Robyn & Ryan’s Romantic Lake Como Wedding at Villa Bonomi

Author: Natali Grace Levine
Wedding date: 08/30/2025
City: Lake Como

Love Story

Robyn and Ryan’s love story began unexpectedly across a crowded Dublin bar. Robyn was celebrating her birthday with friends, while Ryan was across the room—unaware that one introduction would change both their lives.
“He came over and introduced himself, and from that first conversation there was an immediate sense of something special,” Robyn recalls. “The following morning, I woke up to a message from Ryan inviting me on our first date, and it quickly became clear just how similar we were. From that point on, we’ve been inseparable.”
Their bond deepened over time, shaped by shared values, easy conversation, and emotional closeness.
Ryan’s proposal was equally unforgettable — a carefully orchestrated surprise in Paris, filled with emotion and meaning.
“When I stepped into the room, a trail of candles and rose petals led me to the balcony,” Robyn shares. “Ryan was standing there with the Eiffel Tower behind him, and a violinist was playing Wildest Dreams. It was truly the most magical moment of my life.”
That same song would later become one of the most meaningful moments of their wedding day, played again during the ceremony.

About Your Wedding

Robyn and Ryan envisioned a wedding that felt timeless, romantic, and deeply personal — a celebration rooted in intimacy, elegance, and intentional design. With 85 guests traveling from across the world to Lake Como, their wedding became a destination experience shaped by beauty, emotion, and atmosphere.
“My vision for our wedding was to create something timeless, romantic, and deeply personal — a celebration that was intimate, considered, and quietly elevated,” Robyn explains. “When we discovered Villa Bonomi, it felt like a natural extension of that vision.”
Planning began just over a year in advance — a timeline that allowed Robyn to refine every detail with clarity and calm.
“That timeframe felt ideal for thoughtfully bringing everything together, while still allowing the process to feel calm, enjoyable, and considered,” she says.
Inspired by an elegant Italian garden party, the wedding blended modern romance with old-world charm, featuring soft florals, alfresco dining, and the quiet luxury of Lake Como.

Morning Details

Each element of the wedding stationery told part of their story. Working closely with Robyn’s aunt, a graphic designer, they crafted invitations that reflected the wedding’s refined aesthetic.
“I had a clear vision for how I wanted them to look,” Robyn says. “She brought that vision to life beautifully.”
Personalized details were woven throughout the day. Watercolour menus illustrated Villa Bonomi itself, handwritten place cards welcomed each guest, and one of the most memorable pieces was the bar menu — printed on satin frill fabric and draped elegantly over the bar.
“I wanted each piece to feel clean, romantic, and authentic,” Robyn explains. “Every detail was designed to feel personal and considered.”
Their rings reflected their values—timeless, meaningful, and intentional.
“Ryan chose a simple silver band, which I had engraved,” Robyn says. “I chose an oval diamond eternity band designed to complement my engagement ring.”

Bride Getting Ready

The morning of the wedding unfolded quietly inside the master bedroom of Villa Bonomi. Soft light filled the room, illuminating ornate architectural details and creating the perfect atmosphere for such an emotional beginning. “The room felt calm, intimate, and beautifully suited to capturing those early moments,” Robyn says.
Surrounded by her mother, sister, brother, and aunt, Robyn prepared for one of the most important moments of her life.
Her wedding dress, designed by Reem Acra, embodied timeless femininity and elegance. She found it the day after her engagement party during a visit home to Ireland.
“From the moment I tried it on, the dress felt right,” she remembers. “What I felt was a quiet sense of certainty — and I quickly understood that this was my way of knowing.”
Her look was completed with diamond stud earrings, a delicate veil gifted by Verona Bridal Boutique, and elegant heels.
“My veil framed the dress so beautifully,” she says. “It felt like the perfect finishing touch.”
Her cascading bouquet, designed by Riccardo Ciercci, featured blush and white roses, delicate gypsophila, and soft greenery — a romantic reflection of the entire wedding aesthetic.

First Look

Robyn and Ryan chose not to see each other before the ceremony, preserving the emotional intensity of that moment.
“We preferred the idea of Ryan seeing me for the first time as I walked down the aisle,” Robyn says. “It was a moment we had always imagined experiencing during the ceremony.”
They also honored the tradition of spending the night apart.
“I think it made seeing each other at the altar feel that much more special.”

Ceremony

The ceremony took place in the main garden of Villa Bonomi,where the still waters of Lake Como created a breathtaking natural backdrop. A raised white stage, framed by soft pastel florals and delicate greenery, became the heart of the setting, drawing every guest into the intimacy of the moment.
As Robyn began her walk down the aisle, the sound of a violin filled the garden, performing Wildest Dreams — the same song that had played during their proposal in Paris, creating a quiet and deeply meaningful full-circle moment.
“Hearing it in that moment felt incredibly special,” Robyn shares.
From the very beginning, the ceremony was shaped to feel personal, emotional, and entirely true to their story. Robyn walked arm in arm with her mother, while her sister and brother read poems they had written especially for the occasion, filling the atmosphere with words that reflected the depth of their bond.
“From the moment I linked arms with my mum and began walking down the aisle, to hearing my sister and brother read poems they had written, each detail added a deeply emotional layer,” she recalls.
Standing together at the altar, surrounded by their closest family and friends, became the emotional center of the entire day — a moment suspended in time, marking the quiet beginning of their new life together.
“There was something incredibly special about that moment,” Robyn reflects. “Knowing it marked the beginning of forever.”

Photoshoot After The Ceremony

Villa Bonomi offered an extraordinary range of locations for wedding photography, capturing both intimacy and grandeur throughout the day.
“We were incredibly spoilt for choice,” Robyn says. “From the elegant interiors filled with natural light to the impeccably kept gardens, the villa offered the perfect balance of modern romance and old-world charm.”
Each photograph captured the day’s emotion—quiet glances, laughter, and Lake Como’s beauty.

Wedding Venue & Decor

Villa Bonomi was more than a venue — it was the foundation of their vision. “When we visited in person, we instantly fell in love with it,” Robyn says. “It felt like the perfect balance of modern romance layered with old-world charm.”
The color palette reflected the natural beauty of an Italian summer garden — soft whites, blush tones, delicate pinks, pale yellow, and lush greenery. One of the most breathtaking design moments was the alfresco dinner beneath the trees. Guests were welcomed to satin-draped tables adorned with vintage silverware, romantic florals, and glowing candlelight.
“Every element was chosen to feel intentional and harmonious with the surroundings,” Robyn says.
Personal touches included engraved handheld fans and a custom neon sign reading “Casa Kavanagh,” created for their after-party in the villa’s greenhouse.

Reception

The reception embodied an elegant Italian celebration. Guests enjoyed aperitivo in the gardens with classic drinks, while live stations provided dynamic food experiences.
“Food and drink were a really important part of the celebration,” Robyn shares. “We wanted it to feel social, elevated, and very true to the Italian setting.”
A raw seafood bar offered delicate cuts of sashimi, while nearby, chefs prepared steaks and lobster over open flames, and traditional Italian meats were sliced to order. This sense of movement and abundance carried throughout the evening, allowing guests to experience the celebration at their own pace.
Their wedding cake, created by Spuma Catering, became one of the most memorable moments of the night, prepared live as part of an interactive culinary experience that brought guests together in anticipation and excitement.
Rather than pausing the evening for a traditional first dance, Robyn and Ryan chose to let the celebration unfold naturally, so the after-party felt like a seamless continuation of the day.
“We wanted the after party to feel like a natural transition straight into the celebration,” Robyn explains. “From the minute we walked in, the dance floor was full, and it stayed that way all night — exactly as we had hoped.”
As music filled Villa Bonomi and laughter echoed through its gardens and terraces, the atmosphere became everything they had envisioned — timeless, intimate, and deeply personal.
“It truly felt like the perfect setting to bring our vision to life.”