Yana & Alek wedding at Borgo il Poeta, Italy

The world is vibrant, full of places that excite our senses and leave a lasting mark on us. But then, there’s Italy. The eternal Mediterranean beauty, the master of art and precise aesthetic measure, the dream of every mortal, near and far, to catch a glimpse of and breathe in its air, mingled with the scent of cedars and wine.

Stunned by this same Italy, somewhere there on the border between Umbria and Tuscany, Yana and Alek vowed to one another. Yana and Alek are artists – she is a successful director, and he is a renowned actor. For artists, the mise-en-scène is important, shaping the entire experience, a participant in the ritual so intimate for them both. For their fairytale, prepared in absolute secrecy from their loved ones and with only the help of their maid of honor, Yana and Alek chose the romantic villa-castle with the meaningful name Borgo il Poeta – the poet’s abode. Yana and Alek are also parents to two beautiful daughters – and what are children if not a word already given.

And perhaps because they are people with so much color in their fabric and magic in their actions, they even managed to handle the rain that poured down unexpectedly, as if to challenge their intent to exchange vows without even seeing each other – like a prayer, each alone with themselves, yet before the other.

It was emotional. It was beautiful. Exactly as beautiful as one imagines a wedding in Italy could be, in a place built from solid stone and named after poets. Love lingered in the air like a true life-giving force, blessing all those present. Even me! I wish for it to stay with them forever.