When Mira — George’s cousin and one of Vana’s closest friends — first reached out to me, she had a very special mission. She wanted to help George plan a completely secret proposal on Lake Como. From the very beginning, I understood that this wouldn’t be just a beautiful location and a ring — it would be a perfectly orchestrated surprise. 

Vana truly believed George was still in Canada. They even had a FaceTime call scheduled for later that evening. While she was packing for what she thought would be a simple girls’ trip with Mira, George was quietly traveling to Italy, preparing to surprise the love of his life.

Mira became my partner in crime throughout the entire planning process. Every detail had to feel natural. She printed fake tickets to Villa del Balbianello and told Vana they had simply gotten lucky with last-minute availability. The story was that they were going sightseeing and avoiding the tourist rush. Nothing more. Nothing suspicious.

That afternoon, two boats crossed Lake Como. On one, George and I arrived at the privately rented Villa del Balbianello, where he would be waiting. On the other boat came Mira and Vana, who still believed this was just a scenic visit. As I stood with George on the villa’s iconic terrace, watching their boat slowly approach across the water, there was that quiet, electric anticipation — the kind that only exists seconds before a life-changing moment.

What began as a peaceful visit turned into pure emotion. The moment Vana saw George standing there, everything shifted — shock, tears, laughter, disbelief. In the soft Lake Como light, surrounded by historic gardens and the stillness of the lake, George went down on one knee and asked the question that would begin their next chapter together.