Travel | Polly Alexandre Photography

Castelo di Melato, Tuscany

April 20, 2015

This week allow yourself to be transported back to sunkissed Chianti in Tuscany, Italy. I had the privilege of visiting the enchanting Castelo di Meleto for a wedding last summer and captured the estate and surrounding area whilst I was there.

Set on a hill overlooking the Massellone Valley, the historic and elegant Castello Di Meleto is set in Chianti and has incredible views. It offers rooms and apartments with Tuscan-style furnishings, and a traditional semi restored original interior, which is wonderfully atmospheric. I love it when old interiors are not restored to within an inch of their life, and still hold some character and signs of age.

The best part? You can actually stay here without getting married! Yes, it is also a hotel, and has some gorgeous swimming pool areas with beautiful views, perfect for a summer holiday.

It truly is an authentic castle, and a taste of old Italy. As well as the stones and bib urns of flowers, it has those quintessential rows of poplar trees lining the roads and views of rolling hills and vineyards.

The wedding I shot here will soon be published on Martha Stewart Weddings. Keep your eyes open for lots of gorgeousness on their site very soon!

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

April 26, 2013

More from this beautiful area in the French Riveira…..I’ll be off there again this June for another very special wedding and I can’t wait! Have a lovely weekend everyone! xxx

The South of France

April 9, 2013

Villefranche-Sur-Mer & Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat….shot whilst away on a wedding last year…. such a beautiful area, I think I fell a little bit in love….. more coming up this week….

A Weekend in Valencia

March 13, 2013

Valencia: city of fine buildings, sunshine in November,

dark cobbled streets with dimly lit tapas bars, delicious red wine, and dolphins.

And of course, the most spectacular modern architecture…….

After booking flights for a winter holiday on the shortly to be defunct Spanair, we needed to take a different tack for our November break after the Spanish airline went into administration. We looked up where was quick and easy to fly from on an Ibicenco November Saturday, and for a bargain 15 euros later a flight to Valencia was confirmed. We opted to stay at the beautiful Palau de la Mar hotel, an impressive Valencian 19th century townhouse converted into a stylish hotel.

Exhausted from work and travel this was our first break since we got back from being married, and a chance to reconnect and rest. One thing we don’t get so much chance to do especially during summer, which is the busiest time for weddings, is to watch films together, and so we took a bunch of films with us. As confirmed animal lovers, we absolutely adored We bought a Zoo, a true story about an American single parent father that bought a home….that came with a zoo. Charming, funny, inspiring and heartwarming. We also watched Shadowlands, an emotional film about CS Lewis, the writer, and his falling in love with a dying American writer. Powerful and moving.

We also visited the city’s aquarium which I wholeheartedly recommend and saw a fantastic dolphin show. They really are amazing animals & so playful & fun. We hit the city’s many tapas bars and drank delicious red wine and ate some great authentic tapas dishes. There was plenty of room service orders placed and yes, that’s 29 degrees Centigrade on the thermometer you see in that image….um, 29 degrees in November…hello Valencia!!

This week’s glass of champagne goes to one of my husband’s clients who gave him the most incredible brief: ‘design a house that no one has seen before’. Let’s just say he got a ton of inspiration from these amazing buildings…..

This project was designed by the amazing Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and went about 8 times over budget and quite possibly was part of the Spanish economic crisis. Calatrava himself was allegedly paid €100m for his work, and now resides in Zurich. Ahem.

Valencia’s government commissioned the project from the architect, who is from the region himself. It is Valencia’s large budget deficits which have helped damage confidence in Spain’s economy.

But if you are going to go into economic crisis, what a way to do it hey?! An incredible legacy…..

Mel & Rabin: A Sri Lanka Wedding

January 29, 2013

With a destination meeting, and an international courtship, it was only fitting that Mel & Rabin would choose an exotic location for their wedding. They met at the Monaco Grand Prix when Mel had gone to meet some mutual friends, and Rabin turned up early to join them. A few drinks later and they had a head start on getting to know each other. This soon blossomed into romance, and both growing up in Singapore meant the couple already had a lot in common.

Planning a wedding from afar wasn’t an easy task as Mel will attest….the culture in Sri Lanka is very different to the UK, and things tend to happen rather last minute….but I think you’ll agree it was all worthwhile in the end. The wedding took place at the Lighthouse Hotel on the South West Coast of Sri Lanka in the ancient Dutch outpost of Galle.The Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel hugs the coastline and stands atop a rugged stretch of rocks. It was designed by the famous Dutch architect Geoffrey Bawa, and is minimal, spacious, and grand in a modern way.

You can actually marry legally in Sri Lanka if you have a British passport, and you only need to be there for 4 days prior to your wedding. Personally I adore outdoor ceremonies (I had one myself last year), and the setting by the beach under a beautiful canopy of leaves and tropical flowers was an absolutely picture-perfect setting for Mel & Rabin to say their vows.

Mel had her heart set on an elephant and I absolutely loved seeing her perched upon the top in her dress! Add into the mix some Kandyan dancers and drummers, fresh coconuts for refreshment and a absolute feast of a banquet (laced with chillis! Chilli hiding in everything….)….and then in the evening some traditional Singaporean brandy toasts…..fireworks and a ton of dancefloor action, and you have one BIG party. The merriment was assisted by the Marryokes (‘marry-o-key’) team from Ireland who make wedding day pop videos with a lot of audience participation…. this was just hilarious to watch and a lot of fun for the guests. Almost as much fun as watching steam come from American Billy’s ears as ate his way through a mountain of food…. and tried to temper the heat by adding some of that ‘cooling’ coconut chutney….which turned out to be laced with extra chilli….

Another memorable moment was turning round in the midst of shooting the couple’s portraits on the beach and seeing my colleague Aneta out at sea with water up to her knees, but our beloved cameras held safe and dry…that tide sure did come in fast. Thanks for going that extra mile & keeping the kit dry whilst you got wet!

Palm trees, coconuts, fun guests, dancers, sunshine, great speeches, a meaningful ceremony……chatter, laughter, a feast of food, music and dancing, good friends and family….the recipe for a fine wedding.

To Mel & Rabin, congratulations & may you have a lifetime of happiness together….. xxx

Bride’s Dress: Jenny Packham, Bride’s Shoes; Jimmy Choo; Venue: The Lighthouse Hotel Galle; Wedding Planning: Janice at Kairos Events; Wedding Logistics & Travel: Dipan at The Barefoot Traveller; Videographer/Wedding Film – Marryokes;