VILLA DI ULIGNANO WEDDING | TUSCANY; ITALY | CORAL + JULIA

Coral + Julia

“Ray shot our wedding in Tuscany over three days. He worked tirelessly to never miss a photo opportunity, his editing was beautiful and end product perfect. Highly recommend”

Well, hold my Aperol Spritz…

Let’s talk about this absolute rollercoaster of a wedding experience — and not just because of the road leading up to Villa Di Ulignano. If you’ve ever driven it, you’ll know exactly what I mean: an outrageously bumpy Tuscan mountain track that chewed through a rental tyre (€203 later, thanks Italy). But once you make it up there? Worth. Every. Penny. The views are next level, and the villa itself? Unreal.

I stayed just a stone’s throw away at Borgo Della Speranza, where the hosts were genuinely lovely and — most importantly — the rooms came with air con. Trust me, when you’re shooting 16-hour days in 35-degree heat, coming back to a chilled room is a tiny slice of heaven.

The day before the wedding, Julia and Coral spent time by the pool with their guests before heading into Volterra for welcome drinks. Lucy from Wiskow & White recommended the perfect spot — a beautiful restaurant with views that stretched endlessly across the Tuscan hills. It felt like you could see all of Italy from up there.

The wedding day itself? Probably the toughest and most rewarding I’ve ever shot. We kicked off around 9am and wrapped somewhere after 1am. Non-stop. No real break. Just incredible moments, back-to-back, in the beating heat — and I wouldn’t change a thing.

The ceremony took place on the lawn near the pool, with rolling Tuscan hills framing the vows. Afterwards, guests were treated to an open-air food and drinks reception complete with a chef cooking fresh scallops and beef tartare. The vibe was so laid-back, but so refined.

Dinner was set up in front of the villa and honestly, it was stunning. The speeches were heartfelt, the atmosphere electric — and then came the surprise tenor. He appeared halfway down the staircase belting out “Time to Say Goodbye”. Not a dry eye in sight. Coral’s mum was in tears. Magic.

Later, we snuck off for a quick portrait session in the olive groves at the bottom of the hill — a great call by Paul Van on film. The light down there was golden and glowy, much more dynamic than the open field above. Everyone always says “The light in Tuscany hits different” — and they’re right. It really does.

As night fell, Omero & Friends lit up the dance floor with bongos, sax, decks and pure energy. Guests were on shoulders, cocktails and cigars flowed, and the whole thing turned into a wild, unforgettable party (with one poor guest breaking her foot — sending love if you’re reading this!).

The next day, the usual post-wedding haze set in. But we weren’t done yet. After a quick morning dip, I was back with the camera for the pool party from 1–4pm. We wrapped the whole destination experience with a perfect group shot: every guest launching themselves into the pool at once. Iconic.

This was just a brief look at one hell of a wedding — Villa Di Ulignano absolutely set the bar high. Julia and Coral are the kind of couple that make my job a joy: stylish, kind, up for anything, and they know how to throw a proper party. Huge shoutout to Lucy from Wiskow & White too, whose planning was faultless from start to finish.