Wedding | Virginia & Federico

Tell us a little about yourselves! 

We’ve been best friends for 17 years and recently decided to take the next step in our relationship, we’ve never been happier. We met at sailing school and share an absurdity amounts of interests, mostly a shared nostalgia for past eras.  

Why did you decide to get married where you did? 

We chose Federico’s family home because it’s where so many of our childhood memories were made: Christmas dinners with friends, birthdays with family and long summer days spent in the garden. It felt only natural to bring everyone together in the place where our story truly began. 

How many guests did you have? 

We had 180 guests gathered from all different chapters of our lives: our childhood, our university years in Milan, our new home in London and our extended families. It was a rare and special chance to have everyone we care about in one place, and we were so happy to see them all together for one unforgettable night!

Tell us about your outfits. 

Federico chose a traditional blue suit crafted by a family-friend Sarto in Milan. Virginia wore a dress by the Spanish brand Cortana: minimalist, fluid and chosen with the idea that she could wear it again in the future. She added a touch of character with a beautiful silk veil embroidered with stars and a sheer turtleneck top inspired by 1930s evening dresses. 

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding? 

What mattered most to us was planning a celebration that felt authentic to Federico and me, considered and filled with details we genuinely love. Above all, we wanted our guests to feel relaxed, have fun and enjoy the evening. 

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate? 

The non-negotiables were unmistakably Italian great food and lots of music! The rest was just a bonus. 

Any tips for couples getting married? 

1. Don’t hesitate to ask for help: having support makes everything so much easier. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your wedding over-tired and stressed.

2. Fully enjoy your day and let go of the small details! The day passes in the blink of an eye and what truly matters is living the moment with your friends and family. They’ll remember the joy, not the little things. 

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about? 

A huge thank you to everyone involved, we couldn’t be happier with how the evening turned out! 

We especially want to acknowledge Isotta Fanfani, our wedding planner and dear friend. She went above and beyond, coordinating everything from Italy while we would FaceTime from London. If you could think of something, she had probably already done it! Always two steps ahead, she followed up with vendors promptly and kept us fully in the loop. 

A big thank you also goes to Stefano Santucci, our photographer. He was incredibly kind and discreet—so much so that we barely noticed him during the day— yet he captured every meaningful moment perfectly. If you love natural, mostly unposed photography with beautiful analogue touches, he is an absolute must-hire. 

We can’t forget Enzo and Ambrogio from Oltre il Giardino in Varese for  their stunning flower arrangements and table settings. They immediately understood our vision and went even further—reorganising all the flowers from the dinner into a gorgeous setup for the next day’s brunch. Every bloom was repurposed, and they also created beautiful bouquets for guests to take home from the dismantled dinner tables. The outdoor decorations at the little countryside church were simply dreamy! 

A big shout out to Rovida Signorelli as well: if you’re looking for simple but top-notch Italian food look no further! 

Finally, a huge thank you to our DJ Leonardo Tolu. Amazing energy and music! He set up the outdoor space to bring everyone together for dancing until 2 am and later transformed the indoor area so the ‘younger’ guests could  keep the party going into the early hours! 

Photographer: Stefano Santucci @photosantucci | Planning: Isotta Fanfani @isottafanfani | Styling: by the couple| Flora: Oltre Il Giardino @oltreilgiardinovarese | Ceremony Location: Santuario dellaMadonna

del Lago | Reception Location: Castello di Torre Ratti @castelloditorreratti | HMUA: Angelo Nenna Pintor @angelonennapintor | Cake, Catering & Beverages: Rovida Signorelli @rovidasignorelliofficial | Stationery: Pettinaroli Milano @pettinarolimilano | Entertainment: Leonardo Tolu  @leo_tolu | Dress, Shoes & Veil: Cortana @cortanabrides from Le Fate Milan @lefatemilanospose