Italian Lakes Wedding Blog - Destination Weddings Italy

We hired Estella & Diego for our wedding in Varenna, lake Como in July 2008. They really worked hard for us all day long and were very discrete. Their charm, quick thinking and patience immediately put us at ease.
We received our photos and were delighted; they captured every detail of the entire day.
The quality and creativity of their photographs were very impressive. I would highly recommend them.

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.

Our wedding was in spring which I thought should be reflected in the floral scheme. I had some very unique and specific ideas regarding what I wanted which unfortunately meant I couldn’t simply show a florist a photograph and ask her to copy it.
I spent a lot of time with Monika explaining my vision and I think the challenge of trying out something new appealed to her. She was prepared to follow my requests but wasn’t afraid to give her input. We had to have a contingency plan in case the flowers I wanted weren’t available at the time of the wedding so it was nice to be given updates as to what was in the bloom the weeks before the big day.

The result was spectacular - my first tears on my wedding day was when I saw my bouquet! Monika is a perfectionist and I could tell on the day that he too was pleased with her work.

Of course, I couldn’t have achieved such results without Clara who firstly introduced us and secondly spent endless hours translating between the two of us and coordinating with the other suppliers so they would know how their products (car, wedding cake etc.) would be presented. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, I arrived back from honeymoon to see that mine was bouquet of the month!

We were so scared our wedding would fly by that we decided to have a weekend of celebrations instead of a day. Felix worked tirelessly the entire weekend so that we now have an excellent reportage of the entire time, from the preparations right through to the celebrations. By the end he had lots of new friends (he was more of a guest than a photographer!) and we have some of the most amazing photos.

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It is my pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Italian Lakes Wedding team: Giovanna Benati of Poker d’Eventi, a wedding planner agency based in Verona, Italy.
I recently spoke with Giovanna about Poker d’Eventi and how the company can help you plan a destination wedding on lake Garda.

• Giovanna, could you tell me something about yourself and how you became involved in wedding planning?
  After working for many years in the organisation of events for large companies and often in extremely formal situations, a close friend of mine called me to give her a hand with the organisation of her own wedding.
  Time was short (as is always the case with large companies and big events and conferences) and I helped in making the wedding a fantastic experience for everybody.
  I have to say that what made this experience unforgettable for me was to see my friend so relaxed and free to enjoy the day, leaving everything in my hands. She even allowed me to be as creative as I wanted and that is how the passion for this work was born.
• What is your favourite part about event planning?
  I think the most exciting moment is when I present my ideas and plans to the couple. Their faces light up at being able to imagine their wedding and they can finally begin to get excited about the day.
• Where are your top three picks to have a destination wedding in lake Garda?
  Lake Garda offers so many options for the creation of a wedding that I really wouldn’t know how to choose. I like to give couples the chance (if possible) to see some of the lake and a few of the locations that I have selected before coming up with final choices. If I were to get married again however I’d love a wedding on water, an event on a boat.
• Is it difficult for non-residents to get married in lake Garda? What are the requirements?
  No it really isn’t a problem in my experience, the people at the town hall actually seem happy to help in the completion of documents etc. Obviously each case needs to be looked at separately and documents also need to be prepared in the country of origin, but we calculate the time for all paper work in the organisation.
• After the wedding, what nearby romantic places might couples want to visit?
  After travelling so far, many couples see Venice (and a trip on a gondola) as a stone throw away, Florence is a popular stop over and of course Verona with Juliet’s balcony and the Arena Opera House is a must but I think the most romantic and enchanting place is ‘Castel San Pietro’ where the most breath taking view of Verona from above can be experienced.
• Do you have any advice for folks who’d like to get married in lake Garda?
  Plan ahead. Garda and the various locations suitable for such an event are becoming more and more popular so we need to book in advance. With enough time we really have no limits as to what can be achieved.

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A good photographer is of major importance both during and after your event; you should choose it carefully to avoid any disappointment.
You would want someone that can relax you while shooting and can establish a good connection with your guests to make sure that they enjoy being photographed and look natural in the pictures.

Listed below are a few tips that might help you shortlist the most talented ones:

• Bored with the usual cheesy shots? Search beyond wedding photographers if you are looking for cool and stylish images. Many fashion and lifestyle photographers can normally be hired for important events as well…and what is more important than your special day? Fashion photographers are great when it comes to portraits of you getting ready and walking around in your gorgeous wedding gown…lifestyle ones are ideal for parties and their pictures are bound to reflect the magic atmosphere of your reception!
• Do not splash on decoration while saving on a photographer by trusting the ability of friends and family (unless they are professionals). The photos are the only lasting memories of your day, you will be sharing them with your children and grandchildren in the years to come and you just want them to be perfect. Top photographers do charge a lot for a reason…years and years of experience that provided them with a great eye and the ability to play with the light.
• Search the Internet to come up with an initial list of names, look at their websites and pick the ones that grab your attention. Contact them, ask them to send you their portfolio and prices but most importantly meet them in person to test the chemistry you have with them.

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