A cross-cultural celebration of love at a dream wedding in Italy

In a breathtaking union of cultures, Nimisha Berner-Mund, an Indian lawyer turned corporate investment professional, and Benjamin Berner-Mund, a Finnish-Swedish professional athlete turned corporate investment professional, celebrated their love with a beautiful wedding at Lake Garda, Italy. 

To ge the full story, Brides Today spoke to Berner-Munds and Taral Jadhav, founder of Do It Up—the Indian even design firm that brought to life this incredible wedding. 

Love across continents

The Berner-Mund love story began in the city of Helsinki, where they first met. Their journey took them to France, where they pursued their MBA, and then to London, where they now reside. Nimisha and Benjamin, found a shared love for sports, adventure, culture, and community. Their wedding became a reflection of their journey, blending Indian traditions with European elegance. 

A dream realised at Lake Garda

Initially planning a wedding in India, the couple eventually decided to have the wedding in Europe, closer to where they live. They zeroed in on Lake Garda for its unparalleled natural beauty and emotional resonance. They’ve loved going to Italian mountains to ski and see a future there and Lake Garda, set against both the Alps and the Dolomite mountain range, perfectly encapsulated their love for nature. With 120 guests hailing from over 30 countries, the couple envisioned an experiential celebration that would immerse everyone in a weekend of dazzling festivities.

The celebrations: A fusion of traditions

Haldi and Sangeet at Villa Bissiniga

The pre-wedding celebrations took place at a rustic villa from the 1400s, Villa Bissiniga, perched in the mountains of Garda and overlooking the lake. The haldi ceremony, set against its lush lemon gardens, was a rustic affair in shades of yellow. The sangeet was held across the villa salons and panoramic terrace overlooking Lake Garda. The villa had been brought to life with vibrant Jaipuri hand-block prints and parasols adorning it. Despite unexpected rain, the evening transitioned seamlessly indoors, with music and dancing lasting late into the night. The Berner-Munds wanted a limited but enjoyable menu of light Italian aperitifs with Indian foods from some of Nimisha’s favourite places she has lived in India, including ‘puchka’/panipuri, Kashmiri morel mushrooms, and lamb biryani by London based Chef Iqbal Ahmed.

Sharing her thoughts about the theme that Berner-Mund wanted for the wedding, Jadhav says, "When we first spoke to Nimisha, our bride, the one thing that stood out and remained throughout our planning for decor was her absolute love for Indian heritage art and textiles. Our vision for the wedding decor was to lean into the venue styles. The sangeet venue, Villa Bissiniga, uses the traditional Garda red and white stripes, and we wanted to lean into this by replicating such stripes and red and white motifs in Jaipuri handblock print textiles and parasols. We selected fabrics from India that have a similar colour palette with Jaipuri motifs." 

Wedding Ceremony at Isola del Garda

The wedding day was nothing short of magical. Isola del Garda, the lake’s only island, provided the most picturesque backdrop for the ceremony. Guests disembarked from boats to be greeted by the strains of the violin and welcome drinks in the Italian gardens before witnessing the traditional varmala and pheras on the covered terrace. Faded jewel tones, zari velvet drapes, banarasi safas being tied for the men, and vintage florals lent an air of nostalgia and timelessness to the iconic setting.

"The ceremony venue, Villa Cavazza in Isola Del Garda, is fashioned after Venetian architecture. Nimisha has always loved the Venetian colour palette—it's her favourite vintage aesthetic. She wanted the colours of the wedding day to be just that... faded versions of jewel tones. We selected gota patti curtains, and zari velvet fabric. Even with the flowers, we blended vintage colours replacing the trending pastel palette to achieve the fall theme she really wanted and also incorporated the traditional rajnigandha to fit the Indian wedding aesthetic," adds Jadhav.  

Reception at Torre San Marco

The reception brought everyone back to the mainland at Torre San Marco, adorned with large vintage chandeliers. The Berner-Munds arrived on a Riva to loud cheering and waving of the safas in the air. Guests enjoyed Italian-style aperitifs and Indian grills, followed by a sit-down dinner featuring a blend of Indian and Italian cuisines, including duck in Indian sauce infused with local citruses from Garda. Finnish liqueurs and Swedish-style speeches were both flowing. The evening concluded with a lively party in the Tower, where a suspended DJ console added a contemporary flair to the celebrations.

Farewell with Viking boats

The wedding concluded with a joyful vidaai with a twist—in Viking style. Two schooner boats carried the couple and their guests across the lake, accompanied by drinks, appetisers, and the cutting of the wedding cake.

All images: Seven Mantra Films

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