Italian Lakes Wedding Planner

Most of our couples choose spring and summer periods for their wedding day and this a wonderful choice for sure.
Although, I can say that autumn colours, light and atmosphere are something really unique too…

On the 28th of October American Carolyn and David came over to celebrate their intimate and charming wedding in Varenna, lake Como.

We suggested a civil ceremony in the morning followed by a lovely lunch on the open air.

The weather was sunny and warm and Carolyn didn’t need anything to cover her shoulders showing her beautiful bridal dress!

The civil ceremony was held on the small lake view terrace with the sound of a violin in the background.

Bride and Groom were both beautiful and moved. They promised each other endless love looking at the immensity of the Lake. Continue Reading »

After Suzanne and Christopher, Loretta and Scott, Nicky and Chris we are on Lake Maggiore again to tell you about another magic wedding: Simone and Stephans’ wedding. They were such a lovely couple coming from Zurich, Switzerland.

First of all a big thank you to Andrea and Marcus a great couple of Swiss photographers that kindly put on disposal their great images of Simone and Stephan’s wedding. A vintage and really unconventional service that we found really unique. The yellow shade gives to images a sense of warm and cosy brightness.

Simone and Stephan wanted a unique and unforgettable wedding. They looked for a real elegant and Italian style event to give their day a touch of glamour. After visiting many venue they choose Lake Maggiore and little town of Pallanza.

Bride and groom opted for a religious ceremony to Sacro Monte church in Ghiffa and a wonderful reception to Villa Rusconi Clerici in Pallanza just few minutes far from the church.

For all guests Simone and Stephan wanted a week end long event.
They started with a lovely dinner on friday night in a traditional pizzeria facing the lake.
Saturday the day of the wedding they decided for a big party to Villa Rusconi sipping champagne, delicious Italian cuisine and fun dances up to early hours of Sunday.

The big day of Saturday begun early in the morning to Grand Hotel Majestic where the group stayed for all the wedding week end.
Dividing herself among make up and hair trial Simone spend some hours with her mother and maid of honor Rachel.
On late morning they all reached Ghiffa where all guests and Stephan were waiting for them.

Simone and Stephan got married in the tiny romantic 1600 church of Sacro Monte of Ghiffa.
Floral decorations were arranged by Manuela the floral designers who works in partnership with La Piccola Selva.
Roses were main flowers. Arrangement at the church included external columns, pews, balusters, and aisle to the altar totally covered with rose petals. Continue Reading »

After the wedding to Villa San Martino we come back to Lombardy side of Lake Maggiore. This time we are going South. Here you will find sweet hills going smoothly towards the lake. This are is very well known from nature and water sports lovers. There are also artistic and cultural places to visit such as historic residence of Villa della Porta Bozzolo with its grand Italian gardens or Rocca di Angera, great Borromeo family castle or even Santa Caterina del Sasso, a monastery on rocks peak.

Right in this green area you will find a lovely venue for your wedding on the lake: Hotel Conca Azzurra in Ranco close to Varese.
A wonderful view, a wonderful garden with many flowers and delicious cuisine will welcome you.
These are the main features of Hotel Conca Azzurra, a pretty venue for your wedding if you are thinking of getting married on Lake Maggiore.

Let’ s see together all the pearls of the hotel.
The great view on the lake: from here you could see the center of the Lake and great chain of Mt. Zeda. You could enjoy this perfect panorama in every month of the year from Restaurant La Veranda. During summer season it opens completely becoming a open air terrace for romantic dinners under the stars.

La Veranda restaurant offer a high level cuisine with local and traditional dishes of the Lake Maggiore and surrounding countryside. It has a very good service and wide cellar with selected wines for every request.

You could sip your aperitif or arrange an informal buffet reception in the wide garden with lovely view on the lake. You will be surrounded by palms and flowers and you will taste delicious lake fish and Piedmont wines. Continue Reading »

Lake Maggiore area is a wonderful area with many different characteristics. It is surely known all over the world for Borromeo Gulf scenery and pretty villages on the coast.
If you are planning your wedding on Lake Maggiore why don’t you take in consideration another opportunity… A country wedding.
We are pleased to give you some ideas. A monk ancient abbey close to Arona, Massino Visconti Castle, a medieval fortress on Stresa hills with amazing view on the lake, an agritourism on Monterosso, or even Verbania mountains with horses ranch and typical production of sausages, cheeses and a 360 view on the lake.

Today we would like to tell you about a place a little far from here. Going up on Lake Maggiore towards Switzerland, passing wonderful coastal towns of Ascona and Locarno you can reach to extreme North Lake town of Bellinzona is.
This is the country wedding destination on the lake we would like to tell you about.

Raffaello Mazzoleni photographer was there for Italian Lakes Wedding Team. He gave us the entire footage in few days, quick as he usually does.

Even if Raffaello Mazzoleni is a WPJA member, sometimes he also loves taking posed photos when couples ask for them. This service is the right combination between reportage style and a classical wedding service.

Natascia and Paolo are the main characters of the event. They celebrated their civil ceremony to Bisca town hall and arranged their reception to follow in the wonderful scenery of Castles of Bellinzona, in Canton Ticino.

Castles of Bellinsona are divided in three fortress.
First one is closer to Castelgrande town and it has two towers Torre Bianca (WhiteTower) and Torre Nera (Black Tower) On highest hill there is Castle of Montebello. Most of the pictures Raffaello took show this lovely spot. The biggest castle is Castle of Sasso Corbaro that overlooks all the others. It was built by Duke of Milan in 1479. View here is wonderful and it embraces entire Lake Maggiore area.
Natascia and Paolo choose the restaurant inside the lovely castle for their wedding reception. Buffet reception was held under vines pergolas in the courtyard of the castle itself. Food was very good and 4 heart shaped cakes were just delicious. Bellinzona wines are very special!
Right coast of Canton Ticino is exposed to sun rays and this makes grape production very easy. Among the most famous wines of the area we remember Red Merlot DOC of Ticino and White Chardonnaly Doc of Ticino.

Bellinzona Castles are a sort of barrier between Alps and Lake Maggiore. Duke of Milan decided to build this complex during 1400 to contrast Swiss troups invading the territory. They still have high walls, towers and battlements and they still represent a good testimony of medieval architecture on Alps. In year 2000 the entire area has been declared World Umanity Patrimony by Unesco.

Raffaello Mazzoleni was able to capture in his pictures the dramatic atmosphere of the area: castle, cloulds, sky, cliffs and green all around. Continue Reading »

Flower designers like myself consider that flower arranging in a location can be one of the most creative moments of a wedding reception. The table centre is an essential element which often distinguishes the style of the event, as do the floral decorations for the aperitif or buffet.

Clearly, quite apart from the flowers and finger food, the ambiance is of major importance too. Your wedding reception on Lake Orta deserves the Ristorante Hotel L’Approdo at Pettenasco which offers a stunning gazebo on the lake shore, with a view over the Bagnera Gulf and the Orta promontory, with Villa Crespi’s evocative minaret standing out on the horizon.

Maria and Simone are a Hispano-Italian couple who chose the Hotel L’Approdo for their wedding reception. They decided on two large floral arrangements placed on a tall tapering glass base for the aperitif table. I wanted the most natural, free style possible on this occasion, with dominating shades of pink and white.
The finishing touch was given by the pink Gypsophila and the Godetia, a gorgeous summer flower which is not all that well known but is extremely versatile. Continue Reading »

Malcesine, is an ancient town part of Veneto Region and very close to Trentino Alto Adige.This beautiful place with its 3400 lucky residents, lies directly on the oriental side of Lake Garda with a breathtaking view and it develops around the majestic Scaliger Castle and the historical Palace of the Captains.
All the area has perfectly preserved its ancient and medieval origins. The Castle was probably built before 500 AD, destroyed on 509AD and again rebuilt.
His actual name of Scaliger Castle (Castello Scaligeri) was given around 1387 and on 1902 this incredible construction was declared National Monument.
The fact that the Castle is a property of the Town Hall, it’s a great opportunity for all the couples who desire to get married in Malcesine!

For sure this is one of the few locations on the Lakesides that allow the celebration of civil recognized ceremonies in such a suggestive way, facing the lake on the ancient and fabulous terrace.
But no worries in case of bad weather: adjacent to the terrace there are beautiful rooms with big windows where wedding ceremony can be alternatively celebrated.

Another rare chance of Malcesine Castle, is due to the possibility of having a buffet after the civil ceremony directly there on the terrace or in one room inside in a medieval and refined atmosphere to toast with your family and friends! This is very romantic and comfortable for both newlyweds and their guests…

The area is also famous for the mild and sunny climate that guarantees beautiful special events and funny holidays all year round. You’ll be enchanted by the unique landscape rich of water, hills, mountains, olive trees and lush Mediterranean vegetation.
For those couples who are looking for a classic dinner reception after the wedding, Malcesine and its surroundings offer different options suitable for all budgets and needs.
Just above the Castle an historical restaurant opens its doors to your event and the exquisite staff will be honored to serve your meals in the beautiful room – terrace overlooking the lake in a magical atmosphere.

Various high standard Hotels are available in the nearby, to continue the wedding day for those couples who are looking for refined food, excellent service, professional waitresses and sommeliers. Continue Reading »