Hannah and Andrew, who both work at technology start-ups in New York, tied the knot on 26th August 2023, at the breathtakingly beautiful Villa Bonomi, with exceptional views of Lake Como in Italy.
The wonderfully talented Carole-Ann of Harper Scott Photography, a Love My Dress (most highly) recommended supplier, documented the entire wedding beautifully. The bride wore a Martina Liana gown and the groom donned black tie. The whole day oozed effortless elegance and was captured beautifully on film by the wonderful Richard Leng of RL Films Co.
Enjoy!
Venue & Location
We knew we wanted to get married in Europe but spent a long time finding the perfect venue. We loved that Villa Bonomi had dramatic views of lake como and the surrounding mountains but was a bit tucked away from the town centre. Our first international trip together was to South Tyrol and Lake Como, so the destination also felt fitting.
From a logistics perspective, we also loved that it was relatively close to an international airport (Malpensa) for our guests.
We wanted to lean into the natural beauty of Lake Como and the overall fun and colourful ambience of Italy in the summer! Our biggest inspiration was our guests- making sure our family and friends would have a fabulous time celebrating with us.
We had a wedding planner, Anne Laure Weddings. Anne Laure was critical for a destination wedding – especially given language barriers and time zones.
The Dress & Accessories
My earrings were gifted to me from my parents, who helped design them. The earrings were created by the father of my oldest family friend- who also designed my engagement ring!
My hair and makeup artist was Anna Kalytyak from BLBS Management.
I wore a Marina Liana gown from The Plumed Serpent Bridal, in Westport, Connecticut, USA.
I went into the experience not knowing what I wanted and they were very accommodating and helpful, with the best selection of options!
I ultimately wanted a wedding dress that was a bit dramatic- my rationale was really: there will be no other time in my life when I get to wear a dress like this!
loved that my dress was elegant with a full skirt, but so, so lightweight (especially important in Italian summer heat!).
The Ceremony
We had our parents and siblings walk down the aisle together. Andrew was accompanied by his mother. I walked down alone.
We didn’t have any readings, but our officiant also did a lovely job of including advice from our parents. This was a lovely way to include them in the ceremony.
It was important to us to say our own vows- we wanted our ceremony to be filled with emotion and we felt this way it would be more personal.
Photography
We absolutely loved Harper-Scott Photography and would recommend them to everyone! We first met Carole Ann at our friends wedding and loved her charisma, the way she was able to manage a large group, and of course, her photos.
Specifically, what we loved were that the photos were more editorial and interesting- we weren’t looking for cookie cutter or corny poses. We also wanted someone who we enjoyed working with and who would make us and our families feel comfortable. Carole Ann and Hazel honestly felt like friends at our wedding- we loved them!
The Reception
Sophie Roberts designed our invitations and menus- she is so talented and wonderful to work with. To incorporate the various towns/cities around Lake Como, we selected some of their coat of arms and had those serve as table card indicators for guests to identify where their table was.
We handed out jute tote bags at the welcome dinner and had a candy table setup for guests to select preferred candies at the end of the dinner. They tote bags included;
- The Como Coat of Arms
- White sugared almonds (in the spirit of the Italian tradition)
- Soft almond amaretti classic from Amaretti Virginia
- Baratti & Milano chocolates and candies
Words of Wedded Wisdom
Focus on being present and showing gratitude to your family friends!
The wedding couple sets the tone and the guests feed off that energy- remember to smile and that you;re there to celebrate marrying the love of your life with those nearest and dearest to you.
