where to get married in Lake Como
Lake Como destination wedding guide.
Lake Como has been listed as the best destination worldwide to get married. I can’t say I disagree with this statement :-) Lake Como is just dreamy - it has everything your destination wedding needs - the weather (duh!), the lake (double duh), the mountains, the delicious Italian food, the gorgeous, romantic architecture and these ancient, glorious villas to choose from. It simply is magical (and not to mention George Clooney sipping wine in his villa by the lake)
But here are the questions: which villa to choose? Which month is the best to go? If you’re in the midst of planning a Lake Como wedding, you’ll want to keep reading…
one of the best Lake Como wedding venues - Villa Monastero and the glorious view it provides
Nestled in the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy (you have to fly to Milano), Lake Como serves as a breathtaking backdrop for just about anything you can imagine—it’s just so stunning. But in this post, I’m going to be specifically talking about Lake Como weddings. Because as an international destination wedding photographer, I constantly get asked where I recommend having a wedding. So, read on, read on :-).
If you’re thinking about having a wedding in Italy—or anywhere in Europe, for that matter—Lake Como really is one of my top recommendations (Tuscany is the second, but there will be a separate blog post on that, so keep your eyes peeled).
So now, I’ll be going over everything Lake Como wedding related—including Lake Como villas, Lake Como hotels, Lake Como restaurants and my special suggestions for what to do in Lake Como. So think of this blog post as your definitive guide to planning a Lake Como wedding. Let’s do this!
isn’t the view from Villa Monastero just stunning?
The Best Lake Como Wedding Venues
It’s not easy to choose your venue when it comes to Lake Como. There are most definitely more than a couple handfuls of stunning venues to choose from, but here’s just a few of my favourite Lake Como wedding venue options.
Villa Pizzo
This a top choice, Villa Pizzo is just a heaven on earth, trust me. You will feel like in one of Fellini movies - it’s drop dead gorgeous and it even has its own private jetty. Villa Pizzo is on the west side of the lake (my favourite..) and it’s also one of the oldest residences in Lake Como.
This stunning villa is located in Cernobbio, and it’s quite possibly the most romantic-looking building in the entire Lake Como region. Dating back to the 15th century, Villa Pizzo’s facade is a distressed, pastel, rose-colored hue—unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and let me tell you - my photographer’s eye just couldn’t believe it’s beauty. The exterior is made even more gorgeous by the envelopment of its vibrant gardens. Villa Pizzo is hands down one of my favorite Lake Como wedding venues—ever! (For more info, visit the official website of Villa Pizzo.) Let’s have a look.
So what do you think? It’s the best wedding venue in Lake Como, isn’t it? Let’s read what one of my Lake Como couples said about getting married in Villa Pizzo:
“We chose Lake Como because it’s our favorite place in the world. It’s the location of our first trip together as a couple when we were younger – we traveled all over and fell even more in love (with each other and the lake!). Italy to us is the most beautiful, most wonderful country with breathtaking beauty, architecture and nature, the most delicious food and wine, and incredible people, hospitality and culture. We love traveling and we wanted to bring our friends and family to our favorite place in the world to share a special, once-in-a-lifetime experience with them that they’d never forget. And we of course brought Marta with us, as she’s just a dream destination wedding photographer! We would change nothing!”
Villa Pizzo fun fact: did you know that Emily Blunt got married here?
ok, Villa Balbiano now
On the western shores of Lake Como—in Ossuccio, more specifically—sits the iconic Villa Balbiano, one of the most drop dead gorgeous Italian palazzos of all time. It was built by Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio in 16th century and is the largest private residence on Lake Como.
Villa Balbiano boasts waterfront views, lush gardens, an opulent outdoor swimming pool, a private pier, a beautiful boathouse, as well as countless historical pieces of art and furniture. As far as I’m concerned, the entire Villa Balbiano is a historical piece of art. (I would argue that the whole Lake Como architecture is a piece of art!)
From a photographer’s perspective, it doesn’t get much better. Villa Balbiano is a timeless classic—and arguably one of the venues that first help set Lake Como on the map for destination weddings. Definitely can’t mention Lake Como wedding venues without mentioning Villa Balbiano! (For private rental, visit Villa Balbiano’s official website.)
Now, I promised to chat a bit about the timings. I think Lake Como is almost great all year around, but the best months to get married are May, June and September. July and August are fantastic too, but you have to like hot weather! All the weddings I have shot in Lake Como were in September and it was super sunny and very warm! I would actually love to come in July and see how hot it gets :-)
Wedding in Lake Como FAQ, a.k.a all you need to know about planning a wedding there:
How much does it cost to have a wedding in Lake Como?
On average the daily rental cost for the best wedding locations is about €5000 (or more). There’s a lot of things you have to pay additionally for in Italy, so it’s really the best to find a planner (I couldn’t recommend Lucy from La Lista more! )
Can you get married at Lake Como?
Of course you can. Lake Como is one the best location all over the world for a stunning elegant wedding and every year thousands of couples get married here!
What is so special about Lake Como?
Its history, the magic views over the lake, the tasty italian food and its elegant wedding location. This is why many movie stars have choosen to get married in Lake Como.
What should you not miss at Lake Como?
Villa del Balbianello is a must, also consider visiting Isola Comacina, or rent a car and drive through the old street crossing all the old-style/vintage little towns across the Lake. A small side note - you have to be a confident driver if you want to drive in Lake Como! I usually have 3 to 7 tiny heart attacks per day, driving there :-)
Who got married at Lake Como?
Two very known weddings has been Chrissy Teigen and John Legend in September 2013 at Villa Pizzo and Emily Blunt with John Krasinski in July 2010.
What’s the one thing you have to do in Lake Como?
Obviously - a boat on a lake!! Have a look:
In all my years as an international destination, editorial, and wedding photographer, I’ve gotta say—Lake Como is one of my favourite places in the entire world to shoot. When clients choose this area for their weddings, I get all giddy. It’s just that incredible.
Hopefully, this blog post has given you a pretty good peek into what the Lake Como region of northern Italy has to offer as a wedding destination. I hope I was able to convey the magnificence of the area (probably now, as you do need to see it yourself!). And if you do decide to have your wedding in the Lake Como region, I’d be honored to offer you additional guidance. You can go straight to my contact page and we can arrange a chat.
If you want to see more Lake Como pictures, have a look at my other blog post here: Lake Como destination wedding
I hope we can speak soon!!
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