The largest from the 5 islands of the lake, is Garda Island, situated on the Brescian side of Lake Garda, a short distance from San Felice del Benaco and it has been the expression of mysticism for centuries (St.Francis of Assisi founded a small community). The island was inhabited since Roman times and this is proven by the findings of old memorial stones and votive temples.
The water to the south of the island is shallow and forms the Emerald’s bay, which is where St Biagio’s islet (also called the rabbit’s islet) emerges. Next to it is the “altar’s”rock, so called because old memories say that once a year they used to celebrate Mass there, which fishermen were attending on board their boats from all over the lake.

Today the island owes its fascination to the extraordinary Venetian neo-Gothic style villa, designed by the architect Luigi Rovelli at the beginning of the 20th century; an imposing harmonious building, rich in surprising architectonic details. Seems like a romantic castle in the fairy tales….. The extremely complex building has its own stylistic unity and a rare stateliness. The façades are decorated by acutely arched windows and in the south-west corner stands a tower crowned with crenellation in stone with flowered neo-gothic style decorations. Doing your wedding here, you can really feel like a Princess who found the love with her Prince ….

Below, the terraces and Italian gardens slope down to the lake. All around the vegetation is luxuriant and intact, rich in local, exotic plants, rare essences and unique flowers. A harmonious wood of pines and cypresses, acacias and lemon trees, magnolias and agaves. The Island of Garda is magic and mystery…
The birdsong seems to be the joyous voice of the soul of those who, over the centuries, have respected, looked after and loved it. Here in the numerous terraces of the garden can be set-up a lovely corner for the ceremony, so the colorful flowers will give the perfect frame for this very special moment.The creation of the stupendous natural park of the island dates back to 1880. Its botanical importance is highlighted by the presence of essences originating from all over the world. The park designed and cultivated by a knowing hand, is planned to be seen both from the water and from the upper terraces. The more numerous plants belong to the North American, Oriental and North African conifer families.

Since they became owners, the Cavazza family has always resided here, and worked on Lake Garda managing a group of companies linked to open-air tourism (campsites), boating and olive-growing. The family lives also now in the Villa.
The Cavazza siblings (four brothers and three sisters) have opened the Island to guided tours and events with the aim of making their unique heritage known. Thanks to this activity it was possible to carry out important restoration work which is still on—going and to improve the centuries-old park. Also thanks to this, that exclusive weddings can nowadays be organized at this magnificent venue.
Made prestigious by the splendid palace, by the precious botanical park and by the relaxing quietness of the lake, the island is an excellent alternative to create a unique and unforgettable wedding ….

Italian Lakes Wedding Team is made up of several professional wedding planners and floral designers with a long experience on Italian Lakes locations.
The Team knows the territory in every single detail and will be able to follow you on every important choice you will take.
Our coordinators are based locally in the areas we serve so whether you decide for a wedding in Rome or Bracciano, a wedding in Como or Stresa, or a Wedding on lake Garda or Lake Orta, we will grant the same level of service.
Our Team will be able to provide you every kind of supplier, florist, photographers, musicians, designers celebrants, witnesses and help as far as your documents are concerned, and anything you may think of.
Italian Lakes Wedding Team will literally pamper you!

For any information about wedding on Garda Island please CONTACT US.

As floral designer I’m always looking for interesting and creative solutions but this always depends on bridegrooms choices!
To give you an example Rossella and Giorgio’s wedding was a great occasion to work on a charming theme to me: autumn colors.
Rossella and Giorgio got married last Saturday in Orta San Giulio, lake Orta. A simple ceremony at Villa Bossi followed by a nice reception in wonderful atmosphere of Palazzo Penotti Ubertini.
Bridegroom’s wishe was having a color scheme that could reflect intense Autumn colors with some elements recalling this romantic season that lots of poets love.
As far as the floral arrangements, bouquet and ceremony table arrangement were concerned I opted for a strong contrast between chocolate brown and purple smoothen by soft shades.
I used Black Baccara rose, Leucodendron with Hypericum berries, dry Hydrangea and Gypsum leaves.
On tables at Palazzo Penotti Ubertini I completed the arrangements with rose petals, pine cones and chestnuts.
You can see the final result above. I really hope you like it too!

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. The most curious part of the Palace are the grottoes; the walls are adorned with a mosaic of shells and pebbles. Don’t miss the splendid views of the Alps in the Medals Room. In 1935 the palace was a location of meeting between Mussolini and British and French diplomats. Unfortunately, the meeting failed in its attempt to scare Germany out of starting World War II.

After visiting the Palace, you exit into the magnificent gardens which are made up of no less than 10 terraces which slope down towards the lake. The stepped terraces remind one of painters’ interpretations of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The entry to the garden is only via the palace: the gardens bloom with every variety of trees and rare flowers which, in their succession of ornate terraces, provide a classic, inimitable example of the celebrated “Italian garden” of that period. As well as the rare and exotic plants which provide the gardens with colors from March to October, there are interesting features such as the open-air theatre and the “Piano della Canfora” which houses a 150 year old laurel tree.

Discover the hidden charm of Italian landscapes! The Isola Bella offer the perfect atmosphere to host your wedding.

Italian Lakes Wedding team is proud to present Janet and Ian’s wedding at Villa d’Este, one of the most exclusive and known Italian wedding venues.
Villa d’Este is located in Cernobbio on Lake Como. It is a fascinating place where history, nature and architecture create an unforgettable frame.
Villa d’Este is set into 10 hectares of private park and it is for sure Lake Como’s jewel. Among woods and meadows facing the lake Como, in 1442 Bishop Gerando Landriani founded here a nun’s convent. After mid 1500 Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio transformed it in a luxury residence for holidays and after a long period of decadence in 1815 Princess Carolina of Brunswick future King George IV of England established here.
In 1868 Maria Feodorowa Empress of Russia adquired it and in 1868 it was changed in a fancy hotel that become one of the most known worldwide.

Many of Villa d’Este guests are famous artists and important people.
Alfred Hitchcock shot here his first movie “The Pleasure Garden” and then, Kind Edward VII, King Vittorio Emanuele, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Ranieri family from Monaco were among its guests.
Among Hollywood actors we could remember: Greta Garbo, Gregory Peck, Clark Gable, Cary Cooper, Eddie Murphy, Liza Minelli, Sylvester Stallone and Bing Crosby.
And some famous singers too: Madonna, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Rod Stewart and Elton John.

Italian Lakes Wedding team is proud to present Janet and Ian’s wedding at Villa d’Este, one of the most exclusive and known Italian wedding venues.

Did you know that being chic means getting married or spend your honeymoon in Villa d’Este?
Famous couples spent some time here: Dukes of Windson, Elizabeth Taylor and Nick Hilton, Rita Hayworth and Orson Wells, Clark Gable and Carol Lombard, William Randolph and Marion Davies, Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra, Aristotele Onassis and Maria Callas, Tyron Power and Linda Christina and many others up today.

For this reason Italian Lakes Wedding team is very proud of Janet and Ian’s wedding.
Wedding Planner Valentina Lombardi from SposiamoVi – Torino coordinated the event. She carefully planned all the details from guests arrival from Britain, choosing right musicians (a string quartet during the ceremony and a harpist during the reception) and making sure that party went smoothly with final fireworks on the lake.
Flower decorations was carefully handled by Monica Andenmatten, La Piccola Selva’s floral designer. A pure mediterranean floral arrangement just like bride wanted.
Lemons, Sunflowers, candles, scented rose petals in a perfect frame of shape and colors beautifully integrated with the atmosphere of the villa and wedding mood.

The most evocative moment was the ceremony skillfully performed by Diane Wheeler.
On one side there were Lake Como crystal waters on the other the wonderful architectural frame of Italian Style Gardens of Villa d’Este mad of mosaic, statues, fountains, Buxus bush perfectly shaped.
How wonderful!

A dreamy wedding in a unique place in Italy: Villa d’Este. Italian Lakes Wedding Team best wishes to newly wed Janet and Ian.

Probably the most sunny cheerful flowers you can find for your wedding. Sunflowers are big, bold, cheerful and brash and have summer written all over them. Bright, vivid colour and long, strong stems make the Sunflower a fantastic focal flower for summer and autumn events, wedding bouquets, table centrepieces and floral arrangements.
If you want to see my floral works with Sunflowers, please take the time to browse my portfolio at La Piccola Selva’s Wedding Flowers Gallery. The florist La Piccola Selva has been creating innovative and exclusive designs for over 20 years, supplying flowers to the leading hotels and wedding venues on Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore.
A sunflower wedding theme is the perfect choice for a couple looking to have a wedding day filled with the wonders of nature and colours that amaze and delight. There is nothing more colourful than the large and regal sunflower plant. With shades of yellow, orange, red, black and green – it is a multitude of hues that never disappoint.
Sunflowers, first grown in Central and South America, were originally loved for their practical aspects such as providing seeds and oils. When they came to America, they became a wonder of natural beauty and we have loved them ever since. Of course, there is many famous artists who painted the sunflower, with the most famous being Sunflowers, a still life by Van Gogh.
A sunflower wedding theme is particularly appropriate in the splendour of autumn, when the colour palate may call for golds and reds. There are so many unique and interesting ways that you can pull off a sunflower wedding theme. You could start with adorable tin sunflowers in yellow to decorate the alter and processional aisle, complemented by white, crimson red or burnt orange pew bows. You may also want to try yellow sunflower mini hand tied bouquets, tied to flower vases, watering cans or metal pails as your table centrepieces, for a casual and country feel.
Perfect for creating impact, Sunflowers can be expensive but, because they are so large, you don’t need many! So add some sunshine to your Italian wedding with lovely Sunflowers!

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!

I know sometimes brides struggle over which flowers to choose for their bouquets and centerpieces. If you don’t have a favorite flower, your best bet is use the flowers that are growing in that particular season. Two reasons why: they are plentiful and they may be less costly than a flower that is not normally grown during the Spring. Lucky for you, Spring has some of the most gorgeous flowers of the year. The old-fashioned Peony it is one of these.

If you are planning on getting married in the Italian Lakes area – lake Orta, lake Maggiore, lake Como and lake Garda – peonies offer a showy and fragrant option for a bridal bouquet for a late May or June wedding.
Peonies grow best in areas with cold winters and summers that are not too hot.
In the right climate, peony plants produce an abundance of flowers, which may eight or nine inches across. Colors range from white to cream to yellow, and from the palest of pinks to reds to the deepest maroons. Some varieties have deep accent colors in the brown and maroon range at the base of the petals.
The fragrance of peonies is reminiscent of an intense rose scent.

Peonies were named in honour of Paeon, the physician of the gods. Originally found on the steppes of Siberia and Mongolia, the Peony may have been brought to the British Isles by the Roman legions, where it became a popular flower in monastery gardens. Since ancient times, Peonies have been regarded as the symbol of wealth, luck and happiness. Peonies always represent elegance and poise.

The Peony flower has a showy full head that rests on a long, slender stem. Its bloom is full of many ruffled petals that resemble a lush ball of cotton. Their style is sweet romance, modern minimalist.
A bouquet made solely of peonies can be gorgeous; the flowers can also be used to create beautiful centerpieces and arrangements. Grown in single- and double-flower styles, this expensive bloom is seasonally available from late spring to early summer but can be imported in the fall.

Calla lilies, with their crisp white flowers and brilliant green stems, are among the most symbolic flowers you can choose for a wedding. The calla lily is the epitome of elegance. All fresh flowers are beautiful, but few offer the elegance and versatility of the calla. They stand for charm, magnificence, grace, beauty and bounty. They are elegant and symbolize passion. A sophisticated atmosphere at a wedding ceremony is a sign of calla lilies. Maybe you’ve thought of designing your own wedding bouquets, centerpieces or church arrangements. In that case, the calla can provide all the style, color and beauty you’ve ever dreamed of. One simply has to glance at a white calla to think of weddings. It occupies a strangely rich space that’s both classic and totally modern.

With their long and meaningful history, calla lilies are a popular choice for a spring or Easter wedding, although they are perfect any time of year. These graceful flowers are reminders of our past generations when grace and beauty were the rule. Associated with elegance and charm, a calla lily would be the perfect flower if you wanted to create a sophisticated atmosphere for your wedding in the Italian Lakes.

Thanks to their long straight stems, calla lilies work well as bridal sheath bouquets. They can also easily be incorporated into cascade or shower bouquets.
Callas come in a variety of sizes, so make sure that you ask your Italian florist what size yours will be. Two types are commonly available: a large-headed variety with a long, smooth stem and suitable for tall arrangements or presentation-style bouquets, and a miniature version ideal for boutonnieres. The smaller mini-callas are great when mixed in with other flowers or for petite brides. White minis offer subtle contrast in the shape of the head and the shading, so even an all-white bouquet of full-sized and mini callas will look richer and more interesting than a bouquet made wholly from standard ones. The larger varieties can make a spectacular bridal bouquet. Creamy ivory is the most popular color, but calla lilies also come in yellow, orange, mauve-pink, and dark purple.

Attention: UPDATE July 2011
Hotel Restaurant Villa Crespi IS NOT ASSOCIATED to Italian Lakes Wedding Team anymore because of their new policy on weddings.

As alternative to Hotel Restaurant Villa Crespi you can find on these pages the best venues, villas, restaurants and hotels recommended by Italian Lakes Wedding.

Villa Crespi is located in Orta San Giulio, on lake Orta one of the most fascinating Lakes of Piemonte.

This home was built by the end of 1800 from Beniamino Crespi, a rich Italian business man charmed by Baghdad appeal. It took 12 years to build this wonderful building and for its handcrafts he decided to use the most precious materials. Green marbled came from Polcevera, red one from Levanto, he wanted Sicily jaspers, Swedish, Spanish and French marbles. As for stuccoes he wished for handmade embossed copper moulds. There were stalls for horses, a greenhouse, a dock a big wall with wonderful iron gates and a 48 meters minaret; all this was surrounded by terraced gardens toward the Lake.

After more than 100 years, after hosting princesses and queens, Villa Crespi is now an luxury hotel. Bridegrooms coming from all over the world simply love it. They choose it for an exclusive ceremony, a special wedding, a different reception, an important party or just for an unforgettable dinner.

A suggestion for all the brides that dream of a unique and really different wedding: why don’t you opt for an ethnic theme wedding?
It is one of the most wanted trends of the moment!
Villa Crespi thanks to its memorable Moresque atmosphere will be the perfect fairy tale scenario for your precious Ethnic Wedding.

Turning your attention toward an ethnic wedding theme is a wonderful way to personalize your wedding day. Why not be different and use the customs and traditions of your own or a different culture?
Your wedding guests will also appreciate experiencing some other wonderful cultural traditions.

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.

In most cases, you can interject certain colours into your colour scheme for example if you are planning an Oriental wedding you could include reds and yellows, perhaps. However, don’t go overboard with this or your decorations could become garish and tacky. Accents of colours work best.
As far as wedding favours are concerned just give a look to ethnic house decorations that you might have, to provide you with some inspiration.

Most important are ethnic wedding decorations!
Try to choose wedding flowers and arrangements such as Orchids, Lotus blossoms, Waxflowers and South Africa’s Proteas…
Use decorating accents and props strategically to help bring the “feel” of the theme to your guests. For example fringed table runners in deep colours would surely enhance an Arab or East-Indian theme.
Some other ideas to add a touch of ethnic to your wedding could be hire a musician for the ceremony to play a traditional musical instrument and maybe play some of this type of music during key parts of your reception.

The above should help you with generating some of your own ideas on what you can use for your ethnic wedding theme. Moreover one of our coordinators would be pleased to help you finding some more on what you can do to highlight your ethnic background at your wedding.

Roses the flower of love, it has been a proven fact that roses are the unique way to say “I love you” without having to say the words. There’s no getting around it, the rose says romance like no other flower. If course roses are the most popular types of wedding flower that are used in weddings.

The ancient Romans used roses in festivals. Roses petals were mixed with wine for a decandent flavor or petals were showered over guests to give them a warm welcome. In Egypt it is believed the Cleopatra kept rose filled pillows in her boudoir and once received Mark Anthony in a room knee deep in rose petals. History proves that the rose has always been revered as a symbol for the celebration of love.

An all-star in the world of weddings, the rose is far from boring, particularly when it comes to color: the rose is available in solid colors and bicolor varieties, and there are striped roses and tipped roses as well. More than three thousand varieties of roses are grown commercially, many available year-round and that are surprisingly affordable. And though roses are associated with luxurious fragrance, not every rose is scented.
Roses have a specific reason behind their use in marriages. They are the best admired choice of couples. A white rose signifies purity, innocence, charm and bliss. This is a symbol portraying the bride. Red roses stand for fervor and strong love from the heart. When dark pink roses are used by a couple they stand for thankfulness to each other for finding themselves. Ivy colored rose can signify a couples loyalty and faithfulness amongst each other. Every couple craves for it.

Roses offer a showy and irresistible fragrant option for bridal bouquet and reception centerpieces. Who can resist the temptation of the first thing being is to smell the intricate rose? All roses are not the same so be sure to use your sniffer and find the fragrance you like best.

Roses can impart either a formal or a casual atmosphere, depending on the varieties and colors you choose. For your wedding in the Italian Lakes, a rose theme wedding pairs the vibrant fragrances and colors of roses with the beautiful colors of the lake for a casual, yet unique celebration. After all, roses are a very popular flower choice with their array of beautiful colors and fragrance.