Bride Of The Week: Sarah Ingle
Written By Kaileah Searcy
Set against the ethereal beauty of Lake Como, Sarah and Daniel’s wedding felt like something from another world. The ceremony took place at Villa del Balbianello, a breathtaking setting that also happens to be a famous film location known as the site of Padmé and Anakin’s wedding in Star Wars - adding a cinematic touch to the her special day.
From the iconic lakeside setting to the custom-coded 8-bit video game invitation and a cotton candy machine beneath the autumn trees, every detail reflected Sarah and Daniel’s imaginative and deeply personal love story. In the following interview, Sarah shares why she chose the Élysée gown and the moments that made her cosmic celebration beneath the Italian sky truly unforgettable. As told by Sarah:
“The dress seemed like me. The high neck and long sleeves of the bolero both ticked off wish-list items.”
A moment of your wedding day you will never forget?
I’m surprisingly grateful for the time I had alone just before the ceremony. Once I finished everything I needed to do, and everyone else had boarded their boats for Villa Del Balbianello, I had a chance to breathe, reflect, and take everything in. The photographer, videographer, and wedding planner worked silently to make sure I got where I needed to go and that the day was documented, and I could just be present. It felt like I exhaled all the stress of preparations and felt a sense of calm. I could finally appreciate my unbelievably beautiful surroundings — the mountain view from Villa Sola Cabiati balcony, the diffuse autumn light reflecting off the lake and making everything feel like a daydream, the historic villas and stunning gardens we had just passed on the boat. Even the weather was perfect; usually, it would have snowed by then, but the temperature was ideal and the leaves were still on the trees, mixing in subtle shades of red, yellow, and orange with the greenery. I still can’t believe how lucky we were to catch one of the most picturesque places on the planet in the most magical seasonal window.
One thing you wish you knew as a new bride? What advice would you give to future brides?
It’s perfectly okay to skip anything that doesn’t feel like “you.” If a big processional, matching bridesmaid dresses, or other traditional elements make you uncomfortable, leave them out. For our wedding, I was the only one who walked down the aisle (fewer than 20 guests made the full “parade” feel awkward), and I did a special first look with my dad instead of having him “give me away.” We didn’t have rings because we ordered iridium rings that are still being made (no one noticed!). I also wanted my sisters to wear whatever they liked — no matching dresses — which gave our photos a more editorial look. Daniel and I do not enjoy dancing, so we just didn’t have any. Instead, our awesome wedding planners surprised us with a cotton candy machine so we could all make our own cotton candy — it made a surprisingly good substitute because it got people on their feet, entertained both participants and spectators, and made for great photos.
A detail that made your wedding special or unique
Along with our paper invitations, I coded a retro “8-bit” style wedding invite video game called “I Do Delivery” and sent it to our guests on handheld consoles. You can choose to play as Daniel or me — then your task is to find and deliver the invitations to our guests. This was a massive project (I was even working on it at the Galia Lahav Miami flagship before a fitting at one point), but absolutely worth the effort. Everyone who attended the wedding (plus our dogs Deckard and Furpunzel) is a character in the game with unique dialogue and a “pixel-fied” avatar. I’m particularly proud of how accurately the game reflects everyone’s personalities. A few friends texted me their characters’ exact lines before I even mailed the game consoles. The best part: our photographer’s daughter liked it so much that she downloaded Pico-8 (the “fantasy console” I used to make the game) and started learning to code her own games.
How did you know your dress was “the one”
Even on the hanger, the lace embroidery on the Élysée dress immediately had me enamored. I found myself comparing every other dress specifically to that lace. The high neck and long sleeves of the detachable bolero also ticked off wish-list items. November at Lake Como was likely to be cold. When both of my sisters (watching through the lens of my iPad on a blurry Zoom call) said something to the effect of, “That dress seems like you,” I felt even more confident that it was the right choice. I knew for certain when I went to an appointment at another bridal boutique that afternoon. There was no comparison. The difference in quality was staggering. Everything I tried on at the other store felt like a massive letdown after the Galia Lahav dresses. I texted my Galia Lahav consultant, and she was able to get me back on that same day to take my measurements and place my order for the Élysée dress.
"Even on the hanger, the lace embroidery on the Élysée dress immediately had me enamored."
How did it feel when you put on your dress the day of the wedding? What was everyone's reaction to the dress?
I was so eager to see Daniel’s reaction that I don’t really recall anyone else’s. When we first met, I was too sick even to wear normal clothes. We joke that it looked like I was wearing a book cover on my head at our P.F. Chang’s encounter. Most people probably would've been embarrassed to be seen with me, but he always told me I looked beautiful (and actually meant it). His reaction was the only one I really cared about, and he LOVES the dress, so that’s a win in my book.
Would you have done anything differently?
Given how little time we had to plan, I probably shouldn’t have attempted to DIY the invitation suite. I still would have designed them, but sending them to a professional printer would have prevented some massive headaches. Granted, I didn’t anticipate a hurricane knocking out our internet in the middle of invitation-making (did you know a Cricut machine won’t work offline even if you plug it directly into your computer? I did not).
What was your favorite part of the wedding to plan or you were most looking forward to?
We were so excited to see our venues — not just one, but two stunningly gorgeous, historic villas!
As major Star Wars nerds, we originally knew Villa Del Balbianello as Padmé and Anakin’s wedding location, but that wasn’t our only reason for choosing it — it’s so uniquely beautiful that it feels otherworldly. When it came up in conversation as a possible option, Daniel immediately saw how happy the idea made me, so he reached out to The Lake Como Wedding Planner.
We were also ecstatic to get to spend three nights with our guests at Villa Sola Cabiati! The villa itself was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, and the staff was next-level wonderful. Our entire experience there felt surreal; I kept having to remind myself that I wasn’t dreaming.
How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?
Despite living on opposite ends of the country, a series of unlikely coincidences led Daniel and me to P.F. Chang’s one evening, both dining alone — he buried his laptop. I was absorbed in a physics audiobook about angular momentum. We ignored each other completely, even as paramedics wheeled away another diner! Just before leaving, I made a polite attempt at conversation, and to my surprise, he not only understood my reference but expanded on it. Our “nerd radars” went off in a matter of sentences. After speaking for only a few minutes, we stopped for a split second and just stared at each other thinking, “This person actually understands what I’m talking about.” We eventually walked out together as if we’d arrived that way.
Our being together was such an obvious conclusion that even right away I don’t think I’ve ever been more certain about anything. Within weeks, Daniel returned for another business trip and invited me to fly back with him. When a seat opened up last-minute on a flight departing right after his, I spent the next fifteen minutes in a flurry packing whatever I could (mostly my dog and her stuff) before rushing down to meet our Uber. The following month, we found ourselves in an RV moving my stuff from California to Daniel’s house in Florida. During that trip in the back of the RV, Daniel proposed — no knee, no ring, just a candy wrapper. Immediately after I said yes, I told him, “Unless you want me keeping that candy wrapper forever and refusing ever to get rid of it, you have to throw it away immediately.”
How did you find working with the team at Galia Lahav?
The team at Galia Lahav's Miami flagship was phenomenal! As I was dress shopping alone, my consultant Thairi, store manager Nicole, and alterations expert Carol became my incredible "dress support crew." Thairi’s in-depth understanding of dress construction and ability to translate my inspiration photos into perfect selections was remarkable. Nicole’s warmth and help in getting permission for my rushed timeline made all the difference. And Carol, whose intricate couture work is featured in my favorite sewing textbooks, shared my passion for textile technology. She kept me calm through each fitting despite my hectic travel schedule. Their collective expertise and genuine care made the entire experience extraordinary.
“Planning is SO enjoyable when you focus on the true ‘why’ you’re planning a wedding. Plan with love not for anything else.”
How many dresses did you try on before you found it?
My consultant Thairi pulled a few dresses to see how I felt about different silhouettes. Once we were sure about that, it was the second dress I tried on.
Anything else you would like to add?
What’s funny is we had no idea our wedding was inadvertently “alien” themed until our photographer pointed it out! Our ceremony was at Villa Del Balbianello (the Star Wars "I don't like sand" location), and my vows opened with a memory of feeling like an alien as a kid. While I was getting ready, Daniel had the villa staff deliver me my fuzzy alien antenna headband from our RV trip, and I wound up wearing it at the end of the reception. The florals came from sharing my old Pinterest board of bizarre plants that look like alien lifeforms — Daniel and I went from not caring about flowers at all to obsessing over the incredible “space flowers” the florist came up with. Our cotton candy even turned everyone's tongues green! It wasn’t on purpose, but the otherworldly vibe just suited us and consistently made its way into details all throughout the day.
P.S. We served wonton soup because that’s what I was eating at P.F. Chang’s where we met.
Planning and Design | The Lake Como Wedding Planner
Dress | Galia Lahav
Photographer | Andreas K. Georgiou
Videographer | Handcraft Pictures
Stationery | Letterink and Bride
Floral | Ratti Flora
Music and Lighting | Blunotte
Boats | Como Classic Boat
Wedding Ceremony Venue | Villa Del Balbianello
Reception Venue, Food and Beverage | Villa Sola Cabiati
Hair, Makeup, and Celebrant | Rhapsody Artajo
Shoes | Betsey Johnson
Tuxedos | Pepi Bertini
Welcome Dinner Top | Alex Perry
Welcome Dinner Pants | Nadine Merabi