On Italian Country Wedding web site you will discover a multitude of choices for unique ceremony and reception, an intimate elopement, sites, small town hospitality, and a variety of activities for you and your guests in the Italian countryside
Surfing on Italian Country Wedding you will undiscovered and unspoiled places to create the perfect setting for a special and real country wedding: gardens, vineyards, country villas, traditional Italian restaurants, agriturismos or farm houses, or even in a wonderful castle!

Italian Country Wedding is specialized in weddings across Piedmont region and Langhe and Monferrato country side areas….just have a look at it we are sure you will be amazed by the charm of countryside!

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.

Upon entering the Grand Hotel Majestic, you are enthralled by the class and elegance of it’s reception hall, clad with original wooden floors, bronze chandeliers and art deco’ lamps designed by Florentine craftsmen.

From here you can take a look up at the rooms on four floors, visible from the interior court with white marble columns. Just a few steps ahead you can take in the panoramic view from the terrace tables in one of the lounge bars.

A succession of elegant and comfortable sitting rooms unwind along the entire façade, giving guests views through the picture windows of the terrace and porches overlooking the lake. At each of the two ends of the building are two large drawing rooms that re-evoke the fabulous ballrooms of the palaces of the past.

The marvelous view can be taken while dining at one of our two restaurants: “Il Rossini” chic and appetizing, and “La Beola” serving local a la carte specialties from the Verbano.
The Hotel has two main function rooms, The Toscanini and The Intra, which are perfect for holding meetings and banquets in a truly unique atmosphere: decorated in period style, the rooms are elegant, stylish and bright, thanks to the wide windows that overlook the porch and the lake and afford a spectacular view.

Come nice weather, one can enjoy sitting on the porch under the arcades in the garden. The recreational program of the Grand Hotel Majestic offers excursions by boat or limousine to enjoy the sun at private beaches or to practice various sports in the vicinity like sailing, golf and horseback riding.

Beauty Farm is available to the hotel guests who would like to take an invigorating and toning swim in the pool, utilize the fitness center, or benefit from a relaxing massage.

The guests at the Grand Hotel Majestic can count on high quality accommodations and facilities, thanks to the recent meticulously carried out renovations and additions, which return an air of a poetic era: the magical beauty and splendor of this elite hotel renders it refined and in harmony with the magnificent Lago Maggiore, and a place where its guests can enjoy the most relaxing and revitalizing vacations.

St. Julius Island is a tiny place right in the center of the intimate lake. Some nuns live here, right in the pretty convent close to the abbey dedicated to St. Julius who was the first to land on the island. On the island there are also some villas which used to be owned by the church. Now they are all holidays home of rich families coming from all over the world. There is also a tiny little restaurant here, the only one on the island.

It is easy to understand why St. Julius Island is a place where silence and meditation play the main role. You can just breath a mystic atmosphere here. It is the amazing scenery Mark and Rachel choose for their wedding. The two guys are a lovely couple coming from Dallas TX, who planned their wedding with Italian Lakes Wedding Team.

We already mentioned Mark Followill in another post. He is the official speaker of Mavs TV, Dallas Mavericks TV channel, one of the most famous NBA basket ball team of USA. Mark and Rachel choose Lake Orta and St. Julius Island after visiting our web site and reading our posts. A very good result for our Team which main task is promoting lakes territory, one of the most romantic for a wedding in Italy.

After taking in consideration many photographers of the area, Mark and Rachel opted for Raffaello Mazzoleni. They were impressed by his skills, perfect shots and quickness in delivery. Images you can see here give you a perfect idea! You can have a look to his sites to know more about his work: www.artefoto-omegna.it and www.italianweddingphotojournalist.com.

Rachel picked up for her bridal bouquet one of Monika’s creations. Monika is the famous floral designer of La Piccola Selva. She created for beautiful Rachel a Hand-Tied Lilium Longiflorum bouquet.

After a short trip on private motorboat, ceremony has been celebrated on the lakeshore just by the small pier. An idyllic scenery: the abbey and villas on one side and lake and Orta village on the other.
A little farer there was Buccione Tower. Medieval tower that has been over viewing on Lake Orta for more than 1000 years.

Mark and Rachel decided to have a ceremony in late afternoon when all tourists had already left the island. This allowed them to have an intimate and romantic ceremony for their own. Just after the ceremony bride and groom had a walk on the little cobbled roads that surround the island to arrive to the only tiny restaurant there.
They had a lovely meal with a few friends who came from United States for them.

Candle lit dinner on the terrace of the restaurant facing the lake. They tasted typical dishes and wines of Piedmont tradition in perfect harmony with the entire event.

Our best wishes to Mark and Rachel and thanks from the bottom of our heart for choosing Italian Lakes Wedding!

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 symbolic weddings at St. Julius Island, Lake Orta – please contact us.

Obviously, this depends on also about the area and locations you would like to have for your wedding, but in general we can say that the italian lakes are just perfect to a more dynamic wedding, as the lakes offer so much different opportunities, even mixed together. Who told you, that you have to chose your venue and that’s it? It is so difficult to choose amongst all those beautiful sceneries, villas with breathtaking terraces, tiny little bays with a fairytale romantic feeling, splendid castles with a rich history….Now you don’t have to choose just one of the locations, why not to mix them together? In this way you can enjoy the full the different availabilities of the lake, and also allow your guests to live different experiences without making the wedding day too heavy.

Your dream is to have your ceremony open-air in the garden? Take one of the many proposals, and rent the venue only for the ceremony . Or you can take the venue for the ceremony, then leave for some programs and come back later on, to enjoy at the same place the dinner….without staying there the whole day.

So why not to take a lovely boat trip all around the lake? In this way you can admire the most beautiful spots of the different corners, while your guests are having fun with some champagne in hand , or creating bubbles like kids.

It is also a very romantic idea to stop at a hidden corner of the lake in a small green bay, and take some canapès and fingerfood served in the port, overlooking the lake. This allows everybody to move a little bit after the boat trip, and again, discover a different view, an other point of the lake.

And while your guests are enjoying the lakeview and the aperitif, you could take a ride in the historic center of the town to make some very special pictures, different from the “normal” ones.

At the end, after this short break of the day, when the aperitif is finished, you can take the boat back, and continue your dream wedding reception with a delicious dinner …..the only difference is, that instead of being at the same place all day, you and your guests had some extra ”lake feeling tasting” to make the cherry on the cake.

Virag Lochinger is the Italian Lakes Wedding’s coordinator for lake Garda area: having numerous years of experience in marketing and event management, she is a very accurate and trustful person to organize your very special wedding in the beautiful lakeshores of Garda.

For more information about Dynamic Weddings on the Italian Lakes please contact us.

The images are the work of Steven Walthew. Steve is a Scottish photographer. He studied Photography and Design at Ware College, Hertfordshire, England. After concluding the final project at college, he immediately began working with various advertising studios in London. Furthermore, he travelled the whole of Scotland, doing portraiture.
He has lived in Italy for 10 years now and presently undertakes his activity in Milan. Steve specializes, above all, in the creation of images in Beauty and Lifestyle and Special Wedding Moments.
14 years of experience, in Italy and abroad have contributed to the growth and perfection of his technique of absolute natural reportage and passion for the art of photography.
For some pictures of Steven Walthew please visit www.f4art.com.

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 Maggiore is one of the most famous touristy destination in Northern Italy. It hosts rich and scenographic villas. On Piemonte’s side of the Lake, starting from lake shore up to the hills before Mt Mottarone you will have the occasion to admire wonderful parks and amazing villas with their porches, balconies, terraces, galleries, staircases, towers and belvederes. Some of those are now open and transformed in luxury venues for weddings, meetings, congresses, fashion and company events… It is not by chance!

After Lake Como, where George Clooney and Michael Schumacher bought their homes, and Lake Orta which is nowadays one of the main Italian destinations for weddings, now Lake Maggiore is taking for itself all medias interest.
Womens’s Wear Daily, one of the most important US fashion magazine, mention Lake Maggiore among one of the most sophisticated travel destinations, while Los Angeles Times considers it as one of the most scenographic Italian Lakes. Maybe because of its mountains reflecting on the waters and its villas surrounded by wonderful gardens.
New Motorway of Trafori allows to reach from Turin or Milan, the best locations on the lake and Lake’s micro-climate maybe can explain better this new choice for tourism. This is the reason because Lake Maggiore become also one of the favorite destinations of many Italians for their weekends.
From Claudio Abbato to Iannis Kounellis, from Alessandro Benetton and Deborah Compagnoni to Magan Gale, Valeria Mazza, Borromeo Family and Curiel… many people of international show business are now on the Lake!
We are facing a kind of renaissance of Lake Maggiore with its restored private residences now transformed in guest houses, villas that become art centers or galleries or ancient palaces now converted in luxury residences with fairy tale gardens.
Our journey to discover the most beautiful villas on Lake Maggiore for your wedding will be divided in three parts. We will start with Southern area of Lake Maggiore between Arona and Stresa. After that we will go up a little to visit villas around Verbania Pallanza and then we will go up to the North close to Swiss border to discover a couple of interesting venues in Ghiffa and Oggebbio.
So stay tuned for the next days!

Balbianello Villa – Official Rental Fees 2012

Many of you write us to ask further information on Villa del Balbianello rental.
For this reason we would love to give you more information on our blog that we hope could be useful.
As mentioned Villa del Balbianello is a very exclusive and unique venue, for this reason rental fee is related to the luxury and exclusivity of the location itself.
Click here to find official rental fee that Villa del Balbianello property gave us for 2012

Lenno it’s an important center located on the west side shore of Lario area.
It is situated between the promontory of Lavedo and Porlezza and counts a bit less than 1800 residents.
Here begins the coast called Tremezzina that ends at the Maiolica.
Lenno has roman origins proved by the numerous graveyards and ancient furnishings discovered during archeological excavations.
Starting from Lenno, very suggestive the romantic although intense walk that runs up Tremezzo Mount(1700 m.). High recommended the excursion by pleasure boat that offers a splendid view of the Villas from the lake passing through the promontory where lies Villa Balbianello in all its splendor till reaching Comacina Island.

Villa del Balbianello it’s a legacy of Guido Monzino to the FAI which preserves the most important Italian monumental Villas and gardens.
The Villa was Built for Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini at the end of the XVIII century and stands on the tip of a steep promontory overlooking Lake Como, almost opposite Bellagio.

Guido Monzino, its last owner was an explorer, so that nowadays the Villa looks exactly how he desired.
In particular, the place is plenty of marvelous collection art and handcraft pieces of worldwide: China, Africa and pre-Colombian art, precious English and French furniture of the 1700s and a small museum that bring our memory faraway to his adventurous expeditions.

Both blessing vows and reception can take place in the gardens and loggia facing the lake.
The bride can romantically reach by water taxi her groom and guests waiting for her at the Villa.
While the guests are already there waiting for the bride after have had a fascinating boat transfer sipping a glass of champagne accompanied by a soft musical background.

Once at the Villa, you will be welcomed by the banqueting’ s skilful staff who’ll be serving finger food and cocktails on trays. The garden could be set with chairs and small tables or even chaise-longues allowing your guests to mingle and enjoy the local delicatessen and be pampered by the absolutely unique and precious scenery!

You would have the opportunity to set a really special reception dinner in the “loggia” where you could enjoy the best panoramic corner of the Villa. If you add a delicious menu cooked by master chefs, soft candle lit atmosphere and the magical touch of a lovely musical selection… you have all the ingredients for a memorable Italian style wedding.

This venue is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled Villas of the area and the possibility to have a wedding reception here is really rare and unique.
The splendid gardens on the promontory are the perfect place to take the pictures of the most important day in your life.
Villa del Balbianello has something special that captures your heart and will never leave it.

All Images © Roberto Rapetti. Roberto Rapetti is a young but very experienced photographer, absolutely not the traditional wedding one! His career in advertising campaigns and fashion world will give your wedding pictures a unique and different style, feeling like a movie star… More info on www.silverstarsphoto.it

Alessandra Fabi is the Italian Lakes Wedding’s coordinator for lake Como area.
If your idea of wedding is refined, sophisticated and with a special attention to details, she’s your perfect wedding planner!

She makes each client feel unique and she treats each wedding as if it were her own.

For more information about Weddings at Villa del Balbianello Lake Como please contact us.

Bellagio lies directly on Como Lake and is crossed by a main street called via Garibaldi, which is criss-crossed by suggestive lanes which run up and down the hillside to the lake.
The most famous is called Salita Serbelloni. Here, a plaque marks the long stay of the musician Franz Liszt.
This romantic landscape it’s the perfect frame for your dreaming wedding day.
Bellagio, famous for the magnificent villas is one of the most refined location for your special event. It’s not easy to find so magical venues preserved as they were still in their maximum splendor period. And this area it’s particularly rich of villas rentable for weddings and unique occasions. The typical italian gardens of the Villas will impress your guests and the pictures of your wedding day will be simply astonishing.
After the unforgettable ceremony moment, while your guests start to refresh themselves with a delightful aperitif on a terrace, you could have the pleasure to discover fascinating corners of this ancient small town going for a brief and romantic walk, in order to relax a bit after the eternal promise.

You could stand few instants on the dock for the pleasure boats that has been rebuilt paying particular care to respecting the feel of the old dock and then take a water taxi for just fifteen minutes to admire the view of Bellagio from the water, scintillating in all his beauty.

Starting from the historic centre called Borgo it’s possible to visit seven of the 22 districts of Bellagio in around two hours, some are hidden among the trees on the mountain slopes, others enjoy a dominant, panoramic position, right up to the last one, Pescallo, which is again on the lake. It is like taking a dive into nature, history and beauty, among olive trees, flowers, antiquities and views that know no equal.

After this nice walking tour, you’ll be happy to try the exquisite bellagio’s food. The lake area has its own particular traditional cuisine, which is influenced by nearby Switzerland, by the mountain and, naturally, by the lake. One can still find genuine, old fashioned ingredients. Why don’t you think about an uncommon regional rehearsal dinner?

The touristic fame of Bellagio started in 19th century, when the Duke Melzi decided to build here his magnificent summer house.
This episode, attracted the Milanese aristocracy to the area and Bellagio became the most elegant and refined of courts.
Villas, gardens and several hotels which to this day are still the pride of the town and a major attraction for visitors, were built within a few years.
These palaces were visited and lived in by many famous names of the period, artists, politicians, royalty, intellectuals and scientists as well as various heroes of our Risorgimento.
Grand Hotel Bellagio (now Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni) inaugurated in 1872 and is still operating.
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni it’s a stunning location to celebrate your wedding.
A place full of tradition, charme and elegance since ever.

Alessandra Fabi is the Italian Lakes Wedding’s coordinator for lake Como area. If your idea of wedding is refined, sophisticated and with a special attention to details, she’s your perfect wedding planner!
She makes each client feel unique and she treats each wedding as if it were her own.
For more information about Weddings in Bellagio Lake Como please contact us.

Elegant, charming, ancient, Stresa is the pearl of Lake Maggiore, one of the most wanted destinations wedding in Piemonte. It has been a favorite destination with the British, even Queen Victoria stayed on the shores of Lake Maggiore.

Stresa is located on Lake Maggiore in northeastern Piedmont which borders Lombardy and Switzerland. It is a renowned tourist resort in a picturesque setting facing the equally famous Borromeo Islands.

In order to see Stresa well, it’s important to explore the many alley ways and small cobblestone lanes that make up the town. Not a shopper by nature, Stresa was an invitation to buy! Lovely little pottery shops are found around every corner, and the shopkeepers are more than happy to ship your items home. Also, shops with jewelry, tempting Italian foodstuffs, and cute little bars and trattoria are everywhere.

The lakeside promenades are lined with magnolias, camellias and verbena and many other flowers and Mediterranean trees.
Embarcadero is probably the most crowded place in town. From here you can take the boats for an excursion on the Lake visiting Borromean Islands and their lush gardens and palaces owned by Borromeo Family.

In the 1850s Stresa was one of the most sought-after vacation spots in all of Italy. The rich and famous from all over the world spent their leisure time enjoying the beauty, serenity and romance of Stresa. Consequently dozens of fabulously expensive and ornate Villas were constructed overlooking the lake. Today those same Villas of the world’s richest people are available for your wedding and for your wedding reception.

Stresa offers several ancient and ornate churches where your Catholic ceremony may be held, or your wedding planner can easily arrange for the Protestant, Jewish, Civil or symbolic ceremony of your dreams to be conducted at virtually any Villa, hotel, ancient castle or outdoor garden in Stresa.
Let Stresa make your wedding an event that will be remembered for a lifetime!

Italian Lakes Wedding is on your disposal to offer a complete and professional service to bridegrooms that choose Lake Maggiore and Stresa in particular, as destination for their wedding. We are available for any information you may need.