Italian Lakes Wedding Blog - Destination Weddings Italy

Isola Madre is the largest of the Borromeo islands and the most characteristic one, with its atmosphere of silence, meditation and enchantment. Flaubert, in 1845, wrote that ‘Isola Madre is the most sensual place that I have ever seen in the world’.

The Borromeo Islands are a group of three small islands and two islets in the Italian part of Lake Maggiore, located in the western arm of the lake, between Verbania and Baveno to the north and Stresa to the south. Stresa is Lake’s Maggiore’s main resort since 19th century, with many luxury hotels, villas and easy access to the Borromeo Islands.

In 1501 Lancillotto Borromeo, one of the five children of Giovanni III Borromeo and Cleofe Pio di Carpi, introduced the cultivation of citrus fruit to the island, the plants being brought from Liguria. It is known for certain that olives were cultivated here; the produce may have been employed for sacred purposes. In 1501 Lancillotto began the construction of the family residence on the island, which in the 1580s was extended in the renaissance style by Renato I Borromeo. The Palazzo Borromeo was built on the remains of the early church, cemetery and perhaps castle of San Vittore. In 1978 the 16th century palace was opened to the public. The visit is interesting for the reconstruction of the antique interior decoration and for the liveries, dolls and ceramics collection. Exceptional exposition of “Puppet Theaters” from the 18th and 19th Centuries. Continue Reading »

If for your wedding in Lake District you are looking for a unique and unforgettable venue, comparable to none, Villa Crespi is the perfect choice and it is strongly recommended by Italian Lakes Wedding team. Villa Crespi is a fairy tale venue similar to no one in all over Europe.

It is wonderful with its Moresque style that makes us think about “A thousand nights and a night” Persian homes, the richly decorated ceilings, its stuccoes, precious marbles and its minaret overlooking the lake.

Villa Crespi is located in Orta San Giulio, on lake Orta one of the most fascinating Lakes of Piemonte.

This home was built by the end of 1800 from Beniamino Crespi, a rich Italian business man charmed by Baghdad appeal. It took 12 years to build this wonderful building and for its handcrafts he decided to use the most precious materials. Green marbled came from Polcevera, red one from Levanto, he wanted Sicily jaspers, Swedish, Spanish and French marbles. As for stuccoes he wished for handmade embossed copper moulds. There were stalls for horses, a greenhouse, a dock a big wall with wonderful iron gates and a 48 meters minaret; all this was surrounded by terraced gardens toward the Lake.

After more than 100 years, after hosting princesses and queens, Villa Crespi is now an luxury hotel. Bridegrooms coming from all over the world simply love it. They choose it for an exclusive ceremony, a special wedding, a different reception, an important party or just for an unforgettable dinner.

A suggestion for all the brides that dream of a unique and really different wedding: why don’t you opt for an ethnic theme wedding?
It is one of the most wanted trends of the moment!
Villa Crespi thanks to its memorable Moresque atmosphere will be the perfect fairy tale scenario for your precious Ethnic Wedding. Continue Reading »

There are many ways to treasure Italy. And many ways to enter into one of the best characteristics of this country: the Style. Whether it be architecture or cuisine, Italian style always leaves its mark;
its uniqueness always makes an event incredible, especially an event as emotional and touching as a wedding, Italian style fills it with a special energy.

Getting married in Italy means not having limits when fulfilling ones desires for an elegant setting with beautiful scenery and receiving only the best kind of treatment. It’s much more than that. It’s the search for the harmony. It’s the desire to have an infusion of all these amazing elements.

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Our wedding was in spring which I thought should be reflected in the floral scheme. I had some very unique and specific ideas regarding what I wanted which unfortunately meant I couldn’t simply show a florist a photograph and ask her to copy it.
I spent a lot of time with Monika explaining my vision and I think the challenge of trying out something new appealed to her. She was prepared to follow my requests but wasn’t afraid to give her input. We had to have a contingency plan in case the flowers I wanted weren’t available at the time of the wedding so it was nice to be given updates as to what was in the bloom the weeks before the big day.

The result was spectacular - my first tears on my wedding day was when I saw my bouquet! Monika is a perfectionist and I could tell on the day that he too was pleased with her work.

Of course, I couldn’t have achieved such results without Clara who firstly introduced us and secondly spent endless hours translating between the two of us and coordinating with the other suppliers so they would know how their products (car, wedding cake etc.) would be presented. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, I arrived back from honeymoon to see that mine was bouquet of the month!

We were so scared our wedding would fly by that we decided to have a weekend of celebrations instead of a day. Felix worked tirelessly the entire weekend so that we now have an excellent reportage of the entire time, from the preparations right through to the celebrations. By the end he had lots of new friends (he was more of a guest than a photographer!) and we have some of the most amazing photos.

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If you would like to celebrate your civil wedding in Italy right into an old fashion atmosphere, in a Tudor style castle surrounded by a huge park with stunning view on the lake, Dal Pozzo Castle is the right choice.

Dal Pozzo Castle is in Oleggio Castello, a small village in the countryside near Arona on Lake Maggiore, but also very close to the romantic atmosphere of Lake Orta and St. Julius Island.
The enchanting panorama on Lake Maggiore and the architecture of the castle make of Dal Pozzo castle a peculiar place for fine and elegant weddings. With its wide rooms, galleries, original furniture in Tudor style and the huge park the Castle is a real pearl.

The civil bending could be officiated in the historical library of the family, in an evocative ambience. It is a wonderful room furnished with antiques of 1800, manuscripts and pictures of 6 generations owners Dal Pozzo dynasty. The real masterpiece are the wooden baroque ceilings, every single piece presents a precious floral painting one different from the each other.
The civil bending is celebrated by the mayor of Oleggio Castello and could be held every day of the year. View more images about Dal Pozzo Castle.

Once the celebration ends the receptions starts in the five beautiful rooms of the castle or on the terrace overlooking the Lake.
In the silence and confidentiality of the fine venue, your guests could appreciate every single internal and external area. You will have on your disposal 15000 squared meters of park for your welcome cocktail, the Red Room for dances and music, the terrace for a dinner under the stars, the main room for the wedding toast…. many and different are the solutions that could characterize your civil wedding at Dal Pozzo Castle. Continue Reading »

It is my pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Italian Lakes Wedding team: Giovanna Benati of Poker d’Eventi, a wedding planner agency based in Verona, Italy.
I recently spoke with Giovanna about Poker d’Eventi and how the company can help you plan a destination wedding on lake Garda.

• Giovanna, could you tell me something about yourself and how you became involved in wedding planning?
  After working for many years in the organisation of events for large companies and often in extremely formal situations, a close friend of mine called me to give her a hand with the organisation of her own wedding.
  Time was short (as is always the case with large companies and big events and conferences) and I helped in making the wedding a fantastic experience for everybody.
  I have to say that what made this experience unforgettable for me was to see my friend so relaxed and free to enjoy the day, leaving everything in my hands. She even allowed me to be as creative as I wanted and that is how the passion for this work was born.
• What is your favourite part about event planning?
  I think the most exciting moment is when I present my ideas and plans to the couple. Their faces light up at being able to imagine their wedding and they can finally begin to get excited about the day.
• Where are your top three picks to have a destination wedding in lake Garda?
  Lake Garda offers so many options for the creation of a wedding that I really wouldn’t know how to choose. I like to give couples the chance (if possible) to see some of the lake and a few of the locations that I have selected before coming up with final choices. If I were to get married again however I’d love a wedding on water, an event on a boat.
• Is it difficult for non-residents to get married in lake Garda? What are the requirements?
  No it really isn’t a problem in my experience, the people at the town hall actually seem happy to help in the completion of documents etc. Obviously each case needs to be looked at separately and documents also need to be prepared in the country of origin, but we calculate the time for all paper work in the organisation.
• After the wedding, what nearby romantic places might couples want to visit?
  After travelling so far, many couples see Venice (and a trip on a gondola) as a stone throw away, Florence is a popular stop over and of course Verona with Juliet’s balcony and the Arena Opera House is a must but I think the most romantic and enchanting place is ‘Castel San Pietro’ where the most breath taking view of Verona from above can be experienced.
• Do you have any advice for folks who’d like to get married in lake Garda?
  Plan ahead. Garda and the various locations suitable for such an event are becoming more and more popular so we need to book in advance. With enough time we really have no limits as to what can be achieved.

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A Lake Orta Wedding is the perfect choice for a sophisticated wedding in Italy. Set like an emerald jewel, it is surrounded by gently rolling wooded hills. Lake Orta, once compared by Balzac to grey pearl set among the mountains and extolled by other poets, is the finest interpretation of the term earthly paradise.
Its mystical island, Isola San Giulio, is set in the centre of the lake. 275 metres long and 140 metres wide, this small pocket of surfaced land has a perimeter of only 650 metres. It emerges about 400 metres from the shore and is mostly taken over by seminary begun in 1844 on the remains of the old castle tower. Now its home to an order of Benedictine monks whose spiritualism lends to the air of mysticism in a place which is naturally surrounded by silence.

Rich with historical monuments, villas and memorials, the island of San Giulio allow us to enjoy the spiritual atmosphere that characterizes its history. By walking along the path of silence or entering the prestigious Basilica of San Giulio, which houses valuable works of painting and sculpture such as 12th century ambo, we seem to relive the legend that it embodies. The ambo is sculpted from grey-green serpentine stone from the nearby quarries of Oira, a unique stone in that its oily brilliance changes color on contact with air and turns bronze.

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A good photographer is of major importance both during and after your event; you should choose it carefully to avoid any disappointment.
You would want someone that can relax you while shooting and can establish a good connection with your guests to make sure that they enjoy being photographed and look natural in the pictures.

Listed below are a few tips that might help you shortlist the most talented ones:

• Bored with the usual cheesy shots? Search beyond wedding photographers if you are looking for cool and stylish images. Many fashion and lifestyle photographers can normally be hired for important events as well…and what is more important than your special day? Fashion photographers are great when it comes to portraits of you getting ready and walking around in your gorgeous wedding gown…lifestyle ones are ideal for parties and their pictures are bound to reflect the magic atmosphere of your reception!
• Do not splash on decoration while saving on a photographer by trusting the ability of friends and family (unless they are professionals). The photos are the only lasting memories of your day, you will be sharing them with your children and grandchildren in the years to come and you just want them to be perfect. Top photographers do charge a lot for a reason…years and years of experience that provided them with a great eye and the ability to play with the light.
• Search the Internet to come up with an initial list of names, look at their websites and pick the ones that grab your attention. Contact them, ask them to send you their portfolio and prices but most importantly meet them in person to test the chemistry you have with them.

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