An Elopement in Taormina, Sicily (And the Best Man in a Wedding Dress)
Before Nicolette even walked out for their first look, the groom's best friend David put on a white dress and pretended to be the bride. With Zach expecting to turn around and see his beautiful bride for the first time, David gently tapped in his shoulder. Zach's reaction was priceless, and honestly, so was everyone else's. We were all doubled over laughing before the "real" first look even happened. If that's not the perfect way to kick off a wedding day, I don't know what is.
Nicolette and Zach are from LA, and this wasn't even the first time I photographed them. We actually shot their engagement session in their vintage Cadillac on the PCH near Malibu. They've been together almost 10 years, and they are about as laid back as a couple gets. That energy carried through the entire trip. Nothing was rushed, nothing was stressed. Just two people who've clearly had a decade to get comfortable being exactly themselves.
Nicolette and Zach invited their closest friends and family to their elopement, so we were a small group of 15. We all stayed together at the Lemon Tree in Taormina, hosted by Karen and Diego, who could not have been more perfect hosts. Karen is also a wedding planner in Taormina and helped the couple with booking many of their vendors! Breakfast every morning was a spread I looked forward to before I even opened my eyes, and between the pool and the cliffside views over the sea, it was hard to believe we had to leave the property for anything. Which we didn't, really, since the ceremony was right there on a hill overlooking the cliffs, surrounded by lemon trees and decorated with gorgeous flower arrangements by Alfio Flowers.
The golden hour ceremony started with a local violinist playing as they walked down the aisle. The views made a perfect backdrop for group photos, and then it was time for cocktail hour! It became pure chaos in the best way when a local traditional Italian band showed up and started serenading everyone. They were wild, they were funny, and they got the party vibe going immediately. The couple and I stepped away for sunset and twilight portraits while the sky turned every shade of pink and purple. A local woman who only spoke Italian cooked dinner for us that night and I’m still thinking about that steak and roasted potatoes. I tried to tell her how good it was, but this was before I started learning Italian again so I’m sure I butchered whatever I said. The dinner table was unbelievably gorgeous, lit by candlelight with the cliffside town twinkling below us. The night ended perfectly with homemade cannolis for dessert, plenty of local wine, and a table full of people who genuinely loved being there for Nicolette and Zach.
This was my first time in Taormina, and in Sicily at all, and I don't think I was prepared for how blue the water is. Isola Bella alone had me taking the same photo over and over trying to capture how gorgeous it was. Before their rehearsal dinner, which was a cooking class at a local restaurant called Pirandello 2.0, I spent the day just wandering the city on my own. After the dinner, I went back out and kept exploring, tried pistachio pesto for the first time (5/10), and found a bar with a local guitarist singing where I could've stayed all night. I ate at Bam Bar (from season 2 of White Lotus, iykyk) more times than I'll admit, discovered that granita might be my new favorite sweet treat, and finally tried arancini, which are little deep fried rice balls of deliciousness.
Days like this are exactly why I love what I do. A couple who trusted me enough to fly me across the world, a villa full of people who felt like instant friends, and a city that gave me just as much to fall in love with as the wedding did. Nicolette and Zach, thank you for bringing me along for this one. Sicily, I'll be back.
