Love can bloom in the most unlikely places. Chicago-born Sneha Patel and Florida-native Nirav Shah met Cupid’s arrow in a math lecture. As the duo navigated the vagaries of a demanding pre-med course together, the study sessions soon ignited the fire for a deeper connection. The stress and anxieties of college life continued to rage while bringing the duo closer until he finally asked her to be his girlfriend at their neighborhood barbecue restaurant, Applebee’s. Though she initially said no, she soon changed her answer. After they survived a long-distance relationship, he proposed again on a sunset boat ride on Lake Como. Unsurprisingly, Patel’s answer was a joyous yes.

It was this place that the couple returned to when planning their dream wedding. But as they began planning in an international venue, they were faced with the deeper question of what it means to be an Indian raised in the US and to get married in Italy. They tried to find that balance by infusing their culture into every aspect of the wedding.

The wedding festivities officially began with the arrival of guests for an outdoor haldi ceremony at the Grand Hotel Imperiale Resort & Spa. A sea of ​​fresh dahlias, carnations, peonies and lemons lit the way as the bride entered in a lime-hued creation by Mahima Mahajnan. While the festivities were carried out with bravura, a hidden surprise awaited as the happy couple, in all their wedding attire, plunged into the azure waters of Lake Como, soon followed by their friends. “It was a joyful and spontaneous moment that gave an unforgettable twist to the traditional celebration,” she recalls.

The next item on the agenda was honoring her cultural roots, and for the mehendi ceremony, Patel opted for an ethnic look inspired by ancient Gujarati tribal traditions – including a series of protective dots on her neck. “This design not only honored my cultural heritage, but also symbolized our deep bond and the protective blessings bestowed upon our union,” she says. As fireworks lit up the horizon, the duo danced the night away to the traditional sounds of the garba.

The next morning, however, the wedding party was refreshed and ready to celebrate the most memorable day of the couple’s lives at Villa Revel Parravicini, a quintessential Italian mansion on the shores of Lake Como. A towering mandap served as the focal point of the decoration, dotted with red roses, baby’s breath and peonies, as well as burgundy carnations and peonies – all designed to play off the purple hues of the bride’s lehenga. “When I started searching for my wedding lehenga, I was sure that I wanted a traditional red piece that really felt like me. When I first visited Marwar Couture in Delhi, one lehenga immediately caught my eye. Even before I looked in the mirror, I felt an overwhelming emotional connection to it. When I went out to show it to my family, their reactions confirmed what I already felt – I had found ‘the one’,” she recalls. Guests were asked to choose neutral tones, but the striking hue of her bridal lehenga and matching décor made for a striking visual sight as she walked down the aisle.