![black and white photograph of a bouquet of lilies](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/312367831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-15-713b9553.jpg)
![bride getting ready before her wedding at the Four Seasons Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/022367831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-39-3b9ed4a5.jpg)
![black and white detail of wedding shoes and veil](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/722367831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-10-63425b3e.jpg)
![make-up on the morning of an elopement in Florence Tuscany](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/432367831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-20-ffa06046.jpg)
The Story of Photographing a wedding in Florence the day before Lockdown
I've been meaning to share this wedding for some time. In actual fact I have had the photographs all laid out in this post for quite some time. But last year as the wedding season came into full force, I didn't find the time to complete it. Last year was busy for the wedding industry. Following two years of a lot of uncertainty for couples with planning their weddings, last year saw many couples finally realise their dream of having their destination wedding in Italy.
This, however, is a story of a couple who managed to have their wedding the day before all of Tuscany was classed as a red zone and the region went into a full lockdown. This is a story of two people so determined, but at the same time relaxed and able to adapt their plans, that they were more than capable of pulling off a modern, stylish and intimate elopement the day before Tuscany was shut down. This is a love story of two beautiful souls, who married in the romantic city of Florence, the place they had met and fell in love, even with all the odds stacked against them.
![photograph of bride's personal wedding jewellery](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/886367831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-6-fcd7fdf9.jpg)
![Light comes in the window at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence and shines on a veil draped over a chair and a bouquet](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/886367831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-7-605bfd03.jpg)
![bride getting ready for her wedding day at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/886367831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-35-c19ebb13.jpg)
![bride getting ready for her elopement at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence Tuscany](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/886367831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-49-1c5aea8d.jpg)
Wedding PREPARATIONS at the Four Seasons Hotel in FLORENCE
If you can't have your mom and all your girlfriends with your on your wedding morning, you can still get ready in style while video calling them! Leila got ready the morning of her wedding in a beautiful room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence. She had collected her simple, elegant bouquet of lilies that morning from a local florist, Floreart Firenze , and luckily, after a last minute change, found a make-up artist able to come to Florence that morning. Her veil was her something borrowed, sent by a friend especially for the occasion, and she also had a silver heart locket from her mom, complete with a little message of love inside of it. Little reminders that she had so many family and friends there with her in spirit even if they could not be there physically.
![bride in a white jumpsuit walks down the corridor of the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence Tuscany before her wedding](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/938467831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-78-09d5865b.jpg)
![groom in a mask walking through Palazzo Vecchio Florence before his wedding](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/231667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-90-7c96b5f7.jpg)
![groom and dog in a tie setting up a laptop to stream a wedding in Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/931667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-116-2ca26779.jpg)
![bride with groom showing off his Puma shoes he is wearing for their elopement in Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/641667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-100-f719ee5e.jpg)
![couple hold a zoom meeting for their elopement in Florence at the Palazzo Vecchio](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/351667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-115-4bcdb459.jpg)
Meeting At the Palazzo Vecchio, FLORENCE before the wedding ceremony
We grabbed a cab down to Palazzo Vecchio where Leila met Nikola before the ceremony. It was strangely quiet. With Tuscany going from orange to red most people were just finalising things, getting ready for the lockdown. These two though, were about to make their vows in the Sala Rossa, a vibrant and grand room at Palazzo Vecchio, once the governor's quarters and now used for civil ceremonies in Florence.
MacBook in hand, they got to work setting up a zoom call, with all their friends and family from all over the world tuning in. This really showed how loved these two were, with so many people joining from so many time zones, some waking up a 4/5am determined to be part of the couple's wedding day.
![bride in a white jumpsuit in groom in a suite from Zara stand outside the Palazzo Vecchio before their elopement wedding](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/063667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-110-7f4af508.jpg)
Wedding ceremony at the Sala Rossa, Palazzo Vecchio, Flornce
Leila and Nikola had had to un-invite almost all of their guests, especially as no on was allowed to travel except for work purposes, but they did have a few local close friends still able to attend. One of their close friends even acted as the interpreter for the ceremony, leading the couple in their vows and declaring their love for one another.
![Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence elopement](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/325667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-135-7b5e5a9f.jpg)
![Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence elopement](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/325667831/54a7a43a4392b817f53d665a47f68a3a-b6a7e1bf.jpg)
![zoom party for couple's elopement at Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/325667831/39be4740a4682ffe26f79f9a2ae793b1-f42c6c9f.jpg)
![couple stand looking at the screen of a computer joined by their friends and family on a zoom meeting for their elopment](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/325667831/be2af58c3219e315f7662ef2a987c87e-069bee6c.jpg)
![Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence elopement photographer](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/325667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-152-0115f008.jpg)
![Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence wedding photographer](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/325667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-185-6a66a22c.jpg)
![couple with their dog at their wedding ceremony at Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/325667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-197-572fe4c6.jpg)
![first kiss elopement wedding photography at Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/325667831/0489ec398fe77a7763c1ee94f9e56eca-4410634c.jpg)
![first kiss for bride and groom at Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence elopement](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/325667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-155-0f576ca7.jpg)
All the while, friends and family were able to watch live as the ceremony was streamed on-line via zoom. Leila's dad even read out a little something allowing him to be part of the ceremony. At a time when physical engagement was impossible, these moments really made the ceremony so intimate and personal.
![wedding ceremony streamed for friends and family durning this lockdown wedding at Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/977667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-143-33e08c5b.jpg)
![bride and groom in an emotional moment watching the screen of a MacBook as the bride's father does a speech](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/687667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-173-d2e8cdf3.jpg)
![lockdown elopement wedding at Sala Rossa Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/738667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-166-c4858a5e.jpg)
![bride and groom exist the municipal building in Florence following their wedding ceremony](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-209-2e21a778.jpg)
![bride and groom exist the municipal building in Florence following their wedding ceremony](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-210-ca4ea29f.jpg)
![black and white wedding photography in Florence Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-204-dc96258b.jpg)
![bride and groom exist the municipal building in Florence following their wedding ceremony](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-216-a9437dbc.jpg)
![bride and groom exist the municipal building in Florence following their wedding ceremony](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-217-2d393b8e.jpg)
![bride and groom hold hands while taking in the murals at Palazzo Vecchio Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-219-1751b3b3.jpg)
![Florence wedding photographer captures bride and groom walking through Palazzo Vecchio Florence Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-223-210a2ee8.jpg)
![a celebration toast at Palazzo Vecchio to all those that joined them via zoom for their elopement in Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-260-eb79878f.jpg)
![bride, groom, and their dog toasting friends via zoom following their elopement in Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-258-1d1dceac.jpg)
![cute dog at wedding in Florence city centre](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-339-19e87ae7.jpg)
![cute dog at wedding in Florence city centre](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-281-b3c2d86f.jpg)
![bride and groom portrait with their dog in Palazzo Vecchio Florence captured by wedding photographer Elizabeth Armitage](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-313-15354a93.jpg)
![group photo of the wedding party in the centre of Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-296-0b245d41.jpg)
![bride and groom portrait with their dog in Palazzo Vecchio Florence captured by wedding photographer Elizabeth Armitage](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/609667831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-305-97b0ca88.jpg)
After the Ceremony
After the wedding ceremony, the small group high tailed it to the palazzo for a quick toast with a bottle of Prosecco. With Tuscany about to enter into a red zone, it was impossible to book a restaurant or even bar for a celebration, but it somehow felt more special to toast in the square just after the ceremony. Myself, Leila and Nikola then set off to take some photographs of them around Florence. Nikola had brought his moped, which friends had decorated, so the two of them jumped on that for a little ride around the historic streets of downtown Florence.
Bride and Groom Portraits IN Florence
We stopped outside the Uffizi Gallery and I was able to photograph the newly weds on the moped with this iconic place as the backdrop. On the other side of the road, we had a superb view of the Ponte Vecchio. No wedding portait session would be complete without a picture with the infamous bridge in the background. Its structure so iconic, and perfect for a romantic place to appreciate Florence.
![bride and groom portrait photography by the Ponte Vecchio Florence Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/146377831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-387-79ab7efc.jpg)
![Florence wedding photographer couple portraits by Ponte Vecchio Florence](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/688377831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-390-72c3a447.jpg)
![Ponte Vecchio Florence as captured by elopement and wedding photographer Elizabeth Armitage](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/398377831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-396-8a0d8ecb.jpg)
![bride and groom walk hand and hand with the Ponte Vecchio in the background for their Florence elopement](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/009377831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-383-f9fc5067.jpg)
![bride and groom with a bottle of wine at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/616977831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-411-baf09f39.jpg)
![bride and groom captured by wedding photographer Elizabeth Armitage at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/326977831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-415-ee1488cc.jpg)
![lighting at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence Italy](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/036977831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-418-9c8e25ae.jpg)
After the couple portraits by the river Arno, we headed back to the Four Seasons Hotel. The room had been decorated, a poem written on the bathroom mirror, and a bottle of wine left for the newly weds to celebrate. But before that, we went to take a few more portraits of the two of them around the hotel grounds. The first stop was the sweetest though. In the room next to theirs, used for functions but now empty, the two of them, just them, had their first dance. A quiet but beautiful moment.
![bride and groom in face masks walk down the hallway at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence after their lockdown elopement](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/314087831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-432-3403664a.jpg)
It was such an honour to have been able to be part of Leila and Nikola's intimate wedding day. I know that their plans had started off very differently when they first began thinking about how they wanted the day to look and feel. With the restrictions around this strange, strange time though, everything kept having to change. In the end, it was just the simple act of being able to get married that remained, but isn't that the whole reason in the first place? They were able to declare their love to one another and actually I think the day turned out to be all the more memorable for it.
![Florence elopement photography at the Four Seasons Hotel](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/072977831/Modern-Florence-micro-wedding-459-7ef02784.jpg)
![Florence elopement photography at the Four Seasons Hotel](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/772977831/Modern-Florence-micro-wedding-460-767a7e53.jpg)
![black and white Florence elopement photography at the Four Seasons Hotel](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/854977831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-452-f87a2e75.jpg)
![Florence elopement photography at the Four Seasons Hotel](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/564977831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-468-eea92469.jpg)
![bride and groom portraits Florence elopement photography at the Four Seasons Hotel](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/274977831/ModernFlorencemicrowedding-462-4a8b38a6.jpg)