Adam and Bex brought their family and friends to Tuscany for a celebration that moved from a garden ceremony to Israeli dancing, a champagne tower and one surprise almost nobody knew about: an explosion of colourful daytime fireworks over Villa Grabau.
One we won’t forget
Set just outside Lucca, Villa Grabau has the kind of character that makes Tuscany such a remarkable destination for weddings: historic architecture, gardens, open spaces and completely different environments within the same estate.
But what made Adam and Bex’s wedding memorable wasn’t simply where it happened.
It was what they brought to it.
Their wedding combined the atmosphere of a Tuscan villa with Jewish traditions and a celebration that became progressively less formal as the day went on.
And that’s exactly what I want to preserve when I film a wedding.
One of the elements that gave Adam and Bex’s wedding its own identity was the presence of Jewish traditions throughout the day.
Before the ceremony, Adam gathered with the men for the Tish at L’Arancera di Villa Grabau. Drinks, voices, anticipation and a completely different energy from the quieter moments happening elsewhere.
After the ceremony, the atmosphere shifted again. Adam and Bex left with an aisle dip before the celebration gradually became louder, faster and much less formal.
Later, Israeli dancing brought everyone together. Chairs in the air, constant movement and the kind of energy that cannot really be staged.
These are the moments I’m always looking for. Not because they are perfect, but because they are real.
After the ceremony, everyone gathered in the gardens of Villa Grabau for what appeared to be a group photograph. Adam and Bex stood on the steps, with their guests below and the Tuscan landscape behind them.
Then the sky changed.
A surprise display of daytime fireworks exploded above the gardens in clouds of colour. Almost nobody knew it was coming, including their parents, which meant every reaction happened exactly once.
No second take. No recreation.
Just the moment as it happened.
By dinner, the wedding had completely changed rhythm.
Adam and Bex made their entrance, Israeli dancing took over, speeches followed, champagne started flowing and the evening moved through live music, a champagne tower, cake cutting and their first dance.
What began as an elegant wedding in a historic Tuscan villa ended as a proper party.
That contrast is also what made the film interesting to me. I could move between more composed, editorial images and completely spontaneous moments without forcing either of them.
The wedding already had its own rhythm. My job was to follow it.
For couples considering a destination wedding at Villa Grabau, one of the most interesting aspects of the venue is the variety it offers within the same estate.
The historic architecture, formal gardens and open spaces create very different settings throughout the day, allowing a wedding to evolve visually without constantly moving between different locations.
From a filmmaking perspective, this makes Villa Grabau particularly interesting. The more structured architecture works beautifully for editorial imagery, while the gardens and reception spaces leave room for movement, spontaneous interactions and documentary storytelling.
My approach is not to turn the venue into a film set or the wedding into a production. I prefer to understand the spaces, anticipate where important moments will happen and then allow the day to unfold naturally.
Adam and Bex’s wedding was a perfect example. Villa Grabau gave us the setting, but their traditions, their guests and the energy they brought to Tuscany gave the film its identity.
Every wedding at Villa Grabau can look different. That is exactly why I don’t believe in arriving with a predetermined idea of what the film should be.
I work between candid documentary storytelling and a refined editorial aesthetic, observing much more than directing. I pay particular attention to movement, voices, reactions and the moments happening outside the obvious centre of attention.
For Adam and Bex, that meant preserving both sides of the day: the elegance of a destination wedding in Tuscany and the complete energy of the celebration that followed.
Beautiful images matter. But they should still feel like your wedding.
You create the story. I give it a cinematic voice.
discover my approach to destination wedding filmmaking in Italy
Villa Grabau is a historic wedding venue located near Lucca, in Tuscany, Italy. Its location makes it particularly interesting for couples planning a destination wedding in the Tuscan countryside while remaining close to Lucca.
Yes. Villa Grabau offers different outdoor and indoor spaces that can be used throughout a wedding celebration, allowing the ceremony, reception and party to have their own atmosphere while remaining within the estate.
Yes. Its location near Lucca, historic architecture, gardens and variety of spaces make Villa Grabau particularly suited to destination weddings in Tuscany, especially for couples bringing guests to Italy from abroad.
Villa Grabau offers a combination of architecture, gardens and open spaces that works particularly well for both editorial and documentary wedding filmmaking. For me, the most important part is using those surroundings without allowing the location to become more important than the people and what is actually happening.
Yes. I film destination weddings at Villa Grabau and throughout Tuscany, as well as across Italy. My approach combines candid storytelling, real sound and an editorial visual language to create films centred on what was genuinely lived.
The Team
Video: Luigi Rainone Films
Venue: Villa Grabau
Photography: Rellini art studio
Planning: WP Tuscany
MUA: Pamela Sanchez
Hair: Nicole Jordine
Flowers: Arcobaleno arte del fiore
Catering: Del Carlo
Music: Novaeny enterteinment
Calligrapher: Lauta Mazzetti
Fireworks: Diego Fuochi d’artificio
Rental car: Slowdrive
If you are planning a destination wedding in Tuscany and are looking for a film centred on real moments, natural emotions and everything happening in between, I’d love to hear about your plans.
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