WEDDING STORY OF HEIDI AND NICK

January 22, 2024

Heidi and Nick were immersed in the serene beauty of Lake Como, at Villa Erba as a testament to love amidst the challenges of COVID-19. With personalized touches adorning every corner, from flower swings to a groom's boat entrance, their wedding blended grandeur and intimacy flawlessly. Continue reading to delve deeper into the intricacies that rendered the wedding truly exceptional, discovering insightful tips and personal reflections shared by the bride herself.

What was the main idea of your wedding?

To bring together our friends and loved ones amidst the chaos of COVID-19 to celebrate life and love, immersed in the beauty of nature surrounding Lake Como.

Please tell us a little bit about your location for the wedding. Why did you and your husband choose it?

We were fascinated by the effortless beauty and charm of Lake Como and knew that this was the place we wanted to be married.
We loved the grand but intimate atmosphere of Villa Erba and the the spaces outside/inside worked perfectly for the flow of our wedding!

Were there personal touches in the decor or ceremony? You may recall some details that are important to you.

Absolutely and yes, everywhere — we were very involved in the planning process, from flower colors and shape/design to personalized invitations and customized logos on masks, dessert, cake, infinity candlelight design on the grand centerpiece at dinner, flower swing outside by the tree, gelato cart, groom entrance via boat, classical quartet (the bride played the cello/piano growing up), the classic black Porsche we hired, the list can go on!

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?

Whether it was walking down the aisle or the first dance, our eyes were transfixed on each other — and everything else was a blur!
We are so grateful that we hired the best photographers and videographers who captured these special moments for us to remember and cherish forever.
The most memorable, however, was not captured, perhaps by anyone — but only us and in our hearts. Towards the end during the dance party, we snuck out to the outside to get some fresh air and ride on the specially designed flower swing by Vincenzo. This swing served as an important part of our memories, one where we fell off while laughing after a particular moment during our dating life, and upon that same swing the proposal also happened! We wanted to add swing elements to our wedding so this was one physical interpretation of it, and the other was a literal swing on the cake designed by Mami Louise.

What made your wedding special?

Having our friends and loved ones with us of course, but also how seamlessly everything came together in the end despite not being able to travel to visit the venue beforehand due to Covid! Having the best planner/flower designer/photographer/videographer helped to make all the difference. They really did such an excellent job.

Were there any unexpected challenges or surprises in the planning process or the wedding itself? How did you overcome them?

The distance and time zone difference and COVID also threw in many delays and unexpected twists that kept us holding our breath until the week before the actual wedding — I look back now and can laugh, but during the process, it was stressful at times having to basically plan an entire international wedding, virtually, with no guarantee of anything actually happening! You overcome with simply nothing else but patience.

Three tips for couples who are planning their wedding.

1. Interview many planners (I interviewed over a dozen), and pick the one your gut chooses, not from anyone else's reviews. I wanted to work with someone who not only had style herself but also understood mine, and was humble and willing to accommodate and work together. I call her my fairy godmother.

2. Hire the best photographer. Do your research. Put in the time. Book early.

3. Hire the best videographer. Do your research. Put in the time. Book early.

Don't skip on the videographer because you think photos are enough. The videos really capture special moments in their essence, and they help you remember everything about the atmosphere. Really gives everything dimension.

Three tips for brides-to-be.

1. It's ok to argue or fight. The world is not ending. Try to make this an enjoyable time, not a task to check off!

2. Seize your day and wear different looks. I wore 4! It was not intentional, but Milla Nova's dresses were too beautiful to wear only one. My original plan was to wear 2, but it became 3.. and in the end, I took a "backup" dress which ended up being my 4th. The photos will turn out magical and you will feel like the most special bride on your wedding day — as you should.

3. Don't sweat the little things — it's easier in hindsight, but trust your gut in a lot of the process/design and put love at the center.

Three biggest regrets on your wedding day.

Not going to the dessert table, not taking more photos with family/bridesmaids, and the third is probably a regret for every bride — not enough time. The day/evening really flashes by.

Truly enjoy every second and bask in the glory of this special day that you have been dreaming of. Only you can allow yourself to believe that you had a fairytale wedding. It's the love in the air that everyone remembers and talks about!

We will be happy to hear about your experience with Milla Nova. Where and under what circumstances did you find the dress? Was it love at first sight? Tell us everything!

I found everything (all of the ones I wanted ideally) online and then found a shop that had a few of the dresses for me to try — it wasn't perfect because they didn't have my size and they didn't have all the dresses in stock — but no worries, as Milla Nova was exceptional in that, they rush—shipped my dress choices and catered to me (in the middle of COVID-19) to make sure I got everything in time.

Milla Nova is a brand that really cared about me, just one of many brides, and helped to make everything come to fruition. I am forever grateful to Milla Nova for putting together all my dresses for my special, dreamy day.