Where Love Finds Its Place: Amanda Ciriello & David Cancel’s Lake Garda Wedding Is a Masterclass in Destination Romance
For Amanda Ciriello and David Cancel, travel has never simply been about checking destinations off a list. It’s been the language of their relationship, one that has taken them through the temples of Kyoto, the vibrant streets of Seoul where David proposed with a custom yellow diamond ring, and now to the shores of Italy’s enchanting Lake Garda, where they’ll begin the next chapter of their lives together.
Their wedding isn’t just taking place in Italy. It belongs there.
More than a decade before she met David, Amanda stood along the shores of Northern Italy during a sabbatical while working at Novartis. Captivated by the serenity of the lakes and the timeless beauty of the region, she quietly made a promise to herself. If she ever married, it would be somewhere like this. As someone with Italian heritage, the connection felt deeply personal. Years later, that dream has become reality.
Rather than choosing the more familiar Lake Como, the couple searched for somewhere that still felt wonderfully undiscovered. They found it in Lake Garda.
Stretching beneath the Italian Alps, Lake Garda offers a different personality in every village, from medieval castles and citrus groves to waterfront promenades lined with historic villas. After exploring the region together, Amanda and David knew they had found the setting they had imagined all along. Their ceremony will take place on the private Isola del Garda, where family and close friends will enjoy an intimate celebration surrounded by centuries-old gardens and one of Italy’s most spectacular lakefront estates.
“It’s almost like stepping into a fairytale,” Amanda says.
The wedding itself has been planned less as a single event and more as an immersive Italian experience.
Guests will arrive for a three-day celebration beginning with a welcome evening inspired by an authentic Italian marketplace. Not the expected Instagram version of overflowing tomatoes and pizza ovens, but a sophisticated interpretation filled with pomegranate tones, aubergine hues, strolling musicians, and regional influences that celebrate Italy’s artistry and culture. Every detail has been intentionally designed to feel both elevated and deeply personal.
Fashion plays an equally important role.
Amanda selected a custom Gallia Lahav gown inspired by classic Italian architecture, complete with intricate lace and elegant sleeves that complement the grandeur of the lakeside setting. Over the course of the weekend she will wear five carefully chosen looks, each reflecting a different chapter of the celebration while embracing the romance of Italy.
Travel has always been central to the couple’s story.
Although they both spent years living remarkably parallel lives in Boston, sharing favorite restaurants, mutual friends, and even walking many of the same streets, they wouldn’t meet until later in New York. Once together, exploring the world quickly became one of the defining rhythms of their relationship. Their adventures have been driven less by luxury alone than by a shared curiosity for culture, history, architecture, and discovering places together.
That passion continues after the wedding.
Following a brief return home to New York to reunite with their beloved dog, the newlyweds will head back across the Atlantic for a honeymoon in Montenegro, adding another chapter to a relationship shaped by meaningful destinations rather than ordinary vacations.
Their future, however, extends well beyond travel.
Now entering a new season together, Amanda and David are dedicating increasing time to philanthropy, particularly through the Whitney Museum, where David serves on the board and Amanda recently joined the museum’s Digital Art Committee. Together they are helping support emerging artists while creating a home in Massachusetts designed to welcome family, friends, and creative communities alike.
In many ways, their wedding reflects the life they are building. It is globally inspired, intentionally curated, rooted in heritage, and centered on bringing people together.
Lake Garda may be the destination, but it is also something more enduring. It is a place where years of dreams, shared adventures, and thoughtful planning converge into the beginning of a lifelong journey.
#Amanda Cirello
#davidcancel
#wedding
#Whitney Museum
