Destination Wedding in Italy

Villa Balbiano

As a legendary and luxurious venue in Europe, Villa Balbiano is a dream venue for a destination wedding in Italy. Situated in Lake Como with stunning views of both mountains and the lake, it was a dream to plan and design a wedding at this iconic venue.

The Couple

They got engaged in Southern Italy surrounded by the groom’s distant Italian relatives. The groom doesn’t speak Italian, the relatives don’t speak English, but that didn’t stop them from celebrating that special moment.

Our couple is from the United States, but as the groom is Italian and both of them love the beautiful Italian architecture and surroundings, they decided to have their wedding in Italy. 

Design and Concept

We designed this intimate wedding of about 10 people with the intention of complementing the beautiful designs of Villa Balbiano and included different Italian touches as an ode to the groom’s heritage. 

We were inspired by a beautiful antique chair at Villa Balbiano and its overall classic and opulent decor. This inspiration is the reason for our “Sugar Plum Romance” concept and the shades of sugar plum, gold, and pink that we chose as the colour palette. 

From the breathtaking invitation suite with handmade paper to the dreamy and airy arch for the ceremony, everything was designed and chosen to bring their story to life and create an unforgettable intimate wedding celebration. 

Italian Destination Wedding Ceremony

While many choose to have their ceremony with the lake and mountain as their backdrop, we chose to have the Villa Balbiano building itself. We didn’t want to overshadow the majestic beauty of the villa, so we chose white flowers to create a simple but dreamy and airy arch to complement it. A twist on the typical white wedding gown, our bride wore an Italian Designer bridal gown in a pale shade of pink and walked down the aisle surrounding the fountain area while the guests were seated on the lawn. After the ceremony, all the guests gathered to shower the couple with a confetti toss. 

Reception

To bring the feeling of a romantic and intimate reception, we choose a slightly secluded area by the side of the villa. With a canopy of foliage and flowers covering the top and the waning sunlight streaming through leaves, it was the perfect place for our bride and groom to enjoy the meal with their guests. With the simple but elegant stone table in the middle, we placed various floral arrangements and candles to surround the entire area with warmth. To soften the look of the table, we draped a long silk runner in a light shade of pink with plenty of low floral arrangements.  We also choose a cake in sugar plum colour tones that is beautifully textured and complemented the overall decor and design of their reception. 

We hope that through these breathtaking pictures you could relieve these beautiful moments with us. You can also experience the beauty and magic of the day through this short video. This was a wedding that was so beautiful and romantic, it felt like it was straight from a fairytale. 

Ying + Billy | Villa Balbiano | Lake Como, Italy from Julia Semashko on Vimeo.

luxury destination wedding at villa balbiano

Vendors

We are so thankful for this great team of vendors that made this wedding possible and honoured to have this wedding featured on BRIDES.

Photography: Jen Huang

Stationery Design: Veronica Halim

Floral Design: Ratti Flora

Videography: Julie Semashko

Makeup and Hair: The Glamourist

Cake: Qualcosa di dolce