Castello di Frassinello has been standing over its corner of the Monferrato hills for close to a thousand years, and it still carries that weight stone courtyards, a centuries-old mulberry tree anchoring the center of the grounds, and a little octagonal chapel tucked inside its walls. The village church sits just steps from the castle gate, close enough that Cecilia walked there with her father rather than taking a car a short, quiet walk through the village before the day properly began.

While she got ready, the room upstairs was full of noise in the best way Cecilia and her bridesmaids laughing their way through hair and makeup, the kind of easy, unbothered energy that tells you exactly what kind of bride she is. Federico, waiting elsewhere, was the opposite in temperament if not in warmth: composed, towering over pretty much everyone in the room, and about as gentle a giant as you’ll find.

By evening, the courtyard had been transformed for dinner one long table stretching the length of the space, strings of lights overhead, the castle walls holding the whole scene in like something out of a film set. It’s the kind of setup that barely needs a videographer to make it look good; the location and the light do most of the work on their own.

I filmed this one entirely solo a genuinely demanding day for one person to cover start to finish, but exactly the kind of challenge that, one way or another, you find a way to bring home.

Vendor Credits

• Venue & Ceremony — Castello di Frassinello, Frassinello Monferrato
• Videography (solo) — Alex Sofo Wedding Films