Honeymoon Photography in Rome

We met outside St. Peter’s Square at 8 am, the morning before the Sposi Novelli blessing. As the following day, the square would be considerably busier with people arriving for the wednesday blessing. Meeting a day earlier gave us the opportunity to photograph around St. Peter’s without having to work around the larger crowds expected for the ceremony. From outside the square, we walked in together and started beneath the Bernini colonnade.

Photography Beneath the Colonnade

The long rows of columns created a strong geometric pattern, with the repeated arches and pillars giving the photographs plenty of depth of field. We used that architecture to frame the couple in several compositions, playing with the symmetry and the long perspective of the colonnade. From there, we moved the wedding photoshoot further into St. Peter’s Square, working with the basilica as the main backdrop.

The façade gave the photographs a different scale. We tried a range of poses and compositions, sometimes bringing the couple closer into the frame and then stepping back to let more of the square and basilica become part of the image. The early hour also gave us plenty of space to work with the architecture.

Around St. Peter’s Square

We continued the wedding photographer session around the square, stopping at one of the side fountains for a few photographs. The fountain added another element to the compositions, while the surrounding colonnade and basilica kept the setting unmistakably connected to St. Peter’s. We also photographed in the middle of the square before making our way toward the exit. By then, the session had already produced a good variety of images, from the strong geometry of the columns to wider photographs incorporating the basilica and the open space of the square!

Walking Along Via della Conciliazione

Once we left the square, we continued toward Via della Conciliazione. One of the photographs from this part of the morning came while the couple was crossing the street. Instead of photographing them head-on, the photographer positioned himself to the side, allowing the basilica to appear in the background as they walked. The result had a different character from the more composed portraits inside the square.

We continued along Via della Conciliazione, finding a few more interesting spots along the way. One was a replica of the Mona Lisa, which gave us a slightly more playful setting for some of the photographs. A little further on, the steps of a beautiful white marble church offered another change in architecture and texture.

These smaller discoveries are part of what makes walking through Rome with a camera so enjoyable. A photographic route does not have to rely entirely on the most famous landmarks. Details along the way can become part of the story too.

Finishing at Castel Sant’Angelo

From Via della Conciliazione, we eventually made our way toward Castel Sant’Angelo. It was a fitting place to finish the session. After the columns of St. Peter’s, the vast basilica façade, the fountains, the streets around the Vatican, and the smaller details we had found along the way, Castel Sant’Angelo gave us another distinctive setting for the final photographs!