Lake Como wedding florists

A Lake Como wedding

Lake Como is the Italian wedding destination couples from abroad search for most. You can marry in historic villas with gardens on the water, in hotels with terraces and boathouses, in small village churches and in town hall wedding rooms. The most requested places are Bellagio; the Tremezzina, with Tremezzo and Lenno; Cernobbio and Moltrasio towards Como; Varenna on the Lecco shore; Menaggio; and the city of Como itself.

The list includes floral designers based on the lake, in Como, in Brianza and in Milan who work here often. Many speak English and some French, and they are used to couples who arrive only a few days before the wedding.

Villas, boats and rules

Lake Como's historic villas almost always have written rules for suppliers: no nails or tape on statues, balustrades or frescoes, limits on candles and petals, set times for loading and unloading. Some work only with a list of approved suppliers. Before choosing your floral designer, ask the venue for its rules.

The lakeside road is narrow, especially on the western shore, and busy in summer. Some villas and terraces are easier to reach from the water: flowers and structures arrive by boat at the jetty and are then carried by hand. Guests and couples often travel by motorboat between church and reception, too: the ceremony flowers can follow them and be reused at dinner, if the floral designer plans for it. Read the guide to a Lake Como wedding.

Climate, seasons and flowers

The lake has a mild but changeable climate. In spring the gardens fill with wisteria, azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias; hydrangeas follow in June and July. Summer is hot and humid, with afternoon storms that can blow in quickly: you always need a covered plan B and an agreement on which arrangements get moved. In autumn the days shorten and morning mist is common.

Plants in the historic gardens are off limits: the floral designer uses grown flowers and greenery that pick up their colours. The most popular palettes are white, green, powder pink and lilac, but the lake's floral designers work in every style.

What wedding flowers cost on Lake Como

Price ranges are indicative and tend to be high. On top of the flowers you pay for boat transport, porters, tight set-up windows, light structures that do not touch historic surfaces, a rain plan, and travel from Milan or Brianza. Read the guide to budgeting flowers for a destination wedding and the one on extra costs.

What to ask the floral designer

• Are you on the villa's list of approved suppliers?
• How will you bring the flowers: by road, by boat or both?
• How much time do you need, and how much does the venue allow?
• If it rains, what gets moved and who moves it?
• Do you speak our language and will you work with our planner?

If you are planning from abroad, read how to work with a floral designer remotely and the guide to getting married in Italy as a foreigner. Then request up to 3 quotes.