If you’re going to ask 95 loved ones to fly across the world for your wedding, make it worth every mile. For Chris Koikas and Andrew Lasala, that meant celebrating at a historic Lake Como villa with a burst of daytime fireworks, an opera singer serenading dinner, performers with disco balls descending a grand staircase — and one very famous next-door neighbor.
Between exchanging vows and cutting their millefoglie cake, Chris and Andrew treated guests, most of whom had flown in from Australia, to a cinematic experience. (Fitting, given that Ocean’s Twelve and the music video for Gwen Stefani’s “Cool” were both shot at the venue.) “The most important thing was entertainment — making sure that everyone was having an awesome time,” says Chris.
The event was years in the making. The couple first connected in 2016, when Andre sent Chris a message on Facebook. “He told me he thought I was very handsome,” Chris recalls, laughing. “I had a quick look and liked what I saw. Before you knew it, we were meeting up for Mexican food.”
Nearly a decade later, Andrew orchestrated a proposal at The Londoner Hotel in London, booking out the top-floor bar and recruiting the staff as accomplices, all under the ruse of a cocktail-making class. There was one problem: Chris, exhausted from jet lag, nearly refused to get out of bed. “I was like, ‘Go without me, mate.’” With some prodding, they made it upstairs and ended the night as fiancés.
La Dolce Vita
To honor Chris’s Greek heritage and Andrew’s Italian roots, they initially considered both homelands for the wedding. While many of their loved ones were already familiar with Athens, Lake Como offered guests novel scenery. “We thought having our family and friends travel to such a beautiful location would be something they’d never experience again in their lives,” says Andrew, a project director at a design and construction firm.
They found Villa Erba, a 19th-century estate on the western shore of the lake, through their planner, Georgia Gravanis Smith of Mrs Smith Weddings. The night before the wedding, the couple hosted a welcome dinner at Villa d’Este, the legendary 16th-century hotel on the lake where they were staying. Securing exclusive venues meant guests could celebrate intimately, with no outside intrusion — except for a certain celebrity’s helicopter. “We woke up at Villa d’Este on the morning of the wedding, and our immediate neighbor was Kourtney Kardashian,” Chris says.
Center Stage
The elaborate villa allowed a light hand for décor. Globe-shaped floral arrangements mirrored the estate’s manicured hedgerows, while candelabras lent the evening an old-world flicker. “We fell in love with the venue,” says Chris, a barrister specializing in planning and environment. “So we thought, let’s just accessorize it.”
Even a sweltering summer day — compounded by black tie attire and no air conditioning — couldn’t dim the festivities. (Personalized handheld fans helped.) Their coordinating suits, cream Loro Piana dinner jackets, tailored by Belance and paired with black trousers, nodded to the Italian setting. Andrew’s featured a scalloped cutout on one lapel, while Chris’s took a more classic approach.
Since the venue provided an exquisite backdrop as-is, the couple invested in moments, beginning with their arrival by boat. As guests gathered in the late afternoon, roaming performers in sculptural headpieces played violin across the grounds. Then came the lakeside ceremony, sealed with a kiss and a burst of daytime fireworks — “a bit of theater,” as Andrew puts it, that surprised guests into delightful screams. The one downside? The couple didn’t see the fireworks themselves, as they were too busy holding their first kiss as husbands to ensure the photographer captured the moment.
Dinner unfolded across two long banquet tables. “It’s Italy, so we knew the food was going to be exceptional,” says Andrew. The meal was punctuated by an opera singer serenading the room, along with heartfelt speeches from family and friends. Then, instead of a traditional first dance, the couple made a high-energy entrance to the afterparty by descending the grand staircase as performers in mirror-ball outfits held disco balls aloft on plinths, to a remix of Sam Smith’s “Unholy.” “It was unconventional,” Andrew admits. “But a slow first dance into party, party, party — that’s just not us.”
After the party wrapped, guests regrouped the next day for a casual beach hang — or “recovery day,” as Chris and Andrew called it. They also flew home with custom silk scarves printed with illustrations of the venue, a keepsake the couple still spots friends wearing more than a year later.
A Word to the Wise
Now back home in Sydney, half a world away from their Italian wedding setting, the grooms offer two pieces of advice for anyone considering a destination wedding: hire a planner and choose a location so singular it makes a long flight worth it. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, I’m in a nice hotel,’” says Chris. “There was a wow factor.”
As for the day itself, the couple recommends taking photos early so you maximize quality time with guests. “Rather than spending it tucked away somewhere, take advantage of every moment so that you can spend the best day of your life with your loved ones,” says Chris.
The Honeymoon
After exchanging vows on the shores of Lake Como, Chris and Andrew embarked on a six-week honeymoon across eight destinations.
- Paris. Cour des Vosges, Evok Collection: A discreet hôtel particulier tucked into the most romantic square in the city.
- London. The Beaumont, Mayfair: An Art Deco landmark in the heart of one of the world’s most beloved neighborhoods.
- St. Tropez. La Mandarine: A Provençal garden retreat just steps from the Place des Lices.
- Nice. Le Negresco: The grande dame of the Côte d’Azur, a Belle Époque icon overlooking the Promenade des Anglais.
- Mykonos. Aeonic Suites & Spa: An intimate clifftop retreat on the Aegean.
- Athens. Four Seasons Astir Palace: A storied resort on a pine-covered peninsula, with the Aegean at its feet.
- Lake Como. Villa d’Este: The exclusive five-star retreat where Chris and Andrew stayed throughout their wedding activities.
- Mallorca. La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel: A hilltop retreat in the medieval village of Sóller, with private pools and mountain views.
Vendors
Venue: Villa Erba // Planner: Mrs Smith Wedding // Photographer: Lost in Love Photography // Cinematographer: Soda Film // Florist: Ratti Flora // Catering: Sun Lake Catering // Grooming: BLB Management // Officiant: Como Lake Celebrant // Entertainment: Blu Notte Eventi // DJ: Thodoris Kokkalis // Rentals: Sofi Design // Stationery: Mazii Collection // Grooms’ suits: Belance // Wedding bands: Cartier
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