Our Lake Como Wedding
Dan and I were never the "wedding type." We weren’t into big ceremonies or traditional expectations, but we knew we wanted to do something special to celebrate our love, and not just for ourselves, but for our closest friends and family too.
It all started with a conversation about how we wanted the day to feel. Dan told me about a couple he knew who got married abroad and turned their wedding into several unforgettable days of fun with their guests. I loved the idea. Instead of one party, we could create a beautiful, shared experience.
At the time, we had just moved to Sint Maarten. It would have been the perfect setting, especially with the ocean so close to our hearts. But we quickly realized it wasn’t practical. Dan’s family and friends were in the UK, and mine were scattered across the world. Asking everyone to travel all the way to the Caribbean would have been too expensive and complicated.
We began thinking about somewhere in Europe. When we asked ourselves, what’s the most romantic place in Europe?, Italy came to mind… Lake Como. While I was studying in Munich, I had visited Lake Como, Lake Garda, and Lake Maggiore, and I thought that region was the most gorgeous and romantic place I had ever seen. I told Dan about it, he looked it up online, and within minutes he said, That’s it. Let’s do it!
We planned a trip to explore venues and quickly realized we needed help. That’s when we found our amazing wedding planner. She understood exactly what we wanted: something next to the water, elegant, relaxed, and full of meaning.
We had a few non-negotiables:
Great food, great music, and space to dance until late
Accommodation nearby for all our guests
And of course, an indoor backup plan in case of bad weather
We chose Villa Aura del Lago, a beautiful villa with its own private dock just outside Bellagio. It had everything we dreamed of: lake views, stunning gardens, space to celebrate, and a classic Italian charm we fell in love with.
The Wedding Weekend
Saturday, September 21st – Welcome Drinks in Varenna
We kicked off the weekend in the town of Varenna at Bar Il Molo, overlooking the lake. Guests took a short ferry from Bellagio, and we treated everyone to prosecco, beer, and delicious pizzas. It was the perfect way to welcome everyone, catch up, and introduce people who hadn’t met before.
Sunday, September 22nd – The Big Day
At 2:00 pm, our guests boarded a boat from Bellagio to the villa. Since Dan and I spend so much of our lives at sea, it felt only right to begin our wedding by bringing everyone across the water.
At 3:00 pm, we had our ceremony in the garden overlooking the lake. The weather was perfect, and the setting could not have been more magical. After the “I dos,” we had a long, relaxed aperitif session filled with hugs, toasts, and photographs. It was important for us to really spend time with everyone who had made the journey to celebrate with us.
Dinner began at 6:00 pm, and in true Italian style, it was a feast! We had carefully selected every dish and prosecco ourselves, and it brought us so much joy to see everyone enjoying it. We had a few speeches (and lots of laughter), and then...
From 8:00 pm until late, it was time to dance! The music started, the lights came on, and the dance floor came alive. Surrounded by the people we love, in a place that felt like a dream, we celebrated until the early hours.
Monday, September 23rd – Recovery Drinks in Bellagio
The next day, we met again in Bellagio for a casual evening of recovery drinks, laughs, and stories from the night before. It was the perfect way to close a weekend full of love, beauty, and unforgettable memories.
It was the perfect way to celebrate our love and start our new life together.
