A Classic Italian Wedding at Villa Pizzo in Como, Italy

For Alexandria Morgan and Joss Tillard-Gates, it was love at first sight – despite the fact that they were in the 7th grade and met at a middle school track meet. “Almost 13 years later, we saw each other in the airport in Kansas City, Missouri around 5 a.m.,” Alexandria recalls. “We exchanged numbers and, although we lived in different states at the time, we talked daily. Less than six months later he moved to LA, only two hours away from me in San Diego, and we became official.”

“When I saw Alex at the airport that morning, I couldn’t believe it was actually her,” Joss adds. “She was the one that had gotten away. It’s not often you get a second chance, so I figured I better not screw it up.”

A month before their four-year anniversary (and the day before Mother’s Day), Joss took Alexandria to get some ice cream, followed by a gondola ride in Huntington Beach. As a special touch, he also brought along champagne and macarons for the ride. “Just as we were heading back to shore, the sun began to set, and he proposed,” Alexandria describes. “I was so in shock; I believe I froze for 30 seconds and then burst into tears. Of course, I said ‘YES.’”

Since Joss wanted to get married in Kansas City and Alexandria wanted an LA celebration, they compromised by forgoing both options in favor of a destination wedding in Italy. “Our family and friends live all over the country and we figured they would have to travel anyways, so why not travel someplace fabulous,” Alexandria shares. “

Joss suggested the idea of a location on the Mediterranean Sea and we decided on Italy. We started looking for wedding planners to help us locate the perfect spot and Elena Pensini, the Lake Como wedding planner, stood out. We fell in love with the work on her website, and after speaking to her via email and phone, we felt like she understood our style and we could trust her.”

As any couple would hope, both the bride and groom were stunned by how beautiful their wedding day turned out to be. The décor consisted of classic Italian design elements, along with a color combination of black, white, and gold accents – all, made even more spectacular by breathtaking views of the lake and mountains.

“One of the best parts of the wedding was we only had 65 guests, so the reception ended up being one big intimate party,” says the groom. “Alexandria’s uncle was our officiant, which was very special, and none of our guests had ever been to Lake Como, so it was truly a once in lifetime experience for us all. We enjoyed a traditional Italian four-course menu, capped by fireworks over the lake.”

After the wedding, the newlyweds traveled to Marrakech for an incredible Moroccan honeymoon, staying at Les Jardins de la Medina. Their itinerary consisted of exploring the souks, enjoying the amazing local cuisine, and purchasing rugs and accent pieces that now grace their home.