Elena & Catello

You always knew you’d end up on my blog, didn’t you.
You must have become suspicious when you saw the look on my face at the news that you would have the fabulous Marianna Lanzilli design your wedding gown.
You must have known I was cooking up something while we were walking around Palazzo Parigi together, as I looked around in disbelief at what has since become one of my favourite work locations.
You must have got it the day you read me jump up and down my chair as I got your email announcing you would have a fantastic pair of Salvatore Ferragamo bridal shoes at your feet, and the softest, chic-est bouquet by Sofia Barozzi.
And so. You were right.
There are things that I do love in a bride and that made me feel drawn to you. Working for you as had me tick from the start, because of the way you designed your wedding and because of the way you danced gracefully around time constraints and work engagements as the amazing ballerina I, after seeing you hit the dancefloor, now know you are.
If you know me by now, you know I love strong women, passionate career girls, and a good old pair of fancy shoes.
If you know me by now though, you also know there’s way deeper a reason why I’m writing this today. You also know as much as my work routine draws inspiration from my corporate days and I love to sound all office-like and efficient as I write stuff such as Please find attached … I am pleased to confirm that … Using the pre-stamped envelope … Here’s the printing rights official document … and bla — to me, my job is truly, madly, deeply a matter of chemistry.
If you know me by now, you know I tend to take to my brides and that I remain always grateful to them for the opportunity they gave me to put my own personal vision and message in their photos, and to make a difference. You know that I value beauty, family, togetherness, and above all a happy partnership with my husband, and that I strive for my photography to reflect that.
If you know me by now, you’re aware of the fact that I regard my rides as a club and this blog as our lounge were I can group all you fab girls and talk about what I please. If you know me by now, you understand that my job is not just about clicking away at weddings, and that all of the research, study, strategizing and prepping for each of them requires time and energy that leave little room for taking care of a blog and make it impossible to feature each and every girl I have had the distinct pleasure to work for.
Then again, if you know me by now, you can imagine a bride that, discussing the final timeline, gives me a Cutting of the cake: meh. Toss of the bouquet: no way … resonates so much with the person I am I must talk about you today.
More, if you know me by now, you know if a ray of sun comes out unexpectedly and you’re OK to play in front of my camera for ten seconds by walking down a staircase, I’m going to give you my everything in that shot.
Finally, if you know me by now, you’re positive when I hear the evergreen notes of Twist and Shout being played as your first dance, I’m the first one to hit the dancefloor with my camera because not only must I record that for you as a photographer, but also because I feel genuinely transported by the joyous atmosphere and that’s my way of being part of it, of being happy for you. You know you got me going now / Just like I knew you would.
As the micromanager you are, you know all these things very well by now.
What you don’t know, is that the day we met again for the handing over of the complete collection and I saw you guys leave Palazzo Parigi on your scooter, I felt gloomy knowing it was over. You don’t know that I smiled either, thinking of how you looked like careless teenagers instead of the serious grown-ups and brilliant professionals you definitely are. And you don’t know — in point of actual fact, you have no idea of how lucky I feel to have met someone like you, of how entertained your emails always leave me, and of how much I love the fact that I don’t have to use a gazillion exclamation marks to end a sentence whenever we text because … you get it.
These are the real reasons why I wanted to have you over today, and for which I will always pride myself about sharing what has become a proper brand. June First.
And if they had told me while I was getting married myself that, years later, on the same day at the same time I would have celebrate the anniversary of my wedding photographing another girl’s … I really, really would have wanted for that person to be someone like you.
Well, shake it up baby now.