THE CROWD:Wedding brings romance from Europe

Prominent Orange County barrister Larry Willis, founding partner of Callahan McCune and Willis, married his fiancé Jennifer Di Carlo of Newport Beach in what was surely the most romantic summer wedding of the year on the California Riviera. Their journey to the altar actually began last summer in Venice, Italy, where Larry proposed to Jennifer. A European wedding was planned for this year and on May 6 at Lake Como, the couple exchanged vows at a waterfront ceremony on the grounds the Villa d’Este.

Jennifer and Larry met some four years ago, introduced by mutual friends through their children’s activities. Best man Christopher Day and matron of honor Kim Day, responsible for the initial introduction, stood up for them at Lake Como along with a California contingent that included Mark Robinson Jr. and his fiancé Melody Andrich, Mark and Debra Frazen, William and Sue Shapiro, Mike and Cindy Maguire, John and Beth Di Caro, Jeffrey Raynes and Jeannie Jackson, Jim and Angie Weekly, and Michelle Hobson and Alexis Kerns. The wedding party assembled in the exquisite Colonne Room for a candlelight dinner following the lakeside ceremony.

The entourage left Lake Como for Paris and Monaco for an extended honeymoon, returning to Orange County to hold their wedding reception which took place last week on the grounds of the Willis estate as 160 friends gathered to continue the saga of romance. Arriving at the home guests were surprised by the release of live Monarch butterflies setting the stage for the stylish reception. The grounds were staged with virtual tents constructed of twinkling white lights , under which banquet tables the length of football fields were adorned with white linen, sparkling crystal stemware and bouquets of summer blooms. The entertainment began with a performance by the Sylvia St. James gospel group, hired by the bride as a treat for her new husband who was raised in the South and has an affinity for gospel music. The troop of high-powered women and one man belted out both religious and secular numbers. Dinner was served by the Nirvana Grille, fronted by celebrated chef Lindsay Smith-Rosales. Named one of the top-10 chefs in Orange County by O.C. Metro magazine, Lindsay and her husband Luis Rosales and their catering staff served a spectacular al fresco wedding dinner that began with an heirloom tomato salad of organic greens, red onion basil and Meyer lemon oil vinaigrette dressing. A second course of wild mushroom ravioli with artichoke pesto cream, pine nuts and shaved parmesan had the crowd begging for more. The main course consisted of pistachio-crusted Chilean sea bass and a selection of free-range roasted breast of chicken prepared in a herbes de Provence shallot white wine sauce.

Next on stage was Jennifer’s daughter Brittany, a former student at the Orange County High School of the Arts, who fronted the orchestra to sing “At Last” for the first dance of her new parents. Joining the bride and groom on the dance floor were Mr. and Mrs. William Ginsburg. Also spotted on the dance floor were Newport financier John Ashton and Christina Danovsky, Aida Hobson of Newport Beach, Rolando and Elda Ferreira, father of the bride Jesse Bloyd, mother of the bride Gylma Norman, grandmother Jeannette Ferreira, and Larry’s sister Pat Satterthwaite. Also celebrating the wedding were Dan and Karen Miceli, retired Orange County Judge Gary Ryan and his wife Colleen, Melissa Stomp, Nancy Treadway, and in from Los Angeles Janice Nakayama. Perhaps most important, the children of the blended marriage, Larry’s two daughters Amy Avery and Jennifer Powell, and six grandchildren, and Jennifer’s three children Brittany, Brandin and Patrick were all front and center for their parents’ union.

From the shores of Lake Como to the hills of Orange County the Willis wedding was a spirited adventure filled with all the ingredients any bride and groom could possibly hope for.