A Romantic, Elegant Destination Wedding At Villa D’Este in Lake Como, Italy

A mutual friend had been trying to introduce Roxanna Namavar and Shamim Ahmed to each other for five years, but they were never single at the same time. Finally, the two met in July of 2012 when Shamim was hosting a charity event for Hedge Funds Care in East Hampton. Roxanna was instantly attracted to his infectious laugh; and in Shamim’s words, “I just thought she was frickin’ hilarious.”

The couple were engaged while vacationing in Europe, staying in Venice and Lake Como. When they arrived at the Villa D’Este Hotel in Lake Como, it was a rainy and cool day. After checking into the hotel and having a nice lunch, they decided to take a misty walk by the lake. During their stroll, Roxanna realized her then-boyfriend wasn’t behind her, and turned around to find him kneeling on the ground. 

“I thought he fell!” she says. “I said, ‘What are you doing? Get up.’ It never crossed my mind that he would propose to me when I hadn’t had time to get a manicure.” Emotions were running too high to remember the details, but they later returned to that spot to watch the fireworks at their wedding.

When Roxanna was 15, she told her mother that she wanted to get married at the Villa D’Este; so choosing a venue for her destination wedding in Italy was one of the easiest decisions during the wedding planning process. Wedding planner, Kim Richmond of Runaway Bride Destination Weddings, was also an enormous help. Not only did she understand the couple’s ideas and vision for the wedding, but she spearheaded the entire process so it was as stress-free as possible.

The big day started early, with the bride, both mothers, and some close girlfriends getting their hair and makeup done. Meanwhile, the groom had a two-hour massage, went swimming and had lunch. After pre-ceremony photos, the outdoor ceremony was held in the Mosaic Garden by the lake. 

“We tried to combine Persian, Korean, and Indian influences into a short and sweet ceremony,” the bride describes. “Both mothers spoke, and there was a traditional Korean song and a Persian love poem read.” The ceremony was also performed by the bride’s closest friend, Trae, who is a Buddhist minister.

One of the most important parts of the celebration for the groom was making sure the food was delicate, refined, and well-prepared. Cocktails were served outdoors following the ceremony, which led to a five-course dinner (the foie gras served with dark chocolate and cherries was a big hit). 

The bride’s favorite moment was walking out to the dining room and seeing the nine foot wedding cake for the first time. “I just told them I wanted the biggest cake they could make–I didn’t realize it would be nine feet tall!” she says. “Everything turned out just the way we had hoped, and it was a beautiful day to remember.” The night ended with a fireworks display over the lake, set to Michael Buble’s “Feeling Good.”