Darren’s words are fixed in my mind “One hour by plane, few minutes on the motor-way and you reach Paradise on Earth!”
How could I describe better a place like this?

Leanne and Darren come from Ireland and the choose Lake Maggiore for their destination wedding. We explored several venues but as soon as they reached Hotel Dino they simply fell in love with the venue and pleasant atmosphere you breath inside.

They really wanted a symbolic blessing in the grounds of the hotel. Their day was blessed with a wonderful sun and mild temperature and their dreams came true.
The blessing was set in the smaller and more private garden of the hotel.

Ceremony was beautifully accompanied by the music of Koinè String Quartet. They created the perfect atmosphere for this romantic event. A wonderful soundtrack that everybody will remember for a long time!

Scenographic arrival of the bride on a natural aisle to reach a wonderful arch of flowers created by La Piccola Selva that matched perfectly Leanne’s theme based on white, purple and lilac.

Have a look to the romantic setting La Piccola Selva and us created for Leanne and Darren’s wedding.
A romantic arch, petals on the aisle and a wonderful view on the lake and Pescatori Island!
And let’s not forget about Leanne and bridesmaid’s bouquets and buttonholes.

Right after the ceremony an amazing aperitif was served directly in the garden.
Hotel Dino and the amazing staff presented a delicious and scenic aperitif in the garden.
All guests enjoyed sun, prosecco drinks and lovely canape and lovely music in the garden while Leanne and Darren took some time to take great wedding pictures.

An early dinner was served in the lovely room of the restaurant.
For the centerpieces Monika and Paola by La Piccola Selva created lovely round shaped compositions in tall glass vases with the same flowers Leanne had on her bouquet. An elegant choice that matched perfectly the style of Hotel Dino.

If you would like to have a look to all the images of the table arrangements follow this link.

The wide reception room faces the lake.
A wonderful dinner overlooking the lake, who could ask for anything more?
The dinner ended with a stunning wedding cake all decorated with Ferrero Rocher, Darren’s favorites! What a surprise with sparklers and Dean Martin’s That’s Amore music in the back ground!

And after then let the real party go on… live music and open bar with a great band and a dj set with crazy dances until 2am.
A great group a great fun on Lake Maggiore… Romanticism and fun the perfect mix for a perfect couple!

Congratulations Darren and Leanne!
A special thank to INDEPENDENT PICTURES photographers for their great shots and for their professionalism!

To see more details, don’t miss Darren and Leanne wedding day’s PHOTO GALLERY on our web site.

Valentina Lombardi is the Italian Lakes Wedding coordinator for Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore area.

She follows Italian and foreign bridegrooms who wish to celebrate their wedding in Piemonte and Italian Lakes area.
Valentina is Italian; she has worked in event organization business for years before becoming a wedding planner.

For any information about wedding on Lake Maggiore please CONTACT US.

With this first post we would love to show you some images taken from weddings planned on Lake Como where both Koinè Quartet and Amy Turner were present.

The first wedding we tell you about is Sarah-Louise and Karl’s in Villa del Balbianello in Lenno.

Everytime Amy works in Villa del Balbianello she is always amazed by this wonderful venue:

I am so, so lucky to visit the beautiful places that wedding photography takes me to and to be witness to some of the most magical, romantic moments in some of the most magical, romantic settings on earth. It’s almost impossible to choose my favourite venue given that a Castle in Tuscany differs so much from a Villa on the Amalfi Coast, a top Hotel in Rome and the stunning gardens alongside the Italian Lakes. However, if I was forced to choose my favourite wedding venue then this would be it: Villa del Balbianello, Lenno, Lake Como.

After getting ready to Grand Hotel Britannia Excelsior in Cadenabbia, Sarah-Louise and Karl reached Villa del Balbianello with a motorboat.

The blessing has been held under the famous Loggia of the villa with the classical music background of Koinè String Quartet.
As Sarah-Louise wanted the quartet played a classical repertoire starting from Pachelbel’s Canon for the bride’s arrival and ended with Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Georg Friedrich Handel.

Look at Amy’s picture at the confetti’s throwing?

Confetti – not just ordinary confetti however! Sarah-Louise’s mum had saved this from her own wedding 30-odd years ago.

She’d decided back then that if she ever had a daughter, she would throw this confetti for her on her own wedding day!

A special thank to Amy Turner’s photos for Sarah-Louise and Karl’s wedding to Villa del Balbianello.
If you would like to know more about Amy Turner’s work please visit www.imag1ne.com

If you would like to contact Koinè String Quartet for information or costs please fill the form below.

THE KOINE STRING QUARTET - Request for further information, availability or rates

*(denotes required field)

Name: *

E-Mail Address: *

E-Mail Address again: *

Please enter your E-mail Address a second time.

Your Country:

Approx Event Date:

Subject:

Message: *

CAPTCHA Code: *

This was perfectly highlighted by glorious sunshine which thankfully arrived after a few days of bad weather. Their wedding was characterised by a limpid blue lake, a light breeze that chased away the clouds and bright green of the landscape all around. An exceptional contrast of colour made the various yellow hues used in the arrangement designed by Monika and myself, stand out even more.

The event was organized by Valentina, Italian Lakes Wedding’s experienced wedding planner, who has become a true expert in weddings taking place at Villa Rusconi Clerici.

I planned this event in collaboration with my lovely and valued colleague, Stefania who is based in the Southern Lakeside regions of Italy, (including Lake Bracciano) but who occasionally assists us here in the Northern Lakes.
It was such a pleasure to have assisted Melanie, who was one of the most co-operative brides of this year. As a couple our bride and groom ‘to be’ complemented one another perfectly. Melanie was an incredibly stylish American Bride and David, a very handsome British Groom. They had enjoyed their first vacation together in our country and so had their hearts set on Italy as the destination for their special day. We had to plan certain details at relatively short notice but Melanie was precise and punctual, which made working with her a sheer delight!
Valentina – wedding planner

I was inspired by Melanie’s creative ideas and pleased to offer suggestions based on my vast experience of organizing weddings in the area. It was fulfilling to collaborate with the Bride and help make her dream of a stunning and sophisticated wedding at Lake Maggiore come true.
Melanie and David expressed a desire for a romantic blessing ceremony, (tastefully and thoughtfully conducted by Celebrants, Giuseppe and Diane) and their vision of an elegant and chic countryside event was realised at Villa Rusconi Clerici, one of the most romantic locations in the area.

Paola from La Piccola Selva helped us to achieve the required atmosphere by designing beautiful arrangements of country style flowers with a touch of elegance, a consistent trademark of La Piccola Selva.

We selected only the most professional catering service, whose culinary skills contributed to the overall success of the event held exclusively at the Villa. The Bride and Groom were treated to a sumptuous aperitif with their wedding guests in the grounds, followed by an enchanting dinner by the majestic lake. This was an intimate wedding and certainly one of the most romantic of the season!
Valentina – wedding planner

When Valentina introduced me to Melanie, I soon realised that our bride had precise ideas concerning the theme of her wedding. She wanted a flower arrangement with a typical mediterranean flavour, cheerful and sunny, based on yellow tones. The choice was soon made to include the complementary characteristics of lemons and sunflowers.

Lemons and sunflowers, together with elegant ‘Bottom Green’, became the main elements of all the floral arrangements, including those for the ceremony aswell as the chairs and table centre pieces used for the reception.

Sunflowers in particular played an important part in the design of the event. The sunflower is a rustic, vigorous and sunny flower, perfect for an outdoor wedding event such as Melanie and David’s.
Thanks to their impressive size, the sunflower stands out even from afar and is perfect for an effective floral composition. The sunflower is a true protagonist and for this reason we decided not to add other kinds of flowers. In Melanie and David’s case, the combination of lemon fruit was not only natural but further enhanced the beauty of these striking mediterranean flowers.

Instead, for the informal aperitif in the beautiful gardens of Villa Rusconi, we created lovely centrepieces with glass cube vases, in which we arranged lemons in an asymetric manner.

The only exception was the Bride’s bouquet, for which we used mini ‘calle bianche’ as Melanie wished. The bouquet was refined and elegant, perfectly suited to the bride’s slender silhouette and glamorous wedding dress.

Last but by no means least, I would like to give special mention to our Celebrants Diane and Giuseppe, who skillfully conducted the ceremony, held in the spectacular grounds of Villa Rusconi, overlooking the shores of the lake.
It gives me great pleasure to conclude this article with some beautiful words written by Diane Wheeler regarding our bride and groom.

We travelled to Lake Maggoire the day before the ceremony to meet Melanie and David at an informal pre-wedding gathering at a restaurant in Stresa. We received a warm and enthusiastic welcome and were immediately introduced to their wedding party, including Melanie and David’s gigantic but cute dog, Dexter!

Melanie was most definitely a bride who knew what she wanted and took a keen interest in all aspects of her wedding. She was very involved in the construction of her ceremony, which also involved a ‘sand ceremony’, which took place directly after the bride and groom exchanged their mutual vows.

Incidentally there was a moment during their vows when we all thought the heavens were going to open but only a few drops fell to bless the bride… and the umbrella that had hastily been offered by a gallant best man was soon gratefully put to one side!
Diane – celebrant

While Giuseppe performed original words (scripted by us) describing the beautiful symbolism of the event, Melanie and David each poured bottles of different coloured sand in turn, which combined within one vessel to form a striking momento which they would be able to display at home.

The bride and groom also adapted vows to make them more personal, which not many couples do. We think this kind of involvement demonstrates imagination and great personal interest in the content of their ceremony. Melanie in particular was very creative and gave us some great personal information to work with.

The story of how they met was highly entertaining and we were provided with ample material from which to compose a touching script. One thing became quite clear…there was definitely a third party in the relationship and Dexter was not only present during the ceremony (albeit in the background) but also featured in sentiments expressed by David… who wanted Melanie to know ‘that on seeing her beautiful face every morning on the pillow next to his, that he is reminded that he is the happiest man in the world’…when Dexter doesn’t obsure the view!
Diane – celebrant

For further information on a wedding to Villa Rusconi – Lake Maggiore please CONTACT Italian Lakes Wedding Team.

All Images © Italian Lakes Wedding © All rights reserved.

Together with Monika, Paola is La Piccola Selva floral designer. She is part of La Piccola Selva team who are specialized in floral arrangements and lovely bridal bouquets on Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore.

After her graduation in English language her passion for nature and flowers brought her to a long and successful career in floral design.
Thanks to her long experience and creativity Paola will be able and happy to suggest you best flowers, color, details, shapes and styles that could match your tastes and ideas.
She will be able to add a final touch that could turn your wedding in an even more special day!

Balbianello Villa – Official Rental Fees 2012

Many of you write us to ask further information on Villa del Balbianello rental.
For this reason we would love to give you more information on our blog that we hope could be useful.
As mentioned Villa del Balbianello is a very exclusive and unique venue, for this reason rental fee is related to the luxury and exclusivity of the location itself.
Click here to find official rental fee that Villa del Balbianello property gave us for 2012

After the great and special rehearsal dinner to a beautiful Lake Como beach club, the Big Day has finally arrived for Antonin & Louise.
Many details made this wedding really different!

Both bride and groom stayed to Villa D’Este where they spent few relaxing days enjoying the lake and warm summer weather.
On the wedding day Antonin joined his friends who stayed for almost a week in a fantastic Villa with pool and private pier located in Laglio.

Ceremony was arranged to Villa del Balbianello followed by an wonderful reception in a private Villa in Cernobbio, on the lakeshore: a real masterpiece of the Lake Como architecture.
From this Villa, Antonin and his best men got on a charming Riva motorboat to go to Villa del Balbianello: they were really handsome.

In the meanwhile, the bride, together with her dad and the bridesmaids left Villa D’Este on a second charming Riva motorboat and reached Antonin who already reached Villa del Balbianello waiting for her together with family and friends, all very excited.
Louise was so beautiful in her wedding gown!

The ceremony was celebrated in the Loggia of Villa del Balbianello and conducted by a close friend of the couple.

All decorations were precious and elegant, with a big arch of flowers as main detail.

For the reception we worked a lot at Cernobbio Villa to create a perfect atmosphere. It had to be perfect!
After a long preparation the result was magnificent.

The cocktail was served in a lateral terrace which was adorned with tables, buffets and flowers, while the dinner was arranged on the main terrace, with a long table for the couple and their close family and friends, surrounded by many other round tables.

Centerpieces were something to be remember. High chandeliers totally covered with greenery and enriched with cascades of precious orchids and ivory candles.

Antonin and Louise wanted a real party where music, dance and scenery had a leading role.
For this reason, the band chosen for their event was great! It was made up with 11 musicians who involved the guests in dances and entertainment since the beginning of the aperitif.
Wonderful Italian Food, dance and lot of fun!

But our couple still wanted to surprise their guests with stunning fireworks on the Lake, accompanied by touching and romantic music.

And we do not have to forget the cut of the cake! It was totally unusual.
For this special moment they decided to get on a stage and cut the cake at the rhythm of a Samba.

After this special moment the party continued until late at night: a night that nobody will never forget.

All images © Morlotti Studio – Lake Como. All rights reserved.

Alessandra Fabi is the Italian Lakes Wedding’s coordinator for Lake Garda and lake Como area. If your idea of wedding is refined, sophisticated and with a special attention to details, she’s your perfect wedding planner!
She makes each client feel unique and she treats each wedding as if it were her own.

For any information about wedding to Villa del Balbianello and Cernobbio – please CONTACT US.

The entire event took place to Villa Rusconi Clerici in Pallanza on Lake Maggiore. Lisa and Darren had their blessing in the garden of the villa by the shores. Ceremony was conducted by Diane Wheeler.
Then they had a lovely aperitif in the garden, followed by a second aperitif on a big boat for everybody with 1 hour tour of the lake and an elegant dinner in the pavilion of the villa.
Dances and a bath on the lake to follow!

Fuchsia pink together with white of hydangeas were the theme colors Lisa chose for her flowers.
We will come back soon speaking about these and other details of this lovely wedding on Lake Maggiore in the following week. Just enjoy these first pictures!

Balbianello Villa – Official Rental Fees 2011

Many of you write us to ask further information on Villa del Balbianello rental.
For this reason we would love to give you more information on our blog that we hope could be useful.
As mentioned Villa del Balbianello is a very exclusive and unique venue, for this reason rental fee is related to the luxury and exclusivity of the location itself.
Click here to find official rental fee that Villa del Balbianello property gave us for 2011

Nadia and Michel: the Big Day has arrived!
First of all let us introduce you our bride and groom: Nadia and Michel both come from Germany. The groom has Italian heritage. His relatives came from Puglia Region in Southern Italy which is famous for its splendid sea.
Nadia and Michel always loved Lake Como. They visited it many times and they chose it as their wedding destination.
In order make their love dream come true they chosed a special romantic and exclusive venue. Choosing Villa del Balbianello has been more than natural, considering also how famous it is!

At their arrival Nadia and Micheal had a beautiful sunny day and they enjoyed a relaxing boat trip on Lake Como.
The day of their wedding started with a cloudy and rainy sky. Luckily, clouds left the space to the sun, creating a landscape even more evocative and unreal.
Micheal and guests’ arrival by motorboat to Villa del Balbianello, stood out in all its splendor, with the 2 gracious bell towers of the ancient Saint John Convent which stretched skywards in a myriad of clouds and shades.

Isn’t it stunning? Just look to images of the Villa seen from the Lake! The authors are again Estella & Diego of Photo27 who followed the 3 days event: boat trip on the Lake the first day, wedding to Villa del Balbianello and last but not least a beach party in Lenno on the third day, right after the wedding.

And here arrives Nadia, on board of a luxurious white motorboat. The clouds went away in the meanwhile, leaving the space to a clear sunny day…
It almost seemed that the planners arranged the sun coming too!

During the weddings, access to Villa del Balbianello, is exclusively allowed from the Lake. You are welcome by the motto “Fay ce que voudras” (do what you want) which the Cardinal Durini wanted to be engraved on the small pier.
When at the end of the of the eighteenth Century he took care of the renewal of the Villa to transforming it in the ‘place of the delights’.
From the little pier, a steep stair leads to the gardens and then to the Villa, which is located a little higher.

What a fantastic scenery! Not by chance this Villa was chosen in the past as cinematographic set for famous movies such as 007 Casino Royale and Star Wars II – Attack of the Clones.

Have a look at the video taken from Star Wars, with the romantic scene of the first kiss between Padme and Anakin filmed Villa del Balbianello Terrace.

Going back to Nadia and Michel wedding…we need remark how much bride and groom wanted to give an original touch, choosing as event dress code total white.
Majority of guests wore white both women and men.

Nadia was given away by his brother Matthew, waiting for her at the beautiful Loggia of the Villa, to lead her the Map Room, where a religious blessing took place.

Villa del Balbianello gardens have a sober and refined elegance. Indoor spaces are richly furnished with French and English furniture, oriental rugs, tapestries and big chandeliers. The Map Room has a complete collection of maps together with more than 4000 books telling experiences of travels made all around the world.
After the ceremony all guests went to the cocktail arranged on the big Loggia.
They all enjoyed a spectacular view on the Lake Como, just think about sipping a drink in such a special location!

Dinner was served in the elegant Pavillion of the villa on the Lake.

At night, atmosphere at Villa del Balbianello became even more romantic and evocative!

Reception party ended with a grand fireworks show, with a unique final: an enormous sparkling heart. What a show!

A wedding such as Nadia and Michel’s one needs a long preparation and a detailed care on any details.

Newlyweds lived their planning in total relax thanks to their wedding planners’ team who assisted and supported them in each decision. The result was a magic and perfect event, a real stress-free wedding at Villa del Balbianello!

For any information about wedding to Villa del Balbianello, contact us or leave a post in the proper field below.
In alternative you can write at the following address: info@villabalbianello.com.

On Lake Maggiore Melanie and David came from United Kingdom and US to get married to Villa Rusconi in Pallanza.
Lovely ceremony was performed by our celebrants Giuseppe and Diane.

They wanted a very Italian style decoration made up with sunflowers, lemons and greenery.
A very country side setting for a beautiful wedding on the shores!

Tony and Vanda got married on Lake Orta today.
A lovely ceremony to Villa Bossi for their intimate wedding on the shores.

Look at Vanda’s bouquet so simple but so pretty!
Congratulations to these lovely couples!

The ceremony was originally organized outdoor, but because of bad weather, it was moved inside the beautiful Column Room.
While Sandra was getting ready, all of us were waiting in the room welcoming the guests and John, the groom.

He reached the altar accompanied by the music of great song La vita è bella.
The florist made an incredible job, we were all astonished…

Finally Sandra appeared, she was beautiful and radiant as John’s son who had the honor to lead her to his father.

Thanks to the great job of our lovely celebrants celebrants Diane and Giuseppe, the whole ceremony was touching and real, and the newlyweds were very happy and surprised!

After the ceremony Sandra, John and their guests had a long walk inside the Hotel to take unforgettable pictures, before coming back to the room for a delicious reception dinner.

All was simply perfect! People, mood, food, flowers, candles, everything!
After the dinner they danced, had some coktails and had lot of fun…

Villa D’Este is always a very special and elegant wedding venue, also with a rainy day!

All Images © Desdemona Varon photographer. For more information please contact us.

Alessandra Fabi is the Italian Lakes Wedding’s coordinator for Lake Garda and lake Como area. If your idea of wedding is refined, sophisticated and with a special attention to details, she’s your perfect wedding planner!
She makes each client feel unique and she treats each wedding as if it were her own.

For more information about weddings at Villa D’Este – Lake Como – please contact us.

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.

I would like to start by thanking the photographer Carlo Conti, who has kindly provided these fabulous images of the day. After many years of experience as a fashion, still life and architecture photographer, Carlo Conti has founded RPS Studio – Reportage Per gli Sposi – choosing to continue his career as a specialist wedding photographer. His style is characterised by a great ability to capture the most natural and spontaneous moments of any event in order to compose a fresh, modern and lively album…the pictures of Nicky and Chris’ big day are a very good example of his creativity.

Nicky & Chris are both born and bread in London. Nicky is pursuing a successful career in human resource, while Chris owns a recruitment agency focusing on the sports sector.
Being two very busy young professionals, they did not have a lot of free time to dedicate to the organisation of their wedding and decided to rely on the expertise and professionalism of Chic Weddings, a leading wedding design agency that works with the team of Italian Lakes Wedding.

Nicky and Chris were dreaming of a wedding by the water, informal and elegant at the same time. An event that matched their personality, not too flashy but very fun. After evaluating various options, they opted for Villa Rusconi Clerici for its wonderful position right on the shores of Lake Maggiore.

The colour theme chosen by Nicky & Chris focused on ivory and lilac, with a hint of purple. This successful combination is very much on trend recently and is often requested by my clients.

The ceremony at Villa Rusconi Clerici started with the arrival of the bride, Nicky, by speedboat. She was accompanied by her father and her lovely bridesmaids. The location benefits from a private jetty which offers the possibility of organising an extremely scenic entry as well as lake tours for the guests during the cocktail reception.

Nicky chose a sleek and modern bouquet, in perfect harmony with her dress: to design it I mixed mini white Calla Lilies, purple Lysianthus and Rose Tibet, enhancing the long shape of the bouquet with a few leaves of Beucarnea.
Purple was the predominant colour of the whole party and was found in the centrepieces, in the bridal bouquet, in dress of the bridesmaids and even in the cufflinks and tie of the groom and his father.

As wished by the bride and the groom, the buttonholes had also a hint of purple, obtained with the use of a beautiful type of Lysianthus called “Cinderella Blue”: it is a strong purple, almost blue variety of the bloom which is rather flexible and can be easily used in any floral composition.

The blessing was celebrated in the garden of Villa Rusconi Clerici, right by the water and with a stunning view of the lake. Diane and Giuseppe, two Anglo-Italian celebrants, hosted the ceremony for Nicky & Chris. I had the pleasure to meet them before at the weddings of Janet & Ian at Villa D’Este on Lake Como and of Bevin & Steve at Villa Gippini on Lake Orta.

For the decoration of the chairs of the bride and the groom, I opted for a small variation on the common theme, using long bloom of white Corylus Contorta together with Calla Lilies, Roses and Lysianthus. This mix provided a very contemporary and glamorous effect.

Following the ceremony, all the guests moved to the main lawn in front of the Villa for the cocktail reception.

At that stage, the light of the evening was changing and the water of the lake was becoming orange and pink, creating a stunning and romantic atmosphere.

As usual, the dinner was served in the garden Pavilion of Villa Rusconi Clerici where the guests were able to enjoy a view of the lake: the tables were decorated with a simple floral composition designed with glass cubical vases full of transparent gems and a mix of cream roses and purple Lysianthus.

The party then continued in the ballroom of the Villa where the bride and the groom entertained their guests with a sensual tango.

In this post, I have shown you only some of the magical images of the wedding of Nicky and Chris at Villa Rusconi Clerici: look at the full album created by their photographer Carlo Conti from RPS Studio in Milan if you wish to see more. You will be impressed!

Thank you again to Clara & Eva, founders of Chic Weddings, a wedding design agency based in both London and Amsterdam for all their care in organising such a beautiful event….and very best wishes to Nicky and Chris from the team of Italian Lakes Wedding!

Monika Andenmatten is La Piccola Selva’s floral designer.
Based in lake Orta, has worked with brides for over 20 years to create floral arrangements for weddings in the Italian Lakes district.

For more information about weddings at Villa Rusconi Clerici please contact us.