Italian Lakes Wedding Planner

It’s the most voluptuous place in the world that I’ve ever seen. The surrounding nature enchants with thousands of hidden seductions which give the sensation of being immersed in the rarest sensuality and refinement.
This is how Gustave Flaubert described this part of the Piedmont coast where the Lake Maggiore opens up into the Borromean Gulf, a green bay between the centers of Stresa and Pallanza, the two most brilliant gems of the Verbano.

The Grand Hotel Majestic is located in Pallanza, which faces the Island of St. Giovanni, the thirty-year summer residence of Arturo Toscanini. It is a fascinatingly beautiful Belle Epoque hotel distinguished by its incomparable architectural dignity, grand frescoed rooms and extensive lakeside English garden. Its construction became the impetus for the city’s booming tourism in 1870.

The optimal motivating attraction for nobles and the elite to choose to construct their luxurious villas in this region was primarily the agreeable situation amongst the exceptional panoramic peacefulness of the cape complete with surrounding mountains and mild climate.

From many of the hotel’s 99 rooms and 4 suites the dreamlike view of the lake’s serenity, surrounded by the mountains and the captivating beauty of the Borromean Island’s architectural and botanic artistry, can be marveled at. On the Isola Madre and the Isola Bella, just a few minutes away from the hotel by boat, the Borromeo Dynasty buit two luxurious domiciles in the 600’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful gardens of the Lake Maggiore. Of all the gardens in the world, these gardens are surpassed in the beauty only by the magnificent botanical gardens of Villa Taranto housing 20.000 plants species, 1.000 of which had never been cultivated in Italy before. The garden is within walking distance from the Grand Hotel.

Enchanted by the aquamarine panorama of the lake, as seen from the terrace of Majestic, Eleonora Duse had her tailor fashion a dress “…in the same color as the lake”. Among an array of illustrious artists who have been accommodated in the ambience of the Grand Hotel are Grazia Deledda and the composer Claude Debussy. To name a few, the boats of the Stuarts, the Queen of Romania, the monarchs of Italy, the noble families of Germany, Indian Princes and Maharaja were docked here…In short, the personalities symbolizing “bon vivre” of the 800’s have enjoyed the splendor of the hotel.

After some decades of decline, the Grand Hotel Majestic underwent a long restoration period and was returned the dignity of its past. Its rejuvenation brings the true value of its classical style to life and gives the impression of being immersed in an atmosphere of times gone by, all the while offering its guests adequate services with attention focused on today’s comforts. Continue Reading »

It has been now some time that we told you about Grand Hotel Majestic on our Lake Maggiore Grand Hotels post. We are glad to announce that Grand Hotel Majestic decided to join Italian Lakes Wedding web site.
Grand Hotel Majestic is one of the most beautiful hotels on Lake Maggiore. A lot of important people spent their vacations in its wonderful belle epoque styled rooms, such as Italian Royal Family, writer Grazia Deledda, music writer Claude Debussy, Imperial German Family, and many Arabian prices and maharajahs.

Grand Hotel Majestic is located in Verbania Pallanza just in front of Borromeo Gulf and Isolino San Giovanni. The hotel is one of the few hotels on the shores of Lake Maggiore.
It is very close to Pallanza town center, lovely church of San Leonardo and wonderful Villa San Remigio that can be rented for amazing civil ceremonies with stunning view on the lake.

We will come back soon telling some more about Grand Hotel Majestic.
All Italian Lakes Wedding Team would like to welcome management and staff of Grand Hotel Majestic and thank you for join our group.

We are back to telling you about Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées to inform of a great news! Stresa town hall gave the permission to celebrate a civil weddings in this wonderful hotel, in one of its wonderful rooms or just outside in amazing park overlooking the lake.

Thanks to photographer Piero Gatti’s – Studio Foto Smile Baveno – images, we can show you this wonderful idea.
Piero Gatti is an experienced photographer who worked many times at Grand Hotel des Iles de Borromées and in general on Lake Maggiore. Hiring him means having by your side a skilled professional who knows every secret of these places.

Stresa Mayor recently agreed for the possibility of a “twin ceremony” . Legal ceremony to be held to town hall building of 1700 in Stresa main center before and an extra ceremony conducted by Mayor himself, directly to Grand Hotel des Iles de Borromées.

Celebrating a wedding to Grand Hotel des Iles de Borromées means breath Belle Epoque atmosphere among rich tapestries, antique forniture, mosaics, Murano chandeliers and wonderful plants and flowers.

If you would like to have your civil ceremony outside, stunning gardens of the hotel could be the right frame for an unforgettable service among statues, marble fountains and azaleas, magnolias and oleanders. Continue Reading »

Since hotel opening in 1863, Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées was one of the leading hotels in Stresa Lake Maggiore, offering a luxury atmosphere for its famous clients discovering Italian Northern Lakes.

Times changed but atmosphere you can breath there is still the same!
Stresa is one of the most famous touristy Northern Italy destination thanks to its wonderful nature and easy accessibility.
Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées is located right into a stunning secular park with precious marble statues. Its beautiful fountains at the entrance with its elaborated statue is one of the most famous places on Stresa lake sidewalk.

Hotel is just in front of the lake just fews steps from Stresa main center. The view from its rooms is simply spectacular: you can see beautiful Borromeans Islands ad Alps surrounding the lake.

Across the years the hotel has been constantly renewed, just keeping its Belle Epoque style. Common areas are decorated with wonderful plants and flowers, Murano chandeliers, colored mosaics.
At night atmosphere is even more elegant thanks to piano bar playing.

Marble restrooms, antique furniture, rich tapestries and Murano chandeliers create a rich and conformable atmosphere. Every stage of the hotel has a own gallery inspired by a certain period of italian art. Continue Reading »

If you want to arrange your wedding on Lake Maggiore, one of the possibility could be choosing one of the wonderful hotels on the coast.
Welcoming tourists coming from all over the world is a long tradition here, begun back in 1700 and 1800. During Belle Époque times many aristocrats coming from Europe used to come to Lake Maggiore to enjoy wonderful view and deep Italian savour.

The ones who read Hemingway know that one of his most famous novel – Farwell to Arms – has been set on Lake Maggiore. Many other artists and intellectuals loved this place and have been inspired by deep waters surrounded by Alps and stunning vegetation. We can remember Flaubert, Wagner, Goethe, Oscar Wilde, G.B. Shaw and many others.

Nowadays remembering this wonderful period, these lovely places on the coast are still a perfect destinations for glamour weddings. We would like to suggest you an elegant and charming event in one of these historical hotels on the lake.
Let’s go discovering them thanks to wonderful images taken by Claudio Fogli and Piero Gatti photographers. They both know very well the area and they have a long experience for weddings on best venues of the area.

Our trip discovering historical hotels on Lake Maggiore begins from Stresa. The most famous destination is Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées for sure. It faces lake shore right into a wide secular park. From its rooms you will enjoy a wonderful view on Borromean Islands and Alps. The hotel garden host a famous and wonderful marble fountain one of the most known places in Stresa.

Regina Palace Hotel is very famous too. It was opened in 1908 and recently renewed. Regina Palace is a leading liberty style hotel that was able to keep the same appeal and atmosphere of fin de siècle. A wonderful garden surrounds the hotel, the ideal set for stunning wedding pictures.

Grand Hotel Bristol is the only neoclassical building on Stresa Lake sidewalk. Hotel Bristol is very elegant and fine. It has all luxury and leading hotel features: boiserie, rich tapestries, crystal and marble chandeliers and even glass domes and wonderful carpets. Outdoor swimming pool is right into a rich park overlooking Isola Bella.

Lido Palace Hotel, opened in 1857, is located in Baveno – between Stresa and Verbania. Hotel has an amazing past, a magic view over Borromeo Islands and a tasteful cuisine. It combines modern structures comforts to traditional and romantic style that has delighted visitors for more than a century. Queen Victoria stayed here during her visit in 1879 and Winston Churchill choose it to spend his honeymoon.

Going North we would like to suggest a wonderful Hotel. It is one of the few with direct access to the lake. It is located in Pallanza just in front of little Island of San Giovanni. Grand Hotel Majestic is just few steps from Pallanza center walking distance or boat distance from town hall where you could set your lovely civil ceremony.

You will enjoy a lovely aperitif in the garden of the hotel or on one of the terraces and a gourmand dinner to follow in beautiful Toscanini Room that can host up to 150 people. This room takes its name from famous Maestro that spent some time here and also took the occasion to direct a little orchestra. A very elegant destination! Continue Reading »

If you want to celebrate your wedding on one of the most beautiful town on Lake Maggiore, Stresa is the right place for sure.
But we would like to suggest something more just close by it!
This could be a special venue for a legal civil ceremony which will be unique!

It has been some months that Stresa mayor gave his availability to conduct civil legal ceremonies on wonderful Isola dei Pescatori of Borromean Islands directly. We have already mentioned this lovely archipelagos in some of our previous articles we posted, telling you about wonderful Botanic garden to Isola Madre and extraordinary Borromean Palace to Isola Bella. Isola dei Pescatori (fishermen’s Island) is the third one of this group.

The small harbor of the island is well protected from wind, preserving a few left fishermen boats made exclusively of wood. The main street of the island is very picturesque, short, narrow and full up with shops, small cafes, restaurants and beautiful stone houses.

Must be very interesting living here, where everything looks so friendly and easygoing. Some terraces are decorated with fishing nets or equipment telling us who is living in. Houses, decorated with lots of greenery, are congested making a kind of wall, which protect the inner street from cold northern winds.
Ancient Church of San Vittore is definitely worth a visit whilst you are there.

Italian Lakes Wedding Team will be pleased to help you arranging a wonderful event on this spot of Lake Maggiore. Groom and guests could reach islands with a ferry boat leaving from Stresa or Baveno or other lovely town on lakeshore. Right after will come the bride on a decorated boat for her own. Everybody will wait for her on Island pier.

After a romantic and rich ceremony, bride and groom will enjoy a touristy trip on the lake to take their wedding pictures directly on the boat or the wonderful islands and corners of Borromean archipelagos. Guests could enjoy a bot trip too, admiring and knowing better this lovely lake. They will also have a nice aperitif directly on the boat. Continue Reading »

If you are thinking about getting married on Italian Lakes, Lake Maggiore could offer many special corners to arrange your wonderful day.
We’ve already talked about wonderful villas and soon we will also tell you about luxury hotels on lake shores and Borromean Islands.

Keeping on exploring most beautiful venues on Lake Maggiore we would like to talk you about two interesting venues to arrange a unique and special event on lake shores: a beach wedding!
On Piemonte side of Lake Maggiore there are two beach resorts that are just perfect to arrange a fantastic beach wedding: Lido di Baveno and Lido di Stresa. Both venues are casual but also elegant and fine.

But what is really special on this venues is the possibility to organize a legal catholic ceremony or a legal civil ceremony on the open air just on the beach.
Isn’t it just wonderful?

Ceremony in this case will have breathtaking feel that you and your guest will remember forever!
Without any transfer you and your guests will taste your aperitif on the beach and a lovely dinner menu – with fish and typical courses on the region – will be served in the rooms inside or under the wonderful marquee on the beach with lake view.
With right details these two venues will add a touch of exotic to your party.

We imagine for you a flower arch for the ceremony and many rose petals e and lanterns on the bride’s path to altar. Then beautiful centerpieces with water, candles and flowers such as roses or orchids that recall lake theme.
Another detail to think of is that, giving the right time notification, your party can be enlarged up to very late at night with dances and open bar. Continue Reading »

Going up on the Lake Maggiore you will reach Verbania Pallanza a noble little town just like Stresa. In Belle Époque period it was one of the preferred destination for people coming from all over Europe. You will just feel it looking at Grand Hotels and Villas on the Lake.

The most famous villa in the area is Villa Rusconi Clerici. It is just on the lake shore. Villa Rusconi Clerici was built during 1800, finely preserved, with its stunning view on Borromean islands and gulf.

Villa Rusconi Clerici has an amazing garden where you could also celebrate your open air symbolic ceremony, just on the lake shore with a simply magic atmosphere! Reception can be held side of the garden in the big pavilion built in liberty style.

Pallanza host Villa San Remigio, too, one of the most beautiful historical villas of Lake Maggiore.
It is now maybe the best venue for legal civil ceremonies on Lake Maggiore.

Side of the Villa San Remigio there is a wide terrace to enjoy a stunning view on the lake. The balcony has a rock gallery underneath that is often used as winter garden. This is one of the most scenographic spot for your wedding pictures! Continue Reading »

Isola Bella is the most famous of the Borromeo Islands and when you see it today you can hardly imagine it as the tiny fishing village it once was. In 1670 Count Vitaliano Borromeo started the building of a monumental baroque palace, and began landscaping the majestic scenery of the gardens for which the Island became so famous. The original name of the island was Isola San Vittore, but was son changed to the more suitable Isola Isabella, after Carlo’s wife and over the years it was shortened to Isola Bella. Local legend relates that the ladies of Borromeo’s household asked the Count to build on the island so that they would not have to listen to prisoners screaming in the dungeons of his mainland castle.

Today the island is famous above all for the magnificent Palazzo Borromeo and its gardens. A visit to the palace is a journey through the splendors of the past. The stately Borromeo residence contains priceless masterpieces: tapestries, furniture, and paintings by great masters. The Palace itself is full of ornate rooms which remind you of a past full of grand receptions and sumptuous feasts. Continue Reading »

On September 4, 2004 Isola Madre on the Borromeans Islands has been the perfect scenario for the wedding of the decade: John Elkann, Fiat heir, married Donna Lavinia Borromeo of Princes of Angera at the Cappella Bianca on the Isola Madre.
John Elkann is the chiselled 28-year-old grandson of the late Gianni Agnelli. Following the death of his uncle Umberto, Elkann was promoted to the vice-chairmanship of Fiat, becoming the head of Italy’s grandest family in the process.
Princess Lavinia Borromeo is the last descendant of the Borromeo family: this noble family was the owner of the islands for centuries. Borromeo family is one of the premier Italian families that became rich through trade and banking.
Lavinia Borromeo and John Elkann made up a beautiful couple: she was 26, he was 28. They had a beautiful wedding: the ceremony and wedding took place at the Cappella Bianca, at Isola Madre in Lake Maggiore, which is property of the bride’s family. Father Biagio Pizzi and Don Giuseppe Volpati presided over the ceremony. The church was adorned with white and yellow flowers. From the seven hundred guests invited to the reception, only the relatives and close friends of the couple were able to enter the small church.
The bride wore a Valentino’s gown and she complemented it with a splendid lace veil that is running in the Borromeo family for many years. Valentino was also in charge of the dresses worn by the bridesmaids, Beatrice and Matilde (sisters of the bride), as well as by Isabella Borromeo, who acted as witness. Continue Reading »

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.

Elegant, charming, ancient, Stresa is the pearl of Lake Maggiore, one of the most wanted destinations wedding in Piemonte. It has been a favorite destination with the British, even Queen Victoria stayed on the shores of Lake Maggiore.

Stresa is located on Lake Maggiore in northeastern Piedmont which borders Lombardy and Switzerland. It is a renowned tourist resort in a picturesque setting facing the equally famous Borromeo Islands.

In order to see Stresa well, it’s important to explore the many alley ways and small cobblestone lanes that make up the town. Not a shopper by nature, Stresa was an invitation to buy! Lovely little pottery shops are found around every corner, and the shopkeepers are more than happy to ship your items home. Also, shops with jewelry, tempting Italian foodstuffs, and cute little bars and trattoria are everywhere.

The lakeside promenades are lined with magnolias, camellias and verbena and many other flowers and Mediterranean trees.
Embarcadero is probably the most crowded place in town. From here you can take the boats for an excursion on the Lake visiting Borromean Islands and their lush gardens and palaces owned by Borromeo Family.

In the 1850s Stresa was one of the most sought-after vacation spots in all of Italy. The rich and famous from all over the world spent their leisure time enjoying the beauty, serenity and romance of Stresa. Consequently dozens of fabulously expensive and ornate Villas were constructed overlooking the lake. Today those same Villas of the world’s richest people are available for your wedding and for your wedding reception. Continue Reading »