view.
  • Terraced buildings with pastel facades, lush greenery, and a light blue sky.
  • Terraced garden with pink building, lush greenery, and stone arches.
  • Peach building facade with balcony next to a palm tree overlooking green hills under a cloudy sky.

Oliver was standing in front of the mirror adjusting his bow tie. Behind him, reflected in the glass, Fabiano was putting on his jacket across the room. One groom in focus, one in reflection. Two men in the same frame without staging them together. The mirror did what a second camera would have done, but with the warmth of old gold and the slight distortion of antique glass adding texture that no digital trick can replicate. I took the shot and moved on. It took three seconds. It is one of my favorite images from that year, and as it turned out, it was only the first of several times that day when glass, rather than me, did the framing.

  • Groom's friend fastens boutonniere to groom's tuxedo lapel before wedding.
  • Man adjusts another's lapel pin on his tuxedo, with a classical painting behind them.
  • Groom being assisted with his bowtie before a wedding, wearing a tuxedo.
  • Groom adjusting another groom's bowtie, seated on ornate sofa.
  • Groom helps his partner adjust his bowtie while sitting on an ornate green and gold sofa.
  • Groom being helped with his tuxedo by another man.
PORTFOLIO
Groom in tuxedo smiles sitting on sofa at Palazzo Avino, ready for intimate wedding.
Groom with champagne and purple flowers reflected in an ornate mirror at his intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Groom in tuxedo holding champagne at his intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Groom in tuxedo for his intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino, with a reflection in the mirror.
Groom in tuxedo poses elegantly during an intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Groom wearing a tuxedo with a gold wedding band at an intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Fabiano smiles during his intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino, dressed in a tuxedo with a unique bird lapel pin.

A Shared Morning at Palazzo Avino

Fabiano and Oliver broke the tradition of separate getting-ready sessions. They wanted to prepare together, in the same suite, turning the morning into a shared experience rather than two parallel ones. This changes the photography. When the couple is in the same room, I do not have to split my time between two locations. I can stay, watch, and wait for the interactions: one person straightening the other’s collar, a shared glance in the mirror, a quiet toast before anyone else arrives, a small gold bird-shaped brooch pinned to a lapel by hands that were slightly unsteady for reasons that had nothing to do with the pin.

  • Two men in tuxedos pose in an ornate room with a couch and Persian rug.
  • Man in a black tuxedo with a bow tie and a gold bird lapel pin.
  • Man in tuxedo sitting on ornate couch, looking away.
  • Man in tuxedo sits on ornate green and gold chaise lounge.

The suite at Palazzo Avino has white walls, a marble fireplace, and tall Moorish windows that face the sea, aquamarine drapery framing the view, an antique green-and-gilt settee tucked against one wall like something borrowed from a Venetian palazzo. The morning light comes through the glass and bounces off the white surfaces, creating a soft, even illumination that wraps around faces from every angle. Down the hall, two narrow ogival windows sit side by side, each opening onto its own private glass-railed balcony, and at one point Fabiano and Oliver leaned over their respective railings in identical postures, one frame split cleanly into two matching halves by the wall between them. I did not direct that. I noticed it happening and stepped back far enough to fit both windows in a single shot.

  • Two men in tuxedos sit at a table on a balcony, drinking coffee.
  • Two men in tuxedos on a balcony hold champagne glasses.
  • Two grooms in black tuxedos toast champagne glasses on a balcony with a palm tree.
  • Man in black tuxedo and bow tie stands on a balcony with a palm tree and coastal view.
  • Groom in tuxedo stands on balcony overlooking a hillside village and mountains.
  • Man in suit looking out at a coastal village from a balcony with a palm tree.
  • Two men in tuxedos hold champagne glasses on a balcony with palm fronds and trees.
  • Two men in tuxedos toast with champagne glasses on a balcony with palm fronds overhead.
  • Hands arrange two bright yellow lemons in a glass dish next to an apricot rose.
  • Two people in suits toast with champagne glasses, showing wedding rings.
  • Groom in tuxedo stands on balcony by palm tree, overlooking the ocean.
  • Two men in tuxedos holding champagne flutes, with palm fronds and trees in the background.
  • Two men in tuxedos clink champagne glasses on a balcony with a palm tree.
  • Groom in a suit holds a small cup of coffee, a wedding ring visible on his finger.

Later in the morning, away from the suite, I caught a quieter version of the same theme: Oliver, tuxedo jacket still off, holding open a heavy curtain and looking out through a glass door at Fabiano standing on the far side of it, already dressed, in black and white because the color added nothing that moment needed. Most couples who skip the traditional first look lose that particular kind of charge, the one that comes from seeing someone for the first time in their wedding clothes. Fabiano and Oliver found their own version of it anyway, through glass, without either of them apparently planning to.

After they were dressed, I brought them to the balcony. The pink wall of the palazzo on the left, the coast dropping away to the right, and between them two men in matching tuxedos looking out at the same view from the same angle. I shot from the side, using the vertical line of the building as a compositional divider: architecture on one half, landscape on the other, the couple standing exactly at the point where the two halves meet. On the way there we passed the hotel’s small bar, gold leaf on white paneling, a wall of bottles catching the light, an antique mirror behind the counter doubling the room. We stopped for two minutes so they could each hold a glass of prosecco at the bar like they owned the place, which, for that morning at least, they did.

The Vimini Terrace

The ceremony was on the Vimini Terrace, a smaller terrace at Palazzo Avino that looks out over both the green flank of the mountains and the open water of the Gulf of Salerno at once, framed by a stone balustrade lined with classical finials. A solo violinist. A best friend as celebrant, in an emerald green dress and statement earrings that had nothing to do with officiant tradition and everything to do with the fact that she was a guest first and a celebrant second. A handful of friends standing in a loose semicircle. The setup was minimal: no arch, no heavy florals, no production. The view and the music were the decoration.

  • Two grooms in tuxedos clink champagne glasses on a balcony with an ornate, pink archway.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos clink champagne glasses.
  • Two grooms in black tuxedos smile at each other in front of a pinkish-orange building.
  • Two grooms in black tuxedos smiling at each other on a balcony.
  • Groom in a tuxedo receives a boutonnière from another man, with greenery and building in background.
  • Groom's boutonnière is adjusted by his partner in front of an arched building.
  • Groom in a tuxedo has a boutonniere pinned to his lapel.
  • Groom adjusting boutonniere on another groom, both in tuxedos. Outdoor archway background.
  • Groom in tuxedo stands on balcony while another groom looks on from indoors.
  • Two grooms in matching tuxedos stand close together indoors, with ornate paintings behind them.

RAVELLO EXPERIENCE

Find the perfect approach to organize a dreamy wedding in Ravello, and choose an Italian wedding photographer.

Two grooms' hands arrange lemons at an intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Two grooms in tuxedos gaze out at the view during their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Groom sips coffee during intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino, wearing a ring and watch.

AIRY AND MODERN

Fabiano and Oliver enjoy a moment during their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Groom holds espresso cup at an intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
MEET ME

The Best Friend as Celebrant

What I remember most is the celebrant. When your best friend officiates, the tone shifts. The words are not scripted by a professional. They are specific: inside jokes, shared memories, things that only the three of them understand. Fabiano read his vows from a small handwritten notebook, the pages slightly worn at the corners from being read over and over in a hotel room the night before, and I got close enough with a macro lens to catch the actual handwriting without ever needing to know what it said. The guests were crying and laughing in the same sentence. I was moving around the outside of the group, shooting through the gaps between the guests, catching the celebrant’s face as she delivered a line that made Fabiano drop his head laughing while Oliver tried to keep it together. These candid frames, shot between the bodies of the guests, carry more emotion than any formal ceremony portrait because the viewer feels like they are standing in the group, not watching from outside.

  • Two men in matching black tuxedos, smiling and embracing each other.
  • Two men in black tuxedos with bow ties stand in a bright, minimalist setting.
  • Man in tuxedo leans on ornate chair, holding a champagne bottle.
  • Two men in tuxedos stand near a framed portrait and flowers.
  • Two grooms in black tuxedos hold hands and smile at each other.
  • Two grooms in black tuxedos share a happy moment before a window with light blue curtains and an ornate sofa.
  • Two grooms in black tuxedos look at each other in an arched doorway.
  • Two men in black tuxedos stand facing each other, looking into each other's eyes.
  • Two men in tuxedos embrace, one wearing a golden bird lapel pin.
  • Two men in black tuxedos lean in to kiss.

After the vows, the toast happened right there on the terrace. The golden afternoon light had started to soften, hitting the coast at a low angle that warmed the stone and the skin. I shot the clinking glasses with the sea behind them, pulling focus tight on the hands and the champagne flutes while the coastline dissolved into a warm blur, two wedding bands catching the light at exactly the same angle.

  • Man in tuxedo leans against white wall in arched doorway, hands in pockets.
  • Groom in tuxedo leaning against a white wall under an arched entryway.
  • Two men in tuxedos lean on a glass railing in arched alcoves.
  • Two men in tuxedos stand in separate arched openings, looking at each other.
Grooms Fabiano and Oliver share champagne at their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Fabiano and Oliver share a moment during their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Fabiano and Oliver celebrate their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino with a toast by the bar.
Two grooms celebrate their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino with champagne at a bar.

TIMELESS PICTURES

Groom in tuxedo poses before his intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Groom in tuxedo preparing for his intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino, looking thoughtfully away.
Fabiano and Oliver share a moment at their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino, toasting with champagne at a luxurious bar.
Two grooms in elegant black suits share a moment during their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.

PALAZZO AVINO

Through the Streets to Palazzo Confalone

After the ceremony, we walked. Ravello is small enough that everything connects on foot, and the streets between Palazzo Avino and the main piazza are narrow, quiet, and lined with the kind of walls and archways that create a different photo every ten meters.

  • Two grooms in tuxedos hold hands on a balcony overlooking a mountainous coastline.
  • Two men in tuxedos holding hands on a balcony with a mountain view.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos hold roses during a wedding ceremony officiated by a woman in a green dress.
  • Two men in tuxedos hold roses during a wedding ceremony with an officiant.
  • Man plays violin in front of woman, with an outdoor balcony and building in the background.
  • Woman in sparkly dress and large earrings looks right as a man plays violin in the blurred background.
  • Groom in tuxedo smiles while reading vows.
  • Man in suit reads from a small book held by his hands, a woman in a green dress stands blurred in the background.
  • Man in black tuxedo smiles, adjusting jacket lapel on a balcony with a scenic mountain view.
  • Woman in sequined dress holds red ring box and papers.
  • Man in black tuxedo stands on a balcony with a scenic mountain view.
  • Groom in tuxedo smiling while reading a small book on a balcony with greenery.
  • Groom in tuxedo smiles while reading from a small book on a balcony with a scenic view.
  • Groom in tuxedo holding a small book, speaking outdoors at a wedding ceremony.
  • Woman in sequined dress covers mouth in surprise, holding a red jewelry box.
  • Woman in black sequin dress cries, covering mouth with hand.
  • Man in tuxedo smiles while reading a small book outdoors.
  • Groom in a black tuxedo with bowtie and boutonniere, holding a small book.
  • Man in a tuxedo holds a single pink rose with a ribbon, implying a proposal or special occasion.
  • Man in tuxedo holds a single pink rose, its stem tied with a pale pink ribbon.
  • Two men in tuxedos and a woman in a green dress at an outdoor wedding ceremony with a scenic ocean view.
  • Man in black tuxedo with gold bird lapel pin looks towards another man in a tuxedo.
  • A hand holds an open notebook with handwritten vows.
  • Groom in black tuxedo stands with a book while a violinist plays in background.
  • Groom in tuxedo holding a book on a balcony with mountains in background.
  • Man in black suit holding a pamphlet and wearing a silver watch with a teal face.
  • Man in tuxedo reads from a book to a woman in a green dress outdoors.
  • Groom in tuxedo smiles as officiant reads from a book during outdoor ceremony.
  • Man in a suit stands with arms crossed holding a small notebook.
  • Man in tuxedo reads from a book to another man in a tuxedo.
  • Two men in tuxedos and a woman in a green dress stand on a balcony, with mountains in the background.
  • Man in black suit reads from a book to a woman in a green dress, with another man in a suit to her right. Wedding ceremony.
  • Man in tuxedo reads from a book on a balcony overlooking a mountainous landscape.
  • Groom in a black tuxedo with a boutonnière, looking to the side.
  • Man in suit reads from a book to a woman in a green dress, outdoors with mountains in the background.
  • Groom in black tuxedo and bowtie with white boutonniere, smiling.
  • Wedding officiant reads from a book to a smiling couple outdoors with a sea view.
  • Man in black suit holding a stack of cards, wearing a silver wristwatch.
  • Man in tuxedo reads from book during outdoor ceremony with couple.
  • Groom in black tuxedo and bowtie smiles, wearing a boutonniere.
  • Groom reads vows to partner during outdoor wedding ceremony with a scenic ocean backdrop.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos and an officiant in a green dress during an outdoor wedding ceremony.

We passed through the courtyard of the Town Hall, its “Municipio” lettering carved plainly above the entrance, a rose-covered iron trellis marking the way in, the scent of the Mediterranean garden inside doing more work than any florist could. Further along, we stopped in front of the town’s small Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella boutique, its doorway wrapped that week in an arch of dried flowers in rust, teal, and dusty pink, the “Firenze 1221” lettering glowing gold behind the glass.

Fabiano and Oliver stood under it without a hint of self-consciousness, foreheads nearly touching, and it is one of the only images in the gallery where the background is doing almost as much storytelling as the couple. We stopped at Luigi’s Bar, which is where the locals go and where the energy of the town concentrates into a single terrace. Further on, the two of them paused hand in hand with their backs to me, looking up at a Romanesque bell tower, twin arched windows in weathered stone rising above the rooftops, neither of them saying anything for a moment.

Fabiano and Oliver walked through the narrow streets and the reaction from the people they passed was the same every time: applause, “Auguri!”, phone cameras out, strangers smiling. Ravello does this. It is a luxury town that has never stopped being a village, and two grooms in tuxedos walking through the cobblestone streets get the full treatment.

  • Two grooms exchange rings on a balcony overlooking a scenic view, with officiant behind.
  • Two men in tuxedos exchange rings, with an officiant holding a book between them, outdoors with ocean view.
  • Two men in suits exchange rings during a wedding ceremony, with an officiant holding a book in the background.
  • Man in suit places ring on another man's finger during wedding ceremony.
  • A groom places a ring on his partner's finger during a wedding ceremony.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos share a tender kiss outdoors with a blurred mountainous background.
  • Two men in black suits hug on a balcony overlooking a coastal landscape.
  • Two men in suits hug outdoors with a scenic mountain backdrop.

Portraits at Palazzo Confalone

The walk ended at Palazzo Confalone, where the staff gave us access to the panoramic terrace. The view from Confalone is different from Avino: it looks further east along the coast toward Minori and the open sea. The 18th-century rose garden and the ancient columns provided a backdrop that has a different texture from the Avino terraces. I wanted these images specifically because they give the gallery a second architectural voice. Avino is pink and Moorish. Confalone is stone and medieval. The couple, in the same tuxedos, looked different in each setting, which is the whole point of moving between locations during a portrait session.

Fabiano and Oliver hold hands at their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino, with a violinist playing in the foreground.
Two champagne flutes and roses set the scene for an intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
Fabiano and Oliver toast on their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino overlooking the sea.
Fabiano and Oliver embrace on the balcony during their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino with a scenic ocean view.
Fabiano and Oliver share a tender moment at their intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino.
  • Two grooms in matching tuxedos dance joyfully on a balcony overlooking the sea.
  • Two men in black suits dance on a balcony with a mountainous coastal backdrop.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos hold hands, dancing on a balcony with a mountain view.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos hold hands on a balcony overlooking a coastal mountain landscape.
  • Two grooms in matching tuxedos dance joyfully on a balcony overlooking the sea.
  • Two men in black suits dance on a balcony with a mountainous coastal backdrop.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos hold hands, dancing on a balcony with a mountain view.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos hold hands on a balcony overlooking a coastal mountain landscape.

Dinner on the Terrace

They came back to Palazzo Avino for the meal, a single long table set with white linen behind a wrought-iron railing, the coastline stretching out hazy below, the flowers arranged in low terracotta vessels rather than tall vases so nothing blocked the view across the table: peonies, sweet peas in three shades of pink, a few stems of deep purple clematis threaded through for contrast. The group was small enough that conversation flowed down the table without anyone raising their voice. I shot the meal with fast lenses wide open, faces sharp and the background falling into soft, warm blur, the sea a pale band of light behind everyone’s shoulders.

  • Two men in matching black tuxedos look at each other affectionately in front of a large, arched glass doorway.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos kiss under an arched entryway in a courtyard.
  • Man in a tuxedo uses a lion head door knocker.
  • Two men in tuxedos smile at each other, framed by a colorful floral arch with a Santa Maria Novella sign.
  • Two grooms in black tuxedos smile, posing in a grand entryway.
  • Two grooms in black tuxedos share a tender kiss at their wedding, with a floral arch in the background.

Somewhere between the second course and dessert, one of the friends stood up uninvited and gave a short, unpolished toast that clearly hadn’t been planned, the kind that gets a bigger laugh precisely because nobody rehearsed it. Fabiano leaned over to Oliver at one point during dessert and said something that made him laugh so hard he put his forehead on the table. I caught it.

The image is slightly blurred because the shutter was slow, and it is the one they chose to print for their apartment back home. Not the terrace panorama, not the ceremony, not the mirror shot. The blurred laugh. Sometimes the technically imperfect frame is the one that carries the most truth, and by the end of that day I had counted at least four separate moments where glass, mirrors, or a pane of window had done part of my job for me. I don’t think that was an accident. Some weddings just hand you a visual language if you’re paying attention early enough to notice it.

What Makes Palazzo Avino Work for Intimate Weddings

Palazzo Avino is built for small numbers. The Vimini Terrace, where Fabiano and Oliver had their ceremony, holds about 30 guests before it starts to feel crowded. For a wedding under 20 people, the terrace feels private without feeling empty, because the railing and the view create a natural boundary that fills the space the way a flower arch or backdrop would at a larger venue. You do not need production when the Gulf of Salerno is sitting right behind the celebrant, which is exactly the appeal our Ravello elopement guide walks through in more detail for couples weighing a smaller day like this one.

  • Two grooms in black tuxedos walk hand-in-hand through a floral archway toward a building labeled "Municipio."
  • Two grooms in black tuxedos shake hands outside a shop with an orange awning.
  • Two men in tuxedos holding hands and smiling outside a building with "MUNICIPIO" above the entrance.
  • Two men in tuxedos hold hands sitting on a bench in front of colorful ceramic art.

Ceremony Terrace Options. The hotel has a second ceremony option on the larger Belvedere Terrace, which handles groups up to about 80. But for intimate weddings, I always recommend the Vimini. The smaller footprint means I can cover the ceremony from three or four positions without ever being more than a few meters from the couple. At larger terraces, I need to switch between a wide lens and a telephoto to capture both the wide scene and the close emotions. On the Vimini, an 85mm does everything. Every face in the group is close enough to read, every tear is visible, and I can move around the semicircle of guests without blocking anyone’s view because the space is tight enough that I can step behind a shoulder and still be within range.

  • Two men in suits hold hands and look at a bell tower.
  • Two men in formal attire pose in front of ancient stone arches.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos smile at each other on their wedding day.
  • Two men in tuxedos pose outdoors near ancient stone ruins and greenery.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos embrace on a cobblestone path lined with lush greenery and trees.
  • Groom kissing his partner on the cheek on a balcony with a scenic mountain view.
  • Two grooms in black suits hold hands in front of a stone building.
  • Two men in tuxedos hold hands outdoors, with a building in the background.

Dinner for small groups usually happens at Rossellini’s, the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant. The private dining room seats about 12 at a single table. For groups between 12 and 20, they set up on the terrace with a dedicated section. Fabiano and Oliver had their dinner on the terrace, which at that size felt like a private restaurant rather than a hotel dining space. The food is refined Campanian cuisine with a tasting-menu approach, and the wine list goes deep into regional labels that most international guests have never encountered. The cost for an intimate wedding at Palazzo Avino, including the ceremony space, a dinner for 15 to 20 guests, and the suite, typically runs between 15,000 and 25,000 euros depending on the menu and the flowers. That is before photography. It is a significant number, but for what you get, the quality of the food alone justifies half of it.

  • Two men in suits hold hands over a decorated table, one wearing a ring.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos sit at a table on a sunny terrace overlooking a hillside town.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos take a selfie outdoors with Italian flags in the background.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos hold hands while sitting at a table on a sunny terrace overlooking a village.
  • Man in a black tuxedo leans against a vine-covered wall, with orange flowers in the foreground and trees in the background.
  • Man in tuxedo with bow tie and bird lapel pin, posing by vine-covered wall with red flowers.
  • Groom in white shirt with jacket over shoulder looks at his reflection in a tuxedo.
  • Man in tuxedo with bow tie and lapel pin stands by potted red flowers and ivy-covered wall.

Photographing Same-Sex Couples

People ask me whether photographing a same-sex wedding is different. The honest answer is that the technical approach changes, and the emotional approach does not. Two grooms in matching suits create a visual symmetry that I do not get with a bride and groom. The contrast between a white gown and a dark suit is gone, which means I have to find contrast elsewhere: in gesture, in the background, in the direction each person is facing. With Fabiano and Oliver, the mirror shot worked because it broke the symmetry. One groom in focus, one in reflection. Different planes, different textures, but the same moment.

  • Two grooms in black tuxedos pose near a terracotta building with a green door and staircase.

The other difference is logistical. When a couple gets ready together, as Fabiano and Oliver did, the morning schedule compresses. There is no back-and-forth between two rooms. I arrive once, stay in one place, and the morning unfolds in front of me. This gives me more time for detail shots, for the quiet moments before anyone else arrives, for the first look that happens not as a staged reveal but as a natural part of two people putting on their suits in the same room and turning to face each other when they are done.

That compressed schedule is also, in a strange way, where a lot of the day’s best material comes from. With a bride and groom in separate suites, I spend the first two hours splitting my attention and my crew, sending a second shooter to cover whichever room I am not in. With Fabiano and Oliver, everything happened in front of one camera, which meant I saw the bar visit, the twin balcony moment, and the curtain-and-glass-door reveal all unfold in sequence rather than piecing them together afterward from two different memory cards. I would not tell a couple to change their traditions just to make my job easier, but I will say that getting ready together removes a kind of narrative fragmentation that most wedding galleries never quite solve.

  • Two grooms in tuxedos embrace on a balcony overlooking a coastal town and mountains.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos smile on a balcony overlooking a coastal mountain landscape.
  • Two grooms in tuxedos embracing on a balcony with a mountain and sea view.
  • Two men in tuxedos smile at each other on a balcony overlooking a coastal mountain landscape.

Italy legalized same-sex civil unions in 2016, though the ceremonies I photograph in Ravello are almost always symbolic rather than legally binding on Italian soil, with couples handling the legal paperwork back home either before or after the trip. A symbolic ceremony in Ravello, like the one Fabiano and Oliver had, carries the same emotional weight and visual beauty as any other wedding ceremony I photograph. The local vendors, the hotels, the florists, and the musicians I work with treat every couple the same way. I have never had a situation on the Amalfi Coast where a same-sex couple felt anything other than welcomed. Ravello is a town that has hosted artists, writers, and nonconformists for over a century, a history our wedding in Ravello guide touches on beyond just the venues. It knows how to make people feel at home.

Everything about Palazzo Avino, from the terraces to the Michelin kitchen to the real costs, is on the venue page.

Get in touch if you want to plan something similar.

  • Four people in formal attire enjoy a meal at a table overlooking a scenic coastline.
  • A woman in a black sequin dress and three people in formal wear toast with champagne at a table with floral arrangements.
  • Four people in formal attire at a decorated table with floral centerpieces.
  • Four elegantly dressed people toast at a celebratory dinner with a scenic mountain view.
  • Close up of a floral arrangement with a prominent peach-colored rose and soft pink and white roses.
  • Pink sweet peas and roses in a peach vase on a table with a blurred background of water and hills.
  • Four people in formal attire at a table on a balcony overlooking a coastal mountain view.
  • Floral centerpieces adorn a formal table setting on a balcony overlooking a scenic view.
  • Soft pink and white floral arrangement in a coral vase on a table setting.
  • A table setting with multiple vases of pink and peach flowers, a glass, and place settings.

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