The Palace of the Town Hall – to celebrate your civil wedding – is in the heart of the old city center, just next to the lovely small port, giving a special frame to your forever love promise to each other. Or do you prefer a catholic ceremony? The little roman church of San Nicolò with frescos from the 3rd century is just on the other side of the port, in direct closeness of the central square. The majestic Castle dominating the town is a perfect location to shoot some very special wedding photos, while your guests will enjoy a refreshing aperitif on the terrace of one of the lakeside restaurants.

Then to complete the picture of the enchanting environment, the Town Hall just put at the disposal the historical building of the Venetian Customs, only few steps from the Town Hall, that now can be used also for wedding receptions. From here that Venice controlled for long centuries the commerce on the Lake Garda, but now the medieval building hides a brand new interior design, offering a really special set for a very exclusive reception for your guests. The structure includes two large modular areas, which can host 350 people overall, and is characterized by a typical Venetian construction, with a larch truss roof of ancient origins, and two arches facing the lake forming a usable open space for an open-air aperitif before the wedding dinner, to enjoy the great view of the lake with the small romantic port in front. The excellent fusion of this fantastic monumental setting with cutting-edge technologies has made this renewed multifunctional centre one of the most elegant, exclusive events venues in the province of Verona.

Otherwise, if your wish is to continue the wedding day in a more traditional, elegant villa instead of the Customs building, there is a splendid XIXth century villa part of fantastic Thermal Park, where you can enjoy fully the relax also the days after the wedding with some snuggling massages and beauty treatments, or simply just taking sun around the swimming pool. Large italian garden, and historic residence buildings complete the offer of the Villa.

40 different hotels are at the disposal of your guests to find the best rooms answering to their needs in terms of taste and budget, and many many restaurants and bars are offering great opportunity to discover the town center the night before with a rehearsal dinner, or the days after the big day.
Historic charm, a gorgeous environment with a mix of modern cutting edge structures and romantic villas….all this with delicious local cuisine….the success of your dream wedding is guaranteed in Lazise, the medieval pearl of Lake Garda.

Virag Lochinger is the Italian Lakes Wedding’s coordinator for lake Garda area: having numerous years of experience in marketing and event management, she is a very accurate and trustful person to organize your very special wedding in the beautiful lakeshores of Garda.

For more information about weddings in Lazise, Lake Garda, please contact us.

All Images © Italian Lakes Wedding and Flavio Sartori photographer, www.extraordinario.it
Started to work on wedding photographs in 1989, so a good 20 years ago, Flavio Sartori arrived to develop it’s unique style of the colours’ usage mixing the art of painting with photo shooting. He likes strong colours and their contrasts to use in order to underline the key meassage of the pictures. Always looking for new creative stimuli in his free style photograph, without poses, he reaches real feelings on his spontaneous images. His strong point next to the spontaneity is the care and responsibility with which he follows his weddings: he is there until the end to make sure that all is fine with the client. This is because he has 1 thing very important in this profession: the true passion to capture the moments forever. To learn more about him and his work visit www.extraordinario.it .

Times changed but atmosphere you can breath there is still the same!
Stresa is one of the most famous touristy Northern Italy destination thanks to its wonderful nature and easy accessibility.
Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées is located right into a stunning secular park with precious marble statues. Its beautiful fountains at the entrance with its elaborated statue is one of the most famous places on Stresa lake sidewalk.

Hotel is just in front of the lake just fews steps from Stresa main center. The view from its rooms is simply spectacular: you can see beautiful Borromeans Islands ad Alps surrounding the lake.

Across the years the hotel has been constantly renewed, just keeping its Belle Epoque style. Common areas are decorated with wonderful plants and flowers, Murano chandeliers, colored mosaics.
At night atmosphere is even more elegant thanks to piano bar playing.

Marble restrooms, antique furniture, rich tapestries and Murano chandeliers create a rich and conformable atmosphere. Every stage of the hotel has a own gallery inspired by a certain period of italian art.

Function rooms are able to host up to 350 people. Fine and elegant restaurant can offer a gourmand cuisine with many traditional courses too. Very skilled staff, chef and modern equipments are able to guarantee a wonderful and qualified service.

Chef composed wedding menu suggestions for every kind of taste and need. As far as the organization of the event is concerned, hotel is able to provide suggestions on menus, photographers, florist and solve all little concerns related to the planning of the event.

Hotel has also two swimming pools, tennis court, indoor swimming pool, a bright gym, steam bath, hammam and wellness center that can assist bride and ladies during the preparation for the wedding with professional hair style and make up.

The ones who read Hemingway know that one of his most famous novel – Farwell to Arms – has been set on Lake Maggiore. Many other artists and intellectuals loved this place and have been inspired by deep waters surrounded by Alps and stunning vegetation. We can remember Flaubert, Wagner, Goethe, Oscar Wilde, G.B. Shaw and many others.

Nowadays remembering this wonderful period, these lovely places on the coast are still a perfect destinations for glamour weddings. We would like to suggest you an elegant and charming event in one of these historical hotels on the lake.
Let’s go discovering them thanks to wonderful images taken by Claudio Fogli and Piero Gatti photographers. They both know very well the area and they have a long experience for weddings on best venues of the area.

Our trip discovering historical hotels on Lake Maggiore begins from Stresa. The most famous destination is Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées for sure. It faces lake shore right into a wide secular park. From its rooms you will enjoy a wonderful view on Borromean Islands and Alps. The hotel garden host a famous and wonderful marble fountain one of the most known places in Stresa.

Regina Palace Hotel is very famous too. It was opened in 1908 and recently renewed. Regina Palace is a leading liberty style hotel that was able to keep the same appeal and atmosphere of fin de siècle. A wonderful garden surrounds the hotel, the ideal set for stunning wedding pictures.

Grand Hotel Bristol is the only neoclassical building on Stresa Lake sidewalk. Hotel Bristol is very elegant and fine. It has all luxury and leading hotel features: boiserie, rich tapestries, crystal and marble chandeliers and even glass domes and wonderful carpets. Outdoor swimming pool is right into a rich park overlooking Isola Bella.

Lido Palace Hotel, opened in 1857, is located in Baveno – between Stresa and Verbania. Hotel has an amazing past, a magic view over Borromeo Islands and a tasteful cuisine. It combines modern structures comforts to traditional and romantic style that has delighted visitors for more than a century. Queen Victoria stayed here during her visit in 1879 and Winston Churchill choose it to spend his honeymoon.

Going North we would like to suggest a wonderful Hotel. It is one of the few with direct access to the lake. It is located in Pallanza just in front of little Island of San Giovanni. Grand Hotel Majestic is just few steps from Pallanza center walking distance or boat distance from town hall where you could set your lovely civil ceremony.

You will enjoy a lovely aperitif in the garden of the hotel or on one of the terraces and a gourmand dinner to follow in beautiful Toscanini Room that can host up to 150 people. This room takes its name from famous Maestro that spent some time here and also took the occasion to direct a little orchestra. A very elegant destination!

Here we finish the first part of our trip discovering historical hotels on Lake Maggiore. We will be back telling you about some others finding our other wonderful places on this lake.

After more than 300 years, Grand Tour tradition – the long and legendary travel across Europe that young British aristocrats used to do – continues. We hope that you fell in love with the poetry hidden behind these wonderful hotels on Lake Maggiore. They are not just hotels but they have many stories to tell and live.
These are exclusive and fine destinations for the ones who want to know real Italian elegance!

Valentina Lombardi is the Italian Lakes Wedding coordinator for Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore area. She follows Italian and foreign bridegrooms who wish to celebrate their wedding in Piemonte and Italian Lakes area.
Valentina is Italian; she has worked in event organization business for years before becoming a wedding planner.

For more information about wedding venues and hotels on Lake Maggiore, please contact us.

All images © Italian Lakes Wedding and:
Photo 1, Palazzo Borromeo: Piero Gatti – Foto Smile, Baveno
Photo 2, Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées
Photo 3, Grand Hotel Des Iles Borromeès: Piero Gatti – Foto Smile, Baveno
Photo 4, Hotel Regina Palace: Claudio Fogli – Foto Pony, Pallanza
Photo 5, Grand Hotel Bristol: Claudio Fogli – Foto Pony, Pallanza
Photo 6, Lido Palace Hotel: Claudio Fogli – Foto Pony, Pallanza
Photo 7, Grand Hotel Majestic: Claudio Fogli – Foto Pony, Pallanza
Photo 8, Grand Hotel Majestic: Claudio Fogli – Foto Pony, Pallanza

All Italian Lakes Wedding Team is very proud of it. The hotel is one of the most exclusive and famous on Lake Maggiore. It was built during 1800 in Belle Epoque style. Most famous people stayed in it. Grand Hotel Des Iles Borromées is the ideal destination for a wonderful and unforgettable wedding on the lakes.

We are publishing shortly a more detailed post on this wonderful leading hotel and Valentina will also tell you about best historical hotels on Lake Maggiore, Piedmont side. Stay tuned!

It has been some months that Stresa mayor gave his availability to conduct civil legal ceremonies on wonderful Isola dei Pescatori of Borromean Islands directly. We have already mentioned this lovely archipelagos in some of our previous articles we posted, telling you about wonderful Botanic garden to Isola Madre and extraordinary Borromean Palace to Isola Bella. Isola dei Pescatori (fishermen’s Island) is the third one of this group.

The small harbor of the island is well protected from wind, preserving a few left fishermen boats made exclusively of wood. The main street of the island is very picturesque, short, narrow and full up with shops, small cafes, restaurants and beautiful stone houses.

Must be very interesting living here, where everything looks so friendly and easygoing. Some terraces are decorated with fishing nets or equipment telling us who is living in. Houses, decorated with lots of greenery, are congested making a kind of wall, which protect the inner street from cold northern winds.
Ancient Church of San Vittore is definitely worth a visit whilst you are there.

Italian Lakes Wedding Team will be pleased to help you arranging a wonderful event on this spot of Lake Maggiore. Groom and guests could reach islands with a ferry boat leaving from Stresa or Baveno or other lovely town on lakeshore. Right after will come the bride on a decorated boat for her own. Everybody will wait for her on Island pier.

After a romantic and rich ceremony, bride and groom will enjoy a touristy trip on the lake to take their wedding pictures directly on the boat or the wonderful islands and corners of Borromean archipelagos. Guests could enjoy a bot trip too, admiring and knowing better this lovely lake. They will also have a nice aperitif directly on the boat.

Receptions venues are many for sure! We have just told you about the beach resort for a casual wedding, 1700 and 1800 villas on the shores on the hills above Stresa, Pallanza and Ghiffa with great view on the Lake. Soon we will also tell you more about famous luxury hotels located in Stresa and Pallanza that are dated back to 1800!

For the ones who are looking for an intimate reception, we suggest to stop to Isola dei Pescatori to taste a delicious dinner in one of the good restaurants of this Italian corner of Lake Maggiore. Here you will taste the best fish cuisine of the area.

But if you are looking for something really unique we will be happy to help you arranging a reception directly on one of the boat of Compagnia di Navigazione del Lago Maggiore (Navigation Company of Lake Maggiore). Thanks to an excellent catering service we could arrange for you a very original dinner for groups up to 100 guests. An itinerary special event where you will taste good food and great wines while listening great music and enjoy an unforgettable view!

Discover the hidden charm of the Isola dei Pescatori and lovely Lake Maggiore, you will fall in love with them. This is just fascinating, the ideal wedding destination!

Valentina Lombardi is the Italian Lakes Wedding coordinator for Lake Maggiore area. She follows Italian and foreign bridegrooms who wish to celebrate their wedding in Piemonte and Italian Lakes area.
Valentina is Italian; she has worked in event organization business for years before becoming a wedding planner.

For more information about civil legal wedding on Isola dei Pescatori, Lake Maggiore, please contact us.

All Images © Italian Lakes Wedding and:
Photo 1: Claudio Fogli – Foto Pony, Pallanza
Photo 2: Giorgio Gnemmi, Artefoto
Photo 3: Claudio Fogli – Foto Pony, Pallanza
Photo 4: Raffaello Mazzoleni, Artefoto
Photo 5: Claudio Fogli – Foto Pony, Pallanza
Photo 6: Photo27.com – Milan
Photo 7: Piero Gatti – Foto Smile, Baveno
Photo 8: Photo27.com – Milan
Photo 9: David Christian Lichtag

Keeping on exploring most beautiful venues on Lake Maggiore we would like to talk you about two interesting venues to arrange a unique and special event on lake shores: a beach wedding!
On Piemonte side of Lake Maggiore there are two beach resorts that are just perfect to arrange a fantastic beach wedding: Lido di Baveno and Lido di Stresa. Both venues are casual but also elegant and fine.

But what is really special on this venues is the possibility to organize a legal catholic ceremony or a legal civil ceremony on the open air just on the beach.
Isn’t it just wonderful?

Ceremony in this case will have breathtaking feel that you and your guest will remember forever!
Without any transfer you and your guests will taste your aperitif on the beach and a lovely dinner menu – with fish and typical courses on the region – will be served in the rooms inside or under the wonderful marquee on the beach with lake view.
With right details these two venues will add a touch of exotic to your party.

We imagine for you a flower arch for the ceremony and many rose petals e and lanterns on the bride’s path to altar. Then beautiful centerpieces with water, candles and flowers such as roses or orchids that recall lake theme.
Another detail to think of is that, giving the right time notification, your party can be enlarged up to very late at night with dances and open bar.
Coastal lights will be the frame for your wedding cake cut with dozen of torches on the beach and floating candles on the water.
A real beach wedding, a surprise for a unique wedding on Lake Maggiore.

Excellent value for money is in fact the Hotel L’Approdo’s winning card, offering all the services of a fine 4 star hotel, and the comforts and quality of a top rate restaurant at a decidedly competitive price.

If you dream of an al fresco wedding party, consider that the hotel’s lakeside garden offers opportunities for scenic symbolic ceremonies, cocktail parties and aperitifs.

Indoors, the Calla Room has an elegantly calm atmosphere as well as a magnificent view over the lake. The hotel also takes the bride and groom to the Isle of San Giulio in their motorboat, a quite special place for quite unique wedding pictures. This is the hotel’s wedding gift to the newly weds, a detail not to be overlooked.

The Approdo also offers the expert assistance of their Marketing Manager, an English native speaker. She can assist you with everything from transfers from Milan’s Malpensa airport to the hotel, to the arrangement of tables, and the flower arrangements to put on them, and the choice of wedding cake, and photos on the island in the hotel’s private motorboat.

The Ristorante La Terrazza is well known for its cuisine, fine wedding menus featuring traditional and regional specialities with a touch of creativity and an excellent range of fine wines selected for the occasion.

The Italian Lakes Wedding team wishes the Hotel L’Approdo an excellent season and many superb weddings on the lake shore!

Today I would like to tell you about Piazza Motta, Orta Main Square. Lots of people just love sitting here in a lovely bistro admiring the lake and St. Julius island, thanks of its elegant and charming appearance.

As in many other ancient Italian villages on the lakes, Piazza Motta has its three sides made up by ancient buildings where you will find bistro, cafes, hotels, restaurants or little boutiques. The forth side is just on the lake shores. You will enjoy the lake and St. Julius Island through a row of horse-chestnuts trees.

If you are thinking about getting married in Orta San Giulio, consider Piazza Motta a lovely spot for your wedding photographs. It is just few minutes walk from Villa Bossi, the town hall for civil ceremonies or Assunta Church for religious ones. Photographers loves the setting too and most of them have pictures of couples on the square on their portfolios. From the boat pier bride and groom and maybe the bridal party, could take a motorboat and reach St. Julius Island. Thanks to its intimacy and quiet atmosphere it offers a perfect frame for other stunning pictures.

Piazza Motta is the vital center of Orta San Giulio. Can you imagine?
Every Wednesday you could see the local market since 1228!
On North side of the square there is a building called Il Palazzotto the Community Place. It was built in 1582 with the same style of ancient Town Halls in other bigger Italian cities. It has a portico below and a wide room with windows at the first floor. In this room Community Council used to meet and discuss. It has a wonderful fresco depicting “Holy Mary with St. Francis”. The lovely little tower bel on the top was added later just as Count Bishops of Novara coat who ruled San Julius Riviera for more than a century. This building was the Community court house too. Every Wednesday, same day of the market, the governor used to open the court managing justice. Among many coats and frescoes there is one of the mysterious lady facing on a window on the rear side of the Palazzotto. Her smiling face gives a joyful idea to the building in spite of the utilization this building had.

Italian Lakes Wedding have worked for many here and still works in Orta San Giulio. Hiring one of our wedding coordinators means relaxing and working with high level professionals that will follow you step by step in every single legal and planning aspect of your wedding on Lake Orta.

Valentina Lombardi is the Italian Lakes Wedding coordinator for Lake Maggiore area. She follows Italian and foreign bridegrooms who wish to celebrate their wedding in Piemonte and Italian Lakes area.
For more information about Weddings in Orta San Giulio please contact us.

All Images © Italian Lakes Wedding and:
Photo 1: Ivana Porta, Torino
Photo 2: Enrico Mocci – ArteFotoArona
Photo 3: Estella & Diego – Photo27.com
Photo 4: Raffaello Mazzoleni – ArteFoto Omegna
Photo 5: Giorgio Gnemmi – ArteFoto Omegna

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.

Many charming Agritourism immersed in the nature are pleased to welcome your wedding reception if you’re looking for a country-chic style, that perfectly fit with genuine food, bucolic context and presence of children. The idea of using typical Italian products of the Agritourism as wedding favors will be also very appreciated!

While half an hour distance by car majestic portcullis open the sight to typical Veneto style ancient Villas for a classic, elegant party, to feel like a Queen and its King…
Your wedding in an ancient italian Castle overlooking a splendid Lake as Garda one, it’s not a dream anymore!

All Images © Mauro Pozzer.
Mauro Pozzer was born in Vicenza and he’s a Lake Garda lover.
He’s a wedding photographer with a long experience in ceremonial photography.
His unique style captures the events and its unique details emphasizing with his shots emotions and expressions of each special event.
For a gallery of wedding reportages please visit his website www.mauropozzer.com

Virag Lochinger is the Italian Lakes Wedding’s coordinator for lake Garda area: having numerous years of experience in marketing and event management, she is a very accurate and trustful person to organize your very special wedding in the beautiful lakeshores of Garda.
For more information about Weddings in Malcesine please contact us.

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!