Sydney & James: A Ville Ferrano Wedding in Tuscany

Sydney and James brought their families and friends to Ville Ferrano for a two-day wedding at the end of August. The estate sits on a hilltop near San Giovanni d'Asso, in the municipality of Montalcino, with views far across the Tuscan countryside. I photographed both days, on digital and on film.

The weekend began with a welcome dinner by the pool. Guests arrived in the evening, found each other under the string lights and settled in for two days together. On the wedding day, Sydney and James got ready in the villa, among the old brick vaults, and then walked to a ceremony in the olive grove, framed by cypresses.

What makes Ville Ferrano work so well for a wedding is how close everything is. The aperitivo was down by the pool, the ceremony in the olive grove and dinner up on the terrace, all a short walk apart. Many guests stayed on the estate, which is made up of the main villa and ten houses and apartments. The main Villa Ferrano only opened to guests in 2025, so it is still a new name among Tuscan wedding venues.

Sydney had planned the details with a lot of care, especially the buffets, and they worked with local suppliers for the day. Mariella Santoni planned the wedding, Osteria Il Pino did the catering and the cake, and Monfleur did the flowers.

What I remember most is how warm everyone was, with me and with each other. You could see how close the two families are. Sydney read her vows in the olive grove, and the speeches at dinner were very moving. In between, the guests waved their napkins and laughed a lot.

Our time for portraits was short, but it fell into the best light of the day. The sun was low over the hills, and a few minutes on the lawn were enough. After dinner on the terrace and the cake cutting, the dancing moved from the garden into the vaulted rooms of the villa and went on into the night.