Brittany Netta’s Cinematic Lake Como Wedding Featuring a Bespoke Danielle Frankel Gown

On the shores of Lake Como, Brittany Netta, founder of luxury footwear house Britt Netta, brought a distinctly personal vision to life at Villa Erba, where historic grandeur met a fresh, fashion-driven sensibility. Having dreamed of marrying on the lake since her student days in Milan, Brittany returned twelve years later to celebrate with Eric in a setting that felt almost cinematic. The weekend’s design drew its inspiration from a brocade fabric discovered in Como, its unexpected palette weaving through the invitation suite, cocktail bar, table settings, florals, and décor. For the occasion, Brittany wore a bespoke Danielle Frankel ball gown in silk linen and cloqué organza, its sculptural silhouette softened by hand-painted florals that continued into her custom Britt Netta shoes. Content creator Maria Mikhail, a THEWED member, captured the raw beauty of a wedding day where personal history, thoughtful design, and the unmistakable spirit of Lake Como came together.

Our Love Story

The Day We Met

Our story began somewhat cinematically: a broken heel, a step back, and Eric there to catch me. The irony isn’t lost on us, considering I design shoes for a living. We still laugh about it now. What felt entirely accidental in the moment seems, in retrospect, almost too perfectly fitting.

The Proposal

The evening before we were leaving for a summer trip to Italy with my family, Eric had one final commitment on the calendar: a “very important work dinner” that couldn’t be missed. Instead, he led me to a private room suspended high above New York. Petals covered the floor as the city glowed in the last light of sunset. Somewhere between taking in the view and realizing there was, in fact, no dinner, I understood what was happening. It was intimate, understated, and incredibly romantic—the perfect prelude to a summer in Italy and everything that would follow.

The Engagement Ring

I was admittedly quite involved in the ring. The proposal was a surprise; the ring was not. I had always loved Harry Winston’s classic pear-shaped diamond with tapered baguettes. It was a reference I had admired for years and always came back to. I knew exactly what I wanted: something timeless, elegant, and just as relevant decades from now.

Our Wedding

The Vision

Early in the planning process, I sourced a brocade fabric in Como whose unexpected palette became the starting point for the weekend’s visual story. It first appeared in the invitation suite, then resurfaced throughout the wedding, wrapping the cocktail bar, appearing in the placemats and menus, and informing the florals and décor. Each day had a distinct mood.

The welcome dinner was an intimate garden party at the water’s edge, with long tables beneath the trees and the glow of candlelight. The wedding was its more elaborate counterpart, unfolding from the lake through Villa Erba’s gardens, terraces, and historic salons. Despite their distinct moods, we wanted both to feel transportive, as though our guests had entered the romance of another era.

Our Team of Vendors

Shortly after getting engaged, my mom and I took a little “girls’ trip” to Como, quietly scouting venues along the way. Over lunch at a property I had been considering for the welcome dinner, we happened to meet Benny and Valentina of Bespoke Unique Weddings, who were there setting up for a celebration that evening. It was a completely unplanned introduction, but an immediate fit. I came into the process with a very clear point of view and wanted to be closely involved in every creative decision. Benny and Valentina understood that instinctively, giving me the space to obsess over the details while bringing an incredible sense of ease to the process. In the end, one very fortuitous lunch in Como shaped the entire weekend.

The Location

I first visited Lake Como in 2014 while studying in Milan. On quiet weekends, I would take the train out of the city and escape to the lake. I remember saying on that very first trip that I would get married there one day. At the time, it was little more than a passing declaration. Twelve years later, I came back with Eric and did exactly that. Villa Erba felt equally personal to the way we imagined the wedding. Once the summer home of filmmaker Luchino Visconti, it has an incredible cinematic quality, with its ornate salons, gardens, and lake all coming together in one setting. We loved that we could move through each of those spaces over the course of the evening rather than experience the villa from a single point of view.

The Ceremony

The ceremony was the only part of the weekend that made me nervous. My dad kept reminding me to slow down and take everything in as we walked toward the aisle. I had pictured that walk for years, arm in arm with my dad, toward the person I was about to marry, but nothing quite prepares you for the moment it becomes real. The florals were ethereal in feeling but intentionally exaggerated in scale—loose, oversized compositions of mixed blooms, some reaching nearly to our heads.

Nothing was overly arranged or symmetrical; there was an abundance to them that still felt incredibly light. At the end of the aisle, the flowers seemed to fall away into the water, leaving the lake and afternoon light as the backdrop. I had imagined that contrast from the beginning: something dramatic in scale, yet almost weightless against the water. I said my vows in both Italian and English, while Eric kept his in English. There were so many people we loved around us, yet standing there together, everything beyond the two of us seemed to fall away.

The Cocktail Hour

Cocktail hour unfolded across the villa’s terrace overlooking the lake. As the sun began its descent, the terrace came to life, with cocktails flowing, hors d’oeuvres being passed, and the band playing live. The musicians were incredible and set the tone for the evening. After the ceremony, we finally had time to move through the crowd and enjoy being with everyone who had come to celebrate with us.

The Reception

Dinner moved inside the villa’s historic salons, where we kept the décor intentionally light against the ornate interiors, with airy florals, unexpected color, and candlelight. As guests entered, each was handed a sealed envelope containing a personal note from us and their table assignment. Between courses, three tenors performed classic Italian opera. At one point, I looked around and saw that nearly everyone was in tears. There was something about the opera filling those rooms, surrounded by everyone we loved, that made the evening feel almost suspended in time. It was one of those rare moments you wish you could stay inside a little longer.

The Special Touches

Naturally, I designed every pair of shoes I wore, along with the shoes for my bridesmaids. All were handmade by my team in Italy, who were also there to celebrate with us. For my wedding look, the Danielle Frankel team shared hand-painted floral motifs from my bespoke gown to incorporate into the shoes, creating a subtle continuation between the two. Seeing all of my best friends in shoes I had designed especially for them felt particularly meaningful—a small piece of what I love to create, made for the women I love most.

Our Favorite Moment

We had taken dance lessons for months and practiced our first dance endlessly in the weeks leading up to the wedding. Just before we were meant to perform it, Eric and I slipped away to a private room to practice one last time, just the two of us. And, of course, that was the one that was perfect. The version our guests saw may not have been quite as flawless, but I think that made the private one even more special. Somewhere behind the closed doors of Villa Erba, before anyone was watching, we had our perfect first dance.

Our Style

The Bridal Looks

For the ceremony, I wore bespoke Danielle Frankel strapless silk-linen and cloqué organza ball gown. A sculptural silk-linen peplum bodice with grosgrain boning details and hand-painted flowers gave way to a dramatic full cloqué organza skirt decorated with layers of hand-painted flowers. A custom cathedral-length veil with hand-painted flowers complemented the gown, extending beyond the dramatic train. I also wore custom Britt Netta satin slingback pointed-toe pumps featuring hand-painted florals by the Danielle Frankel team.

The Groom’s Looks

For the ceremony, Eric wore bespoke Tom Ford made-to-measure tuxedo.

Our Advice

For the Planning Process

Start early. The best details take time.

For On The Day

The planning is over. Be present and enjoy it exactly as it is.

For Post-Wedding

Leave the next day completely open. You’ll thank yourself later.