Siobhan and Stuart will forever feel the same, bound by the emotional experience of their early Spring ceremony, which was held in the perfectly manicured gardens of the charming Villa Bossi. It is the seat of the Comune in Orta and therefore famous for holding legally binding Civil Weddings in the area.

Lake Orta appears to be a particular favourite of couples who appreciate unique northern Italian lakeside charm and who are obviously seduced by its mystical powers and religious history. The area is famed for its spiritual tranquility and previously named after its fourth century Patron, Saint Julius.

The intimate wedding party was comprised mainly of guests hailing from Scotland, enjoying a well earned break from recently insistent Scottish rain. A tiny tot sported a most becoming tartan kilt and spencer, very nearly stealing the show!

There is no more romantic arrival of a bride than by boat and Siobhan arrived as not only a stunning ‘sposa’ but a true Lady of the Lake, escourted down an open air aisle adorned with colourful rose petals, towards the 16th century facade of Villa Bossi, boasting an attractive loggia with a beautifully frescoed ceiling.

Siobhan was incredibly moved and in tears, even before the ceremony began but thankfully the ceremony contained humour as well as profundity, capturing the true spirit of what a wedding day should be… a joyously memorable and moving experience.

The ceremony was perfectly punctuated by the soft strains of a harp, which seemed the perfect choice given the delicate emotion of the ceremony. The fine notes resonated out beyond the confines of the wedding party towards the lake itself, enchanting all nearby.

If this wasn’t enough, temperatures soared to around 22 degrees celsius and the whole scene was illuminated by a gorgeous azure sky and brilliant sunshine. The Bride and Groom really couldn’t have been luckier considering that it was early April and the fortunate photographers expertly took advantage of the glorious light to immortalise the occasion.

The happy couple were delighted that they were able to have the flexibility of a Civil Ceremony held in combination with a romantic Blessing Ceremony, while still maintaining a religious theme. Rather than being constrained by bureaucracy or religious protocol they were able to achieve a wedding day that truly reflected their their own personal wishes.

Siobhan and Stuart were a pleasure to collaborate with and we would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to them for allowing us to have played a part in fashioning their ceremony and wish them lots of love and happiness for their future lives together.

Diane Wheeler is an English Literature graduate and ex-teacher who has lived in Italy for many years. She has considerable experience of scripting and performing blessing ceremonies and will individualise your blessing by composing a script especially for and in close dialogue with you. Diane takes great care to ensure that every couple feel supported and guided through the process. It is more a passion than a job for her as you will soon see! Diane also complements the ceremony with expert recitation of some of the most beautiful poetry and moving readings of the English language.

For any information about blessing ceremony in Lake Orta please contact our Italian Celebrants – Blessing from Italy.

All images: © Independent Pictures, Torino. All rights reserved.

All Images © Carlo Guido Conti, Reportage per gli Sposi – Milan.

Diane Wheeler is an English Literature graduate and ex-teacher who has lived in Italy for many years. She has considerable experience of scripting and performing blessing ceremonies and will individualise your blessing by composing a script especially for and in close dialogue with you. Diane takes great care to ensure that every couple feel supported and guided through the process. It is more a passion than a job for her as you will soon see! Diane also complements the ceremony with expert recitation of some of the most beautiful poetry and moving readings of the English language.

For more information about blessing ceremonies at Villa Rusconi Clerici, Lake Maggiore please contact us.

The beautiful villa garden adjoins a jetty by the picturesque Lake Orta. This was a lush and sophisticated setting for a beautiful blessing ceremony performed by main Celebrant Giuseppe and assisted by Co-Celebrant Diane.

The groom awaited the arrival of the blushing bride while managing to hide his nervousness admirably, aided by a little Irish humour on the part of some of the male contingent. The lake provided the perfect background for professional photos against the descending sun. The musicians performed Corale dalla cantata n.147 (Bach) for an entrance with strings, initiated by the ‘women in red’ (several stunning bridesmaids) plus a couple of small adorable Irish boys who were the all important ring bearers.

Bevin was led by her father down the aisle of red carpet adorned with petals and looked stunning. She was overcome with emotion during the vows. The couple had requested a relatively brief ceremony but were pleasantly surprised when the proceedings were concluded with an unexpected performance by the Celebrants of an antique Italian love Sonnet…. a romantic ending to a perfect memory… 

The intimate wedding party enjoyed a celebration at the villa together in the evening during which there were surely many shouts of Slàinte (Irish for Cheers!).

 All Images © Estella & Diego, Photo27.com – Milan

Diane Wheeler is an English Literature graduate and ex-teacher who has lived in Italy for many years. She has considerable experience of scripting and performing blessing ceremonies and will individualise your blessing by composing a script especially for and in close dialogue with you. Diane takes great care to ensure that every couple feel supported and guided through the process. It is more a passion than a job for her as you will soon see! Diane also complements the ceremony with expert recitation of some of the most beautiful poetry and moving readings of the English language.

For more information about blessing ceremonies on Lake Orta please contact us.

So it was with great excitement and anticipation that I met Janet and Ian, who were staying at the Villa before and after their ceremony. To be there in the evening was an experience reminiscent of a Hollywood film from the 1950′s. A jazz pianist and singer serenaded snappily dressed clientele sipping cocktails in the beautiful grounds while gazing dreamily out towards a lake illuminated by fireworks. A newly married couple waltzed romantically around a large interior ballroom beneath the gaze of a thousand crystal eyes of an antique chandelier… It was the stuff that dreams are made of and the ceremony was still to come!

The day of the blessing boasted perfect weather conditions with glorious sunshine and heat relieved by a fresh breeze. The blessing took place in the latter part of the afternoon, always a good time for photographs. The floral arrangement was simply stunning with lemons and sunflowers as the dominant theme. The most amazing mosaics I had ever seen decorated the entrance to expertly manicured gardens, much loved by Sir Winston Churchill during his many holidays spent at the villa during his career as English PM. He spent many hours on the veranda engaged in his passion for painting. He would have loved the scene that day.

As the guests arrived to take their seats I wondered about the many historic public figures and famous celebrities that had also been spellbound by this enchanting and majestic villa. It was a very surreal moment… ‘The Flower Duet’ from Lakme initiated the proceedings, which was a fitting accompaniment to such a creative floral arrangement. Janet began to make her way towards me accompanied by her father. Her hairstyle was captivating and creative, reflecting the bride’s personality and was the subject of much discussion amongst the guests. The groom was without doubt one of the most relaxed I have ever seen! However he was clearly moved and I found myself also overcome with emotion during the mutual swearing of their vows. The bride had told me that they had chosen the villa because they had fallen in love with one another here during an early trip taken together, thus proving that Villa D’Este casts a powerful spell…

Both Janet and Ian had confessed previously to being emotional types and so a little humour was welcomed during the introduction, enabling the couple to relax.  The first reading was the popular ‘Blessing For A Marriage’ and the second ‘Marriage Advice’, performed by one of the guests.

The wedding party were wonderfully warm and appreciative of the ceremony. The happy couple’s generosity knew no bounds and I was invited to attend the wedding dinner and festivities later in the evening. This was a lovely surprise and an experience I will forever cherish. I was so proud to have been a part of such a special day especially since Janet and Ian are one of the sweetest couples I have ever composed a blessing script for. I was even treated to a round of applause at the wedding table! Their humour, warmth and enthusiasm made the job not only straightforward but a pleasure too.

I couldn’t recommend Villa D’Este enough as a wedding or blessing location. This was certainly the blessing highlight of 2008 for me personally and I remained so enchanted that I found myself returning only a few weeks later…just to make sure it had all been real!

Diane Wheeler is an English Literature graduate and ex-teacher who has lived in Italy for many years. She has considerable experience of scripting and performing blessing ceremonies and will individualise your blessing by composing a script especially for and in close dialogue with you. Diane takes great care to ensure that every couple feel supported and guided through the process. It is more a passion than a job for her as you will soon see! Diane also complements the ceremony with expert recitation of some of the most beautiful poetry and moving readings of the English language.

For more information about blessing ceremonies on Lake Como please contact us.