This Couple Invited Guests to the Swiss Countryside for a Destination Wedding Steeped in Family History

Like so many other modern couples, Bianca Reist and Ben Steadman met on Bumble in September of 2016. Shortly after connecting on the digital platform, they decided to take a chance on love and meet in real life. They shared their first date at Sant Ambroeus in New York City’s West Village neighborhood, and the rest, as they say, was history. Three years later, Ben was certain he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Bianca, and he popped the question on a snowy evening in Zurich, Switzerland, in front of the couple’s favorite restaurant, which was beautifully lit with Christmas lights. “My dad pulled me outside because he wanted to take a picture of us in front of the tree,” Bianca remembers. “Next thing I know, Ben is down on one knee!” They celebrated the moment with family at Kronenhalle, a beloved Zurich institution. 

Returning to Switzerland for their wedding was a no-brainer. The couple exchanged vows on April 23, 2022, in the Church of Ermatingen, which is just a short walk from the bride’s family estate-turned-hotel, Lillenberg, where they held their reception. The venue choice was especially poignant: Not only was the property was founded by Bianca’s grandfather and designed by her father, but the home that Bianca and her sister grew up in stands at the center of the estate, too. Over their years together, Ben has since developed his own deep connection to the property. “It has always been a dream to bridge both of our worlds and share the magical little Swiss town we call home with all the people we love most in the world,” Bianca says. “To make it even more special, my parents married in the same church 33 years prior and had their reception at Lilienberg as well so it was always my dream to follow in their footsteps!”

The couple envisioned an authentic Swiss affair with understated elegant details for their 120 guests to enjoy, and Claudia and Marlene of CM Weddings. helped bring their vision to life. With a color palette of soft blues, greens, and neutral tones and thoughtful décor inspired by the setting’s natural surroundings and family history, Bianca and Ben's wedding was unlike any celebration their guests had seen before. Before, get inspired by the beautiful photos of their springtime ceremony and reception, as captured by Claire Eyos.

Bianca and Ben worked with Janelle Sing to create their custom crest, wedding invitations, and related paper goods. Ahead of their springtime nuptials, the couple sent garden-inspired wedding invitations that incorporated a mix of unique shapes and textures. Rich blue calligraphy featured on the invites, and was later carried through to other elements of the wedding.

Their day-of paper elements were carefully considered, too. The day's dinner menu, as well as pre-wedding welcome card, featured delicate watercolor flowers to echo the celebration's garden vibe. Their personalized crest featured their first initials surrounded by a wreath of hand-illustrated florals, greenery, berries, and blossoms. “Working with Janelle allowed us to personalize our wedding to reflect who we are as a couple starting with our crest, which set the stage for what was to come,” the bride says. “Over the course of her work, Janelle extrapolated what is most important to us about Lilienberg and Switzerland and masterfully wove it together with elements of who we are as individuals to paint a picture of our shared life as a couple.”

Bianca always envisioned herself in a wedding dress with a high neckline, long sleeves, and a tight silhouette, but after trying on a few dresses that met this criteria, she was surprised that nothing resonated. She pivoted and decided to try on a few dresses that fell outside of her comfort zone, and when her consultant pulled an A-line Oscar de la Renta wedding dress with rose appliqués, Bianca had a feeling she was about to try on her wedding dress. “It just felt right in every way—it made me speechless, which is rare for me!” Bianca laughs. “I am big into texture so the hand-stitched floral details throughout had me sold.”

Though she loved the gown as it was, she ultimately decided to add a horsehair petticoat, turning it into a fuller ball gown for extra drama. Knowing that her wedding day would be steeped in family tradition, it was important to the bride that her accessories be equally meaningful. With that in mind, she asked her her aunt if she could borrow her heart-shaped aquamarine solitaire ring that was designed by her late great uncle, which would serve as her "something blue." "I was never able to meet him but he was extremely close to my mom, so having a piece of him on my wedding day was extremely special for both of us,” Bianca says. “My cousin, who the ring will be passed down to, wore it on her wedding day as well making it even more meaningful.”

She also wore a pair of diamond earrings from Verstolo, an Oscar de la Renta veil, and Aquazzura platform shoes, which allowed her to show off her gown's dramatic train. She changed into Amina Mauddi glass slingback pumps (a nod to Cinderella) for the cocktail hour, and for the reception, she removed the petticoat from her dress and changed into Dior ivory slingback pumps.

She completed her look with a simple bouquet of lily of the valley. 

Bianca and Ben tied the knot in a private legal ceremony after postponing their wedding date a few times due to the pandemic. This time around, they scheduled a first look to make the most of their time with guests. “Our first moment was special because Ben was so eager to see me in my wedding gown considering it had been three and a half years of me teasing him that it was something he would never expect,” Bianca says. “It was a bit surreal walking out of the house I grew up in, in a big, beautiful wedding gown, on the way to surprise my husband!”

Ben wore a midnight blue wool tuxedo from Prada with black silk lapels and leather loafers from Crockett and Jones. “A week before leaving for Switzerland Ben learned the custom tuxedo he designed months prior was lost,” Bianca says. When Ben went to the flagship store in Beverly Hills, they found the only tuxedo left in the country in the right size, style, and color. “Shoutout to Radwa who made the impossible happen and had the tux customized and tailored to perfection by the day he left for Switzerland!” the bride says.

The groom accessorized with a Vacheron Constantin watch with a blue sunburst dial on a navy alligator leather strap. ”He is a big watch guy so choosing which watch to wear was a big decision,” Bianca says.

The couple’s guests gathered at the Church of Ermatingen to watch Bianca and Ben exchange vows. Tabea Maria-Lisa created a stunning altar installation of cascading flowers in shades of soft blue, green, and ivory. The aisle was decorated with candles in glass hurricanes.

Bianca walked down the aisle with her father by her side. “The church has an incredible grand organ and keeping with tradition, we had the organist play F. Mendelsson’s Wedding March for our processional live, which was truly magical,” the bride says. The couple asked Bianca’s uncle, Bryan Gomez, to lead their ceremony alongside their priest, Marc. “This added a very special element,” Bianca says. “One line in and he had everyone in hysterics.”

After the ceremony, the couple was surprised with a balloon send off. “Upon exiting the church, there was a sea of balloons all in the shades blue,” Bianca says. “Every guest got one and we released them all at the same time–it was magical!”

At cocktail hour, guests enjoyed a selection of regional wines. ”In keeping with our goal of immersing our guests in Swiss culture, we wanted to keep the wine local,” Bianca says. “Each wine was special to us in some way, shape, or form, and conjured up happy memories in Switzerland over the course of our six years together.”

Dinner table assignments were displayed on escort cards written in the same blue font as the couple’s invitation suite, which had been tied to panels of garden lattice. It’s a tradition in Bianca’s family to have interactive homemade games during the cocktail hour. In preparation for the big day, Bianca’s father’s cousin created a game where a walnut slides down a tube and guests smash them with hammers. “We played games and had a very traditional Swiss Mountain band perform, which is unlike anything our guests have experienced!” the bride says. “It was so much fun watching our guests in gowns and tuxedos violently trying to smash a small walnut with a hammer!”

The highlight, the couple says, was when Bianca’s 96-year-old grandfather delivered a special speech and presented the couple with a traditional cowbell, ending his toast with a yodel. “This was truly the most special moment of the entire weekend,” Bianca says. “Little did we know it would be our last time with my grandfather and his last time at Lilienberg as he passed away a few weeks later. It’s now one of the most cherished memories in my life!”

While the venue usually boasts a red carpet, the couple’s planning team transformed their reception space with a cream-colored one instead. Tables were topped with white linen tablecloths and blue charger plates, bread plates, glasses, and candles for a pop of bold color. The place settings were finished with custom menu cards and white linen napkins that had been tied with silk ribbons featuring each guest’s name. 

The newlyweds shared their first dance to “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. “Fleetwood Mac is my absolute favorite so our dance instructor at Arthur Murray Beverly Hills choreographed a more upbeat first dance that we were able to do with our sub par dance skills,” the bride says. Bianca also shared a father-daughter dance to “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler, which was her parents’ own first dance song three decades earlier.

The couple served a dinner menu with approachable dishes native to Switzerland and the Lake of Constance. Between dinner and dessert, Bianca changed into a Giambattista Valli mini dress. “I was supposed to pair the dress with the Amina Muaddi pumps but instead threw on my favorite pair of Golden Goose high tops,” she says. "After five days of wedding events and too many hours in heels, I couldn't be happier or feel more like myself!”

Bianca and Ben celebrated their wedding with a honeymoon in Egypt and Morocco. They remind couples planning a wedding not to compare their wedding plans to others. “Comparison is the thief of joy. Embrace the uniqueness and focus on how to best express who you are as a couple in every decision you make–big or small,” Bianca says. “Be confident in your decisions and don’t let anyone make you second guess yourself.”