Real wedding: Hannah and Ryan’s wedding in historic San Galgano

Written By Joce Boissin

Wedding film in San Galgano, Italy

Hannah and Ryan live in Edinburgh, Scotland and have shared an incredible journey together for the past 6 years. Their love story began in 2017, and as a duo, they’ve always loved travelling – specifically Italy, where they got engaged in 2022 on the shores of Lake Como. For them, a destination wedding was an opportunity to provide their guests with an experience of a lifetime, and create memories that would live with them forever. They didn’t want a conventional wedding, and instead opted for the beautiful San Galgano Abbey, in Tuscany, Italy.

They first visited the Abbey in 2022, and fell in love with its mystic and grandeur. San Galgano dates back to the 13th century, when it was first built. In the following centuries, the vaults and the steeple fell to the ground - the bell tower collapsed, sweeping up great part of the roof of the church, and the ruins remain that way today. San Galgano Abbey is now one of the most visited medieval monuments in Tuscany. It’s full of heritage, and an incredibly special venue for a destination wedding.

Hannah and Ryan’s first kiss inside San Galgano

The creative process

As a wedding cinematographer, I’ve always felt strongly that a wedding film has to incorporate the ‘who’ but also the ‘where’ and ‘why’. In Hannah and Ryan’s case, the location of the ceremony itself takes center stage. San Galgano is one of the most unique locations in the world, and the abbey truly is magical. Walking through the roofless nave, open to the sky, creates a dramatic atmosphere, perfect for capturing stunning cinematic shots. I wanted to immerse the ‘viewer’ from the very beginning of the film, and used ambient sound capture on the day to truly remind the couple of what it felt like. The sound in the abbey is unlike anywhere else, and this needed to feature in the wedding film.

The ceremony took place inside the Abbey. And, as is always the case, San Galgano was open to the public, but this still felt incredibly intimate. The local mayor of San Galgano herself conducted the ceremony in Italian, which added so much to the charm, and something I wanted to incorporate into this piece.

San Galgano, also known as the roofless abbey

I also wanted to capture the grandeur of San Galgano, and for this reason the shots were taken from the ground as well as with my drone. To add to the atmosphere, the start of the film is in Italian, and instantly sets the tone. The mix of Tuscan visuals and sound makes a really immersive piece, and transported the couple back to the day they got married in seconds.

San Galgano Abbey in Tuscany

San Galgano Abbey from the outside

Inside San Galgano Abbey

When filming throughout the day, I really wanted to pay homage to the abbey, whether I was filming the surroundings, or the couple themselves. For example, some of the shots of Hannah the bride are very deliberate in framing and composition, with her veil and posture reminiscent of the statue outside. Each frame was sequenced to connect the story of the abbey with the story of the couple.

Hannah inside the abbey

San Galgano Abbey from the sky

San Galgano Abbey from the sky

Wedding ceremony in San Galgano

Hannah, Ryan and all of their 90+ guests made their way from Scotland to Italy a few days before the wedding, and hired Agriturismo San Galgano for the duration of their celebrations. Located a short 5mn walk from the Abbey, this was an ideal spot for guests to enjoy the sun and immerse themselves into the Tuscan way of life.

Both the bridal and groom preparation, and the wedding reception, took place at the Agriturismo. As guests enjoyed a glass of wine, San Galgano was always present visually, and it provided such depth to each of the shots. Their day had so much packed in, with an incredible band playing throughout the afternoon, and fireworks in the evening which looked absolutely stunning.

Guests overlooking the Abbey

Wedding breakfast setting

Wedding breakfast from the sky

The Film

Couple portraits inside San Galgano

As a creative wedding filmmaker, I want all of my wedding films to be bespoke. With Hannah and Ryan’s day, this was taken to a completely new level.

  • The location itself is unique: I don’t think I’ve ever travelled to such a breathtaking spot, with so much history. Tuscany always looks beautiful in the sun, but San Galgano completely elevated the landscape. So I crafted their wedding film to remind them of the experience they had on the wedding day itself. Each shot is composed to add to the depth of the venue, and a remind of how impressive the Abbey was.

  • Sound design: I created the introduction of their wedding film to remind them exactly of how unique this place felt like. Ambient sound captured on the day is used throughout, to add authenticity to the piece. For the film to feel even more immersive, I decided to incorporate some of the words from the San Galgano mayor, who conducted the ceremony. As a whole, this provides a really distinctive feel to the film, and something that I’m extremely proud of.

  • Music selection was key: I wanted the music to feel completely unique. For this reason, I partnered with a music producer to create the soundtrack specifically for Hannah and Ryan’s wedding day in San Galgano. This allowed me to focus on the story itself, and the music was composed with my shots in mind.

The result is a cinematic wedding film that feels authentic, completely unique, and truly special. Just like San Galgano Abbey.

Fireworks at San Galgano

Couple portrait in Tuscany

Hannah and Ryan’s golden hour portraits

Joce Boissin
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