Italian Lakes Wedding Planner

It certainly doesn’t happen every day to decorate a Ferrari for a wedding. But a few days ago this is exactly what I did for Elena and Giorgio’s wedding on Lake Orta.

Elena and Giorgio tied the knot on a lovely warm April day, just perfect for a photographic tour of the lake thanks to the motorboat their chosen location for the reception, the Hotel Ristorante L’Approdo, made available to them.

Although it is just a few days since the event, I am delighted to be able to show you a preview of their photographs, thank to the rapid work of Raffaello Mazzoleni of Studio ArteFoto Omegna.
In fact the rapid delivery he ensures is photographer Raffaello Mazzoleni’s winning card as he will hand over the DVD of a wedding in a maximum of three days and at a very competitive price too, especially considering that he is one of a small number of Italian professional photographers who belong to the WPJA, the prestigious American association which makes a worldwide selection among the finest photographers operating in journalism and weddings.

I was the flower designer who organised the decorations for the civil wedding ceremony, for the bride and for the table centres at the Hotel Ristorante L’Approdo. Elena wanted red and white as her colours and chose the rose as her principal flower. Continue Reading »

I must admit that the above title does not fully do justice to the location of which I’m going to talk you about today: a wedding at the Villa L’Antica Colonia is not only a “wedding with lake view”, but it’s definitely a lot more. Villa L’Antica Colonia is a perfect mix of history, nature, relaxation and romance, all emphasized by a breathtaking view of the Lake Orta. If you are looking for an intimate and exclusive, but at the same time spectacular location for your wedding, then Villa L’Antica Colonia can be the right location for you!

Villa L’Antica Colonia is located in Crabbia, a small village on the hills of the Lake Orta, a few minutes from Pettenasco. The structure is surrounded by a large green area and is an excellent starting point for interesting trips into nature and culture.
But the strongest point of the Villa L’Antica Colonia is the magnificent panorama that sweeps over much of the lake and the surrounding green mountains, reaching up to Orta and the Island of San Giulio, a real spectacular scenary!

Try to imagine your wedding party on the large terrace of the villa with fantastic view on the lake: an unforgettable event for you and your guests!

Built in the eighteenth century, the villa was for long time a church property. The large ground around the building, that in the beginning extended until the lake, was planted with vineyards and fruit trees and cultivated by the women of the village that were working for the clergyman. At the beginning of ’900 the villa was sold to a textile industry, which changed the property into a summer residence for the children of its employees, using part of the house for the breeding of the silk-worm in the winter season. It was later purchased by its actual owners, the family Manini-Maulini, who started the renovation of the property turning it into the beautiful villa we know today.

Villa L’Antica Colonia offers a unique and exclusive setting for your wedding: its prestigious balconies and arcades, between rustic and old, will give your wedding a scenario of the ancient times and a real magical atmosphere. Continue Reading »

Today I am going to talk to you about Yvonne and Savino’s wedding event: she is German and he is Italian, both living in Milan, and they are among the many couples who this year have made Lake Orta their chosen venue for their special day.

The wedding ceremony was performed against the enchanting backdrop of Orta’s Sacro Monte while Yvonne and Savino chose the elegant Hotel Ristorante L’Approdo in Pettenasco.
The photographer who recorded the event was Alessandro Balossi, certainly one of the best portrait photographers on Lake Orta. The two pictures we have published here are a splendid example of his ability to capture his subjects spontaneously and naturally.

I was asked by Yvonne and Savino to be their flower designer and to take care of every aspect of the floral decoration for their wedding. The color scheme was white and lilac , certainly one of the most popular combinations over the last year. Yvonne particularly wanted a bouquet which featured these colours but which at the same time would be special and quite unique, elegant but natural.

This gave me the idea to use the flowers of the lilac Hebe, which has always been one of my own favourite flowers.
The Hebe grows wild in New Zealand but can also live quite happily in our own gardens, above all the lilac flower is one of the most delicate and natural we can find in existence. Quite perfect for the bouquet that Yvonne wanted!

Apart from the Hebe, the other lilac flowers I used for Yvonne’s bouquet were Freesia and Lysanthius, while the white flowers were Avalanche roses and the Cymbidium orchid . Continue Reading »

Are you looking for a smart lakeside restaurant for your wedding reception? Is your budget on the low side and not up to the extravagant Italian wedding organised by Tom and Katie Cruise?
Are you on the look out for a restaurant that will go a long way to finding the right solution for you, with a gift for the bride and groom, a gesture that makes all the difference?
Picture this: the hotel motor boat taking you to the Island of San Giulio for your wedding photos. And, on request and according to your budget, the hotel will arrange the room for you, with chair covers and big bows, if that is what you wish for.

If you have chosen Lake Orta, then the Approdo at Pettenasco is the right place for you with its a restaurant with a fine garden on the lake shore, well known for its excellent cuisine, and with the assistance of a native English speaker, and a large sunny banqueting room overlooking the lake.
Last week, Laura and Michele chose the Ristorante L’Approdo for their reception, while they chose the professional work and life-long experience of Raffaello Mazzoleni for their photos: We have selected just a few of the magnificent shots he took in the lovely Calle Room, beautifully dressed up for the occasion.

Raffaello Mazzoleni is an experienced photographer who has specialised in weddings and has state of the art equipment to assist him: the award-winning Olympus E3 with superb accessories such as the Olympus Zuiko 7-14 mm wide-angle lens.

The last picture shows Laura and Michele on board the motorboat made available for their use free of charge by the Hotel Ristorante L’Approdo:
a gift offered to all newly-weds so that they can immortalise their magic moment on the lake, a superb reminder of their truly perfect day on Lake Orta.

It is most satisfying for us to be able to announce that the Hotel L’Approdo at Pettenasco, one of the finest on the lake, joined Italian Lakes Wedding at the beginning of March.
Just a short distance from Orta San Giulio, the Hotel Ristorante L’Approdo enjoys an unrivalled position on the lake shore and is the ideal location for a smart, stylish wedding that still has an attentive eye on budget.

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. Continue Reading »

Halloween night is coming!

Right for this magic event I created a centerpiece that reminds the classical Halloween theme: the pumpkin and the classical Autumn elements such as chestnuts, berries together with sunflowers, grapes, candles and beech leaves.

Flowers arrangements have been created in occasion of the Charity Gala Stelle del Lago d’Orta that took place at Hotel Approdo in Pettenasco which involved the most famous chefs of Lake Orta.

It could be a nice idea for a Fall Country wedding?
What do you think about this?