The Bride Wore a Hayley Paige Wedding Dress Fit for a Princess During Her Fairy-Tale Celebration on Lake Como

Ever since Brooke and Richard got together in the fall of 2018, the couple has prioritized traveling all over the world. It made sense, then, that the duo got engaged while abroad: On a trip to Shanghai, China, Richard brought Brooke to Disneyland to pop the question. “We went behind the castle and had a moment alone when he asked me,” Brooke says. Naturally, they wanted a destination wedding in a unique location, and Lake Como fit the bill—they knew their guests would love it as much as they did. “We wanted to find a location that was going to be attractive to our guests for them to travel and enjoy their stay,” Brooke says.

They booked Villa del Balbianello in late 2019, but pandemic restrictions forced them to reschedule not once, but twice. “In a way, it was a blessing in disguise. We were able to take our time with the details, vendor bookings, and payments,” Brooke says. “This also allowed our guests to take their time on booking their travel and accommodations.”

When the big day finally did arrive, Brooke and Richard invited 36 guests to their July 1, 2022, storybook romance-themed wedding, which they put together with help from Jacqueline Hallgarth, who designed the intimate celebration. Read on to see the personal touches in photos by Jenny Quicksall.

Brooke and Richard were excited to invite their closest loved ones to a new-to-them destination. “This was the first time a lot of my immediate family members traveled outside the United States,” Brooke says. “It was a great moment to hear that our guests really enjoyed the experience and thanked us for the destination!”

To get attendees particularly excited, they enlisted Lotus & Ash to create sophisticated invitations with a custom map of the area and vellum overlays. The couple presented their loved ones with welcome bags full of hand-picked items from Lake Como, including candy, cookies, and Prosecco.

Brooke and Richard stayed at Hotel Belvedere throughout their wedding weekend. The bride enjoyed Champagne as she got ready for the ceremony at the hotel alongside her closest loved ones (even the littlest!). The lake view from the balcony set the tone for the day.

Brooke flew out to California with her mother and sister to try on Hayley Paige wedding dresses in late 2020. “Being 5/1, it is hard to find designers that really cater to women my height,” Brooke says. She chose an ivory beaded tulle ball gown with pearl and crystal detailing, detachable straps, and a sweetheart neckline. The tulle skirt was finished with a horsehair trim.

She accessorized with a headpiece and earrings from Lindsay Marie Design, a Tiffany pearl bracelet, and Badgley Mischka crystal embellished pumps. For her beauty look, Brooke went with bold eye makeup and Laced Hair extensions. “I wanted to look like a fairy-tale princess and have the long loose curls!” she says.

Brooke’s hand-tied bridal bouquet featured soft pink and ivory blooms with greenery. The arrangement was wrapped in a silk ribbon.

Richard wore a custom suit from Tailor Cooperative, which he debuted during the couple's first look; they built this into the schedule they could take some photos on the lake. “It was special for us because it gave us a private moment,” Brooke says. “We knew it was already a hectic day, so it was nice to take a moment for ourselves.”

The couple’s ceremony took place on a terrace with vine-covered pillars and panoramic views of Lake Como. Refined floral arrangements in a neutral color palette were placed in urns at the altar. They enlisted Honeycomb Affair and local florist II Profumo Dei Fiori to line the aisle with additional blooms in the day’s color palette.

When guests arrived at Villa del Balbianello, they were greeted with Champagne and given an opportunity to explore the venue’s gardens. Before they took their seats, they signed the pair's guest book (which was a tome about Italy) and dropped their phones off on a nearby table. “This was a big one for me!” Brooke says. “I wanted every guest to be present and enjoy the surrounding gardens and get to know the other guests!”

The couple hired a harpist to play during the ceremony, which began with Elton John’s “Your Song” as the family walked down the aisle. Brooke was accompanied by her father, Pratt, as the harpist transitioned to Alexis French’s “Bluebird.” “Nothing is better than seeing every person’s face and emotion as you walk down the aisle,” Brooke says. “Truly the best feeling!”

Brooke and Richard wrote personal vows and exchanged them in front of their closest friends and family. Once they were pronounced husband and wife, they celebrated back down the aisle to a rendition of the first Bach cello suite.

The duo's outdoor reception offered more views of the lake. On a patio, two long tables were set up for dinner. “Due to the intimate guest count, we wanted to make the dinner reception feel like an elevated dinner party,” says couple’s planner, Jacqueline. Tables were topped with eggshell linens, matching napkins, and silk runners. The newlyweds served a three-course Italian dinner with entrée choices of Mediterranean sea bass or Piedmontese scottona filet with potato mille-feuille.

On the drink front? Instead of signature cocktails, Brooke and Richard chose signature wines. Brooke selected an Antonutti Pinot Grigio; Richard opted for a Cantina La Vis Merlot.

The tabletop design incorporated large centerpiece arrangements composed of summer blooms with petite floral arrangements—in shades of cream, blush, apricot, dusty rose, and mauve—and taper and votive candles throughout. Lace chargers with gold and ivory flatware defined each spot.

Each guest found a Dutch-dyed tulip bloom and a personal note from the bride and groom at their seat. “Given the cost of traveling, inflation, and Covid, we really wanted to make sure every guest knew how grateful we were that they chose to fly out of the country to celebrate our union,” the bride says.

As the sun set, the reception was lit by candlelight. “It was truly such a magical moment that enhanced the overall feeling of a fairy tale,” Brooke says. “This really set the tone for the speeches, dances, and cake cutting!”

The couple hired a jazz band to play during dinner; they switched to Alexis French’s “Heartbeats” when it was time for the bride and groom's first dance.

At the end of dinner, Brooke and Richard cut into a traditional Italian wedding cake: millefoglie. The confection featured layers of crisp pastry, berries, and whipped cream. An epic firework display began as soon as dessert was served—and was the exclamation point of a picture-perfect night.

To recently engaged couples, Brooke recommends hiring a wedding planner. “Every bride should enjoy the day and not worry about the execution of the details,” she says. “We immersed ourselves in the planning for many months and it was so nice to be able to live in the moment and truly take in all the beautiful memories.”