An Old-World Glamour Wedding Weekend on Isola Bella

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Federica and Lorenzo are the epitome of the modern, cosmopolitan Italian couple. Their story began in Switzerland during university, sparking a decade-long journey that carried them through some of Europe’s most vibrant capitals. From the bustling streets of London and the charm of Dublin to the sun-soaked energy of Madrid, the relationship was forged through travel and shared ambition. After years as global citizens, the pull of home became undeniable, and the two returned to Italy, settling on the serene shores of Lake Como to begin their next chapter closer to home.

Location: Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Style: Radiant, Eternal, Soulful
Number of guests: 80
Time of planning: 18 months
Setting: Villa
Season: Fall

The proposal came unexpectedly, during a New Year’s Eve trip to the USA with family. Lorenzo proposed on a private platform suspended over the sea after dinner at Pink Octopus in the Bahamas, presenting a striking emerald-and-diamond ring. They remember dancing to “Isn’t She Lovely” immediately after.

Back from the winter trip, the two set off on a scouting mission across Italy, half genuine venue search, half excuse to travel more. When they arrived in Taormina, they knew they’d found it, a place where their international life and Italian roots could finally meet. Alice Santella captured the entire wedding weekend, both on film and digital, images that carried the same warmth running through the couple’s whole story.

Fashion

Federica’s bridal journey was a celebration of Italian craftsmanship and eclectic elegance. For the ceremony, she wore a bespoke Atelier Emè gown, meticulously redesigned and tailored by Claudia and Sara at their Lake Como atelier to create a silhouette that felt entirely her own. Rendered in romantic floral lace and hand-embellished with a constellation of pearls and Swarovski crystals, the gown featured a dramatic train and veil, exactly what she’d dreamed of since childhood.

Lorenzo chose to honor Italian tradition through craftsmanship instead of convention. Stepping away from the classic dark suit and waistcoat, he opted for a bespoke white smoking jacket, tailored by a local Italian artisan with the wedding date embroidered beside Federica’s name. It was a bold, distinguished choice, built to reflect the “Radiant and Magnetic” theme of their wedding.

Ceremony

The ceremony took place on the villa’s pool, overlooking Isola Bella, though the true heart of the setting was the intimacy that Federica and Lorenzo worked hard to create. “We chose a modern, bespoke ceremony style because we wanted the moment to feel like a warm embrace, not just for us, but for every guest in attendance,” Federica says. In a departure from tradition, their mothers officiated. “We went into it ready to be playfully embarrassed by childhood anecdotes,” Federica says, “but what we experienced was so much deeper. Hearing our love story through their eyes, watching us grow from two individuals into a partnership that elevates one another, was profoundly moving.”

The air stayed thick with emotion as they exchanged their own vows, and by the time their golden retriever, Lisy, made her grand entrance as ring bearer, there wasn’t a dry eye left in the room. Between heartfelt speeches from their two witnesses and the laughter sparked by family stories, the ceremony felt like a soulful celebration of where they’d been and where they were headed, personal from start to finish. “Our guests later told us they had never felt more engaged in a wedding,” Federica says. “It was a perfect reflection of our life together.”

Exchanging their vows brought the world down to just the two of them. Writing their own promises had been a non-negotiable part of their self-planned vision from the start. “We wanted our words to be as bespoke as our attire,” Federica says. The moment built into a highly emotional crescendo, a specific kind of magic that only comes from articulating love, respect, and shared history in front of the people who’ve watched you grow. “It was raw, it was unscripted in its emotion,” she says, “and it felt like the ultimate seal on our eight-year journey from Switzerland to Sicily.”

Cocktail Hour

The celebration moved from the emotional highs of the ceremony straight into the legendary Italian aperitivo. Federica and Lorenzo always clarified for their international guests: as grand as it looked, this was only the opening act. A gastronomic theater of local Sicilian flavors, it set the tone before the elegant seated dinner that followed. For signature cocktails, the two leaned fully into the “Radiant” theme, His and Her favorites that mirrored their opposite tastes.

Location & Photography

While Lake Como and Verona are home, and held their own pull, Federica and Lorenzo’s hearts led them to Sicily, wanting something that embodied what they call the “Chic Italian Experience.” Taormina offered ancient culture, world-class gastronomy, and the Mediterranean’s beauty in one place, a setting that resonated with their international guest list and became the natural backdrop for their union. They celebrated at Villa Mon Repos, a breathtaking Liberty-style property perched above the crystalline waters of Isola Bella, once Sicily’s most legendary casino, hosting the international elite and silver-screen icons of its era, lending the wedding a real sense of old-world glamour touched with vintage mystery.

It was wonderfully captured by Alice Santella. “There’s something incredibly distinctive about Alice’s way of seeing the world,” the couple says. “Every image feels intentional, emotional, and bold. She immediately understood the atmosphere we wanted to create and captured it with such subtlety and depth that nothing ever felt staged or artificial. Being photographed by her felt easy and natural; we were simply able to live the day together while she quietly documented it with grace and intuition. Looking back at the gallery now feels less like revisiting photos and more like stepping back into those exact emotions and moments again.”

Reception & Vision

Their vision was born from a desire to marry the wild beauty of the Mediterranean with the refined elegance of their Italian roots, the sun and sea always meant to be the primary ornaments of their love story. Villa Mon Repos in Taormina felt like a bridge between eras, sophisticated Gatsby glamour infused with the soulful Dolce Vita spirit only Sicily offers, once the only casino in all of Sicily, overlooking the one and only Isola Bella. Yellow became the North Star of the palette, representing the light, softness, and radiant happiness that define them as a couple, carried through floral arrangements that felt organic yet polished, adding up to a sun-drenched island dream that felt historically grounded and effortlessly chic.

To bring the vision to life, Federica and Lorenzo worked with florists Michele Giammusso and Vincenzo, moving away from rigid, traditional structures toward spontaneous arrangements that played with varying heights and organic shapes. The palette settled into soft yellows, crisp whites, and lush greens, with local fruit woven in as ornaments, giving the design the feeling of something grown straight from the Sicilian soil. The collaboration turned into something more than professional, Michele and Vincenzo saw the wedding as, in their words, “one of life’s greatest spectacles of love,” and that passion showed in every petal and branch, leaving guests captivated by the effortless, just-picked feel of the whole design.

As the moon rose over Isola Bella, the villa’s atmosphere shifted from sophisticated dining into an effervescent, night-long party. Their first dance opened with “Ordinary” before surprising everyone with a sudden switch into the Spanish track “Capaz,” a fun, unexpected moment that signaled the start of the high-energy festivities. The Gatsby spirit truly came alive during the cake cutting, followed by the bouquet toss, pure, unscripted joy. From heartfelt toasts that moved the room to tears to the magnetic energy on the dance floor, the reception wasn’t just a party, it built into a spontaneous crescendo of the Italian way of celebrating.

Pool Party

The day after the wedding turned into the ultimate Dolce Vita recovery. A White Pool Party at the villa carried everyone from the high-octane elegance of the night before into something purely relaxed, all-white and unhurried.

To finish the whole journey in true Italian style, the couple brought in a vintage Ape car that served fresh pizza made right there on the spot, paired with a dedicated Sicilian gelato and granita cart offering a cooling, artisanal close to the summer and the celebrations. Spontaneous, authentic, and grounded in the simple pleasures of their culture.

"I absolutely loved working with Federica and Lorenzo. There was something so effortless about the way they moved through the day together — completely present, deeply connected, and surrounded by people who matched their energy in the most beautiful way. The whole celebration felt emotional and vibrant without ever trying too hard, which made everything incredibly natural to photograph."

Alice Santella, The Photographer

Advice from the couple:

• Prioritize your shared presence. It is so easy to get swept up in the logistics of hosting, but the most magnetic moments happen when you stay by each other’s side, experiencing the day as a single, united heart. And, be unapologetically bold, there is a lot of pressure to follow the ‘right’ way of doing things. Our advice? Break the rules that don’t resonate with your soul. Whether it’s a three-day celebration, a non-traditional ceremony, or a sartorial rebellion like a white smoking jacket—do what makes you happy. Your guests are there to celebrate your essence, not your adherence to a checklist.