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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & TIPS
The answers to most questions you might have about our work or your wedding in Tuscany
“All we need to do is show up and get married. Frankie & Marilia will do their crazy magic to make everything look incredibly perfect, right?”
Hell no.

There are actually quite a few things you can do as soon as you start planning your wedding in Tuscany to make sure your photos look like you always dreamed of. We also dream of making them look incredible, so please do help us.

The secret is: there is no secret. We’re good, but we’re no magicians. Good photography isn’t accidental. Our best work is planned – and for us to make magic together, we need three things: light, vulnerability and time.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

01.
What is your pricing?
From experience, we’ve learned that each wedding has its own unique characteristics. Therefore we work with tailor-made wedding packages that are specifically built to suit your needs for your celebration. Get a hold of us through our contact page so we can come up with something that would work for your wedding.
02.
What kind of packages do you offer? Do you have anything specific for a full weekend coverage?
We have a few different packages and wedding coverage options that go from a full-day wedding coverage to us being with you guys all weekend. But don’t worry; we won’t leave you and your wedding hanging. We get asked about this frequently, and we know this is one of the most important things we need to get right so we can be there with you. Get in touch with us so we can see what options would be best for your wedding in Tuscany.
03.
Are collections customizable?
Yes! We know each wedding is unique. While some couples are excited about engagement photos and keepsake wedding albums, others have other needs they need to address. Contact us and we’ll work out a solution that works out perfectly for your wedding.
04.
Are you willing to travel outside Tuscany for our wedding?
Leaving Tuscany behind is sad. But we have been traveling for work ever since we started photographing weddings way back in the day. We are trying to see how far we can push La Dolce Vita – so we will definitely not hesitate to hop on a train, get in our car, or fly out to photograph whatever you guys have in mind. Be it in Italy or anywhere else.
05.
Are travel costs included in the pricing?
We live in Tuscany, but are definitely ok with traveling all over Italy. Unfortunately travel costs aren’t included in our pricing. We will work out a specific quote for travel costs with you and work from there. We prefer to book and arrange our own travel, after running every single cost by you.
06.
Do you work with a second shooter?
Frankie & Marília means Frankie & Marilia, always.  This means two first shooters, with the same experience and aligned aesthetics and techniques. I mean, we’re a married couple guys, we share interests.
Unless a horrible catastrophe happens, which won’t be the case, we don’t split up for weddings. Ever. We will both be there. Depending on the size of your wedding or specific needs, we may bring additional photographers. But you get Frankie & Marilia all for you. Rejoice!
07.
We don’t speak perfect Italian, do you guys speak other languages?
We speak English natively/fluently, We also speak Portuguese natively, Italian fluently and we can get by pretty well in Spanish. Let’s do this thing.
08.
We won’t be in Italy until the wedding. Can we talk before?
The good thing about modern life is that distances have been significantly shortened. We had been doing this for years with out-of-town clients, but the pandemic made this way easier and more common. We can Skype / Zoom our hearts out so you two can “meet” us and make sure we are the two people you’d like pointing a camera at you during such a special day. Let’s get some virtual coffee!
09.
How do I make sure my wedding date is booked?
Reach out to us with your date. We will set up a meeting online to see if we’re the ones you want next to you on your wedding day. Once we talk about a collection that suits you and your wedding, we will prepare a photography contract. Once the contract is signed and the retainer fee is paid, we’re booked and ready to go!  Payments can be arranged digitally or by international bank transfer, and we’re open to finding a solution that works for you.
10.
What is your approach?
Timeless contemporary. With intent. We like to be part of the process and make sure our expertise is considered when you and your planner are establishing a timeline for your wedding. We like to be allowed in, to get to know your families, to be close to you in order to deliver work you can feel.
We style and direct to capture your reality. We document what is happening organically but point the camera at what we believe tells your story best – all while making sure your classic portraits and moments are captured the way they should to stand the test of time.
11.
How long have you been a photographer?
We have been photographing weddings full-time for over ten years for some of the most demanding creative clients on the southern hemisphere. Now we’re here, taking over Italy one slice of pizza at a time.
We were featured in many national and international publications, looking forward to being featured in many more now that we’re in beautiful Italy.
12.
How many images will we get?
It really does depend on the wedding. It depends on the size of your wedding and many activities or attractions you might have planned. A 500-guest wedding in Tuscany and an elopement are very different. We would say about 80-100 images per hour of coverage.
13.
Do you deliver every image you capture at our wedding?
We definitely want to make sure the story of your day is told from the beginning to the end. However, at times, we take a few more photos than we would need to ensure we capture specific moments. Not to mention people blink, people chew with their mouths open – and we know we don’t want those pictures. We also don’t want anyone to see those.
The photos delivered on the gallery will be selected, color corrected, adjusted – and will all look beautiful. You don’t want to see anything before the final results.
14.
What is your turnaround time?
We only take on a few number of weddings each year. The reason for this is to make sure we can focus 100% of our attention on each couple. We follow a “slow living” outlook on life, but our turnaround times are the same as other industry professionals. For engagement and portrait sessions, we work with 4 to 6 weeks. For weddings, our turnaround time is 8 weeks. This doesn’t mean we might not get these to you way earlier, though.
15.
Will we get sneak peeks?
Yes. You might say you won’t get anxious, but we know your style. You’ll get a little preview of the magic to share it on the ‘gram – don’t worry.
16.
Are both getting ready portraits included in the coverage? We both want our photos taken.
Well, it depends. We’re only two people, and we’re sure you want photos of the beautiful decor at the venue you guys chose. You’ll also want photos of what was happening at the ceremony before you got there. So Frankie needs to be there for this.
Getting ready coverage is always included for one of you. We have no problem whatsoever including the other one – if one of you is getting ready at the same venue as the ceremony and reception. And also if we can work out a time for you to be ready early.
INQUIRE ABOUT OUR SERVICES
LET’S MAKE SOME MAGIC together.
We would love to hear what you guys have planned. We are sure we can work out a custom tailored package that fits your experience.
TIPS TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WEDDING IN ITALY

WEDDING DAY TIPS

01
There is such thing as perfect. Perfect timing. You set the tone.

Timing is everything. It sets the tone and feeling of your wedding day, and can be the difference between a relaxing day with your loved ones to a scary stress-fest.

I mean, you came all the way to Italy. You asked your friends to hop flights with all these connections. You picked the perfect place – we agree – but then you hurried. You timed things wrong. Now the whole thing feels rushed.

This whole “let’s have our wedding in Tuscany” shenanigan is supposed to be about slowness. Being connected. La dolce vita.

Your wedding timeline needs to be flexible. Schedule buffer time between important aspects of your day. Do a hair and makeup trial before the wedding so there are no surprises. Know how to button your dress. Make sure you tell your families and bridal party to be ready for portraits before the actual scheduled time. Oh, and set your wedding ceremony for the correct time – read this following tip.

Time flies. So does this beautiful Italian light.

If getting married in the Italian summer, chances are you can get pretty wild with your timeline. With the sun not setting until well past 8pm in the middle of summer, chances are you’re gonna have a day filled with light.

But hey, there’s a limit. And it might be cloudy. You never know! Our main tip is to consider scheduling your ceremony for a little earlier than you originally considered. Little things happen, timelines sometimes get a little stretched – and if not careful, you might miss out on this beautiful Italian light.

Do ask us what our opinion is. Are you having a first look? Are we doing the portraits before the ceremony? All of this plays a role on what time you put down on those beautiful invitations you’re making. Natural light is the one thing to make our work look good. No sense in not having us doing the best we can do.

02
03
The place where you get ready needs to be stunning.

You picked your dress two years ago. You hauled it across the globe. You’re wearing your grandmother’s earrings. Things could be perfect, but you didn’t realize there’s a neon green wall in your room. Now everything is green. Good times.

It’s in this bridal suite or hotel room that Marília makes your portraits look stunning.  Here’s where Frankie styles all your details for those beautiful photos of your stationery. We can’t have neon green – unless it’s intentional (hey, we’re not judging you).

The place where you get ready needs to be spacious and filled with natural light. It needs to be tidy. This is the backdrop for the photos that start telling the story of your beautiful wedding in Tuscany. We need to make sure there’s no underwear on the bed creeping in your photos.

Kindly ask your makeup artist to set you up near a large window. Oh, and plan on being totally ready around an hour early so you can sip some bubbly in style – or at least have your bridal portraits properly taken by the Marilia-master.

Details help tell stories. Embrace them.

Details do matter. Your grandmother’s ring matters. The stationery and invitations you picked out matter. They are all part of your story.

As soon as we get to wherever you’re getting ready, we will start photographing all these details. We kindly ask you to have your wedding dress, shoes, jewelry, family heirlooms, accessories and other details from your wedding you would like to have photographed ready by the time we arrive. That way we can start working on these photographs before or while you first start getting ready.

This also includes all your stationery/invitation suite – without any creases. Your welcome bag. Your calligraphy and envelopes. Whatever details you think may help tell the story of your wedding in Tuscany. We are going to style the heck out of everything and it’s going to be glorious.

04
05
Want those magazine-worthy couple’s portraits? Consider a first look.

We have a secret to share: A lot of those photos you looked at (and saved as references of your perfect wedding photos) before getting married, of couples in stunning locations, were taken before the ceremony.

Taking your portraits before the ceremony (as well as those beautiful family and bridal party formal portraits) is a way to ensure we have more time to create and make you two look awesome. It also means that after the ceremony, you’re free. Free to enjoy your cocktail hour. Free to enjoy your lovely jazz trio. Free to stand in your receiving line without worrying about time, or about getting dirty from your cousin’s makeup.

We can’t recommend this enough. That way you and your guests don’t have to be anxious about getting to the party after the ceremony. And we’ll be nice and calm and collected instead of hurrying doing your portraits. Consider saving only necessary group portraits for this time and getting the bulk of them done before hand. Win-win-win situation.

Cell phones are bad. iPads are horrible. Put yours away during the ceremony, uncle Robert.

You planned this moment for years. You wrote out your vows. Your boo is crying happy tears at the altar. Guests are weeping. The officiant says you may kiss each other. You hired the best photographers on planet earth. Then your uncle steps in front of us with his iPad and ruins the photo.

You planned this moment for years. You wrote out your vows. Your boo is crying happy tears at the altar. Guests are weeping. The officiant says you may kiss each other. You hired the best photographers on planet earth. Then your uncle steps in front of us with his iPad and ruins the photo.

This is a true story. It has happened before. Many times.

We are all for family and guests taking pictures with their phones during the wedding. But having your officiant kindly requesting guests to fully enjoy the ceremony without phones (or larger devices) for your wedding in Tuscany isn’t rude at all. This is Italy, the sun is shining. Questo momento è troppo bello per essere sprecato davanti uno schermo. Google translate that. We’re here. We got this. These pictures are going to look oh-so-good.

Oh yeah, don’t forget that clark gable-esque kiss at the end of the ceremony.

06
07
Formal and Bridal portraits are important. They will last for generations.

This ties in perfectly with the previous tip. Story time: Frankie’s grandpa has photos of his Italian family at his wedding. Frankie didn’t know about these photos until his grandfather pulled them out of this beautiful little box a few years ago at his mom’s house. His grandparents were born in the 1920s and got married in the 40s. These photos are beautiful and really made us think about their importance.

These portraits need to be looked at as a crucial part of the wedding day. Your other photos are beautiful to share on social media and with your friends – but these will last generations.

As long as you plan for, and allot time for these portraits, they are quick and painless. We will ask you for a list of specific people you may want to include in these formal portraits. We will ask about any specific groupings dynamics, such as stepparents and divorced parents. We’ll get through this and these photos will be glorious.

Shy about being photographed? Booze isn’t the answer. Engagement or Portrait sessions are.

Even if done just the day before the wedding, these photos are the best way for us to get to know each other. I mean, we’re in Italy, you’re usually somewhere else. Even if we hit it off on Skype and Instagram, even if we have lots of coffee in Florence a year before the wedding, we’re probably not going to get much time together.

This may seem a little trivial to you, but it’s a way for you to feel more at ease with us. I mean, we’re lighthearted, fun, and super modest – there’s no way you wouldn’t feel instantly at ease with us. But this is the best way for you to just let us in on your wedding day.

And letting us in is the only way we can really capture you, your families, and the essence of your wedding in Tuscany. If we’re not part of the experience, if we’re just looking in from outside, these photos won’t feel as meaningful.

08
09
Pick your vendors with love – and trust them. Especially us.

We’re in this for the money. It’s our work. We put in countless hours of work into every wedding we photograph. We had to write this thing you’re reading. We built this website. We reply to your emails and Instagram messages. It’s always us. From going to the bank to removing that little blemish on your nose – it’s all us. So we charge what we think we’re worth.

But we’ll let you in a little secret: We’re really proud of the work we make. We want it to look good. We want you to love the photos. We want your family and friends to love the photos – and yes – we want to love the photos. It’s personal for us. Like it is for many “vendors” that chose to work with weddings.

To us, it’s something we create. It’s our passion. We’re go above and beyond, not only because of the money. Probably because we’re proud and we want our work to get better and better.

So trust us. Be vulnerable. Make sure you want to be photographed when you hire us. We want to take your photos. We have been doing this for over ten years. We have been to hundreds of weddings. Trust our experience. With that trust, you can be free to be yourself. To feel at ease. And we’ll feel free. Trust us wholeheartedly, and we’ll give you gold.

Know that beautiful weddings are thoroughly planned. Work with an experienced and skilled wedding planner.

There isn’t a way to stress this enough. We’re stressing this so you don’t have to stress. There are things you don’t even imagine that come with planning a wedding. Planning a wedding in Tuscany (or anywhere else), from abroad, is a thousand times more difficult.

Let a good planner worry so you can be free to enjoy all of your wedding. But do make sure you chose a planner that understands your desires and your needs. This is your wedding. It needs to be what you want it to be.

A good planner will be thorough and open to your ideas. They’ll be firm but calm. Open and kind. To us, it’s even more necessary they understand the needs of a modern-day wedding photography duo. And that they’re kind-hearted patient humans that are nice to be around for such a long time, you’re gonna spend a lot of time with them.

Reach out to us. We have a lot of friends that would do an incredible job at making your wedding in Tuscany or anywhere in Italy happen flawlessly.

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