Valery Kaufman Wore Dior Haute Couture to Marry at an Enchanted Mosaic Garden in Lake Como

The choice of Como for the location didn’t come without a few risks and worries, however. May is considered the rainy season. “I had been tracking the weather forecast for months prior to the wedding,” Valery admits. “We had a Plan B to hold the ceremony inside the hotel in case it rains, but that was obviously not have been as stunning.” The day the bride arrived in Como, it was indeed raining, and there were thunderstorms predicted. But just like in a fairy tale, the clouds parted for the perfect weekend weather-wise.

The couple worked with the Evelyne Layani Organization to plan the entire wedding weekend. “It’s a family business that is run by wonderful women with great vision,” Valery says. “We are really proud and lucky to have worked with some of the most creative, innovative, and just plain lovely people to plan the wedding of our dreams.”

After choosing the location, the bride began her quest to find the perfect dress. “Working in the fashion industry for years, I always adored and was in awe of Christian Dior designs,” Valery says. “They are so elegant and celebrate women's bodies, so I chose to have a haute couture Christian Dior dress. I had a clear idea of what I wanted and the execution was better than I could have imagined.” Meanwhile, Olivier Rousteing and his team at Balmain created three dresses for Valery to wear across the weekend—each one had a different style, shape, and form, but what tied them all together was the symbol of a white rose.

Dimitri wore a made-to-measure Dior suit. “He has a very conservative style so it fit him perfectly,” Valery says. The bride’s makeup was done by her friend Georgi Sandev. “It was important for me to have close friends with me during this special moment,” she says.

Before the ceremony, Valery and her mother shared a private moment as she put on her dress. “We both started to cry,” the bride says. “The emotions got extra intense.” Afterwards, Valery took her godfather by his hand, and they began her walk down the aisle. “He was so sweet and nervous, asking me every second if he was walking too fast. It was very good to have him distract me from getting too emotional.”

Upon reaching the end of the aisle, Valery remembers locking eyes with Dmitri and feeling an overwhelming sense of peace. “I just imagined we were alone in the room, and I was speaking to him from the heart and that made me feel so calm and loved,” she recalls. “All I was thinking is I know I’m marrying the right man and that second I was just trying to enjoy every single moment of the day.” The couple exchanged their vows while friends and family looked on, and many of them were so touched they were brought to tears. After the ceremony, everyone moved to the pool area for pictures, cocktails, dinner, and dancing.

Looking back on the weekend now, the wedding was just as Valery dreamed. “I felt boundless happiness—it was like a wonderful holiday!” she says. “We are getting used to our new status as husband and wife. I can’t describe the difference after the wedding, but I am overflowing with love and warmth.”