Victoria reading to Ryan on the balustraded terrace of Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como, with the statue and the mountains behind, Light & Dreams
Photographer · Tuscany, Italy

Light & Dreams

Light & Dreams is a wedding photography and cinema studio based in Tuscany, founded and led by Massimiliano Esposito, known as Max, who photographs weddings across Italy from Tuscany, Umbria and Rome to Lake Como and the Amalfi Coast.

Talk about your photographsMassimiliano (Max) EspositoFounder and lead photographer
Their weddings

Their weddings on film

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Massimiliano (Max) Esposito and Light & Dreams

Light & Dreams is a wedding photography and cinema studio in Arezzo, Tuscany, founded and led by Massimiliano Esposito, who goes by Max. Max Esposito leads the studio, which has photographed weddings for more than fifteen years.

The approach is a mix of reportage and portraiture. The studio documents the day as it happens and keeps out of the way, then sets aside a short, relaxed portrait session for the couple; bride, groom and couple portraits are the work it is proudest of. Max's own line is that the best wedding photographs happen when people stop performing and start living the day. Couples choose an editing direction with the studio, from soft and luminous to warm, Portra-toned colour, grainy black and white or darker evening light.

“I believe the best wedding photographs happen when people stop performing and start living the day.”

Max Esposito, founder

Film is part of the work rather than a filter. Selected weddings are photographed on 35mm alongside digital, mainly with a Canon EOS-3 and Kodak Portra 400; the rolls go to a professional lab for development and come back to the studio, where each negative is scanned and colour-corrected by hand. Selected film coverage is included in the Max Signature collections and can be added to others.

The 2027 collections come in two lines. Max Signature collections put Max personally behind the camera, from an elopement to a three-day Heritage weekend. Studio Team collections are photographed by associate photographers chosen and guided by the studio and edited in its style. Wedding films, made by the studio's cinema team, are quoted separately, and a content creator can add short vertical clips on the day.

Their weddings run from Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como and Villa La Selva in Tuscany to Villa Aurelia, Villa Miani and Villa Valentini Bonaparte, Castello di Rosciano near Perugia and Tenuta San Masseo in Assisi. Couples receive their photographs in a private online gallery, in high resolution and ready to print, and albums, parent albums and fine art prints can be ordered. The studio likes to hand photographs over in person in Arezzo, or by video call for couples abroad.

At a glance
Based in
Tuscany
Destinations served
Tuscany, Umbria, Rome, Lake Como, Amalfi Coast, Venice and the Veneto, Puglia, Sicily, London
How they work

From the first message to the day itself

  1. 01First enquiry

    Email [email protected] or use the enquiry form with the date, destination, venue if chosen, guest numbers and the feeling you want from the pictures.

  2. 02Choose a collection

    Decide whether you want Max personally (Max Signature) or the studio team (Studio Team), and whether to add film, a second photographer, drone, content or a wedding film. Travel is set out in the final proposal.

  3. 03Contract and planning calls

    The date is confirmed with a signed contract and a deposit. Two or three video calls before the wedding plan the timeline, the family groups and the portrait session.

  4. 04Engagement session

    Optional, from €1,200, in Florence, Rome, Venice, Tuscany or another chosen place, as a chance to get used to the camera.

  5. 05The wedding day

    Reportage coverage from the preparations to the dancing, a short couple portrait session, and family groups as planned, with film alongside digital where the collection includes it.

  6. 06Gallery and album

    A sneak peek a few days after the wedding, then the edited photographs in a private online gallery: about 8 to 10 weeks on Studio Essential, and usually around four months for a full edit. Albums and prints are designed with you afterwards.

Light & Dreams

Gallery

29 photographs
Victoria reading to Ryan on the balustraded terrace of Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como, with the statue and the mountains behind, Light & Dreams+29View Gallery Victoria and Ryan on a boat heading out across Lake Como at dusk, the mountains folding away behind them, Light & Dreams

Images courtesy of Light & Dreams

Light & Dreams

Their weddings on film

11 films
Victoria & Ryan
Stefano & Katie
Yunna & Nick (trailer)
Flavia & Davide
Tara & Antonio (trailer)
Cristina & John (trailer)
Jordan & Sophie (trailer)
Yara & Gabriel
Luke & Chantelle
Jennifer & Tyler
J & J (trailer)
Reviews

What couples say

0 reviews
Testimonial, not ratedVerified wedding

Yara & Gabriel

... Sofia & Max were truly the best to work with throughout our whole wedding experience. Their work has life, color and such a unique artistic take as they get to know their couple so that they can capture our personalities, happiness & love in every frame.

Yara & Gabe2022-07-30 · Light & Dreams website
More reviews
Testimonial, not ratedVerified wedding

Victoria & Ryan

...oh, where do I begin? Every frame they captured is pure magic, each one transporting me back to that unforgettable day. Sofia and Max didn’t just document moments; they brought to life the very spirit of our love and celebration...

Victoria2024-08-20 · Light & Dreams website
Testimonial, not ratedVerified wedding

Erica & Connor

...They managed to capture everything we wanted, to the point that we can’t even believe the photos we have a real!
We came to Italy from Canada for our wedding, and we are so thankful we found them, because looking back we can’t imagine our day without them, and did I mention how obsessed we are with our photos? We’ve been so lucky to feel like we’ve gained friends through this process. Couldn’t recommend Light and Dreams any more!! 🙂 <3

Erica & Connor2023-07-08 · Light & Dreams website
Where they photograph

Based in Tuscany, serving Tuscany, Umbria, Rome

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy; weddings across Tuscany, Rome, Umbria and Venice. No street address published

  • Their base
  • Venues nearby
What they do

Services and fees

Wedding photography

  • Max Signature collections, with Max as lead photographer, from 6 hours to three events
  • Studio Team collections, photographed by associate photographers in the studio's style
  • Elopements, intimate weddings and multi-day destination weekends
  • Welcome dinner, rehearsal and farewell brunch coverage

Film photography

  • 35mm and medium-format film coverage alongside digital
  • Negatives developed by a professional C-41 lab and scanned in the studio

Wedding films and content

  • Wedding films by the studio's cinema team, quoted separately and booked with photography
  • Content creator coverage with edited vertical reels

Extras, albums and prints

  • Second photographer
  • Drone photography (not during the ceremony)
  • Engagement and proposal sessions
  • Handmade fine art albums, parent albums and coffee table books
  • Fine art print collections
  • Priority preview

Destinations

  • Tuscany, Florence and Umbria
  • Rome
  • Lake Como
  • Amalfi Coast
  • Venice, Puglia, Cinque Terre and Sicily
  • Abroad, including London
Fees
Studio collectionsPhotographed by an associate photographer of the studio; four collections up to €6,900, VAT included
From €3,200
Max Signature collectionsPhotographed by Max himself; five collections up to €13,900, VAT included
From €5,900
Second photographer
€1,200
Drone photography
€650
Albums, prints and analogue film
From €900
Wedding film and travel
On request
Ask for a proposal
Questions couples ask

Before you write to them

How much does Light & Dreams cost?

The 2027 collections, VAT included, start at €3,200 for up to 6 hours with an associate photographer (Studio Essential). Max Signature collections, with Max himself, start at €5,900 for an elopement and €6,900 for a full wedding day. Travel and wedding films are quoted separately.

Will Max photograph our wedding himself?

Only if you book a Max Signature collection. Studio Team collections are photographed by associate photographers selected and guided by the studio and edited in its style.

How many photographs will we receive?

It depends on the collection: about 300 or more for a Max Signature elopement, 400 or more for Studio Essential, and around 1,000 or more for the three-day Heritage collection.

How soon will we see our photographs?

A sneak peek arrives a few days after the wedding. Final delivery usually takes around four months, and the Studio Essential collection quotes about 8 to 10 weeks. Photographs come in high resolution, ready to print, without logos.

Do they shoot on film?

Yes. Selected 35mm film coverage is included in the Max Signature collections and can be added to others from €900. Their main film stock is Kodak Portra 400.

Do they also make wedding films?

Yes, through the studio's own cinema service, quoted separately. Video can only be booked together with photography.

How far ahead should we book?

They are usually booked 6 to 9 months ahead. A date is confirmed with a signed contract and a deposit.

Where do they work?

They are based in Tuscany and travel throughout Italy, including Rome, Umbria, Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast, Venice, Puglia, Cinque Terre and Sicily, and they have photographed weddings in London. Travel costs are quoted in the proposal.

Check your date

Is your date free with Light & Dreams?

Your message goes straight to Massimiliano, with your date, guests and the kind of wedding you have in mind.

I would love…

Call +39 388 8650898Official website

Please mention 5 Star Wedding Directory when contacting Light & Dreams.

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