“I love weddings, but I’m not much of a bridal person,” says fashion and beauty entrepreneur Olivia Palermo. “I am much more of a fashion girl—and I am very nontraditional in that sense. I take every opportunity to make something into a fashion moment.”
Olivia Palermo first met Johannes Huebl, a model, back in 2008 through a mutual friend at a movie screening in New York City. They began dating that November, and this year marks their 17th year together and their 10th wedding anniversary. “I proposed to Olivia on New Year’s Eve in 2013 while we were on holiday in St. Barts,” Johannes recalls. “It was just the two of us in an idyllic setting and a very special moment.”
For her civil ceremony in 2014, Olivia wore a custom look by Carolina Herrera. She attended a market appointment and fell in love with a skirt, which became the starting point for her unique wedding outfit. “I wore cashmere with feathers and shorts with an overlay skirt,” Olivia says. Her combination of a cashmere sweater, silk faille shorts, and a tulle overlay skirt went viral for its innovative design. Their spontaneous and intimate civil ceremony was attended by immediate family and close friends. “We decided to just get married and worry about the big wedding moment later,” Johannes admits.
That big celebration finally happened 10 years later. “We had always planned to do a wedding—I love weddings—but life was just so hectic that we never got around to planning one,” Olivia explains. Their recent celebration in Baden-Baden, Germany, was the reception they never had. “It was like picking up where we left off in 2014,” Olivia adds.
The couple collaborated with the events team at Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden, which they first visited in 2012. Olivia, a self-described “super-visual person,” used her iPhone photo reel, Zoom calls, and WhatsApp messages to plan the event meticulously.
On Friday night, guests arrived at the hotel for a cocktail reception along the Oos River path. Olivia wore a short pink Simkhai dress for getting-ready photos and then changed into Look 31 from the Giambattista Valli Haute Couture show, the first of three Giambattista Valli dresses she wore over the weekend. As a longtime friend and supporter of Valli, Olivia found his “love collections” perfectly suited for the occasion.
The dinner at the Beaux Arts hotel was the first official moment to greet their guests. Friends and family mingled outside before being led into the hotel via a hot pink carpet lined with greenery arches, floral spheres, and draping. The Wintergarten restaurant featured a long table covered with moss, votives, florals, and cherry-blossom arrangements, creating a dramatic atmosphere. “Johannes and I are fond of cherry-blossom trees and loved the height the centerpieces gave the room,” Olivia explains. The menu, led by chef Stefan Naatz, featured locally sourced ingredients and lighter dishes.
After dinner, guests moved to Fritz & Felix restaurant, transformed to resemble a private members’ club with deeper-hued floral arrangements and paradise palms. Olivia changed into a Bronx and Banco sequined halter-neck dress, matching the late-night party vibe. Guests danced until sunrise, enjoying Bollinger champagne and DJ Dani Dévényi’s music.
The next day, guests attended a luncheon at Iffezheim Racecourse. Olivia wore a candy apple green strapless silk taffeta dress with a duchesse belt. “I grew up riding, so this was a special touch for our guests,” Olivia explains. Guests enjoyed the horse races and a menu by executive chef Sebastian Haverkemper.
That evening, dinner was held at the Ebanat restaurant on the Kopp Winery grounds. Chef Stefan Schmidt prepared a farm-to-table meal with wine pairings. Olivia wore a sequin-embroidered Giambattista Valli lace bralette and skirt with a tulle-and-silk-chiffon-draped cape. “We reused our florals to be sustainable and soften the contemporary venue,” Olivia says.
Reflecting on the weekend, Olivia notes it was the gathering of loved ones that felt most special. “It was a beautiful series of events at different locations, bringing all our friends and family together in the south of Germany for a weekend about love and friendship.”
