A medieval castle in Lombardy, a wedding built around classic cinema and Disney fairytales, and two people who found their way back to each other after years apart. Andrea and Priyanka’s celebration at Castello di Marne was personal, multicultural, and cinematic in every sense, captured on both camera and Super 8 by Giovanni Paolone.
Location: Bergamo, Italy
Style: Vintage, Fairytale & Classic
Time of planning: 1 year
Number of guests: 110
Setting: Castle
Season: Spring
Andrea is from Italy. Priyanka is from Singapore. They met somewhere in between, in Perth, Western Australia, working together at a busy venue far from home. They lost touch for a few years, until a Disney video about love appeared on Priyanka’s social media and Andrea sent a quick message. She replied, the conversation restarted easily, and this time it didn’t stop. Chats became dates, and the two quietly realized they made a great team.
The proposal came during a Coldplay concert in Barcelona. As “A Sky Full of Stars,” their favorite track, played out across the crowd, Andrea got down on one knee. Priyanka said yes amid the music and lights, and they spent the rest of the trip the way it should be spent: long walks, good food, and time together in the Spanish sun.
Inspiration & Photography
The concept for Andrea and Priyanka’s wedding grew from something they already shared: a love of film. Classic Italian cinema and Disney fairytales became the two reference points, and the combination turned out to be more natural than it sounds. Films like Fellini’s La Dolce Vita and Wyler’s Roman Holiday shaped the visual language of the day, their cobblestone streets, Vespa rides, and flowing gowns channeling the glamour and carefree spirit of mid-20th-century Europe. The palette followed: soft ivories, golds, and deep maroon, a nod to the monochromatic elegance of the films they love most.
The Disney layer added something warmer and more whimsical, drawing from Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast for a sense of wonder that ran quietly through every detail. Bespoke invitations designed to resemble vintage film posters, florals blooming like enchanted gardens, and a venue that felt like it belonged to another era entirely. Many of the ideas came from cozy movie nights, the two of them pausing scenes to write things down. Giovanni Paolone was there to capture it all on both camera and Super 8, bringing his own cinematic sensibility to a wedding that was built around exactly that.
Bride's Fashion
Priyanka wore two looks across the day, each chosen with the same intention: timeless, classic, and comfortable.
For the ceremony, she wore a silk ivory jacquard gown with a porcelain tulle plunge neckline by Martina Liana, from True Society Tuscany Bridal, finished with a Grace and Goddess cathedral veil. For the reception, she changed into a second look from Lutka Boutique, lighter and made for dancing.
A chain from her parents and a spritz of Essenzialmente Laura by Laura Bosetti Tonatto completed the picture. The perfume, a Sicilian orange blossom scent from Rome, was chosen as a nod to Italian bridal tradition, something borrowed from the culture she was marrying into. The bridal bouquet carried its own meaning: the same colored lilies Andrea had given her on their very first date, a full-circle detail that brought tears and smiles in equal measure.
Groom's Fashion
Andrea wore a custom Institchu suit with Aquila shoes, clean and considered for the day ahead.
The deeper emotion of the morning came from his groomsmen beside him. His oldest friend, who has become practically a brother over the years, stood beside men who have stayed through every season of life, each one carrying a shared history that went far beyond the day itself. Late-night talks, adventures, quiet support through hard times, and a loyalty that has only grown stronger. Standing with them at the altar felt like everything that had led to this moment made visible.
Ceremony
The wedding took place at Castello di Marne, a medieval castle in the village of Marne in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy, about 35 kilometers from Milan. A drawbridge entrance, grand indoor rooms, lush gardens, and an enchanting park, everything the couple had imagined when they dreamed of a fairytale set against classic Italian elegance.
The most unforgettable moment, for both of them, was that first look down the aisle. Seeing each other standing there, in golden light, surrounded by everyone they love. “Everything crystallized in that instant,” they say, “the years of building our life together, the challenges we’d faced side by side, the shared laughter, the quiet tears, the unspoken promises.” A reminder of how much it took to get there, and how being a true team had always carried them forward.
The ceremony was symbolic and shaped around their story, personalized vows, and full creative freedom to honor it without strict rules. The groom walked down the aisle with his mother. The bride was walked down by her bridesmaids, friends, and cousins, a modern twist that felt empowering and warm. A nephew and niece scattered petals and stole hearts. And Priyanka’s family brought their Indian roots to the Italian setting, arriving in stunning sarees that added color, sparkle, and warmth to the day. Traditional and modern, Italian and global, intimate and grand. “It wasn’t strictly one or the other,” they say. “It was us.”
Cocktail Hour
The evening began with a relaxed aperitivo in the castle gardens, with guests mingling under the last of the golden hour sun, sipping Italian spritzes, prosecco, and light bites. A playlist of beloved Italian hits from the seventies to the nineties filled the air, sparking laughter and dancing among friends and family who had traveled from across the world to be there.
Giovanni Paolone captured it all on both camera and Super 8, and the result went beyond anything the couple had expected. “Every time we look at the photos and film, we fall in love all over again,” they say. His instinct for the quiet glances, the tears of joy, the laughter mid-dance, gave the couple something that goes beyond documentation. Images that keep the feeling alive.
Reception & Celebration
The reception took place in the castle’s historic salons, with high ceilings and soft lighting, creating something intimate and grand at the same time. Lush florals in a fusion of colors and whites, lilies and elegant blooms echoing the bridal bouquet, ran through the space and tied the cinematic vision together.
Dinner was a warm, multi-course Italian feast, everyone seated together, with local dishes and long conversation. The undisputed star of the table was the Millefoglie cake, sourced from a historic Bergamo bakery through the venue, its flaky pastry layers filled with rich custard and dusted with powdered sugar. “Guests still talk about it as the best cake they’ve ever tasted,” the couple says. The venue’s homemade cannoli drew a crowd of admirers.
As the evening drew to a close, fireworks lit up the sky over the castle grounds, a sky full of stars, a nod to the Coldplay song that played when Andrea proposed in Barcelona. Guests left calling it one of the most beautiful, heartfelt weddings they had ever attended. The cultural fusion, the emotional moments, the castle, the food, the feeling that everything flowed exactly as it should. “It truly felt like our own fairytale come to life,” the couple says, and looking at the images, it is hard to disagree.
Advice from the couple:
• Our biggest piece of advice? Let loose, have fun, and truly take time to soak in every second— because the day flies by faster than you can imagine.
• Pause. Look out over your guests and feel the gratitude wash over you as you see how many people traveled from near and far just to witness two souls coming together.
• Most importantly, carve out small pockets of time to be fully present with your partner amid the whirlwind. Those quiet glances, the shared smiles, the way your hand finds theirs in the crowd —these are the moments that stay with you forever.
• So dance like no one’s watching (even if you forget your first dance!), laugh until your sides hurt, and let the day be messy and magical in the best way. It’s your love story—live it fully.
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY Giovanni Paolone | WEDDING DRESS True Society Tuscany Bridal | SECOND DRESS Lutka Boutique | BRIDAL SHOES Georgie’s Bridal Shoes | GROOM SUIT Institchu | HAIR & MAKEUP Alessia Damiata Filippo Monzio | MAKEUP MKS Milano | VENUE, FOOD & CAKE Castello di Marne | FLORALS Tae Floral Design Milano | DJ Point Break DJs | GETTING READY La Torre Medioevale di Trotolo Rossella | WINE Tenuta Lamborghini
