MEET AMANDA & MARCO

YOUR FRIENDS IN ITALY

CIAO!
WE'RE MARCO & AMANDA.

We are an Italian-American husband and wife team. Our journey together began in the USA with a successful wedding photography business since 2001 and years of experience organizing corporate and public events. It was planning our own destination wedding in Perugia in 2016 which brought us to the realization that we were meant to be in Italy. We have a profound love for this country, its food, the culture and the myriad of diverse experiences one can have. One year later we sold pretty much everything we owned and moved from the great American plains to the rolling green hills of Umbria.

SIMONELLI STUDIO WORKS WITH COUPLES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO DOCUMENT THEIR PERFECT ITALIAN DESTINATION WEDDING ADVENTURE. 

WE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL, AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. 

WE ARE YOUR LOCALS, ALWAYS JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY.

MARCO

I’ve been on the move since my family left my hometown, Perugia, back when I was 4. You know what they say: rolling stones don’t gather moss. My family kept moving, from the green rolling hills of Umbria, the coast of Abruzzo in southern Italy, to the city of Padova, just south of the Alps and this close to Venice. I have beautiful memories of growing up in Italy and can still recount many of them in vivid detail, the same way in which photographs can. My father always had a camera and did an incredible job at documenting our family adventures. He taught me the importance of storytelling. Thanks to him putting a camera in my hands and at early age, I’ve been taking photos for nearly my entire life. In 2001 there was another big move, but this time I went alone. I took a one way flight to the USA, I become a successful wedding photographer and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. When Amanda and I decided to move to Italy it was like my life came full circle. Now I am a wedding photographer in Italy and photograph couples that share the same love we have for Italy, its amazing food, exploring its art and history, and the joy it brings when you share those experiences with family and friends.
 
When I’m not taking photos you can find me fixing up the farm equipment we use around here, cooking for anybody that’s in the house (following my grandma’s recipes of course) and tinkering around with guitars, tubes, speakers and amplifiers in the never ending quest for the “perfect tone

AMANDA

My family has a favorite story of me, about the day that tiny 4 year old Amanda pointed her finger up at her giant 6’4” dad and told him in defiance “No! I’m the Boss!!”. I still get a kick out of that but these days I prefer the word “leader” over “boss”. I’ve always been the sort of person who likes to help, plan, and take charge, even as a kid. After graduating from Oklahoma State University I moved to Seattle, where I worked in the corporate world for several years. Then I said goodbye to the beautiful PNW and moved back home to Tulsa to work in business development across multiple states. At the same time I was coordinating conferences in that role, I organized major public events, chaired fundraisers, and volunteered for causes which were meaningful to my community. Along the way I met Marco (at a wedding) and we later we visited Italy, where he brought me to Perugia. I looked out over the view and I knew that if he and I were going to get married, I wanted it to be in Umbria.  While I was planning our wedding it became apparent just how much of this country is still undiscovered by many of it’s visitors. Now, at Simonelli Studio, I plan destination weddings and adventures for our clients and their guests. I love sharing the hidden gems we’ve uncovered.
 
I split my time with something that I am really passionate about: making Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Or you can find me out for a run along with one of my well curated playlists. I love to explore on foot. In my opinion, the best way to see new places is by taking a jog, which is why wherever I go, so go my running shoes.

Caught on camera in our natural habitat

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