Shabby Chic Destination Wedding at Villa Regina Teodolinda in Lake Como

Based on the venue, time of the year and, surely, the preferences of the couple - elegant shabby chic style was chosen as the main theme in terms of design and colors. The overall vibe of the wedding was supposed to be fun, sophisticated and intimate. We wanted to incorporate some rustic elements together with some elegant details and make a beautiful garden wedding.

In 2020, Blake and I had a trip planned to Europe that was cancelled because of the pandemic. Instead, in the fall, we took a road trip across the Southwest US to visit several National Parks. Blake had the idea of doing a photoshoot at Zion National Park, and while overlooking the vast canyon at sunset, I turned around to Blake on one knee. We hiked back down happily engaged!

My bridal gown was by Enzoani, a designer based in Southern California. Being from Southern California, it was meaningful to me to bring a little bit of my home in the form of my gown with me to Italy. And while my style is usually more simple and reserved, I fell in love with the long, dramatic train and intricate details of the gown to pair with a lakeside villa on Lake Como. My reception dress was Fame and Partners, a silk gown with asymmetrical details, I chose to be able to easily dance in. Ceremony heels: Sarah Flint, Reception heels: Sophia Webster.

Blake's wedding attire was a custom made tuxedo by David Yahid, the founder of San Francisco-based, Uomo Couture. David imports his fabrics from Italy, and styled Blake in a navy blue tuxedo with uniquely textured fabrics. Groom's shoes: Prada loafers

While dating, our first international trip together, and our very first destination, was Lake Como. Since then we returned to Italy every chance we had. Years later, when we were engaged and starting to plan our wedding, we imagined it on the water on Lake Como. We fell in love at once with Villa Regina Teodolinda, as we wanted something intimate and it was the perfect combination for us of rustic and elegant.

Engagement Ring brand My engagement ring and wedding band, as well as Blake's wedding band, were crafted by a family-run jeweler named Monahan's Jewelers. Over a year before Blake proposed he took me here to try on engagement rings to find a style I'd be happy to wear for life. After getting engaged we returned to pick out our wedding bands together.