Cortona wedding photographer – Chris & Ari at Corte dei Papi

The two grooms lifted on chairs during the hora at their wedding at Corte dei Papi, Cortona

Chris and Ari’s wedding at Corte dei Papi

Chris and Ari came from New York to get married in Tuscany, at Corte dei Papi, a villa just outside Cortona. Two grooms, a symbolic ceremony and a day built around the people they love most.

They got ready in separate rooms of the villa, each with his own friends. The interiors at Corte dei Papi are rich and theatrical, with baroque furniture, gilded mirrors and, in one of the suites, a huge hot tub right in the middle of the room. It’s not the kind of setting you forget.

The ceremony was held under the pergola next to the pool, with their families and friends sitting close. Chris and Ari read their own vows, and it was one of those ceremonies where nobody really tries to hold back the tears.
It ended, as Jewish weddings do, with the breaking of the glass.

What I remember most about the day is exactly that: families who were deeply involved, moved, present in every moment, and friends who felt the same.
Dinner was served under the same pergola, with a simple setting: sunflowers on the tables and very little else.
A live band played during dinner and kept going for the party, so the dancing started right there, between the tables, without anyone having to move.
At some point the band started the hora, and both grooms ended up high on chairs above the dance floor, waving their napkins.

Wedding Venue

Corte dei Papi, Cortona: the venue

Corte dei Papi is a boutique hotel in Pergo, in the countryside just below Cortona, a few minutes’ drive from the old town. The property has belonged to the Papi family since the 17th century: it was once the family farmhouse, and it has been turned into a small luxury hotel with around fifteen rooms and suites, a restaurant, a pool and a large garden.
What sets it apart is the interiors.

This is not the bare, rustic Tuscany of stone and whitewashed walls: the rooms are rich and decorative, with baroque furniture, gilded mirrors and strong colours. Some suites have a private spa, and in one of them a huge hot tub stands right in the middle of the room.
If you love understated, minimal style, it might not be your place; if you like a bit of theatre, it’s hard to beat.

For a wedding, the heart of the venue is the pergola next to the pool. It’s covered, it gives shade on summer afternoons, and it’s big enough to hold the ceremony, dinner and the party in the same place, as Chris and Ari did. The villa also has plenty of indoor space, which makes a plan B for rain much easier than at venues that only have a garden.

The location is a good base for guests, too: Cortona is right above, Lake Trasimeno is about twenty minutes away, and Montepulciano, Siena, Arezzo and Perugia are all within an hour’s drive.

The two grooms in front of the villa at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
One of the grooms getting ready with his family by the window, black and white
One of the grooms wiping away a tear before the ceremony, black and white
The two grooms cutting their wedding cake at Corte dei Papi, black and white

BEST OF CORTONA WEDDING

  • Guests in colourful outfits at the entrance of the villa at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • One of the grooms in a white robe walking along the stone walls at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Friends in the suite while one of the grooms gets ready at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Getting ready in one of the suites at Corte dei Papi, black and white
  • One of the grooms getting ready in the suite with the large hot tub at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom fixing his hair in front of a baroque mirror, black and white
  • Groom and friends in the suite before the wedding at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom walking through the arched rooms of the villa before the ceremony at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom getting ready with his family in an ornate bedroom at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • One of the grooms getting ready with his family by the window, black and white
  • Friends helping one of the grooms get ready, black and white
  • Groom adjusting his shirt in front of a gilded mirror at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom in a white suit by the stone walls of the villa at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom in a white suit leaving the villa with a child at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom in a white suit at the door of the villa at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • The two grooms smiling at each other before the ceremony, black and white
  • The two grooms meeting in the garden before the ceremony at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • The two grooms in the garden among the olive trees at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • One of the grooms wiping away a tear before the ceremony, black and white
  • The two grooms hugging in the garden at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests arriving under the pergola for the ceremony, black and white
  • Two guests posing by the pergola at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • One of the grooms laughing with a friend, black and white
  • Groom with a guest in the garden before the ceremony at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guest taking a photo of the grooms under the pergola at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests walking into the garden before the ceremony at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests chatting before the ceremony, black and white
  • Guests relaxing on loungers by the pool at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Wedding guests by the pool in front of the villa at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests and grooms by the villa facade at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom laughing with friends in the courtyard at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests in elegant outfits by the old stone walls at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Two guests smiling before the ceremony, black and white
  • The pool and the pergola set for the wedding at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests laughing under the pergola at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests raising their glasses under the pergola, black and white
  • Guests taking their seats under the pergola for the ceremony, black and white
  • Guest smiling during the ceremony, black and white
  • The two grooms sitting under the pergola at the start of the ceremony at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • The two grooms facing each other during their symbolic ceremony at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom wiping away a tear during the vows, black and white
  • The two grooms reading their vows under the pergola at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom reading his vows from a red booklet at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Symbolic ceremony under the pergola next to the pool at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • The two grooms hugging after the vows, black and white
  • The two grooms smiling at their guests during the ceremony, black and white
  • Guests applauding during the ceremony, black and white
  • Family hugging the grooms after the ceremony, black and white
  • Guest raising a glass to the grooms, black and white
  • The two grooms breaking the glass at the end of their Jewish ceremony at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • The pergola by the pool lit up for dinner at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom raising his arms during the speeches at dinner at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom laughing during the speeches, black and white
  • Guests at dinner under the pergola at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guest giving a speech during dinner at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests lifting the two grooms on chairs during the hora at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests dancing with one of the grooms at the party at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guest dancing at the party under the pergola at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests hugging on the dance floor at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guest dancing at the wedding party at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests dancing under the lights at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Groom dancing in a white tank top, black and white
  • The two grooms cutting their wedding cake decorated with sunflowers at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • The two grooms cutting their wedding cake at Corte dei Papi, Cortona, black and white
  • Groom dancing with friends, black and white
  • Guest in sunglasses dancing under the lights at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests dancing at the wedding party at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests dancing with their arms in the air, black and white
  • Guest dancing at the party at Corte dei Papi, Cortona
  • Guests dancing at the end of the night, black and white

Planning a wedding at Corte dei Papi?

  • Where it is: a few minutes from Cortona, about an hour and a quarter from Florence and an hour and a half from Rome Fiumicino by car.
  • Stay together: with around fifteen rooms, the closest family and friends can sleep on site, and the rest of the guests can stay in Cortona.
  • Light: the pergola gives soft, even shade during the day. For portraits, the garden and the countryside around the villa are at their best in the hour before sunset.
  • Getting ready: the suites are big and full of character, with plenty of room for friends and family.
  • Flowers: the setting is already rich, so a simple style works well. Chris and Ari used only sunflowers.

Getting married in Cortona or the Valdichiana?
A full day of photography in Tuscany starts from €2,200, with travel and accommodation included.

Planning a same-sex wedding in Tuscany? Read my guide to getting married in Tuscany, with a note on civil unions and symbolic ceremonies.

Not fixed yet? Pick an approximate date.
The venue name, or just the area if you haven't chosen yet.
What matters most to you? Anything I should know?

Similar Posts