Destination Wedding in Lake Como //Stephanie and Mark
Steph and Mark live in Miami and have been together for 7 years when they decided to make it official. Once engaged, the two decided on an intimate wedding, an elopement, to be precise. They decided to visit Lake Como on a whim, as their dream was to have their honeymoon travelling across Italy. Once they arrived in Italy, and toured Villa Serbelloni, - the Lake Como’s grandest hotel, dating 1850, they simply felt at home and knew it was meant to be their venue.
After giving it some thought, they changed their plans and decided to abandon the idea of elopement - their families are very important to the couple and they realised they wanted them to witness their wedding. So - the Lake Como destination wedding became a plan.
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni was a perfect location to get ready, its magnificent interiors - a dream background for me to take some photos during the calm, sunny morning of their Lake Como wedding. Villa Serbelloni was actually built for love, did you know? It was originally a luxurious holiday villa that a nobleman, Count Frizzoni, built at the wish of his beloved wife.
Wedding in Bellagio, Lake Como
Stephanie and Mark said yes with one of the most incredible backdrops you can find in Italy, Lago di Como. The sunset light, the thousand shades of the color of the water, the food, the architecture - it’s all breathtakingly beautiful.I have photographed many weddings in Lake Como and every single time all I feel is gratefulness that I can be there and feed my eyes with the lake’s views. But, coming back to Steph and Mark - after getting ready at the grand hotel, their wedding guests took a boat to the magnificent Villa del Balbianello, where the ceremony was to take place.
Villa del Balbianello ceremony
In the heart of Italy, on the shores of Lake Como, lies a hidden gem that radiates romance and beauty Villa del Balbianello, one of the most famous venues for luxury weddings around the globe. Only accessible by classic Italian wooden boats, the villa looks like it’s growing out of the lake.. If you're planning a wedding in Lake Como, Steph and Mark’s ceremony will truly inspire you.
Planning a luxury wedding at Villa Balbianello
means choosing the most exclusive of all of the Italian Lake wedding venues. The villa's gardens are magnificent, with their simply incomparable views of Lake Como. The villa is set on a promontory and the grounds hold a collection of terraces, brightly colored flowerbeds, loggias, an old church, a famous staircase and beautiful manicured trees cascading towards the blue waters of Lake Como. It’s a dream.
History of Villa Balbianello
The villa was was built in 1787 on the very tip of a peninsula by a cardinal. It was further improved by Giuseppe Visconti who created the romantic loggia and gardens of today. It is now managed by the National Trust of Italy. Villa Balbianello has been featured in the James Bond movie Casino Royale and also the Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. The interior of the villa houses a museum of rich artifacts collected by the explorer Guido Monzino who led the first Italian expedition to climb Mount Everest. He was the last owner of Villa Balbianello and gifted the villa to the National Trust of Italy.
Modern Luxe Wedding in italy
So how do you even start thinking of getting married in Italy, if you’re not Italian? Destination wedding planners is the answer. Stephanie and Mark are based in Miami, they really needed someone local to organise things for them (I always, always recommend having a planner, not only for destination weddings!) Steph and Mark hired Lake Como Wedding Planners to take care of every single detail - from booking the hotel for their guests, to arranging flowers, boat transfers, the ceremony schedule etc etc. They were fab!
the most famous wedding venue in the world - Villa del Balbianello
After the ceremony I took the couple for a walk around the gardens of the Villa - probably the most dreamy location for the couple portraits.. ever. Here they are, followed by an amazing sunset boat trip back to Grand Hotel - for drinks in the garden and a 12 course reception dinner. Italian food makes my mouth water, even when I’m writing this ;-)
The gorgeous Lake Como wedding Day ended with a reception at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni and it was just incredible. If you are planning your lux wedding in Lake Como, drop me a line and let’s have a chat. you can see more weddings that I photographed in Italy here and here
And believe me when I say it - Lake Como is my favourite destination!
If you’d like to see my brochure, write to me HERE
I can’t wait to talk about more destination weddings!
