These brides wanted to celebrate the equality getting married at lake Como, Italy.
Lake Como, located in Northern Italy, is known for its dramatic scenery, sparkling waters, and incredible villas. So it’s no surprise that photographer Lilly Red Creative and planner Benevent wanted to style a dreamy elopement there! They wanted to celebrate a new era in Italy: 2016 was a big year of change, same sex couples are finally able to legally marry. And these two women wanted to celebrate that in the best way they could, with an elopement on the shores of Lake Como.
Como has a long, rich history of fine silks + fabrics. The styled elopement incorporated the legendary fabrics of the region. They coupled this with lush, overflowing bouquets and an abundance of cotton, wools, and silks. The envelope liners were hand painted with watercolors by Benevent, along with the map of Lake Como.
The rings and all the jewelry feature black and white diamonds, each personalized and handmade in Genova by My Golden Age. The bouquets by Cip Garden are composed of typical greens seen in the mountains surrounding Lake Como, coupled with olive branches that bring back memories of the rolling Tuscan hills. The black wedding dress is by Ela Siromascenko. The ethereal, cream wedding dress is by Yoliah Spose.
The ceremony was located in Onno, a small lakeside town where the mountains in the background create the perfect frame. Our backdrop for the ceremony was on old, vintage door with the intricate colored glass — long since removed from an Italian cathedral.
I totally adore the wool knit table runner in bold magenta colors, what could be more unusual? The dainty porcelain dishes are handmade in Trentino and characterized by the irregular edges, which make each piece one of a kind. The dessert table was located on a large, industrial sewing machine typical of an old Filanda.
The wedding cake is a pavlova style — typically made of a meringue crust topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits such as kiwis or strawberries.
One of the brides was wearing an ethereal cream wedding dress with an illusion sweetheart neckline and half sleeves.
The second bride prefered a black wedding dress with a lace bodice and a layered tulle skirt.
