Elopement at Lake Como? Tips From a Local Photographer

Wedding Services & Suppliers: If you are looking for the best photographer—well, that's me! OK, OK, just joking... All in all, you will find plenty of great service providers around. Don't expect your makeup artist or florist to stay confined to your selected town; local vendors are always on the move. Traveling from Varenna to Lenno or from Lecco to Bellagio is standard practice for all of us. As locals, we know the roads inside out and feel completely comfortable driving to any location around the lake or up in the mountains.

How do you find a reliable service provider? You have two main options:

1. Hire a Wedding Planner: I regularly work with two amazing planners—WeddingBox Lake Como and Bellagio Wedding Co.—and either of them can sort everything out for you seamlessly.

2. Do It Yourself: If you prefer handling things on your own, I recommend using Google and carefully checking reviews. Real customer feedback is still the best way to determine if a service is trustworthy.

Boats: Quite a few clients ask for recommended boat services. There are so many companies out there that it's hard to pick just one as the absolute best, but the only captain I know personally is Luli (Vintage Boat Lake Como). He has a very authentic Italian boat which I happily recommend. That said, there are dozens of other boat rentals, and you can easily find them all with a quick search on Google or Google Maps.

Florists & Makeup Artists: In general—they are everywhere! And if you can't find anyone available directly around Lake Como, don't hesitate to expand your search area and look at service providers based in Bergamo or Milan. I once worked at a wedding in Lenno where the makeup artist came all the way from Florence! Yes, we travel a lot because we truly love what we do. It is never a problem for me to travel down to Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast, or for a florist to drive from Milan to Lake Como. However, if you are just starting your research, definitely start with the locals! They are very active on Instagram, so that is the best place to begin exploring your options.

I hope these little tips are helpful on your planning journey! And if you have any questions, you can always connect with me and ask—I am always glad to help!

As a wedding photographer with many years of experience in the area, I would like to share some suggestions and tips with you. They won't necessarily act as a total lifesaver, but they serve as a practical guide on what to expect, what to avoid, and what to focus on during the planning stage. These suggestions are based on all the questions sent to me by couples planning their weddings in the Como area, giving me a solid understanding of what truly matters to you right now.

The first decision you have to make is your location! Lake Como has several "hot spots" for weddings, and here is a brief breakdown of some of them:

Como Town: Here you can find plenty of private villas with stunning views or deeply vintage decor, design, and feel. I have worked in villas that you wouldn't even notice from the nearby road, but once you step inside, you are instantly immersed in romance and the classic Italian vibe. These tend to be smaller venues—not massive like Villa Balbianello, Melzi, or Monastero, but quite suitable for an intimate wedding of 5 to 20 people. The big benefit of celebrating in Como is how easy it is to reach by car, train, or bus, along with a wide choice of service providers, shops, and services that can be handy in an emergency. The downside? Awful traffic, tricky parking, and overcrowded streets during the summer months.

Bellagio: This is the heart of Lake Como. You will love it here, but venue choices are much more limited since there aren't many large, upscale villas right in town. Even so, for an intimate wedding, you can plan on staying in one of the local hotels, taking a boat to nearby villas, and having dinner at a local restaurant. Regarding hotels, I have had many clients book the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, but to be honest, it is quite an expensive choice. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option, there are plenty of cheaper hotels around. To be honest, one of my absolute favorite hotels is Palazzo del Vice Re. I have only photographed one wedding there, but my experience was superb. I loved the spacious, vintage-style rooms, which are fantastic for getting-ready photos. The only downside is that it is a bit removed from central Bellagio and parking is quite limited. Bellagio also features Villa Melzi, but I don't have much special to say about it—it's fine, but nothing extraordinary for wedding photography, especially considering they charge several hundred euros just for shooting on their premises, which isn't really worth the price for a small wedding.

Varenna: To read more about this town and its options, I invite you to check out my article, "My Personal Guide to Varenna: What I Tell My Couples", which covers it in full.

Menaggio, Tremezzo, and Lenno: Apologies for grouping them all together, but there is a lot of shared character across these three towns. You will find small villas and cozy restaurants everywhere; really, all you have to do is look at their photos and choose what calls to you. This side of the lake features very old buildings that pull you back in time, easily delivering that vintage Italian mood. Some villas are tucked away in the mountains with stunning lake views—definitely worth checking out. One thing to note about this side of the lake is that it loses sunlight earlier than the other towns mentioned. You won't get a drawn-out golden hour; the sun is there, and suddenly, around 8:00 PM, it disappears behind the mountains on your side of the lake. It can also be tricky to photograph properly due to the harsh contrast between the brightly lit lake and shadowed ground. On the bright side, you get far fewer tourists—especially higher up in the mountains—along with easier parking options and mostly empty streets, save for the main road. I have had many weddings here, and wandering into one of those old mountain towns is an absolute treasure for photography: old stone houses, colorful flowers, and quiet, narrow streets. What could be better?

Now, lets talk about the convenience: As I mentioned earlier, Como town has a lot to offer, so in case or emergency, or if anything is needed - you are in the safe zone over there.

Taxi: Be aware that taxi is a reall challenge here. But it is much more possible to get one in Como, than in any of the other towns mentioned above. In general, it is better to book a taxi ahead of time. While in Como you may find available drivers, in other locations you would have to book the taxi way earlier than you may expect. Some drivers are booked 6 months ahead and getting one on the same day is an mission impossible over there (Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio). Several times I had to save my couple by offering my help with driving them where needed in Bellagio and once even in Varenna - so be aware of that.

Shopping: If you stay in Bellagio , Varenna or Menaggio, getting to a convenience store is another challenge so be aware of that. Varenna has several options reachable by train and the car (see my article with detailed explanation). Bellagio does have one small supermarket (Supermarket MIGROSS-Consorzio Agrario), but this is mainly a food store, so replacing your torn t-shirt or tight shoes is impossible here. If you happen to stay on the Menaggio side of the lake, one shop I could recommend would be Iperal Carlazzo. It is a very large food store, but it also has some basics like needles, scissors etc., which can be handy at times.

Travelling: Varenna can be reached by car, bus or train, also by ferry, but this one depends on where you are coming from. If you start your way from Como - ferry will take good while. Bellagio is limited to car, bus or ferry, no trains available there. This is sad, since the train is the best, cheapest and fastest way to travel in Italy. Menaggio side of lake has only 2 options: bus and car. You can still catch a ferry, but to be honest, I don't know much about those options as they are not very popular. You have several ferry docks on that side in neighbouring towns, so you may still need to drive to get to the right one to get the planned ferry. Be careful though as parking on the main road on Menaggio side is tricky - all car parks are usually filled, so you may end up leaving your car somewhere higher in mountains. It is safe, just plan ahead as it may take some time to get down to the docks - don't miss your ferry.

Parking: Varenna - only one reliable multi store parking, usually filled by 12:00. Bellagio - several car park locations, the one I always find a spot on is Car Park Pescallo Bellagio. You can pay in app and stay as long as you want there. Menaggio, Lenno, Tremezzo - God knows where you can park over there - you see the spot - take it! Just don't forget to pay as fines are quite high. Full day parking almost everywhere around 20 euros per car.