Italy Trip Recap
Fitting all my feelings and emotions about this 8 day trip across the pond is simply impossible. I don’t even know where to begin. But sorry in advance for the abundance of photographs you are about to see. Including the insane amount of food that was consumed during our time there.
Monica, who is the talented photographer behind Calgary Boudoir/Red Bloom Photography and I have been friends for 10+ years now. We are the definition of instagram friends turned into real friends. I second shot my first wedding with Monica years ago and she has been a huge influence in my business from day one. She took me under her wing and I will forever appreciate Monica for that.
I remember the evening I received the text from Monica asking if I wanted to go to Italy with her so clearly. That week I discussed with my husband how I was struggling and really needed to do something for myself. I needed a trip or a change of scenery to feel inspired again and to feel alive. The text from Monica came in the next day asking if I could come to Italy with her because she was shooting a wedding, and I didn't even have to think about my reply. It was an instant HELL YES. Than reality soaked in and I remembered I have 2 kids and travelling away from young kids comes with logistical challenges. My husband didn’t even bat an eye when I told him I was thinking about going. He was like yes, absolutely you need to do this. Bless his heart. And Monica booked the flights. We are going to friggen Italy!!!!
We bought matching Nikes, boarded the plane to Europe and the rest is history. We truly had the time of our life. Travelling with people you haven’t spent a lot of time with can be nerve wracking and scary but we really nailed it and are already talking about our next Euro trip hopefully soon! Sorry hubs. Haha! We explored our little hearts out, shot a lot of photographs, shared so many laughs, got lost way to many times and had the best time.
Italy according to my iPhone…
I will share our itinerary of cities below of where we visited if you are curious or planning your own trip to Italy. It is so easy to travel within Italy with the convenience of trains which make it cheap and easy to see so much in a short period of time.
Day 1 - Arrive in Florence
Day 2 - Explore Florence
Day 3 - Train to Rome
Day 4 - Tour around Lucca
Day. 5 - Train to Cinque Terre
Day 6 - Wedding Day in Tuscany
Day 7 - Drive to Pisa
Day 8 - Travel Home
Italy according to my DSLR…
We each had 2 couples sessions booked for the night before the wedding. We shot super closed to our villa on this amazing road with Cypress trees (traditional Italian trees) and a vineyard in the background and we also used our villa that was built in the 1700’s because the cobble stone was unbelievable. I am forever obsessed with shooting in Italy and all its beauty.
The wedding day was nothing short of amazing. I didn’t really shoot the wedding much with Monica, just helped her with the ceremony and some wedding party shots and did some behind the scenes for her. I love watching her shoot on a wedding day because she is seriously so good at what she does and you can learn so much from her and the way she poses/interacts with her couples. I can’t wait to see all the wedding photos when she is done editing them but here are a few behind the scenes I took of her working her magic. The wedding took place at the villa in Tuscany and it was quite possibly the most beautiful wedding ever. From the decor, to the Tuscan backdrop, to the florals, to the incredible food. WOW. It truly was a experience. And I will forever be raving about the wedding cake, because I don’t think I’ve ever had cake that good in my entire life. I shared a few iPhone shots above from the wedding reception!
If you made it this far, thank you for reliving my Italy journey with me. Forever thankful for this trip, the inspiration and life is brought back to my soul. And thank you, Monica for asking me to come on a trip of a lifetime with you. I am forever thankful for you and your friendship and your love for shoes we share with each other.
