A Proposal Under Orange Trees Led to This Fairy

May 27, 2023

By Alexandra Macon

Haein Dorin and Giovanni Dorin's love story began at Condé Nast. While Haein is now the SVP and general manager of Highsnobiety, and Giovanni is a sports and music lead at TikTok, they first met while they were both working in the media company's Los Angeles and San Francisco offices, respectively. "Giovanni was in Los Angeles on a business trip, and we met in passing," she remembers. "Since then, we became inseparable as friends, and eventually, one Valentine's Day, he surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of roses. After that point, we knew there was something we wanted to explore."

Shortly thereafter, Haein relocated to San Francisco, and while living there together, they visited wine country on a regular basis. On a beautiful spring day in May of 2019, on a trip with family and friends, they went to their favorite farm and vineyard. There, Giovanni proposed under the orange trees.

After canceling a much larger celebration in Napa and having to postpone the wedding twice due to the pandemic, the wedding ultimately took place in September 2022 in Lake Como, Italy. "Giovanni and his family visit the area annually as their close family friend owns a hotel in Menaggio," Haein explains. "When we were exploring destinations for the wedding, we loved that we were able to land on a location that was both nostalgic and a place we planned to build new traditions with our ever-growing family." They also loved that, with Giovanni's family being from Milan, they were able to incorporate touches of his cultural background into the wedding celebrations.

The wedding planning process was fairly simple thanks to Aurora of Lake Como Weddings and Events. "Over the years, we had gathered aesthetic inspiration, color palettes, and vendors together, and we carefully curated each moment to reflect who we are as a couple," Haein explains. "It was a process that helped us reflect on our collective vision, which was really fun!"

The wedding itself was at Villa Regina Teodolinda, a dramatic lakeside property built in the 18th century. "We searched high and low for our wedding venue," Haein says. "We wanted it to feel like an intimate and luxurious garden party in our own backyard, which was surprisingly very hard to find in Como. But, the second we walked on the property during our venue search, Giovanni and I had goosebumps and knew it was the one."

The process of selecting the wedding wardrobe was a favorite part of the planning process for both the bride and the groom. "We had an amazing stylist, Gabrielle Hurwitz, who understood the vision," Haein explains. "We wanted to pay homage to our surroundings and location, while being comfortable and reflective of our personal styles."

To that end, Haein wore the iconic Monique Lhuillier Bloom gown—a dress that her grandmother actually picked—with Amina Muaddi shoes and Mateo baroque pearl earrings. She also wore vintage diamonds, pearls, and a 24k ring, all from her mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and Giovanni's grandmother. "I wanted to carefully incorporate a tasteful mix of new and historic pieces, honoring the women that brought me to the big day," she says. Meanwhile, makeup artist and hair stylist Chloe Schlossmann was on hand to bring Haein's beauty vision of natural, glowy skin to life.

Giovanni wore his favorite suit designer, Paul Smith, paired with a Canali shirt. His Gucci shoes paid tribute to his Italian roots, while his socks were from Comme Si and his bowtie from Charvet in honor of the couple's favorite city, Paris. "His handkerchief was from Hermès, a wedding day gift from me," Haein adds.

Guests arrived via boat, which docked at the villa, and were greeted by a string quartet and champagne at the jetty. They then enjoyed a spritz or two while they waited for the ceremony to begin on the lower terrace near the lake. "During the ceremony, I kept thinking I was in a dream and could not believe the wedding was happening right before my eyes," Haein admits. "All of the people that we love and love us most, in one place celebrating us is a surreal feeling and unlike anything we have felt before. Also, having the opportunity to have such a wonderful celebration with our puppy Mela and baby Aerin Lina made our hearts so full!"

A signature scent, Altar by Byredo, was burning at every table, while a jazz band played to welcome guests into the aperitif area before the dinner. "As dinner was wrapping up, I surprised Giovanni with this incredible electric violinist Andrea Casta, who was so much fun. "It definitely kick-started the party into the evening!" Haein says. For the after-party, the bride changed into a Peter Do fall 2021 look and Chloe created a bold look with a smoky eye and sparkly jewels to tie the full party look together.

The day after, the wedding guests went on a sunset cocktail cruise to Bellagio and had dinner at the couple's favorite restaurant, La Punta. The bride wore a Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini dress, Prada heels, and Celine sunglasses, and the groom wore a Prada suit paired with a Kiton shirt with The Row loafers.

"Looking back, I am so thankful and grateful for being able to have such an incredible wedding," Haein says. "Every partner that we worked with, our family, and our friends’ support means everything to us—and it was a fairy-tale dream wedding come true."

Getting ready for the big day with the moms in Saint Laurent and St. John.

Writing vows and looking sharp.

Finalizing my look, treasuring moments with mom.

Putting on my dream shoes from Amina Muaddi with a little extra help from my furry first born.

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A sentimental little gift from me before our first look.

The magic of the Monique Lhullier Bloom gown as I head to our first look.

Soaking it all in, hand in hand.

Spending some time together at one of our favorite places in Lago di Como.

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