Second Shooting a Wedding at Borgo di Tragliata in Italy
April 2, 2025
Second shooting at a wedding is always a unique experience, and it’s not something I have done in 13 years as my own business has developed. But when an opportunity to travel to Italy to capture a multi-day celebration at Borgo di Tragliata, I jumped at the opportunity. From navigating travel logistics to blending seamlessly into the wedding day, this trip was a reminder of how dynamic and rewarding destination wedding photography can be and where I stand with it now.
I’m super thankful to Olly Knight for allowing me to share some of my favourites here – this was his booking and an absolute joy that I was able to join him while Second Shooting a Wedding at Borgo di Tragliata in Italy.
The Journey: From Cambridge to Rome
My adventure for Second Shooting a Wedding at Borgo di Tragliata in Italy began in Cambridge, where I caught the train to Gatwick Airport to meet the main photographer Olly Knight for the wedding. This wasn’t just any photographer—it was someone I first worked with 13 years ago, right at the start of my wedding photography career. Reconnecting after all these years, in an entirely different setting, made the trip even more special. We’ve been friends since, and our paths have crossed multiple times, and I think this is key in working as a team in a different country. Friendship is fuel in these conditions.
With just carry-on luggage packed carefully for the weekend, we boarded the flight to Italy. Upon arrival in Rome, we found ourselves sharing a taxi with a group of wedding guests, all stoked about the upcoming celebrations. There’s always something fun about traveling with wedding guests—it immediately creates an atmosphere of shared anticipation, and as photographers, it gives us the chance to observe and get a sense of the people we’ll be capturing over the next couple of days.
Borgo di Tragliata: A Dream Italian Wedding Venue
Arriving at Borgo di Tragliata, it was easy to see why so many couples choose this venue for their destination wedding. This historic estate, set in the rolling countryside just outside of Rome, was originally an ancient Etruscan settlement before being transformed into a working organic farm and luxury wedding venue. The estate is rich in character, with rustic stone buildings, charming courtyards, and panoramic views of the surrounding olive groves and vineyards. We even had lemon trees outside of our room!
What makes Borgo di Tragliata particularly special for weddings is its intimate yet spacious setting. The venue is large enough to accommodate guests for the entire weekend, creating an immersive experience where friends and family can settle in, relax, and celebrate without having to leave the property. The Italian hospitality is another highlight—the staff ensure everything runs smoothly, and the locally sourced food and wine add an extra layer of authenticity to the experience. Even though it’s just a short drive from Rome, you get no sense of being in a city, but feels like you’re in your own little world.
A Warm Italian Welcome
The evening we arrived we photographed the welcome party—an informal gathering that allowed us to document guests mingling in a natural, unposed way. As a vegan I had a bit of a challenge trying to navigate the food options while not having the skill of speaking Italian! The plan to photograph the welcome party wasn’t just about capturing beautiful moments; it was also a chance to learn names, recognise key family members, and understand the dynamics of the group. It’s something I always find valuable when shooting weddings—by the time the wedding day arrives, there’s already a sense of familiarity that makes capturing authentic moments so much easier. This is something you only get with multi-day weddings, and can be harder on single day weddings.
After the welcome event, we stayed on-site at Borgo di Tragliata, making the most of the immersive experience. There’s something wonderful about waking up in the heart of a wedding venue—it allows you to settle into the rhythm of the day without worrying about logistics or long commutes.
The Wedding Day: Serving the Main Photographer
The morning of the wedding was super relaxed. We had breakfast alongside the guests, enjoying the atmosphere and preparing for the day ahead. March in Italy can be unpredictable, but we were blessed with incredible weather—sunshine, blue skies, and just the right amount of warmth in the air. Thank you Jesus.
As the second photographer, my role was to compliment the main photographer’s approach—which meant reducing my usual editorial style to match his (as much as I can) documentary aesthetic. My natural instinct when photographing weddings is to document the authentic moments but also to create images with a fashion-forward feel, often using portrait orientation to create the most elegant compositions. However, for this wedding, I needed to take a completely unobtrusive, reportage approach, capturing purely natural, unposed moments.
Finding a Balance: Documentary with an Editorial Eye
While I fully embraced the documentary brief, I found ways to subtly incorporate my editorial vibe for the images Olly allowed me to use for my portfolio. By carefully observing the light, composing with strong lines and elegant framing, and anticipating beautiful interactions, I was still able to create images that felt refined and stylish—even within the constraints of true documentary shooting.
For example, I paid attention to gesture and body language, ensuring that even completely candid moments carried a classy feel. I also looked for opportunities where natural movement and expressions aligned in a way that could translate seamlessly into an editorial aesthetic in post-production. In some of my edits, you can still see that fashionable, elevated quality, even though nothing was posed or directed.
Ultimately for a second shooting gig my role is to serve the main photographer, and I’m super thankful that my second shooters do the same for me.
The Challenge of Shooting Only in Landscape
Another challenge I mentioned earlier was that the main photographer requested I shoot only in landscape orientation. Photography is all about composition, and for me, portrait (vertical) orientation is a natural choice for certain shots—particularly individual portraits, close-up details, and moments where height adds to the storytelling. However, with respect being my number one priority, I was more than happy to work this way.
Being requested to landscape framing meant I had to rethink my approach, ensuring that every shot remained balanced and impactful within that constraint, with the option to crop in post. Instead of isolating individuals, I leaned into wider compositions, capturing guests interacting and using foreground elements to create layers. It was an interesting creative exercise, and while I missed the variety of shooting both orientations, it reinforced the idea that limitations can lead to new perspectives.
A Post-Wedding Roman Adventure
The day after the wedding, with our job officially complete, we took the chance to explore Rome. Wandering through the city with cameras in hand, we indulged in a bit of street photography—something that felt both creatively refreshing and oddly familiar after a weekend of wedding reportage.
Street photography, much like documentary wedding photography, is about anticipation, composition, and capturing fleeting moments. The difference is in the approach—at weddings, you have a general sense of what’s going to happen next, whereas in street photography, everything is unpredictable. The challenge is to see the extraordinary in the ordinary—to frame an interaction, a shadow, or a fleeting expression in a way that tells a story. With Rome as the backdrop it made our job easy!
We explored some of Rome’s most iconic spots, including the Colosseum and the forum. The textures of the city—the cobbled streets, the aged facades, the golden Italian light—made for an inspiring setting to document everyday life. It was a shame that there was lots of road works, in prep for the year of Jubilee (2025) but it still felt like Old Testament magic.
Then, in one of those surreal travel moments, I bumped into a past wedding client completely by chance. In a city as vast as Rome, the odds of that happening felt almost impossible, yet there we were, standing face to face in a completely different country. Check out our selfie below!
Final Thoughts: My Priorities
Second Shooting a Wedding at Borgo di Tragliata in Italy was an incredible experience—not just because of the stunning setting or the wedding itself, but because of the journey surrounding it. From reconnecting with Olly who I first worked with over a decade ago to adapting to a documentary shooting style and ending with a spontaneous encounter with a previous wedding couple, it was a wedding trip to remember.
That said, as much as I love destination weddings, my focus moving forward is on staying closer to home in Kent. Travel photography is always an adventure, but at this stage in life, family is my priority, and I’ll be keeping my bookings local. While I won’t be taking on any destination weddings until at earliest 2029, my approach to wedding photography remains the same—capturing beautiful, natural moments with a timeless editorial feel, wherever the location may be.
