Ruins Have a Chokehold on Me | My Dream List of Old World Places to Photograph
There’s something about crumbling stone and open air cloisters that makes my heart skip a beat.
The minute light hits an archway that hasn’t had a roof in centuries, I’m gone. It’s like these ruins breathe with history, beauty, silence, and sacredness all layered into one. Whether it’s the way the sun pours through shattered stained glass, or how ivy slowly devours what’s left of a vaulted wall, I can’t help but be completely obsessed.
These old world ruins have an absolute chokehold on me.
As a wedding photographer, I’ve always been drawn to places with soul. The imperfect. The weathered. The places where light filters through broken arches and ivy climbs over what once was.
And while I’ve photographed weddings and editorials in some of the most breathtaking places on Earth, my bucket list has always had a special category: the most hauntingly beautiful abbeys and ruins in the world. The ones that feel ancient and intimate. Fragile and eternal.
Over the years, I’ve built a dream list of the most breathtaking ruins and abbeys around the world. These places aren’t just backdrops. They are characters. They tell stories.
So if you’re dreaming of a destination wedding or elopement in a place that feels sacred, cinematic, and drenched in history, these are my top picks. Each one is on my photography bucket list, and each one offers something extraordinary for couples who want their wedding day to feel timeless.
San Galgano Abbey – Tuscany, Italy
If I could photograph just one wedding in a ruin, it might be this one. San Galgano Abbey is a roofless 13th-century Gothic abbey in the heart of Tuscany. Imagine standing under open sky with stone columns rising all around you, golden light pouring in through broken arches, and the Tuscan breeze moving through the wild grasses.
There’s a haunting beauty here, a feeling of grandeur without pretension. San Galgano is iconic for good reason, and it’s the place that first made me fall in love with shooting in ruins. It’s moody, open, and impossibly romantic.
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Château du Vivier – Fontenay-Trésigny, France
Just outside of Paris, Château du Vivier is a lesser-known medieval gem that feels frozen in time,a ruined chateau in France that’s perfect for intimate elopements and cinematic wedding photography. This once-glorious château now stands partially in ruin, with moss-covered stones, towering remnants, and windows open to the sky.
The raw textures and untouched charm of this place make it a dream for editorial wedding photography. It’s cinematic and melancholic in the most beautiful way. It’s perfect for a couple who wants a storybook setting that’s just a little off the beaten path.
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La Badia di Orvieto – Umbria, Italy
The Abbey of Orvieto
Tucked away in the Umbrian hills, Badia di Orvieto offers an elegant blend of ruin and restoration, a dream location for Badia di Orvieto wedding photography and a hidden gem for any Umbria wedding photographer. There’s a monastic stillness to it with soaring arches, aged stone cloisters, and a peaceful atmosphere that invites intimacy.
For couples looking for something quieter than Tuscany but just as historic, this is a stunning alternative. Think soft Italian light, olive groves nearby, and architecture that whispers.
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Los Claustros de Ayllón – Segovia, Spain
The Cloisters of Ayllón
Spain’s answer to San Galgano, Los Claustros de Ayllón is a ruined cloister surrounded by wild countryside. Every angle is photogenic with worn-down columns, partial archways, and open courtyards perfect for ceremonies or portraits.
This location is ideal for couples who want something private, poetic, and almost surreal. The warm Spanish sun makes the stone glow, and the solitude of the site allows for deep emotional storytelling.
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Castiglion del Bosco – Tuscany, Italy
Castle of the Wood
While not a ruin, Castiglion del Bosco is a medieval borgo (village) turned luxury retreat in the heart of Val d’Orcia. The old stone buildings, rolling hills, and cypress-lined roads feel like a painting.
This one is for couples who want timeless elegance with a historical backdrop. It blends heritage with hospitality, giving you those ancient textures and golden-hour magic in a beautifully curated space.
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Convento do Carmo – Lisbon, Portugal
One of the most iconic ruins in Lisbon, Convento do Carmo is a roofless Gothic church that towers over the city. It’s a dream venue for Lisbon ruins weddings and a must-shoot for any Portugal wedding photographer. Its skeletal stone nave and wide-open interior give you drama, texture, and soul in every frame.
The juxtaposition of historic ruin with urban energy makes this an unforgettable spot for a destination wedding or intimate ceremony. It’s historic without feeling remote and it’s right in the heart of Lisbon.
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Abbaye de Silvacane – Provence, France
One of Provence’s “Three Sisters” of Cistercian abbeys, Silvacane is serene, minimal, and full of light. It’s not a ruin in the traditional sense, but its weathered stone and symmetrical beauty make it feel timeless.
Ideal for couples who want calm elegance, with a touch of ancient spirit. The acoustics, the light, the sacred geometry where it’s all a dream.
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Abbazia di Fossanova – Lazio, Italy
This abbey may be intact, but it still feels like stepping into another time. Fossanova is quiet and monumental, with sweeping Gothic arches and a perfectly preserved cloister. The whole site hums with reverence.
It’s the kind of place where whispers feel loud, and love feels eternal. A perfect venue for couples drawn to monastic beauty and meaningful architecture.
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Abbaye de Valmagne – Occitanie, France
The abbey of Valmagne
A wine abbey with cathedral-like architecture with Valmagne is unlike any other. Tall columns stretch into barrel vaults, and light filters through with golden softness. During the French Revolution, this abbey was turned into a wine cellar — and those massive barrels are still there today.
It’s rustic, romantic, and filled with stories. Perfect for a couple who wants their wedding day to blend history, elegance, and a little bit of grit.
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Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay – Île-de-France, France
The abbey of Vaux-de-Cernay
Hidden in the forest outside Paris, this ruined abbey is a breathtaking setting for Vaux-de-Cernay wedding photography. An abbey ruin near Paris that looks like it was pulled from a fantasy novel. Misty lakes, ivy-covered stone, and crumbling Gothic details make it utterly spellbinding.
If you’re the kind of couple who dreams of fog, candlelight, and windswept moments, this is the place. It’s mystical, moody, and cinematic: a photographer’s playground.
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These are the places that haunt my Pinterest boards, pop into my dreams, and fill the pages of my photography bucket list. Each one is more than a location, it’s a feeling. A texture. A story waiting to be told.
If you’re planning a destination wedding or elopement in one of these locations (or something similar!), know that I’m already there in spirit and would love nothing more than to help you tell your story with these breathtaking ruins as your backdrop.
Let’s make art in the most sacred places the world forgot.
Interested in working together in one of these unforgettable wedding locations? Get in touch, I already have the film packed.
