wedding fireworks lake como

Lake Como Wedding: I Want To Get Married In Lake Como, Where Do I Start?

Congratulations on your engagement! You’re thinking about getting married in Lake Como. Excellent decision. Yes. Go you! Now you’re asking – what next? We’re here to help. After shooting weddings in Lake Como we’ve scouted out some amazing wedding venues that we are excited to share. Below are six big starting point questions to keep in mind as you start planning.

Villa erba wedding lake como

A wedding ceremony in Lake Como, Italy

 

Think about these things to start:

  1. What Time Of Year
  2. Lake Como Wedding Venues You Love
  3. Vendors – Lake Como Wedding Planner
  4. Guests
  5. Travel
  6. Other Considerations
What Time Of Year

We suggest figuring out when and where you’d like to get married as a starting point. Take into consideration that March through November is a sunnier, milder, and warmer season to have your wedding. This summer season is also a great time to take boats out on the Lake and joy rides and spend time outside. While the winter seasons are great because it is a bit quieter and prices are less expensive than the summer when it is busier with more tourists. Once you’ve solidified the season you’d prefer to have your wedding in Lake Como, you can begin to hone in on which venue you’d like to select. Lake Como has more than 200 days of sunshine, so if you are planning an outside wedding, chances are it will be sunny!

** And as always, for outside weddings, make sure you have a backup plan in case it rains!**

Villa Balbiano wedding

A bride runs at her Villa Balbiano wedding

Venues

The next step in this process is to look at venues and find one that fits your vision and your budget. Wedding venue deposits can range from a few hundred dollars to twenty percent of the total wedding cost. So make sure you take time to factor this into your budget plan! Contact venues you love to see their availability, request more information, and potentially a date hold. (Please note: a Temporary Date Hold is just to hold the date, and no deposit should be necessary for the venue to hold the date while you are making the decision of where to have your wedding.) Ask what vendors are available and or included with the venue as well as general information about accommodations. Lake Como has lots of options and venues to consider, so we added a list of our favorite venues in Lake Como.

Venues to consider in Lake Como that we love:
lake como wedding

A wedding ceremony at Lake Como in Italy

RECAP and NEXT STEPS:
  • Pick Venue options
  • Call Venues I like
  • Ask Venue Questions
  • If all works with Venue: Temporary Date Hold
  • Finalized: Pick a Venue
Vendors

After you’ve contacted venues, we strongly encourage you to reach out and start interviewing photographers. We’d love to be your Lake Como Wedding photographer! We always encourage our couples to interview other photographers to make sure they find the right fit for them. It’s very helpful if you can supply a date for the photographers to temporarily put on hold. We’ll happily hold your date for 14 days while you suss out the details.

Ask to see the venue’s preferred vendor list. We’re happy to share our favorite vendors! Are you considering a wedding planner?

Some additional vendors needed for your wedding in Lake Como are caterer, decor/florist, sound/DJ/Band.

Villa Erba Wedding in Lake como

A couple gets married at Villa Erba in Lake Como, Italy

Here are some local Lake Como Florists to consider:
Guests
Who should I invite to my wedding in Lake Como?

You can invite a lot of people- as many as your budget can accommodate. But because traveling can be expensive, some people won’t be able to make it. So, here’s the thing. We’ve seen it go two ways. The first is an intimate guest turnout. The second? People are so excited about you and the wedding destination you’ve selected that a massive turn out occurred.

When inviting your guests to your destination wedding in Lake Como, you’re inviting them on a vacation. A fun welcome bag idea is a suggested (or prearranged) sights to see for your guests. Because there is so much to see why not come up with you and your fiances favorite three and include more detailed information on those? Your destination wedding in Lake Como will be magical. We suggest making a list of all the people you would love to attend. Keep in mind that with any destination wedding, some guests will not be able to make it.

Travel
  • Travel time – Lake Como is HUGE, so it is important to factor in travel time for flights and for venues if you plan on traveling to different venues on the lake for your Lake Como Wedding. A couple of close international airports are the Malpensa Airport and the Linate airport. But, most people fly into Malpensa airport. Malpensa and Linate are approximately a 40-minute drive from Cernobbio. The Bergamo Orio al Serio airport is a 50-minute drive from Lake Como. You can schedule water taxis or pick up a local schedule. Many times you can buy tickets from your venue, so we would suggest contacting your venue for the best boat transportation options for your Lake Como Wedding. ***SIDE NOTE ~ Remember to bring your passport! ***
wedding boat lake como italy

A couple leave their wedding venue on a boat in Lake Como

Other Considerations
  • Food Allergies. So be sure you check your guest list for food allergies so you can alert the wedding planner/food services of these allergies.
  • Comfortable Shoes. – wedding day shoes – can you wear heels the entire day? Are your feet going to hurt? Can you dance in these shoes? Are you comfortable being barefoot? Take care of your feet!
  • Food for the night. Make sure you have access to food. You will likely be up later than usual. Therefore, you are likely going to be hungry after your wedding! Ask the staff if they are able to stock your wedding night fridge. If not, ask your maid of honor or best man or parents to put some food aside for you.
  • Find out the marriage laws of Italy before you travel. Laws vary from country to country. You can learn about some of these requirements by clicking here
How/What:
  • Get a Wedding planner: weddings have a lot of moving parts that make up long days. A wedding planner’s job is to help lead you through the day which is why we think it is best left for the experts.
  • How do I go about planning my international wedding/what steps should I take to plan my wedding in Lake Como?
  • Planning a Wedding is a lot. Which is why we created an entire blog post about it called, “I don’t have a wedding planner, help!” Check out the steps you can take to make your Lake Como wedding run smoothly by clicking here!
wedding fireworks lake como

Fireworks are a great way to send your guests off for the night

If you have questions, comments, or want to learn more about these destinations, we’d be happy to hop on a call. Please email us for more info.

If you’re getting married and want beautiful wedding photography like you see here, be sure to contact us today and we’d be honored to shoot your wedding!

 

Want to view more beautiful wedding images? Check out our galleries here!