Natali and Alexander traveled to Lake Como for the destination wedding of their dreams, bringing 130 guests from Belgium, the UK, and other parts of the globe. The couple hosted a celebration of love and the rich cultures that have brought them together, taking place at the captivating Villa Pizzo.
For the afternoon ceremony, Natali and Alexander wanted to unite their cultural traditions as they professed their love in front of the enchanting lake. The bride and groom selected a balanced color palette of pinks, corals, and whites to establish the romantic summer ambience. The groom arrived in a white suit and black bow tie with his groomsmen via limousine boat and the bride walked down the aisle covered in a carpet of petals in a Zuhair Murad gown, a vintage bouquet with white roses in-hand. They reunited under a rounded arch covered in pink, light pink, peach, yellow and cream flowers.
The couple’s close friend officiated, with ceremonial rites read in Farsi and other Persian elements woven throughout to honor the bride’s heritage. The bride and groom read their personalized vows to each other, detailing their journey to marriage and the unique love they share for each other. Friends and family celebrated with tears of joy as the couple became husband and wife, showering them with white rose petals as the ceremony concluded.
Upon arrival at the evening reception, guests were welcomed with detox waters–pineapple and mint as well as elderflower and lemon–and aperitifs– prosecco, bellini, spritz, negroni, and a watermelon mojito mocktail. The drinks were also accompanied by an array of hor d’oeuvres as well as a live band to begin the celebration.
As an homage to the bride’s Persian roots, a Sofreh was also present with the aperitifs. The Sofreh Aghd is a traditional and elaborate Persian ceremony spread that’s essential to wedding rituals, decorated with symbolic items that represent the couple’s marriage and new chapter together. The bride and groom joined their guests for photos, many loving embraces, and congratulations.
Guests then moved into the partially al fresco dining area, where they were seated at roundtables adorned with vibrant flowers and taper candles to match the color scheme. The reception tables also included silver cutlery, glasses with platinum rim, powder pink napkin, mirrored tables with rose gold details.
Loved ones cheered as the couple made their entrance and moved towards their dining table, covered in more flowers and embellished with gold and glass candelabras. Before dinner was served, the groom shared a message of thanks and appreciation to their guests as well as the bride.
Guests were served an impressive spread including: Mezzi Paccheri pasta, lobster marinated with lemon zest and basil, stuffed pan fried lamb loin, dried apricots, baby spinach, glazed shallot, and potato gratin. The dinner concluded with a traditional Persian knife dance that led to the groom cutting an elegant, round millefeuille cake filled with chantilly cream and fresh fruit.
Natali and Alexander opened up the dancefloor with their guests and a DJ spinned the soundtrack of the evening. The bride changed into a shorter dress for the nighttime festivities as the party moved inside for a change of scenery. An ice cream cart was also available for post-dinner snacks to sustain guests throughout the evening.
Credits
Venue:Villa Pizzo
Flowers: Mada Events
Photo: Cinzia Bruschini
Video: Maco Caputo
Dress: Zuhair Murad