A Breathtaking Ceremony at Villa D’Este and Reception at Villa Erba on Lake Como

Lauren Megerdichian
September 10, 2024
Categories: Destination, Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog

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[field title=”Wedding Colors”]Mainly navy, white, and gold, with some other blues incorporated. We really wanted it to reflect and amplify the amazing setting we got married in, and being from New York City and London, I’m not exactly drawn to a lot of bright colors.[/field]

[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]We felt that when you get married in a place as beautiful as Lake Como, especially the Villa d’Este Gardens and Villa Erba, you really can’t do anything to compare. So, we were really focused on highlighting the history and beauty of the area. We chose to get married in Lake Como because my family had been many times, starting when my parents first went in the mid 1980s, and something that my now husband and I bonded over from the first day we met was our love of food and cooking, especially our favorite cuisine, Italian. So, we wanted the design to reflect the area and for the vibe to be as elegant as the location, but still as fun, warm, and friendly as we have found the Italian people to be. We also really wanted the wedding to reflect who we are and provide us an opportunity to share the things we love with the people we love. [/field]

[field title=”Proposal Story”]William and I met and began dating in 2014 while studying at Vanderbilt University. Since we had begun dating, traveling was something we had talked about a lot as a shared interest, and I had expressed my long-held desire to see the Northern Lights. Fast forward to my birthday, January, of 2022, when William said my gift was a trip to Iceland to do exactly that. I had an inkling that he was going to propose that trip, but it was further confirmed when he politely insisted that I “can’t be here for this” when his bag got pulled by security at Newark Airport. We had an amazing few days exploring Iceland before we went with Páll Jökull Pétursson, a photographer and Northern Lights Guide, to go try to see the Northern Lights. After a few hours, we still hadn’t seen the lights, and I was freezing. William kept insisting on waiting a little longer, hovering over Paul while he inspected his phone apps tracking elements that contribute to seeing the Northern Lights. Finally, I said it was time to go home and William agreed. Unbenounced to me, he was planning on proposing that night in front of the lights. The ironic part of this is that we got photos from our friends living in New York City that night of the lights. The next day, I had done some calculations of the remainder of our itinerary and figured he had to propose that day if he was going to on this trip. To make him sweat a little, I announced that I would be wearing athletic clothes and not wash my hair that morning. He gently said that he would be wearing what he wore to dinner the night before and that our activities that day would not be too strenuous so I wouldn’t need to wash my hair after. We did an incredible glacier hike in the morning, which was luckily, not too strenuous. Then, we spent about an hour searching for lunch with no avail, and he was insistent that we had to be at the next spot exactly at 1pm. This was a dead giveaway as the next spot was a gorgeous lookout and did not require any strict timing. As we walked to the outlook, hand-in-hand, I noticed his hand was starting to dampen and he was fidgeting. My heart started to flutter. A normally calm, cool, and collected man was clearly nervous, and it wasn’t of heights. We walked around the stunning outlook, and he waited until a visiting couple was out of the way of one spot, clearly popular for pictures. We stood there for a moment, both hearts racing, and he told me to take a step forward and turn around so he could get “a really cool picture.” We normally don’t take many pictures of each other or together, and I remember my brother-in-law saying something similar to my sister when he proposed, so I dutifully took that step and turned my back to him. A few seconds later, with a shaky voice, he asked me to turn around. When I did, he was on one knee and asked if I would marry him. I said yes. After a couple minutes and some applause from our fellow tourists, Páll came over and congratulated us, and then asked if I had noticed he was there. He said he purposefully wore a different jacket, a bright orange windbreaker, to conceal his identity. Although that may not have been the most inconspicuous outfit, he did his job and I did not notice it was him. He proceeded to take some more stunning photos and gave us a few books on Icelandic photography, one which was his own, as a gift and bid us adieu to celebrate in the beautiful Icelandic countryside. Later, I found out that after we didn’t see the Northern Lights the night before, he and Páll worked together to figure out the odds of seeing them on the rest of our trip (which were low), and then Páll recommended he propose at what was his favorite spot, as you could see almost all the geography Iceland has to offer: the sea, the black sand beach, the meadows, and the snow capped mountains. [/field]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]I wore Maeve by Monique Lluillier. I wanted a dress worthy and reflective of the atmosphere, and since we’d be getting married in October, while we hoped it would be warm, we couldn’t be sure, so I wanted something with the options of sleeves that I could wear for the ceremony, but wouldn’t restrain me for the rest of the event. I also wanted a dress that stood out against others that I had seen. I loved the lace pattern and how it was so intentionally placed along the bodice and skirt. I loved the way the straps almost blended into my skin, so that the sleeves looked like part of the dress, as opposed to a jacket, and when I took the jacket off during the reception, the dress didn’t look like it had straps, but had all the support. They also made the lace flowers and leaves look almost like they grew independently of the dress. I loved that the dress wasn’t pure white, but seemed to move with and reflect the light. I remember doing an initial look on Instagram while traveling to my sister’s wedding in September of 2022. I saw it on Monique Lluillier’s page and immediately fell in love with it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. William and I had recently moved to Atlanta, and I wanted to try to get my dress there so I wouldn’t have to travel for my fittings. The only boutique in town that carries Monique Lluillier’s dresses didn’t have it in the store, so I tried on probably close to 100 dresses. I found some truly stunning pieces, but still couldn’t get Maeve out of my mind. So, my mom and mother-in-law worked together while we were together for Christmas to make sure that I could try it on either in Atlanta, or Charlotte, NC, where my in-laws live, so I wouldn’t have to fly to New York in my last semester of graduate school. The boutique in Atlanta was able to get it shipped from the Monique Lluillier store in New York, and when I tried it on I fell in love. I ended up purchasing it at Alexis Bridal in Charlotte, NC, and the skilled team at Custom Bridal Modifications in Atlanta did the fittings. Thanks also to the help of the artists at Dawn Artists and The Stylish Bride, I felt so beautiful and so comfortable in my dress.[/field]

[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]I simply told my bridesmaids to wear a black tie navy dress. I wanted everyone to feel beautiful and comfortable, and I wanted them to be able to wear something they already had or be able to wear the dress again. Since we were getting married abroad, I wanted to ensure their bridesmaid dress was not an additional burden. I love the color navy and think it looks great on everyone. I wanted a mix of patterns and solids and to have some variety in textures. Luckily, my bridesmaids did a great job and, thanks in part to my sister India, who was my Matron of Honor, I thought the dresses came together to look amazing all together. The artists from Dawn Artists provided hair and makeup to my bridesmaids and my mom’s good friend, Andreas Wild did my sister and mom’s hair.[/field]

[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]William wore a bespoke tux from Thom Sweeney. When we went to London, which is where I spent most of my childhood, before our site visit, we went to their Mayfair store with both our parents to start the process, and he did his fittings at their New York City location. The groomsmen were only told to wear a black tux.[/field]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]Food and drink were two areas where we focused a lot. Food is a major passion of ours, especially Italian food, so we really wanted it to be a main focus and be a way to share what we love with our guests. We had come across an Instagram account of a catering company, Creative Edge Parties, years ago, and during one of our first wedding planning meetings, we mentioned we wanted to recreate their vibe. Our lead wedding planner, Lynn Easton, then revealed that Carla Ruben, the President, Founder, and Creative Director, of Creative Edge was one of her good friends. We were then able to hire Carla and her colleague Rosamaria Molina as consultants to work with CLASS Eventi and Villa d’Este to make all our food dreams come true. Our horderves represented a mix of our favorites in Italian cuisine and a reflection of where we are from and where we have lived. They included: caviar cannolis, arancini, personalized pastrami sandwiches, salmon tartare, tuna tartare, burrata with dehydrated olives, vegetables “pinzimonio,” and an elevated twist on fish and chips. For dinner, we started with an amuse bouche of a parmesan custard and black truffle pâté with parmesan snow in the signature Creative Edge golden egg. It was followed by caged burrata, which was an heirloom tomato and burrata salad with muhammara pesto and balsamic pearls in a puff pastry dome. The second course was a pasta trio, served Russian style, of campanelle al limone, rigatoni arrabbiata, and orecchiette pesto. For the main course, guests were served veal Milanese with root vegetable shavings and charred lemon vinaigrette, and those who did not eat meat were served monkfish or eggplant parmesan. After the cake was cut, we passed desserts around the dance floor, consisting of teramissu push pops, raspberry puree with panna cotta, mini pistachio milkshakes with biscotti, donut holes with a choice of sauces, and warm chocolate chip cookies. Our “late night food” were mini Philly cheesesteaks and mini pizzas served in a box with our beloved dog’s face on it.

CLASS also helped us with our wine. Wine is another thing that William and I are passionate about, and Italian wine is our favorite, so it was important to us to share some of our favorites with our guests and also to include wine native to the region. We served a Merlot from Cantina La-Vis in Trentino, Italy, just east of Lake Como, and a Rosso di Montepulciano from Azienda Agricola Poliziano, near Siena. The white wine we served was a Lugana from Zenato near Lake Garda, and a Vermentino from Cantina Pala in Sardinia. For cocktails, Glauco Noseda and his talented team at SPUMA worked with my cousin, Nick Horton, and us to create an innovative and complex signature cocktail list that did not hold up any bar lines. While in London before our site visit, we went with Nick, his brother, and his brother’s wife to the Nomad Hotel bar, which my Nick helped open to try some of his signature cocktails. We chose cocktails that we loved, were versions of our favorite cocktails, and that represented Italy. We named the cocktails after places and things that were important to us and our love story. We had “The Tin Roof,” named after a bar we frequented in college, which was a play on a tequila espresso martini, “Gin Lane,” one of Nick’s signature cocktails named after a street my parents live on, which is a cucumber, mint, and citrus gin drink, “Oscar’s Socks,” named after our dog’s favorite snack, a gin drink with Italicus and Cocchi Americano, to highlight Italian flavors, “TBT at ZBT,” named after the party William and Charlotte met at, which was a spicy negroni, and “Anchor Down,” a catchphrase of Vanderbilt University, where William and I met, which was essentially a Limoncello spritz. Glauco and his team also made incredible cocktails to order and manned a martini bar and the ever popular tequila shot cart on the dance floor. [/field]

[field title=”Florals & Decor”]We knew we didn’t want too much elaborate floral and decor to take away from the stunning venues, we simply wanted to highlight the spaces. We also wanted a lot of candles to help set a romantic and elegant mood that reflected the settings. Liz Griffith, of Siloh Floral, joined us to consult with floral and decor and Ratti Flora to help elevate the spaces. We used mainly white and green florals and white, long candles in clear glass candle sticks of varying heights, and a mix of white and transparent plates with gold accents to set the stage for dinner. They filled the grand staircase at Villa Erba with a mass of white and green florals and candles on either side to create a truly stunning grand centerpiece of the dance floor.[/field]

[field title=”Wedding Cake”]Como based Lisa Bakery made us a delicious and beautiful cake. We wanted the design to reflect our general aesthetic: simple to highlight the surroundings. The cake was white, four tiered, with white and light pink flowers and greenery on one side. It was Vanilla with Pistachio cream and a filling of strawberry jam, with a layer of pistachio praline. [/field]

[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]Our good friend, Will Henderson, officiated the wedding, and William and my mothers did readings of their choosing. The pre-ceremony music was instrumental versions of popular songs. The family processed to “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles, both a beautiful song, and a nod to where Charlotte grew up, near Abbey Road. The wedding party processed to “All of Me” by John Legend, as he is said to have written it at Villa d’Este. My dad and I walked down the aisle to “Edelweiss,” as that is a song that he always used to sing to my sister and me growing up. My sister, the Matron of Honor, William’s brother, the Best Man, and my dad made unforgettable speeches during dinner. William and my first dance song was “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis. We thought this song was beautiful and grand enough to reflect the stunning dance floor at Villa Erba. My dance with my dad was to “Paradise City” by Guns ‘n Roses, a favorite song and band of my family, and one that we used to sing in the car all the time. William and his mom’s dance was “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves. We really wanted the entire dancing part of the night to be upbeat and fun, with our favorite songs and those that everyone, regardless of age, would enjoy. The band, La Festa, was incredible, and we had a saxophone stay and play for the DJ set that went from 12pm-2am. [/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #1″]The Tenors

Josh Friedman, of Elan Artists, insisted we have tenors. He had both attended and provided entertainment for events at Villa Erba and described how special the tenors made them. He described guests standing, arm in arm, crying and singing along with the tenors. We initially weren’t sold, but we trusted Josh after seeing what he did with my sister’s wedding. We are so happy we did that. We had three tenors, who were later joined by some of the singers from our band, singing classic Italian opera songs and beautiful Italian and English ballads as they drifted from room to room during dinner. People were in fact standing, singing, and crying. Not only was the performance incredible, it also broke up dinner in a way that felt interactive and like a show, as opposed to a long meal. The tenors sang their last song during the fireworks and cake cutting. [/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #2″]Fireworks and cake cutting

After dinner and before dancing, guests joined us outside for fireworks and cake cutting, while the tenors serenaded us with “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli. It was breathtaking to see the fireworks over the lake on the steps of Villa Erba.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #3″]Boat from Villa d’Este to Villa Erba

I knew that I wanted to have the ceremony in the gardens at Villa d’Este, as that is where my family and I have visited for years and was the main driver of why we got married in Lake Como. However, the space at Villa Erba was more conducive to the number of guests we had and the reception feel we wanted. Luckily, the two stunning venues are only about a 5 minute drive apart. While guests filed over, William and I opted to take one of the Villa d’Este’s signature wooden boats to the venue. This gave us a chance to spend some one-on-one time together, while also getting some stunning and incredibly special photos and videos.

Special Detail #4: The cake the night before:

The night before the wedding, we had a welcome dinner at Villa d’Este. There was so much that made it special, but above all, it was the ice sculpture of our dog with a cake, made by our good friend Sebastian Wild, of a dog bowl with spaghetti in it, that tipped it over the edge. He specializes in cakes that look so realistic, and guests were blown away when we cut into the bowl, revealing that it was a cake. It was such a special way to incorporate our beloved dog in the festivities and also highlight the talent of Sebastian.[/field]

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