Italian Lakes Wedding Planner

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 »

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 »

It’s hard not falling in love with Malcesine Castle and above all, anytime I go there I’m again and again surprised by its beauty and the breathtaking views and landscapes.

September it’s a lovely month for a wedding on Lake Garda: the weather is mild and sunny, and all the guests can really enjoy the outdoor sceneries.

Our lovely bride Hayley and his father decided to reach the Castle by a funny blue Ape Car, sipping a glass of champagne.

The white dress shined under the sun and the groom Chris couldn’t wait to see her arriving!

After a short walk she finally came in the Castle and crossed the terrace at her father arm, accompanied by the Wedding March notes.

The ceremony, personalized with readings, poetries and music was really touching and unique. Continue Reading »

It’s the 3rd of October 2009: the weather is mild and spectacular and all the family is very excited for Andrew and Severine wedding day! The Groom comes from Malta and the Bride is Suisse, they both love the Lakes and especially Lake Como.

The wedding organization started last winter and the first step to do was the choice of the Church.
When I first show Andrew and Severine Mezzegra Church, it was love at first sight!
The impressive terrace in front of the majestic Church, the atmosphere and the kindness of Don Luigi cancelled any doubts!
After the catholic ceremony, the newlyweds wanted to offer their guests the unique emotion of reaching the reception venue by boat, cruising between the incredible Lake Como landscapes and Villas.

To realize their dream, we choose a location centrally located in Como.
A lovely ancient private Villa, surrounded by and accurate garden.

The rooms still maintain their original furniture which really gives the charm!

The big day has arrived!! Continue Reading »

Italian Lakes are simply magic: their atmosphere, their surroundings cannot be compared to other places in the world.
Many towns and villages are very famous already but the area still hold lot of surprises.

We’re very proud to introduce you a magnificent private Villa, called Villa San Martino, which is located on Lake Varese (the Lumbardy side of Maggiore Lake).

This venue is very particular due to its Liberty architecture style, absolutely unusual for the area.

The place is breathtaking from your arrival: the ancient gate opens the view on a large tree – lined promenade hiding the beautiful venue.

Once arrived up on the hill you’ll be surprised by an enchanting park and swimming pool overlooking the lake.

The outdoor area is perfect for a spring / summer wedding since this is so spacious and with such a lovely view.

This is the location chosen by a romantic pregnant bride in the last August month. Continue Reading »

We are back to telling you about Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées to inform of a great news! Stresa town hall gave the permission to celebrate a civil weddings in this wonderful hotel, in one of its wonderful rooms or just outside in amazing park overlooking the lake.

Thanks to photographer Piero Gatti’s – Studio Foto Smile Baveno – images, we can show you this wonderful idea.
Piero Gatti is an experienced photographer who worked many times at Grand Hotel des Iles de Borromées and in general on Lake Maggiore. Hiring him means having by your side a skilled professional who knows every secret of these places.

Stresa Mayor recently agreed for the possibility of a “twin ceremony” . Legal ceremony to be held to town hall building of 1700 in Stresa main center before and an extra ceremony conducted by Mayor himself, directly to Grand Hotel des Iles de Borromées.

Celebrating a wedding to Grand Hotel des Iles de Borromées means breath Belle Epoque atmosphere among rich tapestries, antique forniture, mosaics, Murano chandeliers and wonderful plants and flowers.

If you would like to have your civil ceremony outside, stunning gardens of the hotel could be the right frame for an unforgettable service among statues, marble fountains and azaleas, magnolias and oleanders. Continue Reading »

Since hotel opening in 1863, Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées was one of the leading hotels in Stresa Lake Maggiore, offering a luxury atmosphere for its famous clients discovering Italian Northern Lakes.

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. Continue Reading »

Lake Como is very famous all over the world for its beautiful surroundings, but sometimes its main City, Como, is the less known. And this is a sin! In fact Como Town offers lot of things to do and see all year long (not only during spring and summer). Como lies directly on the lake and has great shops, museums, churches, tea rooms and a famous theatre.
Have a wedding in Como means match both the beauty of the lake and the comfort of a city. In particular, civil weddings ceremonies can be performed in a splendid ancient Villa on the Lake protagonist of many artistic exhibitions. The location is public, with large gardens and an area reserved for the ceremony in order to guarantee the privacy.
Beautiful pictures can be done by the photographer before moving at the reception venue. In case you are oriented for a symbolic ceremony, this can be arranged directly in the splendid gardens of the private villa where also reception will take place.
After the ceremony and pictures, just few steps, walking on the lakeshore, the newlyweds and their guests can reach a really hidden beauty property for the aperitif, music and dinner.

This private Villa has beautiful rooms and gardens and offers different options in terms of rental (from only one room and gardens to the whole villa). Of course this doesn’t mean that more than one wedding is admitted at the same time! Simply, those rooms not rented remain locked.
The choice of the catering is free so there are thousand options: from classical to typical to extremely modern and refined or special ethnic etc…
Aperitif outdoor with live music or piano creates a special romantic atmosphere and for the dinner, depending on the weather, it’s possible to remain outdoor or moving inside the stunning decorated rooms continuing with music and party. Continue Reading »

The time of traditional weddings, those with long sitting hours and hours seems to arrive to its end. This is also because nowadays the wedding is not only about the couple, but becomes more and more an event, where the bride and groom wants to create a real entertaining day for all the guests.

Obviously, this depends on also about the area and locations you would like to have for your wedding, but in general we can say that the italian lakes are just perfect to a more dynamic wedding, as the lakes offer so much different opportunities, even mixed together. Who told you, that you have to chose your venue and that’s it? It is so difficult to choose amongst all those beautiful sceneries, villas with breathtaking terraces, tiny little bays with a fairytale romantic feeling, splendid castles with a rich history….Now you don’t have to choose just one of the locations, why not to mix them together? In this way you can enjoy the full the different availabilities of the lake, and also allow your guests to live different experiences without making the wedding day too heavy.

Your dream is to have your ceremony open-air in the garden? Take one of the many proposals, and rent the venue only for the ceremony . Or you can take the venue for the ceremony, then leave for some programs and come back later on, to enjoy at the same place the dinner….without staying there the whole day.

So why not to take a lovely boat trip all around the lake? In this way you can admire the most beautiful spots of the different corners, while your guests are having fun with some champagne in hand , or creating bubbles like kids. Continue Reading »

From the start of 2009 Lake Orta can boast a new and spectacular location for weddings: Villa Ortea, situated close to Pettenasco, in one of the most picturesque corners of the eastern lake shore and just a short distance from Orta and the island of San Giulio.
Ortea Villa is not just any old location: originally built in the early eighteenth century and has recently been restored with the aim of turning it into a structure dedicated to receive any type of event, with an internal capacity of up to 250 seats and completely functional in all respects: the large service areas for catering, private parking and above all the possibility of arranging the reception outdoors, taking advantage of the large terraces overlooking the lake or the beautiful park that surrounds it.

It has it’s own garden, the “pride and joy” of Villa Ortea, able to bestow the wedding couple and their guests a true “full immersion” into the greenery that few other locations are able to offer.
The park, which is structured over multiple levels covering a 20,000 square meter area, after decades of neglect has taken life again, thanks to the deep rooted passion for nature that owner Ms. Ariella and her sons Aron and Federico joyously share. Quickly becoming a kind of important botanical garden full of hundreds of different species, occasionally rare, to mention the more important, there are collections of Camellia, Rhododendron, Azalea and Kalmia, typical plants of the prealpine lake area of Piedmont that are shown by the virtue of their spectacular spring blooms.

If, however, you are thinking of getting married during the summer, given that the Villa Ortea park will delight you and your guests with a series of colourful blooms: from Hibiscus to Oleander and even to Hydrangea’s and some fine varieties of Lagestroemia that bestow you with the perfect setting for your wedding photographs, along with magnificent views of Lake Orta that stands in the background.

A beautiful and evocative walk lets you visit the whole park with extreme comfort, whilst meandering through the paths and discovering the most beautiful sights. At the top of the garden, a small romantic lake, sealed by a beautiful waterfall set among the rocks, calls for moments of tranquility and contemplation.
Villa Ortea is a unique location for weddings: come and discover it and you will be fascinated!