Federica & Filippo — A Wedding in Acireale, Sicily

The wedding was only yesterday. The photographs are still waiting to be looked at, and yet some images keep returning on their own, without any need for a screen.

It happens when a day stays with me.

Federica got ready in her grandparents’ home in Acireale, on Sicily’s east coast — surrounded by objects that had known her long before the dress did. The guests weren’t there to watch; they were there to be present. And two people let themselves go without asking anyone’s permission.

This is the kind of day I look for as a documentary wedding photographer in Sicily. Nothing directed, nothing performed. The celebration moved to La Casa del Grecale, and even there the most beautiful moments were the ones nobody planned.

In this gallery I’ve gathered the things I loved most. Not all of them — for all of them, I would need a book.

If you’re planning a wedding on Sicily’s east coast and this way of seeing things speaks to you, I’m here. You can start with my guide to getting married in Sicily.