From Puerto Rico to Lake Como: Photographing an Elopement at Villa del Balbianello

A second time at Villa del Balbianello…this time: for real.

On October 8, 2025, I had a marriage proposal to photograph.

Miguel, a gentleman from Maryland, had come down to Puerto Rico to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Mónica. Seeing as how I photograph roughly three proposals on average, I figured this would be a walk in the park. And it was.

She said yes.

We photographed some engagement portraits afterward and finished with my signature flashes during Golden Hour. As far as I was concerned, it was another successful proposal, another happy couple and another story documented.

Except that’s not where this story stopped.

As we exchanged pleasantries before saying goodbye, Miguel and Mónica jokingly mentioned that they were planning to elope somewhere in Europe the following year. I didn't think too much of it, but I played along and casually mentioned that I had a two-week vacation in Italy planned for the following month.

We said our goodbyes, went our separate ways and kept tabs on each other.

Little did I know that conversation would eventually take me all the way to Lake Como, Italy.

A Vacation in Italy and a Very Specific Dream

Mónica was on cloud nine during her elopement at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

A month later, I took that aforementioned vacation with my mother.

We hit Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Como, Bologna and Cagliari in Sardinia, bringing home what was, frankly, a ridiculous amount of photographs.

But Lake Como was different.

In particular, I photographed Villa del Balbianello, without a doubt one of the most lavish, prestigious and recognizable wedding venues in Italy.

I had seen countless photographs of this place over the years. I had seen wedding photographers throughout Europe documenting couples there. I had seen the iconic architecture, the manicured gardens, the lake, the winding pathways and the breathtaking views.

But standing there in person was something else entirely.

While I was visiting Villa del Balbianello, I remember closing my eyes for a moment and privately manifesting something that, at the time, felt almost ridiculous to say out loud:

“I will shoot a wedding here.”

I repeated it a few times until I believed my own words.

Then I opened my eyes and continued photographing the place.

I had no idea how it would happen.

I just knew that I wanted it to.

As it turns out, I didn't have to wait very long.

Miguel and Mónica saw the photographs I had taken in Lake Como and, apparently, short-listed me as both their elopement photographer and Villa del Balbianello as their wedding venue.

Fast-forward a couple of months and I received a text message from a 240 area code.

I didn't immediately recognize the number. Thankfully, iMessage helped me figure it out. I scrolled upward through our conversation and realized who it was.

Miguel.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

It was actually the couple who had gotten engaged with me following through on their word.

They told me they had seen the photographs I took at Villa del Balbianello and had decided that they wanted to work with me to elope there.

The crazy part?

I had literally stood at that exact location a month earlier, closed my eyes and told myself that I was going to photograph a wedding there.

And now the opportunity had fallen into my lap.

“Pinch me!”

That was the first thing that popped into my head.

Planning a Lake Como Elopement

Miguel rocking an editorial look during his boat ride on Lake Como, Italy

After a few FaceTime meetings with Miguel and Mónica, we agreed that we would, indeed, work together.

From there, the planning began.

We discussed attire, photography styles, additional locations, transportation, timing and all of the logistics that come with photographing a destination elopement in Italy.

As you can imagine, I circled the date on my calendar immediately.

I started thinking about every possible way I could enhance my clients' experience while simultaneously putting myself in the best possible position to succeed creatively.

One of those decisions was purchasing a new laptop so I could have the peace of mind of being able to back up every single photograph while traveling. I also brought multiple SD cards so I wouldn't have to continually reuse the same pair throughout the trip.

Then there was another piece of gear I desperately wanted to bring along: the DJI Osmo Pocket 4.

It's a tiny camera with a built-in gimbal, and I knew it would be perfect for documenting the behind-the-scenes experience of this entire adventure.

I was able to get my hands on both.

My gear was ready.

My cameras were ready.

The trip was booked.

There was just one problem.

Who was going to record everything while I was taking the photographs?

I couldn't do both.

Enter Alejandra

Handholding towards forever during their elopement at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

I went home and started thinking about bringing an “assistant” of sorts—someone who could lend a helping hand throughout the trip.

Immediately, I thought of bringing a woman.

I'm accustomed to having a female assistant beside me at weddings because there is a certain feminine energy that can be incredibly valuable, particularly when working with a bride. Someone who can quickly notice when a veil needs adjusting, hair needs fixing, makeup needs touching up or a dress needs fluffing.

I also needed someone who could learn the technology quickly and help me document the behind-the-scenes footage I wanted.

That's when the light bulb went off.

Alejandra.

Ale is a fellow vegan whom I met while working for Homeland Security, specifically FEMA. She's one of the kindest souls I've ever met, incredibly gorgeous, loves to travel and, most importantly, is someone I trust.

In my head, she was the perfect travel companion for a job of this magnitude.

But more than that, she was someone I genuinely wanted to share this success with.

I invited her to brunch one morning, ran the idea by her and received a resounding “yes.”

Just like that, I had my gear locked down and my assistant secured.

I was over the moon.

There was nobody I wanted to travel with more than Ale.

And as the trip would eventually prove, I couldn't have made a better decision.

Ale wasn't simply there to press record.

She became an essential part of the experience.

She helped decorate the spaces, assisted Mónica throughout the shoots, fixed her veil, touched up her makeup, fluffed her dress, helped with posing, documented the behind-the-scenes footage and constantly kept an eye on the little things that allowed me to remain completely focused on photographing the couple.

She was my extra set of eyes.

My second pair of hands.

My behind-the-scenes documentarian.

And, as the trip unfolded, my travel companion and friend.

From Puerto Rico to Milan

The amount of smiling Mónica was doing at Villa del Balbianello cannot be measured.

Fast-forward to departure day and we were off to the races.

Italy isn't exactly a hop away from Puerto Rico, so the journey wasn't going to be easy. Ale and I powered through some initial inconveniences and eventually arrived in Milan.

Because Lake Como was our destination, Milan made the most sense as our entry point.

From there, we grabbed a Trenitalia train all the way toward the southern end of Lake Como, where I had arranged for a Mercedes-Benz transit van to pick us up and take us to Grand Hotel Victoria, where Miguel and Mónica were staying.

And then, finally, we arrived.

The weather was spectacular.

The hotel was spectacular.

Everything had fallen into place.

We couldn't have asked for a better day for a Lake Como elopement.

Miguel came down first to say hello and brought along some of the details they wanted photographed: their shoes, rings, vow books and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers that I believe the hotel had put together for Mónica.

She had also shown me a few Instagram photographs for inspiration.

Ale and I got to work.

She helped me decorate both the table and the front lawn, and I have to say, we absolutely nailed it.

The look was glamorous and editorial, which was exactly the aesthetic Mónica was after.

The First Look

The first of many kisses had at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

As expected, Miguel came down first wearing a handsome white suit jacket with black pants.

He looked like something straight out of Vogue Magazine.

I quickly grabbed a few portraits of him by himself, both standing and sitting beneath the umbrellas on the front lawn while Mónica was upstairs finishing her preparations.

Then, as I was photographing Miguel, I saw Mónica making her way out of the main entrance.

Perfect.

A quick first look would be a fantastic way to kick things off.

The clock was ticking, though.

We had a noon pickup scheduled for the rental boat that would take us across Lake Como to Villa del Balbianello.

The couple climbed in first.

I followed.

Ale sat slightly offset from us, recording videos of every moment and every angle.

She did such an incredible job.

Photographing a Bride on a Lake Como Boat

Surreal doesn’t even begin to describe Mónica’s elopement at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

We embarked on a roughly 20-minute boat ride, and I immediately began taking “on-the-way” photographs of the bride and groom.

Mónica had chosen an astonishing ivory wedding gown with a long veil.

It was perfect for wedding photography.

And I already knew I would eventually put that veil to work at Villa del Balbianello.

Since I speak a bit of Italian, I asked our boat captain if he would be so kind as to slow down a little. The speed at which we were traveling made it surprisingly difficult to frame my compositions with the waves crashing beneath us.

It felt like a rite of passage.

A challenge I had to figure out on the fly.

I eventually had to resort to what we in the industry affectionately call “spraying and praying”—shooting in bursts and hoping that a few frames would nail focus exactly where I needed it.

Thankfully, they did.

And I was thrilled with the results.

Arriving at Villa del Balbianello

Miguel remained stoic but incredibly happy overlooking Lake Como from Villa del Balbianello

As we approached Villa del Balbianello, I got off the boat first so I could photograph the couple disembarking.

We walked toward the main entrance, where we were expected because of the reservation the couple had made for their photographer.

Almost immediately, Miguel and Mónica began attracting the attention of countless tourists.

It's hard not to notice a bride and groom dressed like that.

And then there was me, carrying two cameras and clearly serving as the photographer for the occasion.

I could already feel the energy changing.

This wasn't Puerto Rico anymore.

This wasn't another proposal.

This was Lake Como.

This was Villa del Balbianello.

And I had two hours to make the most of it.

Photographing an Elopement at Villa del Balbianello

It felt otherworldly to document this gorgeous elopement at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

Mónica had shared a Pinterest board with me filled with elegant, editorial photographs of couples getting married throughout Europe.

Her vision was different from my usual style in Puerto Rico.

At home, my work tends to be more saturated, punchy and contrast-heavy.

For this session, she wanted something more laid-back and photojournalistic, with editorial elements woven throughout.

I loved the challenge.

In fact, I knew how I wanted to edit these photographs before I even took them.

I had visited Villa del Balbianello the previous November and immediately took a trip down memory lane, remembering some of my favorite locations throughout the property.

That's where we started.

I did my absolute best to photograph both couple portraits and individual portraits while navigating the countless visitors throughout the villa.

There was a tremendous amount of Photoshop waiting for me in post-production, but I didn't care.

As much as possible, I pretended we were completely alone.

I treated the session the way I would treat a fancy dining experience:

Start on the outside and work your way in.

That meant beginning with establishing shots using my Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art lens and then moving into tighter, more intimate portraits with the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens, each mounted on its own Sony A7V.

I wanted that dreamy, shallow depth of field in as many images as possible.

Prime lenses made that easy.

I had Miguel and Mónica walk.

I prompted them.

I posed them.

I had them interact.

I had them frolic throughout those gardens.

And honestly, it was incredible.

Villa del Balbianello is such a stunning venue that it almost feels unfair to have it as a backdrop.

The property has also appeared on the big screen, including in James Bond and the Star Wars saga, which only adds to the cinematic quality of the location.

Every single shutter click felt unbelievable.

I knew I was checking off one of the biggest items on my professional bucket list:

Photograph a wedding in Lake Como, Italy.

The couple felt completely at ease.

They were having fun.

They were laughing.

They were excited to see a few sneak peeks on the back of my camera.

And behind the scenes, Ale was working her magic.

She would step in whenever Mónica needed her, helping with her veil, touching up her makeup, fluffing her incredible wedding dress and making sure everything looked exactly the way it needed to look.

That support allowed me to stay in photographer mode.

I could concentrate on light, composition, posing and storytelling because I knew Ale was watching everything else.

That's exactly what I had hoped for when I invited her.

And she exceeded my expectations.

Golden Hour at Grand Hotel Victoria

Stoic yet determined is how I’d describe Miguel at Grand Hotel Victoria in Menaggio, Lake Como, Italy

After two hours at Villa del Balbianello, we returned to the Lake Como boat and headed back to Grand Hotel Victoria.

We would finish the first day with editorial portraits of the couple sipping champagne and taking turns sitting and standing near the front lawn.

The light was simply too good to pass up.

Golden Hour was approaching, and Lake Como was beginning to take on that warm, cinematic glow that photographers dream about.

There was something incredibly fashionable about the way Miguel and Mónica were dressed.

Pair that with the lavish surroundings of the hotel and the result was a scene that felt straight out of a luxury editorial.

Eventually, exhaustion caught up with us.

After all the travel, photography and lack of both food and caffeine, we parted ways temporarily so Miguel and Mónica could unwind and Ale and I could finally make our way to our Airbnb.

Meeting Ana

Connection on the boat in Lake Como, Italy on the way to Villa del Balbianello

It was there that we met Ana, a lovely senior woman who welcomed us with open arms.

I had a wonderful conversation with her in Italian, and she showed us around the property.

There was the cozy space itself, a chicken coop across the street, a hazelnut tree in the backyard and a small balcony overlooking the surrounding mountains.

It was peaceful.

Quiet.

Exactly what we needed.

Ale and I enjoyed brewing coffee there both mornings and soaking in the calm atmosphere together.

After the chaos of traveling internationally and photographing a destination wedding, those quiet moments became some of my favorite parts of the trip.

Day Two: The Lake Como Honeymoon Experience

Mónica added a bit of nostalgia with her veil at VIlla del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

Day two with Miguel and Mónica was less about the actual elopement and more about documenting something that felt like a honeymoon.

The wedding was officially in the books.

Now it was time to have fun.

They decided to rent the Lake Como boat once again, but this time we would “city hop” around the lake, stopping at some of the most walkable locations and photographing them in front of some of the trendiest hotels in the area.

Our captain this time was Armando.

He played nice.

In fact, he was kind enough to kill the engine for a few minutes at a time so I could direct my couple without having to fight the movement of the boat.

Speaking Italian in Italy definitely paid off.

I got the feeling that Armando appreciated it very much.

So did most of the people I interacted with throughout the trip.

We eventually made our way to Bellagio, where we stopped for lunch together.

Afterward, we continued our trek around Lake Como because the couple had rented the boat for three full hours.

It was incredibly fun.

And, admittedly, there was a surreal feeling that came with finally photographing the same kinds of images I had seen countless times on Instagram from my fellow destination wedding photographers in Europe.

Only now, I wasn't looking at someone else's photographs.

I was living them.

I kept thinking about how surreal it was to actually be living my dream of documenting someone's love story on Lake Como.

And I remained eternally grateful to Miguel and Mónica for allowing me to finish what I had started.

The Lake Como Editorial Fashion Shoot

Miguel couldn’t contain the smiles during his elopement in Lake Como, Italy at Villa del Balbianello

After the boat rental was over, we headed back to Grand Hotel Victoria.

That's when it dawned on me:

An editorial fashion shoot was in order.

I've always been enamored with those sophisticated, upscale Vogue-style photographs and had wanted to create something of my own.

So I asked Miguel and Mónica if they had attire that matched the vibe.

Surprisingly enough, they said yes.

Ale and I waited while they went upstairs for a quick shower and wardrobe change.

In the meantime, I took some fantastic portraits of my assistant.

She was absolutely ravishing and incredibly chic.

Ale is quite fun to photograph, and this was another opportunity for her to step in front of the camera rather than remain behind it.

Thirty minutes later, Miguel and Mónica descended from their hotel room wearing a matching striped ensemble.

Miguel even borrowed my Ray-Ban sunglasses for the entire shoot to really complete the look.

They looked better on him than they do on me.

He liked them so much that he eventually asked me for the purchase link.

I still laugh about that.

Aperol Spritzes and Vogue-Inspired Portraits

Monica’s long veil was the star of the show during her elopement wedding at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

As we made our way toward the back of the hotel, I suddenly felt as though I had walked onto a studio set.

The light was beginning to turn golden.

The pool was immaculate.

Lawn chairs and cabanas surrounded us.

The greenery was lush.

Everything was there.

We ordered Aperol Spritzes for the couple, both as a refresher and as props, and started scouting the grounds for interesting angles.

I began using Ale as a model to gauge the available natural light while Miguel and Mónica sipped their drinks.

She didn't mind at all.

She came out of the experience with some lovely photographs that we later shared together on Instagram.

Once I had dialed in my settings, I began photographing the Aperol Spritzes while guiding Miguel and Mónica through my vision.

I sat them in the lawn chairs.

I had them stand beside one another.

I sat them together.

I played with depth of field.

I searched for pockets of light.

I used the lush greenery surrounding the property as framing elements.

Ale sporadically helped Mónica with her poses and hair, just as she had throughout the entire trip.

It was incredibly fun to take my wedding photographer hat off and put on the high-end magazine photographer hat instead.

Photographs like these challenge me to think outside what I'm normally accustomed to seeing.

They force me to see the world through a different set of eyes.

And that's something I value enormously as a photographer.

One More Round

Soaking in the sun rays as a couple in Lake Como, Italy at Villa del Balbianello

Once we finished the editorial shoot, I treated the gang to another round of Aperol Spritzes.

We gathered around the high tables and simply hung out.

We talked.

We laughed.

We shared stories about their relationship and reminisced about everything that had happened.

We even discussed the possibility of doing this all over again next year.

Perhaps in Spain.

Who knows?

I'm certainly not ruling it out.

One Last Dinner on Lake Como

The veil strikes again enveloping the couple at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

Later that evening, we coincided at Roteo, a lavish and swanky restaurant on the shores of Lake Como.

It was the perfect ending to an otherwise unforgettable pair of days.

Ale and I dressed as best we could.

Admittedly, most of my wardrobe had been packed specifically for work, but Ale being Ale didn't disappoint.

She looked classy and elegant.

Of course she did.

When we arrived, Miguel and Mónica were already waiting for us in the backyard, sipping wine and enjoying the last rays of sunlight filtering through the surrounding trees.

We reminisced about everything we had experienced together and continued sharing stories.

Naturally, I still had one of my cameras with me.

I couldn't help myself.

I photographed a few quick moments of all of us throughout the night.

And, of course, we couldn't come to a beautiful Italian restaurant and not photograph the food.

The cibo was phenomenal.

The evening was glorious.

And we couldn't have asked for a more fitting ending to such a remarkable weekend.

The waitstaff was kind enough to flag down a taxi for us, and it was waiting outside when we said our final goodbyes.

We hugged it out with Miguel and Mónica, knowing that this would probably be the last time we'd all be together in person for a while.

They were scheduled to leave the following day for southern Italy, specifically Positano on the Amalfi Coast, where they would continue their honeymoon in one of Europe's most beautiful and glamorous destinations.

My Favorite Moment

Miguel wore the white jacket at Villa del Balbinello like it was doing it a favor.

Ale and I were exhausted.

Completely exhausted.

So much so that, on the ride back to the Airbnb, Ale eventually fell right into my lap and took a short nap.

For some reason, that became my favorite moment of the entire trip.

Not Villa del Balbianello.

Not the boat rides.

Not the golden hour portraits.

Not the Aperol Spritz editorial.

That.

Seeing Ale finally allow herself to relax after everything she had done for me and for this experience was oddly meaningful.

She had been such a trooper.

She traveled halfway around the world with me.

She learned the equipment.

She documented hours of behind-the-scenes footage.

She helped with Mónica.

She helped with the decor.

She helped with the dress.

She helped with the veil.

She helped with the makeup.

She helped with posing.

She modeled for me.

She was constantly paying attention to details that I couldn't see because I was behind the camera.

And she did it all with a smile.

I'm incredibly proud of her.

More importantly, I'm incredibly grateful that she said yes when I invited her to come along.

There's a difference between bringing an assistant and bringing someone you trust completely.

Ale became the latter.

The Journey Home

One in shadow, one in light at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

When we arrived back at the Airbnb, we both grabbed showers and decided it would be a great idea to pack the night before.

Neither of us wanted to scramble in the morning.

I reached out to the taxi driver who had dropped us off earlier and arranged another pickup for the morning to take us back to the train station.

The next morning, we grabbed a cornetto—Italian for croissant—and two espressos nearby before boarding the train.

And then we were on our way home.

The journey back to Puerto Rico was long.

Very long.

But it was worth every minute.

Because somewhere along the way, something that had started as a casual conversation after a proposal in Puerto Rico had turned into an actual destination wedding in Italy.

Miguel and Mónica accomplished their dream of having a European elopement.

I accomplished one of my biggest professional dreams: photographing a wedding in Lake Como.

And Ale had a front-row seat to watching me make that dream come true.

From a Puerto Rico Proposal to a Lake Como Elopement

August 29th is a date these two will remember forever at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como, Italy

When I think back to October 8, 2025, I don't just remember a proposal.

I remember the beginning of a chain reaction.

A proposal became a conversation.

The conversation became a vacation.

The vacation became a photograph.

The photograph became an inquiry.

The inquiry became an elopement.

And that elopement took me all the way back to the place where I had once closed my eyes and told myself:

“I will shoot a wedding here.”

Sometimes the things we casually say to ourselves really do have a funny way of coming true.

Miguel and Mónica trusted me with one of the most important chapters of their lives.

They flew across the Atlantic to create the European elopement they had envisioned.

They brought me along for the ride.

And, in doing so, they gave me the opportunity to photograph one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever had the privilege of documenting.

But I didn't make that journey alone.

Ale was there.

My cameras were there.

My mother had been there when I first discovered Italy.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it was a dream that had quietly taken root at Villa del Balbianello months earlier.

Lake Como had been a bucket-list destination.

Villa del Balbianello had been a professional bucket-list venue.

Miguel and Mónica had been a couple I initially thought I'd only photograph once.

And somehow, all of those things collided.

The result was two unforgettable days on Lake Como, surrounded by Italian architecture, mountains, boats, gardens, fashion, incredible food, espresso, Aperol Spritzes and, most importantly, two people who trusted me to document their love story.

I don't know where the next destination wedding will take me.

Maybe Spain.

Maybe somewhere else entirely.

But I know one thing for certain:

I'll never forget the day I finally got to photograph a wedding at Villa del Balbianello.