Socialite and Former "Rich Kid of Instagram" Karen Shiboleth Marries in 'Dream' Wedding in Italy (Exclusive)

The writer and socialite wed British film exec Rory Japp in Florence, Italy on July 3, in a ceremony attended by Tiffany Trump, Peter Brant II, and Gaia Matisse

On July 3, writer and NYC socialite Karen Shiboleth, 30, celebrated her wedding to British film executive Rory Japp, 33, in front of 125 friends and family at a private hillside villa overlooking the city of Florence.

The villa, which sits in the hills of Fiesole, offers expansive views of the city’s historical masterpieces, including the Duomo, and was the film set for the 1985 film Room With a View, which starred Helena Bonham Carter and Julian Sands. 

“Rory and I wanted something different— we didn’t just want to throw a big party," Shiboleth tells PEOPLE. "We wanted to do something more intimate, with more soul and less chaos than a traditional wedding. We wanted everyone to let loose and celebrate with us in the least stressful way possible.”

Guests at the elaborate affair — which was supposed to happen in 2021 before the pandemic derailed their plans — included Shiboleth’s close pals from the U.S., including Tiffany Trump, PeterBrant Jr., Gaia Matisse (Henry Matisse’s granddaughter) and Anna Abramovich. British reality star Victoria Baker-Harber also served as the maid of honor alongside her sister, London-based DJ Ellie Baker-Harber.

The guestlist also included Phoebe Saatchi-Yates (daughter of gallerist Charles Saatchi), Jennie Churchill (granddaughter of Winston Churchill), Daniele Cavalli (son of fashion mogul, Roberto Cavalli), Alexandre Assouline, and Grammy-award winning artist, Guy Lawrence, better known as, Disclosure.

“Everything was perfect,” says Shiboleth, who hired wedding planner Angela Mugnai to coordinate the two-night affair.

Mugnai described the theme as a “Botticelli, burlesque, House of Gucci-inspired event that took guests through a sensory journey as the night progressed. Every detail about this wedding was unique and intentional, all the way down to the hand towels in the bathrooms. We wanted the wedding to reflect who they are."

The bride, whose father is prominent international lawyer Amnon Shiboleth, and whose mother, Lynn Krominga, is the former head general counsel at Revlon in New York City, wore a custom dress by Tel Aviv-based label Kim Kassas Couture. Her makeup was by Nariman — also Anna Wintour’s makeup artist in London — while her hair was styled by George Vallossian.

For her “something borrowed” Shiboleth was lent an elaborate diamond necklace and earrings set from jeweler and friend, Julian Polak, whose jewellery line Maison Spoiled has been spotted on Dua Lipa.

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“I worked with Dor (the dress designer for the brand) from start to finish on the main dress," Shiboleth says. We actually were going to go for something completely different, but when we met in person, we bonded instantly and started building the dress together in real-time in the mirror, pinning pieces of fabric onto my body. It was amazing and the dress came out perfectly.”

The ceremony itself was short and sweet. “We wanted to keep it short because Rory and I officially got married during the pandemic,” explains Shiboleth, a graduate of King's College in London who now lives in the U.K. full time with her husband.

Victoria Baker-Harber, who served as maid of honor adds, "Seeing Karen and Rory become Mr and Mrs Japp has made my year! Karen, my sister Ellie, and I, met so serendipitously and have been like family ever since. It was actually Ellie who introduced the newlyweds at a party years ago, as we knew Rory for years growing up in London. Life and love works in amazing ways and seeing Karen look so unbelievably beautiful, radiant, and above all, happy - makes me so happy. She deserves it all!"

The couple also honored one guest who couldn’t be there — Japp’s mother, Amanda.

“After Amanda passed away last year, we wanted to do something special in her honor. We know she’s smiling down at us from above, and she was so looking forward to this day,” Shiboleth says, adding that the custom wedding bands created by NYC-based jewelry designer Sarah Ysabel of Dyne was one way the couple commemorated the groom’s late mother.

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According to Ysabel, her brand only produces a number of bespoke wedding bands per year, each one crafted in 18K yellow gold. “The rings bear custom engravings, each designed uniquely for Karen and Rory. Each band is adorned with four discreet gemstones, symbolizing their respective parents, while Karen's ring takes center stage with a soft cushion-shaped white diamond to commemorate Rory's late mother whose birthday was in April.”

After the ceremony, guests dined on Tuscan dishes including risotto with artichokes, veal scallopini, a sea-bass dish, and a late-night panini delivery from the original All’Antico Vinaio panini shop. Wine from Antinori — a long-time favorite of the bride’s mother and a vineyard local to Florence, flowed at the singular long table under the stars before guests moved inside the villa’s ballroom to dance to tunes by DJs Bassam Ibellini and later, Damian Lazarus.

The best part of the night? Being reunited with her friends, who once enjoyed infamy for being dubbed the “Snap Pack,” or the “Rich Kids of Instagram,” during the earliest days of Instagram. “That was ridiculous,” Shiboleth says with a laugh, looking back. “It was just something that a stranger came up with after we posted pics of ourselves at dinners or clubs as kids, and I managed to minimize my exposure on it — until the tabloids reported on my settlement with United Airlines.”

Shiboleth, who went to Columbia for college before going to grad school at King’s college to study International Law, is now writing a memoir based on her experiences growing up in the “Gossip Girl” world of Manhattan private schools, and later going on to briefly work for art dealer Inigo Philbrick. “I’m excited to finally get to tell my story,” she says. “It’s not what anyone would expect.”

In the meantime, she’s looking forward to her honeymoon and finally being married after the whirlwind weekend and nearly two years of planning.

“Rory is the piece that was always missing in my life. We are very different but those differences complement each other, and I am a better person with him. We’ve been tested in our first two years legally married with the loss of Amanda and immigration issues that threatened our relationship, but we somehow came out the other side stronger and happier than before. I wouldn’t change any of the hardships we faced, because we have both grown a lot. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere other than where we are right now."

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