Venice offers an unusual rhythm for a pre-wedding session. With Annalisa and Daniele, I moved between the open space of St Mark’s Square, bridges, canals and quieter streets, allowing the city to change naturally around them while keeping their relationship at the centre of the photographs.
An engagement shoot is also useful before the wedding because it gives the couple time to become familiar with the wedding photographer and the camera. Walking through the city, talking and spending time together makes the photography gradually feel less present, leaving more room for instinctive gestures and expressions.
Some of Venice’s most recognisable architecture became part of the story, but I did not want the session to feel like a collection of postcard views. From St Mark’s Square to the smaller canals, I looked for a balance between the identity of Venice and the more intimate moments shared by Annalisa and Daniele.
I photographed the session with the same observational approach I use for wedding reportage, intervening as little as possible and following what happened between them. The result is a pre-wedding story where Venice remains unmistakable, but never becomes more important than the couple.
