Meghan and Harry enjoyed a weekend in the Eternal City of Rome for the wedding of Meghan’s close friend Misha Nonoo ahead of their tour to South Africa. Meghan and Harry travelled to the Italian capital on a commercial flight and were photographed arriving for the sunset ceremony at 5 pm.
It’s hardly surprising that Meghan and Harry were on the guest list, as Meghan has long been friends with Misha. It is even rumored that Misha was the one who sat Meghan up with Harry and just recently, Meghan enlisted Misha’s help in creating a capsule collection to benefit her patronage, Smart Works. “There is no way that Meghan wouldn’t be at Misha’s wedding—no way at all,”.
Misha and Meghan have been friends since they first met through a mutual friend in Miami. They bonded immediately over their passion for gender equality, the empowerment of women, and dogs. “We were seated next to one another at a lunch, and we got along like a house on fire,” Misha told The Evening Standard adding: “I love her to death. She is the coolest girl in the world,”.
Misha Nonoo was born in 1985 and is a famous fashion designer. She was born in Bahrain to an English mother and an Iraqi Jewish father and was educated in London and Paris. She made the Forbes 30 under 30 lists and was a finalist for the 2013 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.
The groom Michael “Mikey” Hess proposed in February of 2019 in Cabo San Lucas.
Michael posted about their engagement on his private Instagram account, sharing a photo of the proposal, which took place in Cabo San Lucas.
“Thank you for making all my dreams come true, Misha Nonoo,” reads the caption. “I am so in love with you, and I feel so lucky I get to spend the rest of my life with you right beside me.”
A video of Meghan and Harry arriving at the wedding:
Misha has a lot of royal friends. In addition to her Meghan connection, she counts Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie as close friends as well – they were, of course, in attendance at the wedding.
The couple chose to have a destination wedding in Italy. Misha and Michael selected Villa Aurelia, a 17th-century property of the American Academy in the heart of Rome, as the venue. The exact date of construction is unknown but assumed to be between 1650 and 1667. It’s being used for conferences, public receptions, concerts, and other programs. It also includes apartments for the Academy’s Residents and is surrounded by 3.8 acres of magnificent gardens.
From their website:
“The beauty of the Villa gardens, the breathtaking view of Rome, and the variety of spaces available make Villa Aurelia an ideal location for high-level external events such as receptions, dinners and board meetings. In order to ensure that each and every event that takes place at Villa Aurelia is a very special and personal occasion, the Villa is rented out on an absolutely exclusive basis. Only one event is organised on any one day, and clients are free to choose the areas that best suit their purposes. Villa Aurelia is not held to using any particular supplier and this gives our guests the freedom to choose their own catering company, florists and musicians, and any other services they may think fit for the best possible result whether it be a private, public or company occasion.”
Misha and Michael Hess arriving for Harry and Meghan’s wedding
Misha is also responsible for one of Meghan’s most famous looks to date. She designed the white “Husband” shirt Meghan wore for her first public appearance with Harry at the Invictus Games.
The dress code for the wedding stated that women should wear full-length dresses and men should dress in tuxedos for the star-studded nuptials
Meghan stunned in a tulle evening dress with sheer, puff sleeves and crystal embellishments from Valentino for the occasion. The £8,900 Valentino dress was sheer black with a V-neck.
Meghan completed the look with a pair of elegant statement earrings with an chic updo.