Italian Lakes Wedding Planner

Flowers and balloons? Why not?
If flowers are a very important element in a wedding balloons could add a touch of fun to the event going out from the schemes.

First of all I would love to introduce you the main actor of wedding I will tell you about: Desiree and Sander a very nice couple coming from Holland.

For their Italian wedding Desiree and Sander chose Villa Bossi and magic atmospheres of Lake Orta.
Enrico Mocci from Artefoto Arona was their photographer. He took a fresh and dynamic reportage. Just have a look to Desiree and Sander’s PHOTOGALLERY to experience Enrico Mocci’s unique skills.

As for Mariana and Matteo, wedding took place in three different places. First Villa Crespi where bride and groom got ready and came back.

For their first night as married they choose Suite Regina Vittoria. Just a dreamy rooms embellished with red fabrics, furniture dated back to 1700 and a fine marble bathroom with Jacuzzi bath.

After a short walk Desiree and her friends reached Orta Main square. From here bride and father got on the traditional rowing boat to reach Villa Bossi where Orta town hall is located. Here a lovely civil ceremony took place. Continue Reading »

Today I have the pleasure to introduce you a lovely Italian couple: Marialisa and Matteo.
Their wedding was a real mid summer wedding arranged between Mountains and Lakes.
First the ceremony on Church of Madonna del Boden and then down to Stresa on Lake Maggiore shores.

Church of Madonna del Boden is located on the road leading to small village of Ornavasso (close to Verbania – Piemonte). It climbs on top of one of the most spectacular Alps mountain: Monte Massone. From Mt. Massone peak the view is gorgeous. You can see Mt. Rosa, Mt. Weissmiess, Mt. Adamello and Mt. Bernina. On South view runs over River Po Plain and on 5 lakes such as Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore. Just amazing!

Church of Madonna del Boden has been built on 500 mt of altitude right inside chestnuts woods. A fresh oasis that Marialisa and Matteo simply loved during the hot August day of their wedding. Continue Reading »

A wedding on the Lake Orta can be romantic, like Rachel and Mark’s wedding, celebrated at sunset, on the lake shore…
Or it can be intimate like Silvia and Giorgio’s wedding for 3 celebrated in the garden at Villa Bossi…
But a wedding on the Lake Orta can also be fun and festive…. Just like the one celebrated by Mariana and Matteo, the fantastic couple I will tell you about today.

Matteo and Mariana are an Italian-Armenian couple who live and work in London. Matteo is originally from Torino and he is just like every good boy coming from Piemonte, he is in love with his own homeland. Over time, Mariana was infected with this love as well, and thus their decision to choose one of the most charming places in Piedmont for their wedding: the Lake Orta.

Fun and joy are two words which perfectly describe Mariana and Matteo’s wedding. You will certainly see that in the photos accompanying this post: pictures that tell of their friend’s feast and fun, the first pranks of marriage, the couple’s happiness after the ceremony… emotions and feelings captured by Maren Ollmann’s lens from the Photography Studio Ollmann/Ottaviano in Torino. In the PHOTO GALLERY you will find 27 exceptional shots filled with the passion and magic which bring together the most wonderful emotions of Mariana and Matteo’s Big Day.

Mariana and Matteo’s wedding on the Lake Orta took place in 3 venues: Hotel Villa Crespi, where the bride and groom and their relatives stayed, the Church, Sacro Monte di Orta, where the religious ceremony took place, and finally Villa Ortea, where the wedding reception continued till the early lights of dawn.

For their stay in Orta and their first wedding night, Mariana e Matteo chose the Executive Suite in Hotel Villa Crespi. It was a fantastic room overlooking the lake with XVIII century furniture, a refined marble bathroom with a hydromassage and a magnificent four poster bed.
Continue Reading »

Varenna is very popular on Lake Como for Catholic Weddings.
And its fame it’s easily understandable: San Giorgio Church it’s absolutely fascinating and, above all, this is one of the few churches of Lake Como which allow to marry the non – residents.
Ancient, charming and impressive at the same time, this masterpiece lies in the heart of the village and represents the focus of the place itself.

Varenna it’s reachable by private boat or ferry from most of the other towns of the Lake.
This means that although Varenna is lovely you can decide to spend your wedding holidays not necessary based in Varenna itself.

Helen and Steve, our elegant Asian couple for example, chose to stay in Bellagio with their guests at the well renowned Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.
After their ‘getting ready’ and some beautiful shoots, they reached Varenna by boat: a unique occasion to enjoy the lake!

Once arrived in the main Varenna square, a long stair leads you in front of the main entrance.
This is a perfect setting for the wedding decorations: white and long aisle, flowers and candles create a special and evocative atmosphere.
How can you forget the moment when you step inside the church accompanied by the wedding march notes?
I think this is one of the most touching and unforgettable moments in our life….
Crossing the aisle, hearing the people you love murmuring excited, somebody’s crying and…finally you reach the altar for your forever promise of respect and love.
The sound of the Ave Maria, the exchange of the rings, every moment will remain in your mind for the rest of your life.

At the end of the ceremony you cannot miss the petals through as good luck from all of your friends and relatives.
Now that you’re married, the party moment should begin.

Helen and Steve, decided to go back to Bellagio by private boat and have their wedding reception, welcoming their guests at Villa Serbelloni. Continue Reading »

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 »

I really can say that the wedding planner job is never boring.
One of the things I really adore the most is discovering the best locations where organizing our beloved special and unique events.
Lake Garda is very vast and plenty of Hotels and reception venues, but this Lake is always interesting and ‘in ferment’.

One of the most famous area is Gardone Riviera where tourists come from all over the world to visit Il Vittoriale (ancient complex of houses, museums, gardens and theaters built from Gabriele D’Annunzio, who lived there, together with the architect Maroni) and the fascinating surroundings.
Gardone Riviera is located on the west side of Garda Lake and close to the well-known Salo’ Town. This small lovely village is one of the few where both civil and religious ceremonies can be celebrated.
In fact, the general rule of Lake Garda Churches is that non – resident couples aren’t allowed to get married here.
So this place has a huge privilege. Its Church is romantic and lake view and its Town Hall located in the center is also charming and classy: can hosts up to 70 guests.

In case your desire is having a personalized and symbolic ceremony, I’m happy to tell you that this can be celebrated directly in the wonderful gardens of the fabulous location I’m going to introduce you today: Grand Hotel Fasano.

This luxurious hotel is immersed in a romantic scenery of water and hills.
Originally, this building was one of the hunting lodges of the Austrian imperial family: the “faisanderie”.
The hotel beauty and lake view is astonishing and completed by a 12.000 sq. meters private park all around. A perfect set for an extremely chic wedding. Continue Reading »

Silvia, the bride. Giorgio, the groom. Angela, their pretty daughter.
They are the main characters of an intimate wedding on Lake Orta.

Silvia and Giorgio both come from Rome.
For their civil ceremony they were looking for a romantic and intimate destination to celebrate this special day. What’s better than Lake Orta?

A wonderful idea. Lake Orta gave to this lovely couple a great Spring day, warm and sunny.
They choose for a week day ceremony so atmosphere was even more intimate and cosy.
During week days village of Orta is very quiet and relaxing with very few tourists.
Very different from week ends on July and August which are much more busy!

As floral designer I had to create bridal bouquet, buttonhole and ceremony floral arrangements.
Enrico Mocci of ArteFotoArona, a wedding photographer specialized on Orta weddings, and with many years of experience, was the photographer of the day.

For their Orta staying Giorgio and Silvia choose the best: Hotel Villa Crespi.
Villa rooms are just enchanting and they were the perfect frame for stunning pictures.
You can see the bride and the bouquet I created for her. It was made of a long and wonderful fall of Phalaenopsis orchids.

Civil ceremony was held to Villa Bossi, Orta San Giulio town hall. Continue Reading »

As floral designer one of the most important moments during a wedding planning is the decision to take for floral arrangements and colors to use. During first contacts I always try to understand bride and groom’s tastes and needs to suggest the best solution for them.
Sometimes they have very clear ideas in their minds. Basing on this and on my experience and creativity i try to develop a floral arrangement project that will be just perfect the day of the wedding.
This is what happened with Jennifer and Oliver a British couple whose wedding was planned for September 2009.

One year before Jennifer told me about the floral scheme she had in her mind. All was based on purple matching with ivory. The very good hint arrived in following emails when Jennifer mentioned about the idea of adding Mediterranean aromatic herbs among flowers.

I was delighted with the design and colours they were truly beautiful. One of my many memories from our special day is the scent of the mint and rosemary in the flowers. I kept getting scents of the mint throughout the day and it is something that will always remind me of my wedding day.
All the guests commented on the amazing table displays – it was better than how I’d imagined – romantic and elegant with the candles and petals.
I even managed to fly home with my bouquet and we are drying it out to keep as a memento of the day!
Thank you once again for your fantastic work – the flowers were truly beautiful.
Jenny and Oliver

This was planned to recall Italian style and the wonderful scents she loved in her childhood. Just a little great idea that gave me the occasion to work on a floral arrangement based on purple and ivory with fresh and perfumed Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, sage, mint and lavender. They could be a perfect green base to create the bouquet on but also centerpieces and ceremony decorations. Aromatic herbs offer an evocative range of colors from green to silverish of sage and lavender up to deep green of peppermint. Last but not least little lilac-blue lavender blooms could be the trait-d’union between purple and ivory flowers of the compositions.

This was my proposal for Jennifer and Oliver’s’ wedding floral arrangement. Jennifer feed back came back very quick. She was really excited for that: she loved all details of my proposal, she was literally looking forward to see and smell the flowers on her wedding day.

We started a planning that lasted few months and leaded to final result that you can see in this post.
Everybody and especially bride and groom loved the floral arrangements. Jennifer and Oliver after their honeymoon sent also a lovely email to thank us for all. You can read a piece of that here.

But I also want to tell you something more about Jennifer and Oliver’s wedding!
They arranged all in Pallanza on Lake Maggiore. Ceremony was held in Villa San Remigio while reception was arranged to Grand Hotel Majestic where almost all guests spend their Italian days.

Wedding coordinator was Valentina Lombardi who is part of Italian Lakes Wedding Team. Photographs were taken from Photo27 from Milan that I thank you for giving us the beautiful images you can see here.

The civil ceremony has been celebrated in wonderful Music Room (Sala della Musica) of Villa San Remigio. String quartet classical music created a wonderful romantic atmosphere.

Big Jennifer and Oliver’s day begun with a cloudy day but after few hours sun decided to come back again turing into a wonderful summer end day!

Villa San Remigio wide park and its secular tress, fountains and statues are the perfect settings for wonderful wedding pictures. Have a look to the natural style and great impact of the picture here below, simple but wonderful!

At the end of the ceremony Jennifer hanged on her bouquet a funny “Just Married” sign with two hearts, what a funny idea! Continue Reading »

Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori: they are Borromeo Islands.
Three precious jewels rich in charm and history now among the most know touristy destination of Italian Lakes.
Someone said that gossip of possible wedding between George Clooney and Italian showgirl Elisabetta Canalis here increased the appeal of these places making them “exclusive”.
We do not have to forget about another fairy tale wedding that took place on Borromeo Islands: John Elkann – ceo of Fiat – and princess Donna Lavinia Borromeo.

If Isola Madre and Isola Bella are known for their great palaces and gardens and could be the perfect frame for your wedding pictures, Pescatori Island could be the best location for a perfect reception on the lake shores. This thanks to its wonderful position and rich gastronomic tradition.

Pescatori Island is the only one that is not part of Borromeo Family properties.
It is a liggle village with no more than 50 inhabitants. Fishing was the main occupation in the past some members of local families are still fishers.
You can see this heritage all over here starting from the little port where you will see many fishing boats.

It is such a peaceful place so you will meet many cats and frogs especially in July. Little nice frogs jump all over the narrow roads of the islands.
In this idyllic place there is a quite corner: a little garden with a terrace on the lake. You will read a big white sign with the name Belvedere on it.

Hotel Ristorante Belvedere is located on North East part of Pescatori Island far from busy port.
It has been managed from the same family for 4 generations. In 1921 restaurant hosted Charles De Gaulle who had lunch there during his honeymoon.

Today Belvedere Restaurant can host up to 200 guests inside the charming rooms and on its two gardens on the lake. Your reception to Hotel Ristorante Belvedere can be arranged on the open air by the lake shores, in the wide garden under the porch of booming flowers or inside the charming and bright veranda. You could also choose the lovely dining room once called La Grotta (the cave) because walls were all in stones.
The venue has been just refurbished but still preserves the charm of the ancient appeal. From all corners, including the dining room you could see Isola Madre and its great botanic park.

Belvedere Restaurant mainly serves fish dishes hand made prepared combining precious ingredients of Lake Maggiore and close valleys. Cheese lovers will taste Toma of Ossola valley and natural Gorgonzola. While wine lovers could choose among great Piemonte wines such as Barolo, Dolcetto, Barbaresco or pick great local wines of Novara valley. Continue Reading »

Lake Garda is the largest Italian lake, so large as to seem a sea. One of the advertising slogan says, The Lake Garda, more than a sea. The Garda in fact, more than the other lakes of northern Italy, has a “marine”connotation and a vocation. Where for marine is intended the atmosphere created by the presence of beautiful equipped beaches, the endless opportunities to play sports, the good food and the many facilities for young people. In particular, good food can count on excellent local produce: delicious olive oil, fresh-water fish, citrus fruits, vegetables and wine.

At the northern end of this “small sea”, where the Garda ends and just beyond to the Brenta Dolomites, lies the picturesque town of Riva del Garda. Its mild Mediterranean climate, its beautiful sunny beaches and its beautiful old town of Riva del Garda have made an internationally known tourist destination since the late nineteenth century. From the harbour, which overlooks the square and the tower Apponale, develops the medieval part of town with its narrow cobbled streets lined with boutiques and cafes, Venetian palaces, arcades and octagonal Baroque church.
Not far away is the Scaligera Fortress, a castle on the lake surrounded by a canal with a drawbridge.

Due to its beauty and charm, Riva del Garda is the perfect destination for your wedding on Lake Garda, appreciated by many couples who want a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan atmosphere.

In this beautiful town we found for you a pleasant hotel near the lake, within the ancient city walls: the Hotel Ancora is a family run company, with a magnificent restaurant where you can enjoy home made pasta, variety of cuisine ranging from fish to meat, the traditional Italian pizza baked in wood-fire oven, all accompanied by excellent wines to be tasted in the restaurant,on the beautiful terrace or in the garden. Continue Reading »