Lake Orta has always been one of the best destination for bridegrooms coming from all over the world. But not only!

Often is the trait d’union between different culture, very far from each other.
This is the case of Cristina and Derek. She comes from Genova and he is from Scotland.
A long love story and then the decision to getting married. Considering the wonderful places they both come from it is not easy making a decision. Portofino, Five Lands, Porto Venere or even some legendary castle in green Scottish country side.
What a difficult choice! And here it comes Lake Orta. They immediately fell in love with it. The perfect destination for their wedding.

Considering the distance it was not easy organizing all the event: ceremony, reception, flowers, music, invitation, guests coordination coming from Scotland and Ligura.
They decided to hire a wedding planner specialized in Lake Orta area. Their natural choice went on Valentina Lombardi from SposiamoVi – Torino. Valentina is a wedding planner with long experience on Lake Orta and she works with skillful professionals on the territory.

The photographer is Raffaello Mazzoleni who is the author of beautiful photojournalistic pictures that you can see in the SCOTTISH WEDDING PHOTO GALLERY for Cristina and Derek.

Floral arrangements are from La Piccola Selva thanks to the fantasy and creativity of floral designer Monika Andenmatten. La Piccola Selva has been leader for more than 20 years in floral arrangements and bridal bouquet creation for churches and best venues on Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore.
Cristina and Derek for their reception venue decided for Hotel San Rocco in Orta San Giulio.

After almost an year of planning here is the wedding day. It is a hot day of the end of August. Everything is planned in every single detail. Theme for wedding is a good combination between Italian culture and Scottish one.
Scotland is everywhere, beginning with pipe sound that is the perfect background of the party, and then color of flowers and most of all Derek and his brother’s family kilt.
This is the traditional Scottish suit for ceremonies; it is a heavy wool skirt in tartan fabric with a unique design of fabric coming from Scotland Highlands with the sporran a little leather bag used for carrying money and whiskey!

Civil ceremony is held at Villa Bossi, town hall of Orta San Giulio.
Bride arrival with rowing boat is very charming with solemn pipe sound in background.
Pipe and its player is the main actor of the delightful little walk that newly weds and their guests had up to Orta Main Square. It will follow Cristina and Derek also during their trip on motorboat on the lake.
Cristina and Derek will also dance on pipe sound for their first touching dance a Gay Gordon.

Just as in any traditional wedding theme planning, you need to look at each aspect of your bridal plans and decide how and what cultural traditions could be included. From colors to bridal attire to accent decorations, there’s much to choose from.

Hotel San Rocco served a gourmand lunch with perfect service.
Every table is enriched with a whiskey bottle, one for each region of Scotland, from Northen Highlands up to Islay Island.

The day after for bride and groom and their guests was still party time!
Every one was invited on a boat trip to watch the fireworks in Omegna at the World Championship of Fireworks.
The finest part of the shoe is the famous “fire falls”, a real lightful fall that cross the lake from side to side of Omegna bay.
A real sparkling closing just like Cristina and Derek’s wedding!

The Sacro Monte della SS. Trinità di Ghiffa is located on Piemonte’s shore of Lake Maggiore very close to Verbania Pallanza. It is reachable from the lakeshore road that coasts the Lake aside of villas and parks.

Ghiffa is a touristy and wellness village on a small promontory and characterized by an all year warm weather. Ghiffa and its Sacro Monte with quiet Lake Maggiore and charming mountains near Verbania offer a harmonic combination of nature and culture that make those places the perfect frame for your wedding on Lake Maggiore.

The Sacro Monte of Ghiffa is a baroque monumental complex that includes churches, porches, frescoes and chapels at 360 metres on sea level with stunning view on a wide part of Lake and hills.
This place is a Natural Reserve too. It is located at foot of Cargiago Mt.
The park is 200 hectares. It has many little roads with its tiny stone made walls and votive chapels.
The Sacro Monte of Ghiffa includes 3 main chapels voted to bible characters and 2 other chapels and Via Crucis porch. This place was very popular and seems it should have been a wider project representing episodes from old and new testament, but unfortunately its was never brought to end.

Wedding ceremonies are celebrated in the main church, the Sanctuary of SS Trinity.
It was built between 1605 and 1617 on an ancient medieval building. The church can host about 80 people and can be decorated with stunning flower arrangements especially on external columns, on tiny altar and on the inner balcony.
At the end of the ceremony bridegrooms can have their beautiful wedding pictures appreciating the mystic scenery of the Sacro Monte and unforgettable views over Lake Maggiore far below. Near the church there is a tiny restaurant with wide parking area for bridegrooms and their guests.

In my experience, I saw many brides and grooms spend a lot of time and efforts in choosing the right “ingredients” for their big day: a perfect dress, a nice church, lovely surroundings, a gorgeous villa, beautiful flowers…
What they much too often leave as a last minute choice is music, which is considered a less important “ingredient”.

Remember that music represents the soundtrack of you wedding day and a good soundtrack can make the difference!

That’s why I am here to help you find the right music for you big day!

A wedding without music is like a movie without a soundtrack!
Let me help you find the right soundtrack for your big wedding day!

Our secret is that: you have fun…because we have fun! We can change the musical program according to your requests; we can change musical styles just reading-through your guests’ tastes.

It will be a pleasure for me to play at your wedding or to help you stage the music that suits your tastes, because I am sure that, in the years coming, when you close your eyes and think of your big day, my music will play again in your heart!

As a wedding coordinator I travel a lot in Piemonte organizing events: Langhe, Monferrato, Olympic valleys near Sestriere, up to Stresa and Pallanza on Lake Maggiore.
Every single place has a special appeal but nowhere is like enchanting Lake Orta to me. Planning a wedding in Orta San Giulio is always a magic emotion…

This was also in for Luisa and Massimiliano’s wedding.
A Saturday in the beginning of this summer. The day begins with a shady sun that soon turns in a wonderful, sunny and warm day. Just like Luisa wished.
Luisa and I have worked together for months, just one close to the other to plan her wedding in every single detail.

Right after the photographs in stunning main square of Orta, Luisa is getting closer to the great moment.
There is an oar boat waiting for her leaving from for Orta pier to lead her to Villa Bossi.
Over there, there is Massimiliano, the handsome groom, waiting for her with all relatives and friends. As soon as she is arrived she walks through the aisle of the villa with lots of wonderful roses and charming sound of a harp in the background.

Right in front of the the town hall porch the civil ceremony takes place. Skillful photographer Ivana Porta from Torino is taking all the reportage of the service with her good experience, shooting every single detail of the event, from the ring exchange to the flower arrangements made up by Peonies and Baby’s breath.

At the end of the ceremony, right after the traditional rice and petals throwing, Luisa and Massimiliano take a beautiful white motorboat that from Villa Bossi will take them to St Julius Island on of the most outstanding places of Lake Orta take some everlasting pictures thanks to Ivana Porta.

After the romantic shooting they go straightaway to Hotel Giardinetto where all the guests are waiting for them for their aperitif and reception.
Hotel Giardinetto is one of the nice facilities on the Lakeshore of Pettenasco, just few km from Orta San Giulio. The best spot of the Hotel is the wide terrace on lake from which bride and groom will cut their wedding cake with wonderful panorama. High standard cuisine was served with wide choosing of red and white local wines.

A great atmosphere of joy, music and dances with colorful handmade favor by SposiamoVi and bouquet throwing!
This is a party that bridegroom and guest will remember for long time!

View more pictures about Luisa and Massimiliano’s wedding in Lake Orta.

We hired Estella & Diego for our wedding in Varenna, lake Como in July 2008. They really worked hard for us all day long and were very discrete. Their charm, quick thinking and patience immediately put us at ease.
We received our photos and were delighted; they captured every detail of the entire day.
The quality and creativity of their photographs were very impressive. I would highly recommend them.

Warning: put a protective shield under the lily when using them as corsages. The anthers which project from the center of the flower will easily stain fabric. It is safest to remove the anther prior to using them in this manner.
The wedding roles of the flowers are to provide the classic beauty and romance of wedding. Meanwhile, the natural fragrance lifts the height and drama of the wedding.
Flowers are not only a beautiful and traditional addition to your Italian Lakes destination wedding and reception, but they also help set your wedding theme, reflect your personality and capture the spirit of celebration on the most special and meaningful occasion of your life!

The string quartet is the ideal size of ensemble for most events ranging from a handful of guests up to a few hundred or more. The combination of two violins, viola and cello can create a wide range of textures and moods varying from the most subtle and delicate to a full, rich string sound, which carries equally well in small or large halls, outdoors, or in a marquee.
A string quartet can add the perfect touch to your wedding day, whether entertain the guests for the drinks reception or playing music for the bride walking down the aisle. A string quartet is completely mobile and requires no power supply. This makes it an ideal choice for a civil ceremony or a summer wedding, where guests may move outside for drinks and back inside for dinner. Some of the most well known pieces you might hear a string quartet play at a wedding or private party are “Canon In D” by Johann Pachelbel, “Air On the G String” by Johann Sebastian Bach, and excerpts from “The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi.
Whether you have chosen to have a Church or Civil wedding ceremony, music is surely the most important factor in creating the perfect classical and romantic atmosphere. Choosing music to suit your wedding day can be a difficult task. The Koiné String Quartet can provide music at any point during your wedding day, whether it be the ceremony itself, the hotel drinks reception in the afternoon, as background music during the wedding meal, or indeed after the meal itself as live music and entertainment.
All professional musicians, the Koiné String Quartet is a young and vibrant ensemble based in Piemonte that has been playing for weddings and corporate functions throughout lake Orta, lake Maggiore, lake Como and lake Garda. since 2003.
The Koiné String Quartet is made up of young musicians coming from The Symphonic Orchestra of the University of Torino. The professional and high-level quartet will play for bridegroom most important day creating the ideal choreography and soundtrack in a atmosphere of sweet harmony and serenity.
The Koiné String Quartet is the perfect accompaniment to a wedding celebration, and knowing that each one is unique, the Koiné Quartet offers bespoke wedding music packages to enhance your day. The Koinè String Quartet are experienced musicians for both civil and church ceremonies, and can provide the perfect musical backdrop to drinks receptions and wedding breakfasts.
Some of the venues for which the Koiné String Quartet have provided music include: Villa Crespi, Palazzo Penotti Ubertini and http://www.italianlakeswedding.com/blog/lake-orta-weddings/planning-a-cocktail-party-at-villa-gippini/ in Orta San Giulio, Villa del Balbianello, Villa D’Este and Villa Serbelloni in lake Como, Villa Muggia in http://www.italianlakeswedding.com/blog/lake-maggiore-weddings/wedding-in-stresa-the-pearl-of-lake-maggiore/, Villa Rusconi Clerici, Villa Volpi and Hotel Majestic in Pallanza, Dal Pozzo Castle in lake Maggiore, the Town Hall of Torri del Benaco and Castello di Malcesine in lake Garda and numerous other country estates, hotels and churches throughout the Italian Lakes District.
To put it simply, a string quartet really adds an amazingly sumptuous ambiance to any occasion, and it is now very popular to have a string quartet at a wedding. It helps to break the silence during something like the photo shoots, and it also helps during the wedding meal/breakfast when the background noise can be quite loud!

For our wedding in Stresa and Isola dei Pescatori - Lake Maggiore - we had special ideas of the art of photos. The photos should be taken very natural, many close-ups and moment-shoots from us but also from all our guests.
By good references we found Estella & Diego. Young, very nice and friendly and all the time professional they accompanied us the whole day – up from the early morning by dressing up until the wedding-dance at night. As they work as a Duo they take photos with two aspects. Both are working with a lot of passion, special feelings to catch the rights moments and a lot of gorgeous details. Their manner of work is very discreet, like chameleons. We and none of our guests had never the situation of being disturbed in close moments and it was fun having them around us.
The result of their work was breathtaking – and we are very, very happy and thankful to had them as our photographers. After 2 months we are looking the photos quiet often and keep these beautiful memories of our important day in our hearts – and images!

View more pictures about Barbara and Daniel wedding in Lake Maggiore.

Of the recent new hotels in the region of the Italian lakes, the Hotel Cortese in Armeno represents a uniquely successful example of the skillful blending of tradition and modernity. A perfect synthesis which, when expressed through the charm of this authentic architectural jewel at the heart of an incomparable location, provides the ideal setting in which to celebrate your wedding in refined style.

The use of local stone, precious woods and wrought-iron (typical crafts of the area) create a unique and charming atmosphere in which time seems to stop, allowing us to recover the pleasures of life at a slower pace – and thus to savour that most special of happy days.

Immersed in the tranquil scenic surroundings of Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore, only minutes away from the village of Orta San Giulio, the town of Stresa and the spectacular panorama of Mount Mottarone, the Hotel Cortese enjoys the magical atmosphere of a little historic village: the use of local stone, precious woods and wrought-iron (typical crafts of the area) create a unique and charming atmosphere in which time seems to stop, allowing us to recover the pleasures of life at a slower pace – and thus to savour that most special of happy days.

Thanks to these characteristics, the Hotel Cortese offers the perfect special location in which to hold your wedding reception; the ideal ambience for that once-in-a-lifetime occasion, where the meticulous and impeccable organization of your reception will be sure to make it an exclusive and memorable occasion. At Hotel Cortese we offer bridal couples, and others who wish to hold a special celebration here, the chance to enjoy their special day to the full, while we dedicate our passion and professional expertise to all those details which contribute to the success of the event, calling on our long experience in this sector.

Another great merit of our hotel is without doubt its cuisine; not for nothing is Armeno known as ‘the village of hotelkeepers’. For more than four centuries this area has sent thousands of talented cooks out into the best restaurants and hotels across the world, many of them making their name as leading chefs of international repute. You can be assured therefore that our chefs at the Hotel Cortese of Armeno will know how to delight your guests’ palates, preparing your wedding banquet with the utmost professionality and expertise. All our dishes are prepared at the last moment to guarantee maximum freshness and quality. You can choose to have the banquet served in the atmospheric internal courtyard of the hotel, by the pool-side, under the gazebo or in the hotel’s main hall, which has a grand piano.

For the bridal couple and their guests we have available 34 rooms with panoramic views of the hills of Lake Orta or of the chain of the Alps. The religious ceremony can be celebrated in the nearby Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Assunta, in Armeno, - one of the oldest and most beautiful churches of the area, or in the Sanctuary of the Bocciola, also close by, from where you can enjoy a spectacular panorama of the lake and the island of San Giulio.

For those who have chosen instead a civil ceremony, there is the possibility of celebrating the wedding at the romantic Villa Bossi at Orta San Giulio, only a few minutes by car from Hotel Cortese — this venue, too, immersed in some of Italy’s most beautiful scenery. After the ceremony and the photographs on the village square, on the charming slopes of the Motta and at Sacro Monte di Orta, Hotel Cortese will be waiting to welcome you for a joyful and unforgettable celebration of the occasion.

View more pictures about Wedding at Hotel Cortese, lake Orta.