Italian Lakes Wedding Blog - Destination Weddings Italy

It is a medieval charming jewel.
Santa Maria Assunta Church is surely one of the most beautiful churches in the Italian Lakes District. It was photographed by Vogue and even from some important bridal magazines, too.

From its main entrance the view is stunning, it embraces old Orta San Giulio village, precious San Giulio Island and Alps crown. If you will decide to get married here, all your guests will be just delighted.

Orta little village is the pearl of the lake. Its narrow car traffic free roads lead to main square to admire Orta in all its charm.
From main square start a little climbing road that lead to Santa Maria Assunta Church.
Coasting this ancient road there are wonderful medieval and 1700 buildings with frescoes and stuccoes. It seems a fairy tale that could be the perfect and unforgettable frame for you and your guests. Continue Reading »

If you are looking for a special location for your wedding on one of the Italian lakes, a location which is far beyond the ordinary then Villa Crespi will be definitely the right one for you.

Villa Crespi,a former princes’ residence of the 18s century, built in moresque style and facing the Orta lake has no equivalent in Europe: only few other wedding venues can compete with it’s fascination and charme of ancient oriental fairy tales.

To give you an idea of this marvellous place I would like to invite you to take a glance at the PHOTO GALLERY, created by Enrico Mocci from Studio ArteFotoArona at Orta San Giulio. Enrico Mocci is a photographer specalised in weddings. His style is warm, intriguing, rich in facettes of light and shadow; and he is experienced in weddings at Villa Crespi.

The photo gallery I show you today has been taken from Eibhlin and Paul’s wedding and Sandra and Jeremy’s. These 2 examples illustrate in a perfect way Enrico Mocci’s qualities as photographer in synergy with the oriental beauty of the enchanting Hotel Villa Crespi at Orta San Giulio.

Please notice how briliantly accompanied both photographic albums are by singer Karin Brides. Thanks to her vast repertiore, ranging from Opera to Cabaret/Chanson and Jazz/Blues, soprano Karin Brides is the perfect choice for an elegant and sophisticated accompaniment during your wedding day at Villa Crespi.

As floral designer I’m always looking for interesting and creative solutions but this always depends on bridegrooms choices!
To give you an example Rossella and Giorgio’s wedding was a great occasion to work on a charming theme to me: autumn colors.
Rossella and Giorgio got married last Saturday in Orta San Giulio, lake Orta. A simple ceremony at Villa Bossi followed by a nice reception in wonderful atmosphere of Palazzo Penotti Ubertini.
Bridegroom’s wishe was having a color scheme that could reflect intense Autumn colors with some elements recalling this romantic season that lots of poets love.
As far as the floral arrangements, bouquet and ceremony table arrangement were concerned I opted for a strong contrast between chocolate brown and purple smoothen by soft shades.
I used Black Baccara rose, Leucodendron with Hypericum berries, dry Hydrangea and Gypsum leaves.
On tables at Palazzo Penotti Ubertini I completed the arrangements with rose petals, pine cones and chestnuts.
You can see the final result above. I really hope you like it too!

We love Italy: we love its people, its language, its food, its culture, its nature, etc. Therefore, getting married in Italy was the obvious choice.
But where? After thorough research and multiple research weekends in Italy (oh, the sacrifices one has to make…) we came to the conclusion that it would have to be in the picturesque Orta San Giulio. This lovely town even has its town hall on the lake (Lago d’Orta), allowing the bride and groom (or in our case: bride and bridesmaid) to arrive in a (rowing) boat!

We (bride, groom and guests) all stayed at hotel Leon d’Oro, that is situated right in the heart of the town (Piazza Motta) on the lake. Our rooms were immaculate and the friendly assistance we received from the staff really made us feel very welcome! We had welcome drinks for our guests on one of the terraces of the hotel overlooking the lake and the Isola San Giulio. Just perfect!

When the flowers arrived on our wedding day, we knew for sure that La Piccola Selva had been the right choice for the floral arrangements. We had had quite specific ideas about what the bouquet and corsages would have to look like and were very happy to see that La Piccola Selva had been able to bring it all together so beautifully. As per our request, it had also provided us with a special flower decoration for the stroller of our little niece. Great Paola, thank you! Continue Reading »

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 »

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 »

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 »

If you are wishing an Italian Wedding with a religious ceremony, the area between Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore is just perfect. This area is very rich in churches and sanctuaries located in panoramic setting such as Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso, Sanctuary of Madonna della Bocciola, or in medieval village as Maria Assunta church in Orta San Giulio or St.Rocco church in Corconio. There are even some churches in the wild nature such as Madonna di Luzzara church or Oratorio di St. Sebastiano in Lesa, just near Stresa.
Some others are monastery just on the lake as Eremo of St.Caterina del Sasso on Lombardy shore of Lake Maggiore or monk’s convent of Mesma Sacred Mountain.
Among the most magical spots for a religious wedding we cannot forget about Sacred Mountains built between XVI and XVII centuries. These religious buildings have a deep symbolic and cultural meaning and they are simply beautiful. They are perfectly integrated in a natural landscape made of woods, hills and lakes. These places have a high artistic value for their statues and chapels some are also part of UNESCO heritage.
In Italy there are 9 sacred mountains spread all over between Piemonte and Lombardy. Among those, the ones situated on Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore are the most fascinating and strongly recommended from Italian Lakes Wedding for your religious wedding in Italy.
These are Sacro Monte of SS Trinity’of Ghiffa, and Sacred Mountain of Orta San Giulio, two sacred complexes characterized from the perfect fusion between surrounding landscape: wood, architecture, lake view are the elements that make unique this settings just perfect for a wedding on the lakes.