This Couple's Pink and Chartreuse Wedding Color Palette Made a Splash on Lake Como

When Rachel Roff, the founder of Urban Skin Rx and Urban Medspa, first set her eyes on Javin Emil at a gala in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September 2018, she never received a proper introduction. So, she took matters into her own hands by messaging Javin on social media and commenting a smiley face emoji on one of his posts. Making the first move paid off; it gave Javin the courage to ask her out for coffee. Three years later, at the same coffee shop where they went on their first date, Javin popped the question. 

Initially, the couple booked a date in September 2022 for their big day—but soon found out that Rachel was pregnant. Instead of moving forward with their original plans, the duo decided to shift gears and aim for another date: July 22, 2023. Once Rachel gave birth, the planning process took off. With the help of their planner, Bespoke Unique Weddings & Events, the pair executed their vision: a garden party painted in chartreuse and blush tones. “I wanted a really colorful wedding, one that was unique and also a representation of my own personal style and love for the eclectic,” Rachel explains. “For as beautiful as monochromatic weddings can be, I knew I wanted something different that I’d never seen done before.”

Not only did the aesthetic capture Rachel’s personality, but also the location reflected her upbringing. The bride and groom settled on Villa Balbiano in Lake Como for their affair, partly because Rachel grew up spending every summer at her family home in Lake Tahoe—she recalls memories of being on the water in a wooden boat fondly. “With Lake Como being known for its beauty as well as their wooden boats, it felt like a European Lake Tahoe,” she says. “Not to mention, it is a place I’d always heard such great things about, so it felt like a really natural choice.”

Keep scrolling to see all of the stunning details behind Rachel and Javin’s special day, planned by Bespoke Unique Weddings & Events and captured by Lilly Red.

Rachel and Javin kicked off their wedding weekend with a rehearsal dinner that had a lemon-inspired theme as an ode to the Italian region’s locally-grown citrus fruit. Once guests arrived, they found their seating assignments from an escort card display covered in a blue and white botanical print with a pop of yellow. A welcome sign, complete with the couple’s custom monogram, also greeted friends and family.

For the pre-wedding event, guests walked into a room bursting with vibrancy. Each table was wrapped in a tablecloth featuring the same pattern as the escort card sign and topped with towers of lemons and chinoiserie vases overflowing with peach blooms. Floral chargers added more color to the tablescape, while gold flatware and monogrammed napkins grounded the design. The place settings also included a paper good with an illustration of Lake Como to introduce guests to the locale. Gold-colored foliage floated above the entire setup.

At the bar outside of the event room, the drinks were flowing—but so were the flowers. A floral arch adorned with peach, orange, and yellow blooms and stamped with the couple’s joint initials framed the display.

To match the color-focused aesthetic, Rachel sported a technicolor tea-length dress that mixed yellow, red, blue, and green tones. She paired her bold ensemble with gold Chanel earrings, a gold chain necklace and bracelets, and bejeweled heels.

Rachel spent the morning of her wedding day getting glam in a sheer robe with furry pink trim. She opted for a natural makeup look infused with a touch of glamour that emphasized a clear complexion and a light brown smokey eye. Since the bride is an aesthetician, she called on Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream-Infused Mask and her company’s Hydrafirm + Brightening Serum to prep her skin, and she used a professional dermaplaning blade to achieve her flawless glow. 

Rachel styled her hair in a sequined-studded side braid. “My husband loves my hair pulled back off my face and also, with high humidity and high heat, I felt an updo was necessary,” she says of the decision. She completed her beauty look with a classic French manicure and a spritz of Nest Golden Nectar Travel Spray.

After the beauty session, Rachel slipped on her strapless wedding dress by Galia Lahav. The ensemble boasted a combination of romance with the floral appliqués and drama with a mermaid silhouette, a plunging neckline, and the illusion side cut-outs. 

When Rachel first went shopping for her gown, she ended up buying two different choices, but right before the big day, she realized that she didn’t like either of them. Instead of going back to square one, she decided to look off the rack. She came across the Galia Lahav design and loved the look of it, but it wasn’t readily available in her size. “I kept thinking about it for days and then reached out to see if their seamstress could help me make it bigger,” she recounts.

For Rachel, choosing her bridesmaids was one of the easiest parts of planning her big day. “I had a large group of women standing beside me, and from the very beginning, I knew they’d all be up there with me,” she says. To complement the color palette, she had each member of her bridal party select their own gown in a chartreuse hue and carry bouquets of pink peonies.

Javin sported a custom look featuring a one-button, double-breasted tuxedo jacket with a shawl collar and silk and wool fabrics that was handmade in Naples, Italy. He paired the jacket with black tuxedo pants, a silk and cotton pique tuxedo shirt, a Gucci bow tie, Ferragamo patent leather loafers, custom David Yurman cufflinks, and a Hublot watch.

Javin’s groomsmen went for a classic look with all-black suits, oversized bow ties, and patent leather shoes. “He wanted everyone to have their own style, but still be coordinated,” Rachel says.

The couple traded vows in front of a baby’s breath tree, which overlooked Lake Como. “The ceremony is a scenic representation of a romantic forest, halfway between reality and imagination, giving importance to the lake in a contemporary way,” Rachel shares. A hedge of orchids, roses, and peonies in pink shades led to the lush altar.

Rachel had her mother escort her down the lattice grass aisle while “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri played in the background.

Rachel and Javin wrote their own vows, which they weren’t planning on exchanging in public—but they changed their minds right before the ceremony. After sharing their heartfelt promises with their friends and family, their officiant, Rachel’s cousin Noel, gifted them an engraved bottle of Clase Azul Tequila Gold. Naturally, they concluded the service by throwing back a shot.

After they were pronounced husband and wife, the newlyweds recessed to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

To celebrate their marriage, Rachel and Javin admired the views on an intimate boat ride, just the two of them.

“The concept behind the reception was to create a romantic garden,” Rachel says. To achieve her vision, they draped pink linens over each table, layered with a thick floral runner and rainbow taper candles. They also brought an organic flair to their ceiling by hanging greenery and blossoms from above. For another touch of whimsy, oversized fringe chandeliers floated overhead. Lucite chargers and gold flatware offered a neutral base for chartreuse and pink menus to shine.

One goal for the couple’s big day was to throw an epic party. “Mainly, we wanted a lot of fun and music to really create an atmosphere where people could just be in the moment with us,” Rachel notes. A dance floor with strobe lights and a killer soundtrack from DJ Red helped accomplish that.

Once loved ones finished their meal, Rachel and Javin served a classic Italian wedding cake with a custom topper composed of bride and groom figurines that looked like them. 

For the after-party, Rachel changed into a long-sleeved sequined crop top with feather trim and satin high-waisted feather pants from LaPointe. She accessorized with a pair of Retrofête earrings that showcased Javin’s initials.

To conclude their wedding weekend, Rachel and Javin threw a farewell event filled with gelato and swimming. Throughout their multiple days of events, the couple credits having a wedding planner and letting go as the reasons for their success. “On your actual wedding day, after the events start, make a commitment to not sweat any of the small things that don’t go exactly according to plan,” Rachel says.