A Lake Como Wedding with Room for Personality

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Late May in Lake Como has a particular calm to it. The light sits softly on the water, the villas feel lived-in, and everything moves at a natural, unforced pace. Liya and Nick chose this setting for a celebration that felt intentional without ever becoming rigid. Their wedding blended classic black-tie elegance with warmth, personality, and moments that invited guests to slow down and stay present. Planned with Boutique Weddings, the multi-day experience focused on balance, atmosphere, and thoughtful details that never distracted from the place itself.

Location: Lake Como, Italy
Style: Classic, Romantic, Refined
Time of planning: 1.5 years
Number of guests: 110
Setting: Villas
Season: Spring

Liya and Nicholas met in New York City in 2018 during the kind of night that only makes sense in Manhattan. It was early morning, a dive bar, and no expectations beyond a good conversation. That brief encounter turned into something lasting. Over the next few years, they built a life together in downtown Manhattan, sharing routines, favorite restaurants, and the kind of everyday moments that quietly shape a relationship.

In June 2023, Nick proposed on a private rooftop in SoHo. The moment stayed intimate and personal, followed by a family dinner at Crown Shy, one of their favorite spots. The following day unfolded on a different scale. Nick surprised Liya with a larger engagement party filled with friends, laughter, and the kind of energy that reflects a life well shared. Not long after, the idea of an Italian wedding became more than a thought. A trip to Lake Como in 2022 had already sealed it. The couple wanted to give their guests a reason to travel and to make that journey truly worthwhile.

Concept & Location

Villa Pizzo became the natural setting for the wedding day. The historic villa offered sweeping lake views, layered gardens, and a sense of quiet grandeur that never felt overwhelming. Liya and Nick approached planning without a fixed vision or strong preferences. They relied on visual references, intuition, and a shared belief that simplicity would age better than excess.

Their guiding principle stayed consistent throughout. Less mattered more. The couple trusted the villa and the lake to do most of the work. Soft tones of rose, peach, apricot, blush, white, and light yellow supported the surroundings.

Boutique Weddings translated that mindset into a clear vision. The planning process focused on flow, proportion, and restraint, while allowing moments of surprise to emerge naturally. Chandeliers, large-scale ceremony florals, and a caviar bar introduced subtle drama without disrupting the overall balance. Every choice felt deliberate, never excessive.

"The idea was to be able to look back on our day 30 years from now and be proud of our decorative choices!”

The Couple

Welcome Day

The celebration began with a welcome event at Villa Geno. The afternoon carried a lighter, more playful energy and set the tone for the days ahead. April weather allowed guests to gather comfortably outdoors, surrounded by the lake and the villa’s gardens. The atmosphere leaned relaxed and social, with conversations stretching easily across tables and shaded areas.

A live folk trio band moved gently through the space, keeping the energy light and conversational. The welcome day worked as an introduction. It gave guests time to arrive, connect, and settle into the rhythm of the celebration ahead.

"Green and pink couches, delicate orange umbrellas, fresh vegetables scattered across the bars and tables, and colorful bar counters with Lake Como–inspired signs came together in a way that felt even better than we had imagined.”

The Couple

Wedding Day

Bridal Morning & Fashion

Liya’s wedding morning unfolded calmly, without rush. Her approach to fashion reflected the same clarity that guided the overall celebration. She wore a strapless crepe gown from a small boutique near her home. The dress featured a beaded corset bodice and an elegant train, offering structure with softness. The silhouette felt modern and timeless at once.

Badgley Mischka shoes completed the look, paired with Le Labo Santal as her chosen fragrance. Hair and makeup stayed classic and understated, allowing the dress and setting to take focus. Later in the evening, Liya changed into a Nadine Merabi mini dress, bringing a playful shift in energy for the afterparty.

"Liya felt euphoric and on cloud 9!”

Boutique Weddings Italy

Groom’s Getting Ready

Nick’s look followed a classic black-tie direction with personal details woven in. He wore a custom tuxedo by Enzo, a New York based company. The tailoring stayed timeless, while subtle touches carried meaning. His shirt featured Liya’s initials, LPF, stitched discreetly along the seam.

His cufflinks told a story of place. One displayed a map of New York City, the other Lake Como. Together, they represented the two locations that shaped their relationship. Nick felt confident, grounded, and fully present as the day began.

First Look

Liya and Nick met privately, away from guests, allowing space for emotion and recognition without interruption. The setting remained simple, framed by the villa’s architecture and greenery. It offered a moment to breathe and connect before the day moved forward.

Ceremony

The ceremony took place overlooking Lake Como, with the water stretching behind the floral installation. The weather held steady, allowing the setting to reveal itself fully. Guests arrived to a scene that felt open and balanced, where design and landscape worked together.

Liya and Nick chose not to preview the ceremony setup beforehand. Their reactions unfolded in real time as they walked down the aisle and took in the scale of the florals, the lake, and the gathered guests. The large floral stages by Ratti Flora framed the space without enclosing it, keeping the focus outward toward the water.

Vows became the emotional core of the ceremony. Both spoke openly and from the heart, drawing on shared history and mutual respect. The atmosphere shifted into a quiet attentiveness that filled the space.

“The ceremony was by far our favorite part. The flowers were so stunning, and the view was so breathtaking,” shared the couple.

Cocktail Hour

Cocktail hour flowed through the gardens, encouraging guests to explore and linger. A live illustrator captured guests throughout the space, creating personal keepsakes that reflected individual style and expression.

A caviar bar became one of the most talked about moments of the hour. Thoughtfully presented and paired with classic accompaniments, it added a refined twist that felt unexpected yet perfectly placed. Limoncello bottles served as escort cards, each labeled with a guest’s name and table number. The idea felt playful, practical, and distinctly Italian.

Boat Moment

Later in the day, Liya and Nick stepped away for a brief boat ride on the lake, captured beautifully by Aberrazioni Cromatiche Studio. The moment offered a change of pace and perspective. Surrounded by water and villas, they shared a quiet reset before returning to the evening celebrations.

Decor & Flowers

The reception design returned to the couple’s guiding principle of understated elegance. Boutique Weddings approached the decor with careful attention to balance, color harmony, and scale. Floral arrangements echoed the ceremony palette, layering rose, peach, apricot, and pale yellow tones across tables and architectural elements.

Stationery played a key role in shaping the atmosphere. Designed by The Lights Factory, menus and place cards featured delicate watercolor illustrations inspired by Italian ingredients. Lemons, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil framed each menu, offering a subtle nod to local culture. Each menu was personalized with the guest’s chosen dish.

Ravioli shaped place settings held name cards, adding a lighthearted detail that guests immediately noticed.

Reception

Dinner unfolded at a relaxed pace, supported by attentive service and an easy flow. Conversations stretched across tables, and the atmosphere stayed intimate despite the scale of the celebration. Liya and Nick shared their first dance to “Dandelions,” a song that had held meaning for them long before the engagement.

Speeches became one of the most emotional moments of the evening. Both sets of parents spoke with honesty and warmth, moving the room without performance. Liya’s parents closed with a line that stayed with many guests. They promised to love the couple not for the rest of their lives, but for the rest of theirs. “They moved everyone to tears and it was so apparent how lucky we both are to be raised by such amazing people,” shared the couple.

As the evening progressed, energy built naturally. Dancing filled the space beneath the chandeliers, while guests moved between the dance floor and the photo booth, snapping playful keepsake photos that quickly became part of the night’s story.

Advice from the couple:

• Find a really great wedding planner! That would be our biggest advice. Make sure they are patient, knowledge and transparent. We could not recommend Alessia at Boutique Weddings enough. She was absolutely amazing, and she really turned our entire vision to life. Of course, there were bumps in the road as there always are, but she helped guide us through them all with poise and grace. She was also very understanding when times of stress came up.

• Be there for each other. If we did not have each other during this entire process, we surely would not have made it through. Support each other, back each other, lift each other up, and be there for one another when others won’t be. Our love grew tenfold during the wedding planning process because we abided by these rules. We have never felt closer than we feel at this moment because we were truly each other’s rocks and support systems every step of the way.

A Lake Como Wedding with Room for Personality

Concept & Location

Welcome Day