Getting married on the island of Pianosa
Meeting Carolina and Filippo was exciting and engaging, both because we immediately connected and because their spontaneous, authentic Florentine accent instantly made me “feel at home”. Filippo is an engineer and sports enthusiast: he especially likes tennis and is passionate about padel. Carolina is disarmingly beautiful. She could be a fashion model (she certainly must have been in Florence). They are a wonderful couple and radiate love and complicity through their boundless energy. I met them personally on Pianosa Island, one of the seven pearls of the Tuscan Archipelago, where they arrived on the morning of their wedding by boat. During the tourist season, Pianosa is served by a daily ferry service that leaves from the small port of Marina di Campo. Seeing Pianosa from the sea is always a great thrill, and even more so when one gets off the ferry and is welcomed by Ronny and Giulia, the island’s hosts. Many years ago, I worked on the island for the Tuscan Archipelago National Park; today, the island is much more populated, but no less fascinating. What is certain is that when the boat leaves at 5 pm to return to Elba Island, this flat land becomes deserted and only the holidaymakers staying at the Hotel Milena, the only hotel on the island, remain. From that moment on, silence reigns, and one can enjoy the song of nature and stillness of the night beneath an unparalleled starry sky. Describing Pianosa is a difficult, almost impossible task: words can hardly convey its unique and captivating beauty. The video attached to this article will do so better than my description.
Carolina and Filippo arrived in Pianosa at about 10.45 am after a 40-minute boat ride that often treats travelers to extraordinary encounters with dolphins dancing happily in the sea of the archipelago. The bride and groom were accompanied by their closest friends and relatives. Elegantly clad, the guests were enthusiastic about attending the civil ceremony on Cala Giovanna, the only beach where swimming is allowed. My invaluable staff and I had arrived the night before to set up the event, which, in addition to the civil ceremony, included a wedding lunch in a somewhat rustic setting beneath a mighty, centuries-old tree, with a breathtaking view: a veritable tableau of ever-changing shades of blue, turquoise, and emerald green. The ceremony, officiated by the Deputy Mayor of Campo Valentina Petrocchi, was accompanied by the notes of a violin that harmonized beautifully with the delicate song of the sea. It was July 3, so there were several beachgoers present: they happily shared the emotional atmosphere with the wedding party. The bride and groom crowned their lifelong dream, that is to say the wedding and imminent arrival of baby Ginevra, who will one day be able to say she witnessed emotion and excitement from her mother’s womb, amid tears, applause, and vows.
The wedding reception started as soon as the civil ceremony ended. To provide shade, we had set up a romantic gazebo adorned with white curtains and, inside, a square table seating 8. Every detail of the table setting was carefully curated: a lovely linen tablecloth, floral decor, custom napkins, and other elegant finishing touches. The wedding also featured an “unexpected intruder”: a hen that entertained the guests running around the grounds. It was a simple, eco-friendly wedding, an authentic celebration ideal for a couple that loves nature and wild islands. Carolina and Filippo’s intimate wedding celebration would not have been complete without the cutting of the cake, which was a gorgeous fruit tart decorated with rose petals and precious decorative items such as a silver candlestick and tiny furnishing complements. Time simply flew by!!! Soon enough, the Aquavision ferry staff announced that it was time to head back to Elba. Carolina, Filippo, and their friends and relatives made their way to the marina filled with joy and dazed by an unceasing rush of emotion. The moment they set foot on the boat’s gangway, the Captain, Andrea Sirabella, saluted their marriage with three blasts of the horn, announcing to the numerous passengers that a few hours earlier, a young couple had exchanged vows and said “I do”. Thus, their special day was crowned by a chorus of good wishes: they will cherish this choral blessing, and little Ginevra, forever.
Wedding Photographer Matteo Migliozzi
