Mariacarla Boscono Wore Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda for Her Sicilian Wedding to Olympic Athlete Claudio Stecchi

The jewelry was also created by the Dolce & Gabbana atelier. “We were looking for a constant element for all three outfits; a piece of jewellery that reflects who I have been over the years. We settled on a porcelain rose crown, worn as if it were a crown of thorns. I was a true ‘martyr of romance.’ The look was completed by gloves and a bustier. The boots were hand-embroidered and designed especially for me, and they evolved from fitting to fitting. They, too, look like they were assembled from lace from a family’s trunk. Each piece is extremely sophisticated, but they are also very different from the pieces one usually sees at a wedding. We still had all the traditional items in gold and blue, something borrowed and something new, but we were pretty easygoing with that. We also wore family jewelry. Especially me: I always wear a chain that my mum gave me.” The wedding rings were by Pomellato.

For the ceremony, Stecchi wore a rust brown mohair wool suit with a shawl jacket and wide-leg trousers by Zegna. The look was completed by a wool muslin tab collar shirt and leather slip-on evening shoes. The groom also wore a 1930s Pennisi brooch in platinum and diamonds by Kutchinsky from Gioelleria Pennisi.

The wedding was held at the Villa Valguarnera in Bagheria. “Princess Vittoria opened the doors of her family’s estate to us and let us celebrate our wedding there. It is a magical place that has so much history and tradition: it is an authentic place, and it is a wonderful story of an all-Italian beauty, which just had to be celebrated. That is why we also wanted it as it was, without adding too many decorations. Even the floral arrangements felt like they were part of the garden.” Officiating at the ceremony was Natalia Vodianova, a close friend of the couple.

“At dinner, there was a performance by an incredible singer, Giorgia, who sang classics by Nina Simone, Mina, and Patty Pravo, and accompanied us all throughout the evening,” says Mariacarla. “For the wedding ceremony, she wore a very light Swarovski-covered veil and performed from a window, because we wanted her to have an air of mystery. She sang ‘Il cielo in una stanza’ a cappella.”

The menu was all Sicilian dishes, made with local seasonal produce. “The wedding cake was made in a convent where they follow a 100-year-old secret recipe, which is very special,” the bride adds. Complementing the dishes were fine wines from Berlucchi, a historic winery that dates back to the 1600s.

Throughout the day, Mariacarla wore three wedding dresses. “Each dress change was about the idea of the bride building up her dress and then eventually deconstructing it. The second outfit is very elegant, and I really liked the lightness of this almost monastic creation. We decided to make it very transparent, allowing a glimpse of the lingerie.”

Photo: Elio Rosato

“The last look was the only one with a veil, and carried a sense of purity and elegance, both concealing and not concealing. The dress is made from all different materials—some even vintage—and all are hand-embroidered, and soaked in tea or coffee to give a retro effect.”

The party began with as series of spontaneous performances from guests, including Vodianova’s son Viktor, who played two classical pieces on the grand piano; Skin from Skunk Anansie; DJ Davide Quillace; drag artist Violet Chachki; and model Loli Bahia. “Everything that happened around the wedding was decided from the heart, and very quickly—we did exactly what we wanted. It was a beautiful way to end with our friends performing.” The guestlist, meanwhile, featured many familiar faces from the world of fashion, including designers Raf Simons and Riccardo Tisci and models Rianne Van Rompaey, Mica Argañaraz, and Vittoria Ceretti.

Photo: Elio Rosato

The team involved in bringing the day to life—including her planner, Morena Ru—were all part of Mariacarla’s close circle of friends and collaborators, as the model wanted to surround herself with people who were truly close to her heart—even on this occasion. “Nothing about the event was done haphazardly, however, there was nothing forced,” the model adds. “The most important thing for us was to put the essence of the two of us at the center—and above all, the essence of our love.”