Borgo di Tragliata Wedding Photographer | Niamh and Dave

By the end of day one nobody was calling her Niamh. Fr Roberto, the kind Italian priest who married Niamh and Dave at Borgo di Tragliata, gave the pronunciation of one of our most Irish names a good go and landed on Neff. The name stuck. It made it into the speeches, it followed her around the pool party the following day and she found it as funny as everyone else did.

Annie and I flew to Italy a few weeks ago to photograph Niamh and Dave over three days at the Borgo, an old fortified village on a hill just outside Rome. For a documentary wedding photographer it is about as good as the job gets. Three days with 147 Irish guests in July sunshine, no posing and no staging, just a couple who wanted to be in their wedding rather than perform it.

We had been to the Borgo before for the wedding of Annie's sister Grace, so walking back through those gates felt like a return rather than an arrival. If you are considering the venue for your own wedding, my complete Borgo di Tragliata wedding photographer guide covers the grounds, the light and everything in between.

The Welcome Drinks

The weekend opened with welcome drinks and a barbecue that seemed to have no end. Platters of meat and cheese kept arriving and a DJ and sax duo had everyone up dancing as the sun dropped over the hills outside Rome. Somewhere in that golden half hour I photographed the sax player in silhouette against the sunset which really set the tone for what was going to be one of my favourite weddings of the year.

Getting Ready at the Borgo

Niamh got ready with her bridesmaids in an apartment inside the old walls while Dave and his groomsmen were across the village. The couple had written each other letters and each found a quiet corner amid the buzz to read them. Both welled up. Then came the moment Niamh had told me she wanted most, her dad Bobby seeing her dressed for the first time. He was very emotional and Annie and I were both there for it.

Dave's morning tells its own story in the gallery. The sequence starts with him messing with his groomsmen and you can watch the nerves slowly creep in, the laughing getting a little quieter as three o'clock approached.

The Ceremony

The chapel at Borgo di Tragliata is a lovely little church and it filled quickly. It was hot, properly hot. If I can offer one tip to future couples marrying in Italy in July it is this, bring fans for your guests.

Annie stayed outside with Niamh while I stood at the top of the aisle with Dave. Whatever tension had built in him over the morning left the second he saw her walking towards him on Bobby's arm. From there the two of them were relaxed and lovely together, which after ten years as a couple is simply who they are.

Then Fr Roberto called her Neff and 147 people quietly filed it away for later.

A Red Fiat and a Brass Band

What happened next was one of the coolest exits I have ever photographed. Niamh and Dave climbed into the Borgo's famous little red Fiat and were driven down the hill while The Gloves marched behind them playing brass, the entire wedding following on foot like a parade. As a Borgo di Tragliata wedding photographer you learn the venue's party tricks. The red Fiat is the best of them.

Guests spilled into the courtyard for Aperol and Hugo spritzers with charcuterie and cheese. The heat that had been a challenge in the chapel became exactly what you fly to Italy for.

Portraits Around the Old Village

Niamh and Dave wanted to spend their wedding with their friends, not away from them, so we kept portraits to fifteen minutes. A short walk through the old borgo, soft light on ancient stone, then back to the party. It is my favourite way to work. If you want to see how that approach plays out across a full day, my wedding portfolio is full of it.

Speeches, Cold Sparks and a Champagne Tower

Speeches came before dinner. Mick and Terry shared best man duties and managed the rare double of being very funny and quietly moving. Both dads spoke and drew tears and laughter in equal measure. Neff got more than one mention.

Dinner was served outside in the courtyard with Kerry Ann and Philip playing as the evening cooled. Then came the cake cut. The Borgo does not do a quiet cake cut. Cold sparks shot into the night sky behind Niamh and Dave, smoke drifted across the courtyard and a champagne tower glowed under the fountains of light. The photographs from those ten minutes look like a film set.

Zombie

The Gloves picked up their brass instruments and led everyone into the old barn like pied pipers for the first dance. From that moment the party did not stop. Later in the set Niamh got up on stage with the band and sang Zombie by The Cranberries. I climbed up behind her to photograph the crowd and they were gone, absolutely gone. One guest had a chair lifted above his head. Niamh is a seriously good singer, a fact her friends clearly already knew and I was delighted to discover.

The Pool Party and the White Party

Day three started at the pool in 30 degree sunshine with food, drinks and increasingly competitive volleyball. That evening everyone dressed in white for dinner and karaoke. The standard was frighteningly high. Niamh sang again and held the whole room. Dave and his friends got up and gave it everything too.

If you are an Irish couple thinking about taking your wedding abroad, this is what three days can look like. My destination wedding guide is a good place to start planning.

Thank You

Kevin & Annie with all their couples :)

Niamh and Dave were the last couple in their group of friends to get married, a group whose weddings Annie and I have been photographing for years. So underneath the celebration there was a small sadness for the two of us, a sense of the end of an era. At some point a guest took a photo of Annie and me with the whole crew. In a completely selfish way it might be my favourite picture of the weekend because it sums up what these people have become to us.

Thank you Niamh and Dave, or Neff and Dave, for bringing us to Italy and trusting us with three days of your lives. Being a Borgo di Tragliata wedding photographer for a weekend like this never felt like work. You can see more featured weddings from recent years. If your own plans are taking shape, at home or abroad, I would love to hear from you through my contact page.

The Dream Team

Venue and Cake | @borgoditragliata Photography | @kheffache_studios@kevin_kheffache@anniekheffache Videography | @fulviogrecofilms Content Creation | @loveelens Celebrant | Fr Roberto Leoni Dress and Headband | @justinalexander via @thebridaloutlet_ Veil | @thebridaloutlet_ Shoes and Jewellery | @jimmychoo Rings | @bespokediamonds Bridal Hair | @leoniekinsellahairstylist Bridal Makeup | @keega22 Bridesmaids Hair and Makeup | @stefy.makeup.hair Bridesmaids Dresses | @shopfolkster Suits | @louiscopeland_and_sons and @thegroomsroomdiffney Mothers of the Bride and Groom Outfits | @pheonix_vire Flowers and Decor | @krafteemomstyling Stationery and Signage | @rubyroodesign Photo Booth | @auto.scatto Ceremony and Dinner Music | @kerryannsheridanmusic Band | @theglovesband Nails | @the_biabbar