Italian Lakes Wedding Planner

We’ve mentioned this lovely news in our Just Married section. This was one of the most important event of 2010 Summer Season on Italian Lakes: Daniel and Tessa’s wedding on Lake Maggiore.

Tessa Brix is a Dutch model. She is also famous in her country for many TV spots and catwalks.
In 2003 she was Miss Netherlands Universe and she represented Netherlands to selections for Miss Universe in Turkey.
In 2005 she was chosen again to represent the Netherlands to Miss Europe in Paris.

It was a real honor for Italian Lakes Wedding Team hosting Tessa Brix wedding. We worked hard to make this happen and to let Tessa and Daniel enjoy their event in every single detail.
Valentina Lombardi – our planner for Lake Maggiore – followed the planning event, Monika Andenmatten followed floral design. Enrico Mocci was the photographer chosen by Tessa and Daniel to be their official photographer for their Big Day.

You will see here just few images of all the pictures but do not hesitate to see Tessa and Daniel’s PHOTO GALLERY. There are more than 60 images taken by Enrico Mocci who calibrated colors, lights and shades in a perfect way. Continue Reading »

Today a wonderful couple got married on lake Maggiore. Look at them, aren’t they wonderful?

Lake Maggiore had the honour to host Miss Universe Netherlands and model Tessa Brix today. His lucky groom Daniel is also very handsome!

They had a romantic ceremony at Villa Rusconi in Pallanza and they are keep on celebrating to amazing Villa Aminta in Stresa.
Congratulation Miss Universe Netherlands and Daniel!

Like last year, also this year RED is going to be one of our brides preferred color.
We spoke about Cinzia and Christian’s wedding on Lake Orta last day with a lot of red details inside. Today we would like to speak about Melissa and Cameron’s wedding.
A young American couple who choose Lake Maggiore and Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées for their Italian wedding.

Cinzia and Christian, Melissa and Cameron: two distant couple connected by a red themed wedding.

Red is color of love, a warm and passionate color. It is a interesting and charming color. In many cultures it is the representation of beauty. Indian, Mussels and Chines brides usually wear red to celebrate love, passion and romanticism.

Melissa and Cameron for their wedding chose to have red all around.
Just have a look to bridesmaids and flower girls dresses, groom tie and of course on the table centerpieces and bridal bouquet. Continue Reading »

We are happy to share with you another wonderful wedding held in Lake Maggiore today.
Paola and Giuseppe has just got married. Arent’ they wonderful?

Their wonderful ceremony was held in San Martino church (Lesa, lake Maggiore) and they are now celebrating their lovely reception at Villa Aminta in Stresa with their family and friends.

We will speak soon about this wonderful event in a special post.

It is always so nice thinking that more than being a romantic and happy moment, weddings could be a meeting between different people and different customs.
This wedding I will tell you about is a real example for that.
Francesco is Italian from Verbania on Lake Maggiore and Sarah has Indian heritage. Both live and work in London but chose to get married in Italy with Jehovist ceremony.

As Mariana and Matteo (main character of the picture who won the contest Shot of the Year 2009) Francesco deep love for his hometown affected Sarah. So this is the reason because they chose Lake Maggiore as frame for their wedding.

As floral designer I managed all flower arrangements for Sarah and Francesco’s wedding: from their ceremony who was held in Sala del Regno in Verbania and reception to Grand Hotel Dino in Baveno. Last but not least I created also bridal bouquet with red roses and wonderful sparkling Swarovski that Sarah brought from UK. Such a perfect choice! The lovely sunny weather made them sparkling all thay long just like little diamonds.

Religious ceremony with Jehovah service has been held in Sala del Regno in Verbania. It is a big and bright building with lovely garden.
Religious service of Jehovah’s Witnesses is very simple but surely strict. It follows rules that founder Charles Russell established in middle 1800 and spread through religious magazine The Watch Tower. Continue Reading »

Today I have the pleasure to introduce you a lovely Italian couple: Marialisa and Matteo.
Their wedding was a real mid summer wedding arranged between Mountains and Lakes.
First the ceremony on Church of Madonna del Boden and then down to Stresa on Lake Maggiore shores.

Church of Madonna del Boden is located on the road leading to small village of Ornavasso (close to Verbania – Piemonte). It climbs on top of one of the most spectacular Alps mountain: Monte Massone. From Mt. Massone peak the view is gorgeous. You can see Mt. Rosa, Mt. Weissmiess, Mt. Adamello and Mt. Bernina. On South view runs over River Po Plain and on 5 lakes such as Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore. Just amazing!

Church of Madonna del Boden has been built on 500 mt of altitude right inside chestnuts woods. A fresh oasis that Marialisa and Matteo simply loved during the hot August day of their wedding. 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 »

Among all past Autumn weddings Chiara and Stefano’s wedding was one of my favorites. Bride and Groom were very nice and they choose a wonderful location for their wedding… but most of all Chiara’s dress was simply amazing.

As floral designer I really appreciated bride’s approach towards me. Even if she gave me precise information on her color scheme, she totally trusted me giving me wide freedom on style and shapes for her floral arrangement. This gave me the opportunity to express myself without being to tight on fixed schemes. I believe that for a floral designer is could be the best way to create and express her skills.

Chiara and Stefano’s big day was arranged on Lake Maggiore. Photographers Manuele and Laurence of Studio Foto Benaglia followed the days with their pictures. The followed the group from the early hours of the day until very late at night. This great italian-french couple of photographer realized a lovely natural and spontaneous reportage service taking every single detail of the day. Have a look to the nice Photo Gallery on Chiara and Stefano’s wedding relized by Foto Benaglia.

From Veneto to Piemonte region: Chiara and Stefano reached Lake Maggiore from Treviso in Veneto region, just like at least half of their guests. Chiara was born in Arona and her heart was set here and Stefano fell in love with this lovely town too. So they opted for Lake Maggiore for their destination wedding. All guests loved this choice they did not know how beautiful could be our magic lake.

Chiara choose red for her wedding theme color. Deep red for flowers, invitations, and wedding shoes. Cherry red for a fantastic organza roses fall on her wedding dress. A very original dress for sure! Chiara designed it and she could realize it thanks to the help of Rosanna, the owner of a little atelier in Feltre on foot of Belluno Dolomites.
The shoulder cover, bustier and part of the skirt were mad of laces with plisse’ tulle. Main feature was roses fall in cherry red that started from waist point to create a little train.
Simply wonderful!

Groom opted for a tailor made suit, too. He was surely elegant and handsome.

Chaira and Stefano got married on October 10 on a wonderful warm day similar to summer time. Religious ceremony was held in Santi Martiri Church in Arona, also known as San Graziano church. Church is located in highest part of the town and has a baroque facade and Gothic nave inside. One of the most beautiful detail is the lovely staircase that from San Graziano square leads to church’s entrance.

Floral arrangement was really detailed. On side of aisle red carpet I placed a series of balloon shaped Buxus enriched with red roses and white Gerberas. I also added scattered rose petals on the floor and little bouquets on the pews.

On white marble balusters I created different height arrangements, just in the middle between ancient and modern style. On a white Gerberas and Monstera leaves base I placed Passion Roses on different levels and on side of them I added some Bear Grass. Continue Reading »

It’s the most voluptuous place in the world that I’ve ever seen. The surrounding nature enchants with thousands of hidden seductions which give the sensation of being immersed in the rarest sensuality and refinement.
This is how Gustave Flaubert described this part of the Piedmont coast where the Lake Maggiore opens up into the Borromean Gulf, a green bay between the centers of Stresa and Pallanza, the two most brilliant gems of the Verbano.

The Grand Hotel Majestic is located in Pallanza, which faces the Island of St. Giovanni, the thirty-year summer residence of Arturo Toscanini. It is a fascinatingly beautiful Belle Epoque hotel distinguished by its incomparable architectural dignity, grand frescoed rooms and extensive lakeside English garden. Its construction became the impetus for the city’s booming tourism in 1870.

The optimal motivating attraction for nobles and the elite to choose to construct their luxurious villas in this region was primarily the agreeable situation amongst the exceptional panoramic peacefulness of the cape complete with surrounding mountains and mild climate.

From many of the hotel’s 99 rooms and 4 suites the dreamlike view of the lake’s serenity, surrounded by the mountains and the captivating beauty of the Borromean Island’s architectural and botanic artistry, can be marveled at. On the Isola Madre and the Isola Bella, just a few minutes away from the hotel by boat, the Borromeo Dynasty buit two luxurious domiciles in the 600’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful gardens of the Lake Maggiore. Of all the gardens in the world, these gardens are surpassed in the beauty only by the magnificent botanical gardens of Villa Taranto housing 20.000 plants species, 1.000 of which had never been cultivated in Italy before. The garden is within walking distance from the Grand Hotel.

Enchanted by the aquamarine panorama of the lake, as seen from the terrace of Majestic, Eleonora Duse had her tailor fashion a dress “…in the same color as the lake”. Among an array of illustrious artists who have been accommodated in the ambience of the Grand Hotel are Grazia Deledda and the composer Claude Debussy. To name a few, the boats of the Stuarts, the Queen of Romania, the monarchs of Italy, the noble families of Germany, Indian Princes and Maharaja were docked here…In short, the personalities symbolizing “bon vivre” of the 800’s have enjoyed the splendor of the hotel.

After some decades of decline, the Grand Hotel Majestic underwent a long restoration period and was returned the dignity of its past. Its rejuvenation brings the true value of its classical style to life and gives the impression of being immersed in an atmosphere of times gone by, all the while offering its guests adequate services with attention focused on today’s comforts. Continue Reading »

If you are looking for the ideal venue for your wedding on Lake Maggiore we would like to inform you that Saturday 17 October there will be another great opportunity to discover Castello di Massino Visconti. Open Day to Castello offer the unique occasion to visit this great appealing venue.

The castle is located in the highest point of Massino Visconti village, a little higher than Stresa on 465 metres on sea level.
The venue has 40 rooms and 5 feast rooms that you could use for wedding receptions and events.

Thanks to its scenic position, the charming garden and romantic courts inside the walls, Castello di Massino Visconti offers for your party a real and unique medieval venue in the are of Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore. Continue Reading »