Villa Catignano · Siena · Tuscany
Mia & Michael
Villa Catignano wedding photographer
A wedding among the lemon trees near Siena
Mia and Michael came from Australia to get married in the Chianti countryside, at Villa Catignano near Siena.
For Mia it was also a way to come back to her roots: her grandparents emigrated from Italy to Australia, and at the wedding you could still hear Italian, spoken beautifully by her grandmother and her mother, with that hint of dialect that only comes from home. Mia doesn’t speak it, but you could feel how much that connection meant to the whole family.
The day started inside the villa, getting ready in large, elegant rooms with high ceilings and their original floors: friends, last touches, a few nerves and a lot of smiles. Michael got ready in another wing, calm and focused, before heading down to the garden. The ceremony took place on the large lawn surrounded by lemon trees, with their closest family and friends around them.
The wedding
Best of Mia & Michael’s day
After the vows
After the aperitivo we took a short walk through the gardens for some portraits in the soft late-afternoon light. Then dinner in the courtyard of the villa, speeches and a first dance that opened a long night on the dance floor.
The venue
Villa Catignano
Villa Catignano is a 17th-century villa in Castelnuovo Berardenga, about 20 km (25 minutes) from Siena and 80 km from Florence, on the edge of the Chianti hills.
It’s one of the most elegant places I’ve worked in: large rooms with high ceilings and original floors, with that refined, country-chic feel that never looks staged.
Its real highlight is the Italian garden, with perfectly trimmed geometric hedges and antique statues: one of the most beautiful backdrops in Tuscany for couple portraits.
The ceremony usually takes place on the large lawn surrounded by lemon trees, while dinner is served in the courtyard at the heart of the villa.
There’s also a small chapel with a colonnade: it’s usually closed, but its façade makes a lovely backdrop for photos. If you love historic villas near Siena, have a look at Jasmine and Lauren’s wedding at Villa Castelletto.
The surroundings
Siena and the Chianti hills
Castelnuovo Berardenga sits on the southern edge of the Chianti Classico area, where the vineyards and wooded hills of Chianti meet the softer landscape of the Crete Senesi.
Siena is only twenty-five minutes away: its shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, where the Palio horse race is run every summer, the cathedral and the narrow medieval streets make it an easy and beautiful day out for guests.
Within a short drive there are wineries and small Chianti villages such as Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, perfect for the days before or after the wedding.
Good to know
Planning a wedding at Villa Catignano?
Where it is
In Castelnuovo Berardenga, about 25 minutes from Siena and 80 km from Florence, on the edge of the Chianti hills.
Getting ready
The rooms of the villa are large and elegant, with high ceilings and original floors, and there is space for both of you in separate wings.
Ceremony
The large lawn surrounded by lemon trees is the usual spot for the ceremony.
Portraits
The Italian garden, with its geometric hedges and antique statues, is one of the most beautiful backdrops in Tuscany.
Dinner
Dinner is served in the courtyard at the heart of the villa, with string lights for the evening.
The chapel
The small chapel with its colonnade is usually closed, but its façade makes a lovely backdrop for photos.
Kind words
“
WOW!! The photos are amazing!! You have captured every moment, big and small, so beautifully! We are both obsessed with them! Michael and I are so grateful that you were part of our big day, thank you for everything!! We can’t wait to share these with our family and friends, we know they will be blown away at how incredible they are!
Mia & Michael · Villa Catignano, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Siena
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Getting married at Villa Catignano or elsewhere in Tuscany?
I’ve photographed weddings at Villa Catignano and in many other villas around Siena and Chianti.
Here’s how I work as a Tuscany wedding photographer, or simply tell me about your day below.
