Italian Lakes Wedding Planner

Lazise, this small town on the eastern-southern part of the lake has all the rights to be proud of its rich past. From the medieval splendid times although still remains a lot to see also for the nowadays people: the magnificent Castle, with the walls that are containing the historic center with the tiny little streets, a lot of shops and bars. Once you come to Lazise, its feeling takes you…and if your wish is a special romantic wedding in a historical environment, you have just found the right place.

The Palace of the Town Hall – to celebrate your civil wedding – is in the heart of the old city center, just next to the lovely small port, giving a special frame to your forever love promise to each other. Or do you prefer a catholic ceremony? The little roman church of San Nicolò with frescos from the 3rd century is just on the other side of the port, in direct closeness of the central square. The majestic Castle dominating the town is a perfect location to shoot some very special wedding photos, while your guests will enjoy a refreshing aperitif on the terrace of one of the lakeside restaurants.

Then to complete the picture of the enchanting environment, the Town Hall just put at the disposal the historical building of the Venetian Customs, only few steps from the Town Hall, that now can be used also for wedding receptions. From here that Venice controlled for long centuries the commerce on the Lake Garda, but now the medieval building hides a brand new interior design, offering a really special set for a very exclusive reception for your guests. The structure includes two large modular areas, which can host 350 people overall, and is characterized by a typical Venetian construction, with a larch truss roof of ancient origins, and two arches facing the lake forming a usable open space for an open-air aperitif before the wedding dinner, to enjoy the great view of the lake with the small romantic port in front. The excellent fusion of this fantastic monumental setting with cutting-edge technologies has made this renewed multifunctional centre one of the most elegant, exclusive events venues in the province of Verona.

Otherwise, if your wish is to continue the wedding day in a more traditional, elegant villa instead of the Customs building, there is a splendid XIXth century villa part of fantastic Thermal Park, where you can enjoy fully the relax also the days after the wedding with some snuggling massages and beauty treatments, or simply just taking sun around the swimming pool. Large italian garden, and historic residence buildings complete the offer of the Villa. Continue Reading »

Are you looking for a smart lakeside restaurant for your wedding reception? Is your budget on the low side and not up to the extravagant Italian wedding organised by Tom and Katie Cruise?
Are you on the look out for a restaurant that will go a long way to finding the right solution for you, with a gift for the bride and groom, a gesture that makes all the difference?
Picture this: the hotel motor boat taking you to the Island of San Giulio for your wedding photos. And, on request and according to your budget, the hotel will arrange the room for you, with chair covers and big bows, if that is what you wish for.

If you have chosen Lake Orta, then the Approdo at Pettenasco is the right place for you with its a restaurant with a fine garden on the lake shore, well known for its excellent cuisine, and with the assistance of a native English speaker, and a large sunny banqueting room overlooking the lake.
Last week, Laura and Michele chose the Ristorante L’Approdo for their reception, while they chose the professional work and life-long experience of Raffaello Mazzoleni for their photos: We have selected just a few of the magnificent shots he took in the lovely Calle Room, beautifully dressed up for the occasion.

Raffaello Mazzoleni is an experienced photographer who has specialised in weddings and has state of the art equipment to assist him: the award-winning Olympus E3 with superb accessories such as the Olympus Zuiko 7-14 mm wide-angle lens.

The last picture shows Laura and Michele on board the motorboat made available for their use free of charge by the Hotel Ristorante L’Approdo:
a gift offered to all newly-weds so that they can immortalise their magic moment on the lake, a superb reminder of their truly perfect day on Lake Orta.

Valentina Lombardi is one of the wedding coordinators that work with Italian Lakes Wedding Team, one of the most active. One year after the interview you read last year on these pages I had the pleasure to meet her again and ask for an update balance of her activity.

• Hi Valentina it is a pleasure to meet you again. How could you judge this 2008? Do you think it was a good tear professionally speaking?
  Hi! Yes I can say I’m satisfied. To tell the truth helping couples to make their dreams come true makes me feel always happy. Couples I followed during 2008 were extremely nice and interesting.
• Among all the wedding you planned during 2008 there is one that is particularly special for you?
  Oh no! I would surely do a mistake missing someone! Every wedding was special and unforgettable. Maybe details will stay in my heart proudly from each of them: Scottish groom’s kilt, music of Cavalleria Rusticana for a ceremony to Villa d’Este on Lake Como, fireworks in Varenna for an American couple friendship of another American couple, the smile of an Irish bride for a surprising day of sunshine. How could I forget all this?
• And the one that made you worry?
  There was a wedding for which I was very worried for sure for a detail that nobody could control: weather! Couple came here from Ireland and they choose Orta for its sun, panorama and atmosphere. Unfortunately pouring rain seemed it could ruin the whole event. Bride was very worried and sad. But it wasn’t so! In spite of bad weather forecasts bridegroom enjoyed a nice sunny day that let the even go as they planned. Just a little miracle for their own! Continue Reading »

We would recommend that you ask a few simple questions before taking the time to visit the venue and let alone book it!

1. Where is the venue located?
   The venue must be situated in a convenient position, not too far away from the church that you have chosen for the ceremony or too far away from the airport where all your guests will be landing. Make sure it’s not up a steep hill, difficult to reach for those who are not so athletic or those who are carrying babies.
   If you are keen on a remote location, make sure it can accommodate all your guests for the night of the wedding (or that there is an alternative option nearby) so that they won’t have to travel far after the party.
2. Are you allowed to play music and dance until late?
   Find out whether there are any restrictions with regards to playing music and dancing. Some Villas have rooms full of antiques and the owners won’t let you dance inside and some others are located in residential areas where music cannot be played after a certain time.
3. Will the venue be at your exclusive disposal?
   If you are looking for privacy and fancy a unique event, do make sure that the Villa offers exclusive hire and that nobody else will be allowed access to the premises during your stay and especially during the event. Continue Reading »

If Italy sets your heart pounding, why don’t you celebrate a truly glamorous wedding in the most romantic country of all. Italy is frequently sited as Europe’s top destination and for very good reasons: great wine and food, gorgeous venues, fabulous climate and beautiful cities.

The Italian Lake Region is the ultimate place to vow life-long commitment to each other…so, what are the suggested steps to plan a fantastic event over there?

• Get organised
  Buy a proper wedding planner that includes checklists and folders so you can store venue’s details, suppliers’ contacts, contracts, budget information, ideas you get from wedding magazines. Make a list of what needs to be done by way of preparations for the big day. Set yourself a realistic target and aim to complete a few tasks each week.
• Stay focused
  Close your eyes and imagine your wedding…write down how you see it, the colours you like, the setting you dream of, the atmosphere you aim to create, the music you would like to hear. Look at guidebooks to choose the perfect lakeside location, search the Internet for the most magic villa, flick through magazines and books for design suggestions.
• Start emailing
  Once you have a clear idea of what you are after, start communicating with the selected venues via email, ask for prices and comprehensive information. Shortlist a few and take the time to visit them. Once you have found the one you really like, ask them to recommend their preferred suppliers and get in touch with each one of them. Don’t forget to check their websites first to ensure that you like their style.
• Delegate tasks
  Remember, you are not a super hero and you might need some help. Get your friends and relatives involved as much as possible, as delegating tasks is the key to saving time. Most of the people around you are dying to help out anyway…
• Consider hiring a planner
  To help manage your time efficiently and make life easier for yourself generally, consider hiring a wedding planner that speaks the language and knows the local culture. They will be able to locate suppliers and negotiate contracts while keeping you update on progress. Many wedding planners also offer partial wedding organisation, they will only arrange certain aspects of your day, leaving you to handle the most interesting bits.
• Talk to brides
  Talking to other couples, who got married in the same area can help ease your workload. You may want to post a note on a few wedding forums to ask for tips and suggestions.

Good luck!