Italian Lakes Wedding Planner

I must admit that the above title does not fully do justice to the location of which I’m going to talk you about today: a wedding at the Villa L’Antica Colonia is not only a “wedding with lake view”, but it’s definitely a lot more. Villa L’Antica Colonia is a perfect mix of history, nature, relaxation and romance, all emphasized by a breathtaking view of the Lake Orta. If you are looking for an intimate and exclusive, but at the same time spectacular location for your wedding, then Villa L’Antica Colonia can be the right location for you!

Villa L’Antica Colonia is located in Crabbia, a small village on the hills of the Lake Orta, a few minutes from Pettenasco. The structure is surrounded by a large green area and is an excellent starting point for interesting trips into nature and culture.
But the strongest point of the Villa L’Antica Colonia is the magnificent panorama that sweeps over much of the lake and the surrounding green mountains, reaching up to Orta and the Island of San Giulio, a real spectacular scenary!

Try to imagine your wedding party on the large terrace of the villa with fantastic view on the lake: an unforgettable event for you and your guests!

Built in the eighteenth century, the villa was for long time a church property. The large ground around the building, that in the beginning extended until the lake, was planted with vineyards and fruit trees and cultivated by the women of the village that were working for the clergyman. At the beginning of ‘900 the villa was sold to a textile industry, which changed the property into a summer residence for the children of its employees, using part of the house for the breeding of the silk-worm in the winter season. It was later purchased by its actual owners, the family Manini-Maulini, who started the renovation of the property turning it into the beautiful villa we know today.

Villa L’Antica Colonia offers a unique and exclusive setting for your wedding: its prestigious balconies and arcades, between rustic and old, will give your wedding a scenario of the ancient times and a real magical atmosphere. Continue Reading »

Lake Iseo is located in Lombardy region and precisely between its famous brothers Lake Como and Garda. The lake is close to the towns of Brescia and Bergamo which both have airports, that makes the lake logistically very easy to reach.

Less known, this wonderful water mirror and its surroundings, is a special place just like the other bigger Lakes. The scenery is very romantic and it is a perfect spot for an unusual and traditional Italian style wedding during any season.

The surrounding area, called Franciacorta, is well known by wine “connaisseurs”, as it is one of the most important wine region of North-Italy. The charming vineyards, with rustic buildings and old mansion houses renovated with the most modern comforts, recalls countryside feeling.
Here you can arrange for your guests, genuine wine tasting programs and actively participate in wine producing process making at the end the actual bottle really yours!If your wish is a vineyard wedding mixed up with a lovely boat excursion on the lake, this is the perfect choice!

Lake Iseo is a wonderful spot on every season and not only during summer. Since there is an inhabited island in the lake, there are passengers ferries operating all-year.
You will taste here great local lake fish skillfully prepared by restaurants all around the shores. You will surely enjoy a gourmand stay!

The area offers also a lovely mountain landscape and woods of chestnuts and olives. 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 »

Some days ago Monika told you about Carlo Guido Conti in relation to Nicky and Chris’ wedding to Villa Rusconi Clerici on Lake Maggiore.
We would like to show you another wonderful image of that, one among our favorite.
In the image you can see Photographer skill. He was able to capture joy and magic of that special day.
Today we proudly announce that Carlo Guido Conti and his Studio Fotografico RPS – Reportage per gli Sposi – joined Italian Lakes Wedding Team.

Creativity and Fantasy are Carlo Guido Conti main features. He has many years of experience and great passion. Studio RPS and its professional are one of the best for wedding photography.

His wedding photography passion was born from his passion for human events reportage. Happiness, joy, excitement, these are all the feeling he wants to capture and tell to make an event just unforgettable.

Carlo Guido Conti best way to tell about these feelings is taking wonderful shots of weddings. You can realize it having a look to his wedding portfolio.

He doesn’t forget about details! Carlo Guido Conti is also able to pay a lot of attention on them. Details are just like a mosaic to assemble. Details from a bridal bouquet, a deep sight between bride and groom, or even other wonderful details that make an event so special and unforgettable.

Carlo Guido Conti – Reportage per gli Sposi – is available for your events on all Northern Lakes district. He will be happy to meet you in his Milan office – Via Piero della Francesca.

Last but not least part 5 of our Summer Season Weddings on Lake Orta.
Today I will tell you about one of my favorite weddings of this year: Gillian and Louis’ special day.

Gillian and Louis chose as theme color pink and apple green but what made the event special were multicolored kilts of guests.

She is Scottish and he is Italo-Scottish and they both chose Orta San Giulio for Louis’ family Piemonte heritage.

Sweet and lovely Gillian look like a pretty princess when she walked on aisle of Villa Bossi Garden.

Her father was by her side wearing a kilt, but he wasn’t alone!
All guests had it on to bring a corner of Scotland in Orta.

As all the other weddings that I mentioned in Summer Season Wedding in Orta session, Gillian and Louis had a great sunny day. It was the perfect weather for an outdoor civil ceremony in the town hall of Orta San Giulio.

Floral arrangements were created by Paola one of the florist designers of La Piccola Selva.
She created fresh and natural bunches of flowers for the decoration of the gate and the columns of Villa Bossi.
Bridal and bridesmaid bouquet had the same style Gillian wanted. A perfect match between baby rose, apple green and white.

After the ceremony Gillian and Louis walked along ancient pedestrian roads of the village.

A wedding in Orta is not complete without a tour on the lake to discover the landscapes and beautiful St. Julius Island.
Here you can find amazing spots for unforgettable wedding pictures. Continue Reading »

Third appointment with our summer season wedding is again about a red themed wedding.
A trendy color in the last few years.

Shawn and Raul are a nice couple who fell in love with Italy. After taking in consideration some marine venues in Portofino and Zoagli on Italian Riviera, they finally opted for Lake Orta’s romantic atmosphere. A great achievement for us who always try to let the world know how wonderful this place is.

Shawn and Raul arrived directly from United States to find this cosy village’s appeal. they defined it as Just a Fairy Tale.

Shawn arrived by herself to Villa Bossi with a motorboat.
On the town hall pier her maid of honor and sister was waiting for her. They sang together a moving traditional american song.

Shaw took her walk on the aisle of Villa Bossi that was literally covered with colored rose petals.

For the ceremony Shawn decided for a very glamour dress with a crystals collar and little veil on her face. Her shoes were red and matched perfectly her bouquet made up of 24 red roses and Swarovski pins. Continue Reading »

It’s sometimes hard to find time to dedicate to our dears. A wedding day is often the occasion to bond our families and closest friends.
The idea of spending together not only one single day but one whole week it’s absolutely lovely.

Lake Como offers the opportunity of fabulous weekly rentals.
This means combining an incredible escape with a romantic wedding or party.

Directly on Bellagio lakeshore, there’s a fantastic private Villa which seems created to realize this combination.

This liberty style Villa stands majestically on the water and it’s surrounded by a beautiful park overlooked by centuries old trees complete with swimming pool.
The accommodations and living areas are located on the ground and first floor of the villa.

The property is very elegant, with marble fireplace and frescoed ceilings.
First floor study has an elegant terrace overlooking the lake and Grigna Mountain ranges.
The furnishings are a clever combination of family heirlooms with the finest antiques, all carefully restored to ensure the visitor a most comfortable stay.
The seven bedrooms, each with their own bathroom and air conditioned as the rest of the property can be reached by elevator or stairway.

The other guests can easily find an accommodation in Bellagio center or surroundings and reaching the Villa by a private boat transfer.

Laura decided to celebrate here her 40’s Birthday and what a party!

The lake view park and terrace are the perfect setting for a romantic symbolic ceremony.
If you prefer a civil ceremony instead, this can be celebrated at Bellagio Town Hall.

After the celebration the private boat will lead you to the Villa while sipping a glass of Italian Prosecco!

A private pier will let you drop off the boat and the party goes on! 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 »

If you are dreaming of a special place for a symbolic ceremony on the lakeshore, St. Julius Island on Lake Orta could be the right place you are looking for.

St. Julius Island is a tiny place right in the center of the intimate lake. Some nuns live here, right in the pretty convent close to the abbey dedicated to St. Julius who was the first to land on the island. On the island there are also some villas which used to be owned by the church. Now they are all holidays home of rich families coming from all over the world. There is also a tiny little restaurant here, the only one on the island.

It is easy to understand why St. Julius Island is a place where silence and meditation play the main role. You can just breath a mystic atmosphere here. It is the amazing scenery Mark and Rachel choose for their wedding. The two guys are a lovely couple coming from Dallas TX, who planned their wedding with Italian Lakes Wedding Team.

We already mentioned Mark Followill in another post. He is the official speaker of Mavs TV, Dallas Mavericks TV channel, one of the most famous NBA basket ball team of USA. Mark and Rachel choose Lake Orta and St. Julius Island after visiting our web site and reading our posts. A very good result for our Team which main task is promoting lakes territory, one of the most romantic for a wedding in Italy.

After taking in consideration many photographers of the area, Mark and Rachel opted for Raffaello Mazzoleni. They were impressed by his skills, perfect shots and quickness in delivery. Images you can see here give you a perfect idea! You can have a look to his sites to know more about his work: www.artefoto-omegna.it and www.italianweddingphotojournalist.com.

Rachel picked up for her bridal bouquet one of Monika’s creations. Monika is the famous floral designer of La Piccola Selva. She created for beautiful Rachel a Hand-Tied Lilium Longiflorum bouquet.

After a short trip on private motorboat, ceremony has been celebrated on the lakeshore just by the small pier. An idyllic scenery: the abbey and villas on one side and lake and Orta village on the other.
A little farer there was Buccione Tower. Medieval tower that has been over viewing on Lake Orta for more than 1000 years. Continue Reading »

Torri del Benaco is one of the most appreciated destination weddings of Lake Garda thanks to the romantic frame of the Castello Scaligero and the picturesque little port on the lake. In this fabulous scene that Mercedes and Eugene, a young English couple celebrated its wedding: from the team of Italian Lakes Wedding we were represented by the musicians of the Koinè String Quartet that ensured the perfect musical background of the event with their rich repertoire of classical music.

We show you here some pictures of this romantic wedding thanks to the images of the photographer GUIDO PELLATI, from the Pellati Photographic Studio of Bardolino.
The wedding of Mercedes and Eugene was celebrated in the shadow of the huge lemon plants of the Limonaia (Lemon Groves) of the Castello Scaligero, one of the last citrus fruit greenhouses still functioning on Lake Garda, since 1760.

Few days ago, we received a kind letter from Don and Jean, lovely parents of Mercedes, saying once again thanks to the team of Italian Lakes Wedding and the Koinè String Quartet for the great success of the event. Here you can read their kind words:
It hardly seems possible that two weeks have passed since we were with you in Italy – and we have so many wonderful memories of that special occasion! We wanted to place on record our sincere thanks to you and the musicians for providing such excellent support and for taking so much trouble to seek out and play the music we requested. It was, in fact, exactly as we had hoped – with the music setting the right atmosphere for each part of the ceremony. We could not have wished for a better service than the one you provided.
Our daughter, Mercedes and her husband, Eugene, join us in this expression of thanks – and we would be happy, of course, to recommend your musicians to any others who may be planning a similar event.
Best wishes.
Don and Jean Steele.

We would like to thank to Don and Jean from our side for their appreciation of our work, and that of the Koinè String Quartet, and we wish all the best and happiness again to the newly wed couple. Continue Reading »