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An elegant wedding on Lake Como at Villa Erba

Two days of celebrations filled with Italian atmosphere, live music and romantic floral arrangements

There are weddings where every moment seems to tell a different part of the same story. This wedding on Lake Como was exactly that: two days of celebrations designed to welcome the guests, allow them to truly experience the lake and lead them through ever-changing atmospheres, all connected by a common thread of elegance, music and great attention to detail.

From the welcome dinner overlooking the water to the ceremony at Villa Erba’s Darsena, from the couple’s romantic boat tour to dinner in the villa’s historic rooms and the party that continued late into the night, every moment was designed to have its own distinctive identity.

The result was a refined, romantic and vibrant destination wedding, effortlessly alternating intimate and emotional moments with joyful celebrations.

A welcome dinner overlooking Lake Como

To welcome their guests and begin experiencing the atmosphere of Lake Como together, the couple chose to host a welcome dinner on the evening before the wedding.

The terrace of Hotel Villa Flori, overlooking the lake, provided the setting for an evening intentionally more relaxed than the wedding day itself: a first opportunity to spend time together, reunite after travelling and allow the celebrations to begin in a spontaneous and convivial way.

Freshly prepared pizza, finger food and an open bar gave the evening an unmistakably Italian character, while a jazz trio entertained the guests with live music, creating the perfect soundtrack for conversations, toasts and the first shared moments of the celebration.

The floral arrangements were also intentionally different from those chosen for the wedding day.

For the welcome dinner, we opted for a rich and vibrant palette built around shades of red and burgundy, softened by accents of orange, violet and yellow. Deliberately informal floral arrangements decorated the buffet and cocktail tables, bringing colour to the terrace and creating a beautiful contrast with the surrounding greenery and the changing shades of the lake.

The guests also contributed to the vibrant atmosphere of the evening with elegant, colourful summer looks, combining light dresses, prints, bright shades and Mediterranean-inspired details, perfectly in keeping with the relaxed yet sophisticated character of the lakeside gathering.

A relaxed, colourful and convivial evening, offering the perfect introduction to the experience awaiting the guests.

THE WEDDING

A morning on the shores of the Lake

The wedding day began in one of Lake Como’s most iconic settings: Villa d’Este, where both the bride and groom chose to get ready before making their way to Villa Erba.

Set on the shores of the lake in Cernobbio, Villa d’Este is one of Italy’s most prestigious historic hotels, renowned for its gardens, elegant interiors and timeless atmosphere that has made it a truly special Lake Como destination for centuries.

In their respective rooms, the bride and groom spent the hours before the ceremony surrounded by the people closest to them.

For the bride, the final hair and make-up touches, the arrival of friends and family, photographs and the delivery of her bouquet marked that unique sense of anticipation that precedes a wedding. Nearby, the groom was also getting ready with his family and closest friends.

From Villa d’Este, they both made their way to Villa Erba, ready for the celebration to begin.

A romantic ceremony at Villa Erba’s Darsena

The symbolic ceremony took place at Villa Erba’s Darsena, one of the property’s most evocative spaces, where the water and landscape of Lake Como became a natural part of the setting.

An elegant all-female string trio welcomed the guests. Their striking floor-length dresses, beautifully coordinated with one another, transformed the musicians themselves into a visual element of the setting.

The floral design for the ceremony was romantic yet unconventional. A palette of blush pink, cream and apricot blended with bolder shades of pink and fuchsia, creating depth and movement while retaining an overall sense of delicacy.

Behind the couple, a magnificent floral arch framed both the ceremony and the lake, while additional arrangements followed the steps of the Darsena, creating a natural continuity between the floral setting and the architecture of the space.

Music played an important role from the very first entrances. The groom walked in with his mother, followed by the couple’s daughter, who made her way down the aisle holding hands with the bride’s sister and the groom’s brother. Finally came one of the most emotional moments: the bride’s entrance on her father’s arm, accompanied by the notes of the live string trio.

The choice of celebrant made the ceremony even more personal: rather than an external professional, the couple entrusted this role to a close friend. His words, together with readings by some of the people closest to the couple and the vows exchanged by the bride and groom, made the ceremony feel deeply intimate and authentic.

It was not simply about following a ceremony, but about telling a story through the voices of the people who had been part of it. Music was reserved for the most meaningful moments, leaving space for words and emotions.

The aperitif and a private moment for the couple on the lake

At the end of the ceremony, the guests remained in the Darsena area for the aperitif.

With buffet stations, passed finger food, toasts and conversation, the reception immediately took on a more relaxed atmosphere. The string trio continued to entertain the guests, this time in a different look, visually marking the transition from the ceremony to the aperitif.

Meanwhile, the newlyweds slipped away for around half an hour aboard a private boat.

On Lake Como, a short boat ride is much more than a photographic opportunity: it is often one of the very few moments during the day when the newlyweds can truly spend some time alone together.

Away for a few minutes from their guests and the pace of the reception, they could enjoy the scenery, the emotion of having just become husband and wife, and the unique light that makes Lake Como even more captivating when seen from the water.

The boat tour also naturally became an opportunity for a more intimate and spontaneous photo shoot. The villa, mountains and lakeshore seen from the water created a magnificent backdrop.

A seating plan in harmony with the floral design

Before entering the dinner rooms, the guests discovered the seating plan.

Three panels, decorated at the base with floral arrangements coordinated with the rest of the styling, displayed cards bearing the guests’ names. Each card was embellished with a small tassel, a refined detail that made the seating plan an integral part of the overall design.

Flowers, stationery and small decorative details echoed the aesthetic language of the ceremony, creating continuity between the different spaces of Villa Erba without simply repeating the same design.

An elegant dinner in Villa Erba’s historic rooms

For dinner, the guests moved into the villa’s historic rooms, where the chosen flowers made the atmosphere even richer and more immersive.

The layout featured a long imperial table for the newlyweds, their closest friends and family, alongside round tables for the other guests.

Across the tables, floral arrangements of varying heights and volumes alternated with numerous candles, creating depth and movement. The cream and blush tones of the candles subtly echoed the flowers and complemented the villa’s richly decorated interiors.

Every detail of the table setting had been carefully considered, including bespoke stationery for each guest. Personalised menus and small decorative tambourines bearing each guest’s name completed every place setting, adding an original and personal touch to an elegant and romantic design.

Flowers, candles, fabrics and decorative details combined to create an impressive tablescape while still allowing Villa Erba’s magnificent interiors to remain centre stage.

A dinner shaped by live music

During dinner, music was conceived not simply as background entertainment, but as an integral part of the experience.

The newlyweds’ entrance into the dining rooms officially opened the evening and was followed by speeches from the maid of honour and best man.

From that moment on, dinner and entertainment alternated in a lively rhythm.

Between courses, a jazz trio performed three different live sets featuring Italian and international songs, gradually shifting the energy of the evening.

The decision to alternate the courses with short performances gave the dinner a more engaging and dynamic feel. Music, toasts and interaction with the guests accompanied the service, gradually building the atmosphere towards the more festive part of the night.

The wedding cake under the stars

At the end of dinner, the guests were invited back to the Darsena.

Here, the cake cutting awaited them in the same setting as the ceremony, now completely transformed by the evening light.

The elegant and romantic wedding cake was decorated with delicate floral details coordinated with the palette of the entire wedding. Around it, floral arrangements and points of light echoed the colours used throughout the day, while the dark lake created a completely different backdrop from the ceremony.

The highlight was accompanied by sparkulars – spectacular fountains of cold sparks – ignited around the couple during the chorus, illuminating the cake cutting with a striking effect of light.

With the guests gathered around them, the sparks, music and lake in the background transformed the cake cutting into one of the most spectacular moments of the evening.

After the toast, the celebration was ready to shift pace once again.

The first dance and a party late into the night

Back inside Villa Erba, the guests were welcomed by the open bar and dessert buffet.

Before the dancing officially began, there was time for the traditional bouquet toss, followed by the emotion of the newlyweds’ first dance.

The couple then opened the dance floor, marking the beginning of the final part of the celebration.

From that moment, music took centre stage: the DJ was joined by an electric violinist, creating a mix of live performance and dance music that kept the guests celebrating late into the night.

A change of dress for the bride further marked the transition from the elegance of dinner to the freedom of the party, while a late-night savoury snack kept everyone fuelled to dance and celebrate until three in the morning.

A Lake Como wedding shaped by different yet perfectly connected atmospheres: the colour of the welcome dinner, the emotion of the ceremony, the beauty of experiencing the lake from the water, a dinner filled with music and thoughtful details, and finally a long night of celebration.

A celebration in which Villa Erba and Lake Como were not simply the backdrop to the wedding, but an essential part of the entire experience.