Native Angelenos Sophie Elkus and Christophe Lindstrom met at an event hosted by Nasty Gal Founder Sophia Amoruso. "Christophe struck up a conversation and took my number but left early and disappeared into the night," Sophie remembers. "I never thought I’d see him again!" However, he followed up persistently about a date. Fast-forward nearly 10 years later, and the two tied the knot in Lake Como with 120 of their nearest and dearest.

As Christophe's mother is Italian and his ancestors are from Norcia, Italy has always been a special place for the couple, and it was the right place to host their nuptials. Villa Pizzo, next to Villa D'Este on the shores of Lake Como, ended up being the perfect venue for the couple. "We were really drawn to this property instead of more obvious venues," Sophie shares. "Pizzo had an understated and refined elegance in its charming peeling paint, orangeries, and the stunning 'Darsena' ceremony area with panoramic views of the lake that slowly revealed itself after a ten minute walk down an unassuming rustic olive tree-lined pathway." Eventoile Wedding Creation & Design brought their wedding week vision to life, and photographer Catherine Mead was behind the lens to capture every meaningful moment.

The festivities kicked off with a welcome party at Una Finestra in the hills above Cernobbio. "My personal style is quite feminine, timeless, and understated, and I lean toward natural and effortless beauty looks, so it was important that my wedding looks reflected that and didn’t feel contrived or too 'bridal.’" Sophie shares. Together with stylist Cynthia Cook Smith and the Oscar de la Renta team, they curated and created four distinct looks. For the first event, the bride wore a green guipure lace dress with long lace sleeves.

The next day, guests were given a passport card and a boat ticket to take one of 16 boats around on a tour of Lake Como. "I’ll never forget the moment all our boats pulled up together for a Champagne toast amidst all our guests’ cheers before speeding off in formation—it felt out of a movie!" Sophie exclaims. To this event, the bride wore a dark floral minidress with exaggerated sleeves. "The day wasn’t without a hitch though. "Leave it to me to bump my head on the roof of our boat while de-boarding and spend the rest of the night in my hotel room icing it. Thankfully I had the BEST makeup artist, Kelly Dawn Bridal, to cover the bruise!"

On September 7, 2023, Sophie put on her Oscar de la Renta crescent strapless A-line dress with flower embellishments that faded into lace. "The veil was perhaps my favorite element, a soft tulle with delicate lace floral appliqués scattered throughout amidst lots of negative space," the bride states. "It felt ethereal and different than your typical heavily lace-lined veil for Italy."

Sophie and her father walked down the aisle to "Canon in D," the song the bride had always imagined would play, to meet Christophe, who was waiting in a Tom Ford tuxedo. "We read our own vows, which were both heartfelt and very funny, and friends are still texting us to say they were the best they’ve heard at a wedding—which to me is the best compliment," Sophie shares.

Once announced as officially married, the newlyweds met their guests under a glass marquee that had was designed as "an undone rose garden à la Great Expectations," the bride explains. Sophie worked with Chiara Sperti Floral Events to arrange warm peach garden roses, creams, plenty of undone greenery, and darker chocolate cosmos. "The ceiling canopy was laced with chandeliers and came alive so beautifully at night in candlelight. We made sure the design did not take away from the natural beauty of the Villa and that nothing was too formulaic or contrived."

During the cake cutting, Sophie and Christophe surprised their guests with a spectacular firework display; however, it almost looked slightly different. "After squeezing in multiple speeches and an incredible live band show from Blunotte Eventi, we were running behind schedule," Sophie reveals. "Our planner told me that the timing was looking too tight to change into my second look, as we had to start fireworks at exactly 9:45, due to permitting with the city. I was determined to make it work and sprinted inside. Kelly Dawn and Victoria Ralph deserve a medal for the eight-minute hair, makeup, and dress change we managed to accomplish!"

Sophie concludes, "The night finished with an after-party with two DJs, midnight margherita pizzas, and a wild dance party that lasted until the venue turned the lights on and forced us out." The ideal end to an Italian wedding week.