Italian Lakes Wedding Blog - Destination Weddings Italy

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.
Continue Reading »

My name is Martha J.

I have been working in the Italian music scene for more than twenty years and in the last few years part of my activities has been focused on private parties (weddings, anniversaries…) and corporate events (conventions, meetings,…).

In my experience, I saw many brides and grooms spend a lot of time and efforts in choosing the right “ingredients” for their big day: a perfect dress, a nice church, lovely surroundings, a gorgeous villa, beautiful flowers…
What they much too often leave as a last minute choice is music, which is considered a less important “ingredient”.

Remember that music represents the soundtrack of you wedding day and a good soundtrack can make the difference!

That’s why I am here to help you find the right music for you big day!

A wedding without music is like a movie without a soundtrack!
Let me help you find the right soundtrack for your big wedding day!

Our secret is that: you have fun…because we have fun! We can change the musical program according to your requests; we can change musical styles just reading-through your guests’ tastes.

It will be a pleasure for me to play at your wedding or to help you stage the music that suits your tastes, because I am sure that, in the years coming, when you close your eyes and think of your big day, my music will play again in your heart!

As a wedding coordinator I travel a lot in Piemonte organizing events: Langhe, Monferrato, Olympic valleys near Sestriere, up to Stresa and Pallanza on Lake Maggiore.
Every single place has a special appeal but nowhere is like enchanting Lake Orta to me. Planning a wedding in Orta San Giulio is always a magic emotion…

This was also in for Luisa and Massimiliano’s wedding.
A Saturday in the beginning of this summer. The day begins with a shady sun that soon turns in a wonderful, sunny and warm day. Just like Luisa wished.
Luisa and I have worked together for months, just one close to the other to plan her wedding in every single detail. Continue Reading »

The string quartet is the ideal size of ensemble for most events ranging from a handful of guests up to a few hundred or more. The combination of two violins, viola and cello can create a wide range of textures and moods varying from the most subtle and delicate to a full, rich string sound, which carries equally well in small or large halls, outdoors, or in a marquee.
A string quartet can add the perfect touch to your wedding day, whether entertain the guests for the drinks reception or playing music for the bride walking down the aisle. A string quartet is completely mobile and requires no power supply. This makes it an ideal choice for a civil ceremony or a summer wedding, where guests may move outside for drinks and back inside for dinner. Some of the most well known pieces you might hear a string quartet play at a wedding or private party are “Canon In D” by Johann Pachelbel, “Air On the G String” by Johann Sebastian Bach, and excerpts from “The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi.
Whether you have chosen to have a Church or Civil wedding ceremony, music is surely the most important factor in creating the perfect classical and romantic atmosphere. Choosing music to suit your wedding day can be a difficult task. The Koiné String Quartet can provide music at any point during your wedding day, whether it be the ceremony itself, the hotel drinks reception in the afternoon, as background music during the wedding meal, or indeed after the meal itself as live music and entertainment.
All professional musicians, the Koiné String Quartet is a young and vibrant ensemble based in Piemonte that has been playing for weddings and corporate functions throughout lake Orta, lake Maggiore, lake Como and lake Garda. since 2003. Continue Reading »

On September 4, 2004 Isola Madre on the Borromeans Islands has been the perfect scenario for the wedding of the decade: John Elkann, Fiat heir, married Donna Lavinia Borromeo of Princes of Angera at the Cappella Bianca on the Isola Madre.
John Elkann is the chiselled 28-year-old grandson of the late Gianni Agnelli. Following the death of his uncle Umberto, Elkann was promoted to the vice-chairmanship of Fiat, becoming the head of Italy’s grandest family in the process.
Princess Lavinia Borromeo is the last descendant of the Borromeo family: this noble family was the owner of the islands for centuries. Borromeo family is one of the premier Italian families that became rich through trade and banking.
Lavinia Borromeo and John Elkann made up a beautiful couple: she was 26, he was 28. They had a beautiful wedding: the ceremony and wedding took place at the Cappella Bianca, at Isola Madre in Lake Maggiore, which is property of the bride’s family. Father Biagio Pizzi and Don Giuseppe Volpati presided over the ceremony. The church was adorned with white and yellow flowers. From the seven hundred guests invited to the reception, only the relatives and close friends of the couple were able to enter the small church.
The bride wore a Valentino’s gown and she complemented it with a splendid lace veil that is running in the Borromeo family for many years. Valentino was also in charge of the dresses worn by the bridesmaids, Beatrice and Matilde (sisters of the bride), as well as by Isabella Borromeo, who acted as witness. Continue Reading »

For our wedding in Stresa and Isola dei Pescatori - Lake Maggiore - we had special ideas of the art of photos. The photos should be taken very natural, many close-ups and moment-shoots from us but also from all our guests.
By good references we found Estella & Diego. Young, very nice and friendly and all the time professional they accompanied us the whole day – up from the early morning by dressing up until the wedding-dance at night. As they work as a Duo they take photos with two aspects. Both are working with a lot of passion, special feelings to catch the rights moments and a lot of gorgeous details. Their manner of work is very discreet, like chameleons. We and none of our guests had never the situation of being disturbed in close moments and it was fun having them around us.
The result of their work was breathtaking – and we are very, very happy and thankful to had them as our photographers. After 2 months we are looking the photos quiet often and keep these beautiful memories of our important day in our hearts – and images!

View more pictures about Barbara and Daniel wedding in Lake Maggiore.

Of the recent new hotels in the region of the Italian lakes, the Hotel Cortese in Armeno represents a uniquely successful example of the skillful blending of tradition and modernity. A perfect synthesis which, when expressed through the charm of this authentic architectural jewel at the heart of an incomparable location, provides the ideal setting in which to celebrate your wedding in refined style.

The use of local stone, precious woods and wrought-iron (typical crafts of the area) create a unique and charming atmosphere in which time seems to stop, allowing us to recover the pleasures of life at a slower pace – and thus to savour that most special of happy days.

Immersed in the tranquil scenic surroundings of Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore, only minutes away from the village of Orta San Giulio, the town of Stresa and the spectacular panorama of Mount Mottarone, the Hotel Cortese enjoys the magical atmosphere of a little historic village: the use of local stone, precious woods and wrought-iron (typical crafts of the area) create a unique and charming atmosphere in which time seems to stop, allowing us to recover the pleasures of life at a slower pace – and thus to savour that most special of happy days. Continue Reading »

Many couples in Italy like something different than the traditional posed style of photography. They prefer a more natural approach to their wedding photography to show the fun and enjoyment of their wedding day with their families and friends in the Italian Lakes District.
There are many stories and vignettes at a wedding: the bride getting ready, ring bearer being coaxed to walk up the aisle, the bride’s mother watching the father-daughter dance. Moments like these, when photographed without posing, are Wedding Photojournalism or Wedding Reportage Photography.

So what is reportage wedding photography or wedding photojournalism? It is a way of photographing a wedding without setting up any of the photographs. The wedding photojournalist usually arrives well before the bride is dressed and stays until they take last photo of the bride and groom leaving the reception.
The photographer stays in the background and photographs events as they happen without any prompting. The advantage of reportage photography for the couple is they can spend more time with their wedding guests. This style of photography shows the atmosphere of the wedding and is non intrusive. The photographs are taken in a mixture of black & white and colour, telling the story of the day as it unfolds.
The Italian Wedding Photojournalist Raffaello Mazzoleni offer this method of photography for your celebration day in Italy. 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 for your wedding in Lake District you are looking for a unique and unforgettable venue, comparable to none, Villa Crespi is the perfect choice and it is strongly recommended by Italian Lakes Wedding team. Villa Crespi is a fairy tale venue similar to no one in all over Europe.

It is wonderful with its Moresque style that makes us think about “A thousand nights and a night” Persian homes, the richly decorated ceilings, its stuccoes, precious marbles and its minaret overlooking the lake.

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. Continue Reading »