Gabriella de Givenchy Wore Her Family’s Haute Couture to Wed on the Cliffs of Capri

After they became engaged, the couple, like so many others, had to push back their wedding twice due to the pandemic. “Initially we had planned on doing a much larger celebration in the South of France back in 2020,” says Gabriella. “But of course that was not feasible in the end. We moved the wedding to June 2021, but again it didn’t look likely that all our friends and relatives would make it.” They were finally able to celebrate in August with a much smaller group on the island of Capri. “Even though it wasn’t the wedding we envisioned at first, it was really special having only our closest friends and family there,” notes Gabriella. “We were even more appreciative of everyone being able to come together after so much time apart.”

The couple worked with Diana Sorensen of Sugokuii Events. “The planning process was a lot of fun, albeit stressful at times,” Gabriella admits. “Once we landed on Capri, which we picked because we had such great memories of going there together, we tried to find an event planner that knew the ins and outs of the island like no one else.”

After choosing their venues, Sorensen and her team jumped into action, proposing ideas to help make the celebration truly unique. “The part of the process that was most exciting to me was when Diana suggested using Carelli carts, which are usually only available to transport luggage around the narrow, hilly streets of Capri, and converting them so that they could transport our guests up to our ceremony location in Anacapri,” recalls Gabriella. “This was incredibly special, as this is typically not allowed and meant that we were able to have our guests experience a part of the island that is usually very difficult to get to.”

And while the intricacies of hosting an event on the island required a planner with experience in this specific location, Gabriella needed no guidance when it came to her wardrobe. “From as long as I can remember, I had always envisioned myself wearing Givenchy on my wedding day,” she says. “I know it is what my great-uncle Hubert would have wanted, and I felt very sentimental about honoring him in this way. I loved the process of working with Marjorie Andres, the haute couture director, and the rest of the Givenchy couture team on my gown, as there were couturiers there who had worked with my uncle all those years ago.”

It was important to Gabriella to have the dress represent her personal style and also feel in tune with and well suited for the island. “With this in mind, I shared mood boards and inspiration images with [the team at] Givenchy, and they understood the essence of what I wanted and formed it into something truly unique,” she says. The final creation was a romantic gown with lace flowers, a sweetheart neckline, and off-the-shoulder sleeves. The bride kept her makeup natural and limited her jewelry to simple blue sapphire drop earrings.

The ceremony took place outside at the Belvedere della Migliara, where open-air concerts are often held during the summer. Guests were transported by the Carelli carts to the location—where Ugo, his mother, and brother were waiting. “I followed shortly after with my mother and father as well as my younger siblings, Inès, who is 5 years old, and Louis, who is 8—they served as my flower girl and ring bearer, respectively,” Gabriella says.

The bride walked down a gypsophila-covered aisle to Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” escorted by her father. Gabriella and Ugo recited the vows they had written, exchanged rings created by Taffin (courtesy of her uncle James Taffin de Givenchy), and kissed as husband and wife before recessing, as guests showered them with rice and dried lavender. Following the ceremony, the couple jetted off in a vintage Fiat Spiaggina. “We went to have a drink, just the two of us, at Bar Grotta Azzura in Anacapri, before reconnecting with our wedding party,” Gabriella remembers. “Having this intimate moment together was one of my favorite parts of the weekend, as we were able to soak in all the love and excitement we had just experienced. We then met up with our guests for photos and Hugo Spritzes—an Italian favorite and interpretation of the classic Aperol Spritz—at the hotel Caesar Augustus.”

Once the sun was setting, the group left for dinner at Lido del Faro. Lighthouses led the way down the rocks to one long table where Gabriella’s stepmother, Zoë, had set the table with special plates from her line, Z.d.G. “She perfectly captured the feeling of the location, and it made the dinner that much more special to have these one-of-a-kind pieces that we can now look back on for the rest of our lives.” Gamberi crudi, lobster, tomato pasta, and local sea bream were served, and between the courses there were toasts by the bride’s father; Ugo; Ugo’s brother, Jean; and Gabriella’s brother Nicolas. “All of them made me cry, but in a good way!” she says.

After dinner, the cake—a three-foot millefoglie made with wild strawberries—was cut. “It was honestly one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted,” says Gabriella. “I am still sad to this day I did not eat more of it!”