Our readers noticed that many bride and groom chose them for their wedding pictures like Darren and Leanne – with their wonderful blessing overlooking the lake in Grand Hotel Dino in Baveno, Sally and Tom, Siobhan and Stuart, Soo and Jason – last year in Orta San Giulio and Teju and Craig – Villa Aminta in Stresa.

Siobhan and Stuart, San Rocco Hotel - Lake Orta

Leanne and Darren - Grand Hotel Dino, Baveno (Lake Maggiore)

Soo and Janson - San Rocco Hotel, Lake Orta

Sally and Tom - Church of Maria Assunta, Orta San Giulio (Lake Orta)

Color is the first important element that makes Independent Pictures photography beautiful. Rich and full colors enhanced by a precise and detailed post production.

Teju and Craig - Villa Aminta, Stresa (Lake Maggiore)

Emotions make the service candid and amazing. Each image is taken following reportage and photojournalism criteria.
Andrea and Francesco – Independent Pictures’ team – tell all the events of the day without any restriction and fiction. Only this way they can catch real emotions of an important day like a wedding can be.

Luisa and Roberto - Villa Matilde (Romano Canavese, Torino)

Mina and Derek - Hotel Shackleton, Sestriere (Torino)

Giorgia and Ricky - Villa Canalis (Cumiana, Torino)

Lamia e Ivan - Villa Leumann (Pianezza, Torino)

Side of the Lakes Independent Pictures’ photographers have a wide experience on several among the best venues in Piemonte and Lombardy: Castello di Canalis (Cumiana, Torino), Teatro Carignano in Torino, Hotel Shackleton in Sestriere, Villa Matilde (Romano Canavese, Torino) Villa Leumann (PIanezza, Torino and many other venues.

Cristina and Riccardo - Teatro Carignano, Torino

To know more about Independent Pictures’ style have a look to their WEDDING PORTFOLIO. You will find here a lot of wonderful shots of the most recent wedding Francesco and Andrea worked for.

For further information and rates please visit www.independentpictures.it or fill the form below:

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Shauna our Irish bride arrived up to the church of Assunta on this epic Italian car with funny green-white-orange and green-white-red ribbons on just to recall respectively Irish and Italian National flags.

After the ceremony bride and groom got on vintage Fiat 500 to reach famous Orta main square where was a motorboat waiting for them to lead them to St. Julius Island for wonderful wedding pictures.
Back to Orta pier, Shauna and Marco got back on Vintage 500 to reach a lovely Castle above Orta where their families and guests were waiting for them.

The choice to rent a vintage Fiat 500 was really nice and funny everybody loved that especially guests coming from Ireland. Fiat 500 is a real Italian style icon. When you think about Italy many think about wonderful food, pasta, pizza, or music Pavarotti, movies, Fellini and motors Vespa, Ferrari and naturally Fiat 500!

Not many know that city of Torino (Turin) is Piemonte main city which also was the first Italian capital back in 1861.
This year Italians celebrate the 150 anniversary of Italian Unity and celebrations will start just from Torino. Fiat 500 was produced in exactly in Torino.

Fiat 500 history is quite strange. Benito Mussolini back in 30s called Senator Giovanni Agnelli – owner of Fiat – asking him to produce a cheap but nice car for all Italians. This should had the cost of no more than 5000 Liras.
This was a great an progressive idea and Hitler decided to copy it asking to Ferdinand Porche to create a car for all Germans at the cost of about 1000 Marcs and this was the beginning of Beetle legend.

In 1936 the first Fiat 500 was born. It was also known as Topolino (Mickey Mouse in Italian) becoming the smallest car in the world that was mass produced.
Its round shapes broke the tradition of classical squared ones. It was comfortable and nice and everybody could drive that. For this reason it had a great success making it an Italian icon all over the world.

Top Gear magazine defined that The sexiest car in the world. Why don’t consider to rent the Sexiest Car in the World for your wedding on Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta?

Italian Lakes Wedding put on your disposal the fantastic Fiat 500 that Shauna and Marco used for their wedding and that you can see here in this post! It is a cream Fiat 500 of 1972 perfectly maintained in its original version with sunroof and driver.

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Matteo and Mariana are an Italian-Armenian couple who live and work in London. Matteo is originally from Torino and he is just like every good boy coming from Piemonte, he is in love with his own homeland. Over time, Mariana was infected with this love as well, and thus their decision to choose one of the most charming places in Piedmont for their wedding: the Lake Orta.

Fun and joy are two words which perfectly describe Mariana and Matteo’s wedding. You will certainly see that in the photos accompanying this post: pictures that tell of their friend’s feast and fun, the first pranks of marriage, the couple’s happiness after the ceremony… emotions and feelings captured by Maren Ollmann’s lens from the Photography Studio Ollmann/Ottaviano in Torino. In the PHOTO GALLERY you will find 27 exceptional shots filled with the passion and magic which bring together the most wonderful emotions of Mariana and Matteo’s Big Day.

Mariana and Matteo’s wedding on the Lake Orta took place in 3 venues: Hotel Villa Crespi, where the bride and groom and their relatives stayed, the Church, Sacro Monte di Orta, where the religious ceremony took place, and finally Villa Ortea, where the wedding reception continued till the early lights of dawn.

For their stay in Orta and their first wedding night, Mariana e Matteo chose the Executive Suite in Hotel Villa Crespi. It was a fantastic room overlooking the lake with XVIII century furniture, a refined marble bathroom with a hydromassage and a magnificent four poster bed.

The religious ceremony, a mixed catholic-orthodox service, was celebrated in the beautiful church of Sacro Monte in Orta. As the flower designer I was in charge of the floral arrangements, which I created with the precious assistance of my colleague, Manuela.
The entire design, begun with bride’s bouquet. It was based on large Lilium Longiflorum and various types of greenery, in particular Aspidistra and Bear Grass.

When the religious ceremony ended, bride and groom left the church in a bright red Fiat 500 from the 60s. While driving the legendary Italian car, Mariana and Matteo reached lake shores for the must-have, keepsake photos. Then they kept on driving to Villa Ortea, where their guests were waiting for them.

Villa Ortea is certainly one of the most beautiful settings on Lake Orta. It is surrounded by a wide park it has a fantastic view of the lake. A warm summer evening helped organize the reception in the garden. Special retro-lit tables were decorated with candelabras that Manuela and I had covered with various greenery, white rose buds and large slices of old movie film.

CINEMA, in fact, was for Mariana and Matteo’s wedding theme. Wedding soundtrack was made up by music and actors’ voices by famous films from the past, just like like Gone with the Wind, On the Waterfront, and the Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini.

On the tables, in addition to the candelabras and old movie film, there were glass table mats imprinted with a famous picture of Charlie Chaplin. A magnificent, gigantic table chart displayed photos of the guests as if they were pictures from an old film.

An original and truly amusing idea for one of the most enjoyable weddings I have worked for in 2009.
Mariana e Matteo: Get Married… and have a good time on Lake Orta!

All pictures were taken by Ollmann/Ottaviano Photography Studio in Torino. For further details please visit the site www.photographi.it
For information contact the Studio at the email address marenollmann@virgilio.it
or call +39 349 63 66 903.

Monika Andenmatten is La Piccola Selva’s floral designer.
Based in lake Orta, has worked with brides for over 20 years to create floral arrangements for weddings in the Italian Lakes district.
His wedding arrangements are creative, elegant and sophisticated. Monika will be able to help you choose how best to incorporate floral design into your wedding celebrations. From the initial consultation to the wedding day, she will make your wedding flowers truly an expression of your dreams.

For more information about weddings on Lake Orta please contact us.

Langhe hills were the exceptional scenario for the wedding I would like to talk you about: a real Country Wedding. All begun in 2007 when Patricia and Richard, from Philadelphia PA USA, decided to come over Italy to celebrate their wedding.

Both of them are of Italian heritage, Richard’s grandparents origins are from a little village of Piedmont on vineyards hills. Starting from this point Patricia and Richard re-created the same atmosphere for their special day. The planning process lasted over 1 year.
On September 24th 2008 Patricia and Richard got married, such a wonderful event!

Langhe and Roero are two close areas South of Torino city and North of Italian Riviera. This wonderful district is right between mountains and seaside. its hills are the perfect place to grow vines to product the best Italian wines such as Barolo, Nebbiolo, Barbaresco and Dolcetto.
This are is also well known for truffles and delicious food. It is right between Bra and Alba, the most famous towns of the area, that Slow Food Association was born. Its task is protecting and preserving food and wine excellences of the area. Thanks to Slow Food, Pollenzo site was restored. It was an ancient Roman settlement, then Finance Agency during 1700 for King Albert of Savoy and now home of first Enogastronomic science University, a wonderful 4 stars hotel and Bank of Wine, where best and precious Italian wins are preserved.

Patricia and Richard choose this special place to celebrate their wedding together with their family and friends that came from all over US. Ceremony was held in the lovely garden of the hotel in the heart of Langhe where there are also Romans ruins of more than 2000 years ago. Aperitif then was served under the hotel wooden porch and dinner in the brick ceiling room with lovely round ivory tables.

Every single detail, including floral arrangements and bridal bouquet enriched with scented spices was linked to country style idea.

Invitations and stationery were provided by a well known American Wedding stationery, Bella Figura of Syracuse NY. They created a simple elegant old fashion design inspired on Italian colors and landscape of the beginning of Autumn, where light is smooth and warm and vines still green.

Wedding cake was prepared by famous Torino Matre Chocolatier Costantino Guardia that also prepared chocolate tasting and sweets for foreign delegations that came over Italy during 2006 Olympic Games. After that guest also tasted typical Piemonte nuts and Gianduja chocolate.

Swing and boogie for the dances after dinner together with grappas and cigars tasting. Skillful American Photographer Sora De Vore documented all the event with her wonderful images. She came from US to be part of this special event.
As far as the events before the wedding are concerned Patricia and Richard decided to offer to their guests a local atmosphere too. They welcome their guest to magic city of Torino to let them know the beauty of its architecture, museums and arts.

Patricia and Richard then choose for their rehearsal a Cascina on one of the higher point of Langhe . The venue is a perfect match between country style and contemporary trendy one with a breathtaking view over the vines and mountains.
The day after the wedding newly weds and guests spent some time on the hills and cellars and most of all Wine Bank to taste delicious wines and enjoy the atmosphere.

A Country Wedding could be very special you choose an perfect venue such a lovely spot as Langhe in Piedmont. There is enough here to fall in love at first sight, isn’t it?

Valentina Lombardi is the Italian Lakes Wedding coordinator for Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore area. She follows Italian and foreign bridegrooms who wish to celebrate their wedding in Piemonte and Italian Lakes area.
Valentina is Italian; she has worked in event organization business for years before becoming a wedding planner.

For more information about country weddings in Langhe Region, please contact us.

The Italian taste for photographic art and the continuous research of details are the facts that make different the studio Blanco Y Negro. Thanks to a particular sensibility to the reportage, the photographic style of Blanco Y Negro is something more than the classical wedding photography: is also fashion and style, is emotion captured improvised at the moment, and that of classic pose without time.

Through an extreme care of details, all the characteristics of the subjects, the scenery and lightning are emphasized. The images takes form in a unique and unmistakable style.

The wedding vision of Blanco Y Negro is composed of different parts: classic where the essential pictures tell you the story of a ceremony, using the traditional poses and framing, and reportage for all the other moments, steeling images and constructing the spontaneity through the natural flow of the events and through the curious and funny sceneries. Sensations, seconds, details to build an elegant and refined square.

A warm welcome to Simone Mottura and his Photographic Studio Blanco Y Negro from the whole team of Italian Lakes Wedding, with all the best wishes to their great job.

Abbazia di Santo Spirito was built in 1282 by monks, it was a convent and it maintained its ancient appeal during centuries: internal courtyard has a high tower bell of the close little church in which you can celebrate your religious ceremony. The villa right is in a wonderful Italian style garden with flowers, roses arches embellished by secular trees: the perfect scenario for a country wedding, just few minutes from Lake Maggiore!

Driving across Arona and going up on Piemonte’s side of Lake Maggiore you will reach Stresa, the most important touristy destination of the entire lake. For the ones who want to experience the luxury of ancients villas, Villa Muggia in Stresa is the right address!

First owner was George Von Siemens, after him was the turn of Muggia family and actual owner is important Toso family from Torino. Beautiful rooms inside the villa match perfectly with the wonderful park: scented flowers, magnolias, cone pines, and bronze statues made by Domenico Colanzi, not to forget the stunning fountain!

Rooms and suites furniture is real antique. Some pieces were owned by Napoleon and there are wonderful and precious carpets, pictures, curtains and Murano glass chandeliers. You will also find Venetian mirrors, silvers and crystals and even a 1700 cart! Villa Muggia can be the perfect venue for a wedding inside the charming rooms or even in the wonderful park under a precious marquee with stunning view on the Lake.

Valentina Lombardi is the Italian Lakes Wedding coordinator for Lake Maggiore area. She follows Italian and foreign bridegrooms who wish to celebrate their wedding in Piemonte and Italian Lakes area.
For more information about Weddings at the Abazzia di Santo Spirito – Villa Giannone and Villa Muggia in Stresa please contact us.

All Images © Italian Lakes Wedding and:
Photo 1: Raffaello Mazzoleni
Photo 2: Mauro De Luca
Photo 3: Mauro De Luca
Photo 4: Mauro De Luca

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.

After almost an year of planning here is the wedding day. It is a hot day of the end of August. Everything is planned in every single detail. Theme for wedding is a good combination between Italian culture and Scottish one.
Scotland is everywhere, beginning with pipe sound that is the perfect background of the party, and then color of flowers and most of all Derek and his brother’s family kilt.
This is the traditional Scottish suit for ceremonies; it is a heavy wool skirt in tartan fabric with a unique design of fabric coming from Scotland Highlands with the sporran a little leather bag used for carrying money and whiskey!

Civil ceremony is held at Villa Bossi, town hall of Orta San Giulio.
Bride arrival with rowing boat is very charming with solemn pipe sound in background.
Pipe and its player is the main actor of the delightful little walk that newly weds and their guests had up to Orta Main Square. It will follow Cristina and Derek also during their trip on motorboat on the lake.
Cristina and Derek will also dance on pipe sound for their first touching dance a Gay Gordon.

Just as in any traditional wedding theme planning, you need to look at each aspect of your bridal plans and decide how and what cultural traditions could be included. From colors to bridal attire to accent decorations, there’s much to choose from.

Hotel San Rocco served a gourmand lunch with perfect service.
Every table is enriched with a whiskey bottle, one for each region of Scotland, from Northen Highlands up to Islay Island.

The day after for bride and groom and their guests was still party time!
Every one was invited on a boat trip to watch the fireworks in Omegna at the World Championship of Fireworks.
The finest part of the shoe is the famous “fire falls”, a real lightful fall that cross the lake from side to side of Omegna bay.
A real sparkling closing just like Cristina and Derek’s wedding!

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.

Right after the photographs in stunning main square of Orta, Luisa is getting closer to the great moment.
There is an oar boat waiting for her leaving from for Orta pier to lead her to Villa Bossi.
Over there, there is Massimiliano, the handsome groom, waiting for her with all relatives and friends. As soon as she is arrived she walks through the aisle of the villa with lots of wonderful roses and charming sound of a harp in the background.

Right in front of the the town hall porch the civil ceremony takes place. Skillful photographer Ivana Porta from Torino is taking all the reportage of the service with her good experience, shooting every single detail of the event, from the ring exchange to the flower arrangements made up by Peonies and Baby’s breath.

At the end of the ceremony, right after the traditional rice and petals throwing, Luisa and Massimiliano take a beautiful white motorboat that from Villa Bossi will take them to St Julius Island on of the most outstanding places of Lake Orta take some everlasting pictures thanks to Ivana Porta.

After the romantic shooting they go straightaway to Hotel Giardinetto where all the guests are waiting for them for their aperitif and reception.
Hotel Giardinetto is one of the nice facilities on the Lakeshore of Pettenasco, just few km from Orta San Giulio. The best spot of the Hotel is the wide terrace on lake from which bride and groom will cut their wedding cake with wonderful panorama. High standard cuisine was served with wide choosing of red and white local wines.

A great atmosphere of joy, music and dances with colorful handmade favor by SposiamoVi and bouquet throwing!
This is a party that bridegroom and guest will remember for long time!

View more pictures about Luisa and Massimiliano’s wedding in Lake Orta.

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.
The Koiné String Quartet is made up of young musicians coming from The Symphonic Orchestra of the University of Torino. The professional and high-level quartet will play for bridegroom most important day creating the ideal choreography and soundtrack in a atmosphere of sweet harmony and serenity.
The Koiné String Quartet is the perfect accompaniment to a wedding celebration, and knowing that each one is unique, the Koiné Quartet offers bespoke wedding music packages to enhance your day. The Koinè String Quartet are experienced musicians for both civil and church ceremonies, and can provide the perfect musical backdrop to drinks receptions and wedding breakfasts.
Some of the venues for which the Koiné String Quartet have provided music include: Villa Crespi, Palazzo Penotti Ubertini and http://www.italianlakeswedding.com/blog/lake-orta-weddings/planning-a-cocktail-party-at-villa-gippini/ in Orta San Giulio, Villa del Balbianello, Villa D’Este and Villa Serbelloni in lake Como, Villa Muggia in http://www.italianlakeswedding.com/blog/lake-maggiore-weddings/wedding-in-stresa-the-pearl-of-lake-maggiore/, Villa Rusconi Clerici, Villa Volpi and Hotel Majestic in Pallanza, Dal Pozzo Castle in lake Maggiore, the Town Hall of Torri del Benaco and Castello di Malcesine in lake Garda and numerous other country estates, hotels and churches throughout the Italian Lakes District.
To put it simply, a string quartet really adds an amazingly sumptuous ambiance to any occasion, and it is now very popular to have a string quartet at a wedding. It helps to break the silence during something like the photo shoots, and it also helps during the wedding meal/breakfast when the background noise can be quite loud!

Lake Orta is not only one of the most romantic destination for a wedding in Italy but one of the most wanted sets for movie directors.
Near Orta San Giulio there is a little village where you will find “Via del Cinema” (cinema street), a sort of extraordinary open air art gallery dedicated to movies shot on lakeshores and in Piemonte in general. There are 45 artworks painted on house walls by artist came from all over the world.

In the next weeks Cinema and big stars will be on stage on Lake Orta. Famous actress Monica Bellucci will come to the Lake. She will be the star of Italian movie L’Uomo che Ama, directed by Maria Sole Tognazzi shot between Torino and Lake Orta.

Monica Bellucci is one of the divas of international jet set. Her carrier begun during the 90s whit her cameo in Bram Stocker’s Dracula directed by Francis Ford Coppola. She became more and more famous thanks to her roles in Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolution, The Brother Grimm and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Welcome to Lake Orta, Monica!