Stefano and Ilaria planned their wedding as a way to experience Rome together, surrounded by their closest people. Photographed by Giada Joey Cazzola, the day moved through the city like a personal route, with each stop showing a different side of Rome. One of those stops happened to be their own wedding ceremony.
Set in Rome in early May, this intimate celebration felt closer to an urban journey of exploring nature, culture, and streets. Here, the city didn’t frame the wedding, but became the wedding itself.
Location: Rome, Italy
Style: Intimate, Urban, Modern
Time of planning: 8 months
Number of guests: 30
Setting: City
Season: Spring
Sunrise at the Pantheon
Stefano and Ilaria’s story didn’t begin in a cinematic way. They met at work in Milan, over ordinary coffee breaks, during regular office days. No dramatic setup, no grand gesture, just two people sharing routines, conversations, and eventually choosing to spend more time together. That unremarkable beginning became a quiet contrast to how their wedding day opened.
Giada, the photographer, suggested a sunrise first look at the Pantheon, and the couple took the hint. Rome was still half-asleep, the square was almost empty, and the first time they saw each other as bride and groom happened in front of one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Built nearly 2,000 years ago and still functioning today, the Pantheon has long been associated with ideas of eternity, continuity, and civic life, an unexpectedly fitting place for a modern civil wedding story to begin. This moment established the logic of the entire day. Rome was experienced through a series of locations, each one tied to a different chapter of Stefano and Ilaria’s story.
Urban Rome
At some point early on, Stefano and Ilaria made a small decision that quietly defined their dynamic. Instead of attending a work party, they skipped it and went to a gin bar instead. That choice led to another, and then another. Techno nights, club culture, festivals, long evenings that blurred into mornings. Their relationship grew out of movement, sound, and city energy. The second location in their city guide mirrors that chapter of their story almost too well.
After the stillness of sunrise, the city comes back into focus through its streets. Graffiti-covered walls, crosswalks, taxis passing by, that constant urban rhythm where nothing fully stops. Rome here feels fast, textured, and lived-in, exactly the environment where this side of them makes the most sense.
The styling leans into that same attitude. Ilaria wore a vintage Vivienne Westwood gown, a fitting choice given Westwood’s reputation as the rebel of the bridal world. Structured, unapologetic, and never overly romantic, the dress felt designed for the street rather than a staged setting. She completed the look with Vivienne Westwood gloves and dark sunglasses, giving the bridal silhouette a distinctly urban edge.
She paired the gown with minimalist Neous slingback heels and meaningful family jewelry: her mother’s pearl necklace and earrings, along with a delicate pearl necklace gifted by Stefano’s mother on the wedding day. The beauty look stayed intentionally natural, with soft makeup and her hair worn down. Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia was her fragrance of choice, subtle and understated. She carried a sleek bouquet of calla lilies, reinforcing the balance she was after.
Stefano matched the mood with a sleek Armani suit, clean and modern in cut, styled with sunglasses that added confidence and a quiet sense of cool. His look was polished without feeling formal, contemporary without trying to impress.
They moved through the city naturally. Not posing against Rome, not performing for it, but walking through it as if this was exactly where they were meant to be. Giada captured that ease by weaving the city into every frame: shopfronts, layered posters on walls, handwritten notices, passing strangers. Each element belonged, turning Rome from a backdrop into a living, editorial context rather than a decorative setting.
Choosing the right photographer is essential — someone whose style resonates with you and who gives you a good vibe, because those photos will become the memories you keep forever.
Quiet Moments by the Lake
During a trip to Thailand, far from work schedules, parties, and city routines, somewhere between travel days and shared quiet moments, they realized that what they had built together went beyond simply enjoying the same places or the same nights out. And here their movement turned into a direction. Five years and one big move to London later, Stefano knew he had to lock this down.
That sense of clarity finds its visual match in the lake sequence. After the density and pace of Rome’s streets, this location introduces stillness. Much like that turning point in Thailand, the lake represents a moment of calm confidence. Within the context of the wedding day, these images act as a pause before the ceremony.
Ceremony
The civil ceremony took place at Complesso Vignola Mattei, a historic complex located in the heart of Rome. Chosen for its architectural character and sense of history, the venue aligned naturally with the couple’s desire to stay connected to the city rather than step away from it. The setting carried weight on its own, making additional decor unnecessary.
With just 30 guests, the ceremony was intentionally intimate. Stefano and Ilaria wanted the focus to remain on the exchange itself and the people present, rather than on formal structure. To make the moment truly their own, they wrote personal vows, a decision that set their ceremony apart from a traditional Italian civil wedding and added a layer of emotional clarity without turning it into a performance.
What they remember most is the feeling of standing together, surrounded by their closest family and friends, fully present in the moment. After the ceremony, as they stepped outside as newlyweds, guests greeted them with soap bubbles, a light, joyful gesture that echoed the tone of the entire day: sincere, uncomplicated, and celebratory.
Reception
By the time they reached this stop, the city guide naturally slowed down. After that, the day transitioned into a reception built around a shared table and classic Italian dishes. Aperol Spritz opened the evening, followed by Sgroppino, a vodka and lemon sorbet cocktail from Friuli, a clear nod to Stefano’s roots. The cake was a Millefoglie, chosen for its simplicity and familiarity. What began at sunrise concluded over food, wine, and familiar voices, bringing the city guide to a natural close.
Advice from the couple:
• Plan enough, but don’t overplan. What matters is enjoying both the day and the process leading up to it. If you approach the planning with joy rather than stress, you’ll remember not only the wedding as beautiful, but also the time before it as something special.
• Pinterest and social media can be great for inspiration, but in the end, focus on what truly reflects you as a couple. A wedding isn’t about trends or what others expect; it’s about creating something that feels authentic to who you are. The more your wedding represents you, the more meaningful your memories will be.
PHOTOGRAPHER Giada Joey Cazzola | RESTAURANT Consolini | GOWN Vivienne Westwood | SHOES Neous | SUIT Armani
