This one started as a message out of nowhere. A guy from Paris reached out to me online with a plan that, at first, I honestly thought might be a prank: fly his girlfriend out from France to Italy, under a cover story, and propose to her at sunset in front of both of their families and closest friends could I film it?
It wasn’t a prank. Lionel had rented a villa with an infinity pool in Arenzano, on the Ligurian coast, and quietly brought in Marina’s family and his own to be waiting when she arrived, still thinking this was just a normal trip. The weather that evening wasn’t exactly cooperating, but none of that mattered once it actually happened the proposal itself came off beautifully, and Marina said yes, surrounded by exactly the people who mattered most.
They ended up getting married not long after, in Paris Lionel actually asked if I’d film that too, but between travel and budget, it didn’t end up working out. Still, I was genuinely happy for them either way.
The day after the proposal, Lionel, Marina and I spent the afternoon wandering around Arenzano together, filming a few more scenes just for the fun of it. Looking back now, almost ten years later, a shoot like this a dedicated proposal film, planned out like its own small production wasn’t nearly as common back then as it’s become since. It’s strange to think we were doing something back then that’s only really caught on since.
Working alongside me that day was Simone Maggiani on second camera.
Vendor Credits
- Location — Arenzano, Liguria (private villa rental)
- Videography — Alex Sofo Wedding Films
- 2nd Camera — Simone Maggiani